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How Often Should You Update Your Resume

How Often Should You Update Your Cv Resume

Updating Your Resume/CV – Taking the First Step to Conclude Your Internship

Out of the 273 people we polled they answered in the following way when asked, how often do you update your CV?

67% when applying for a new job

9% on a regular basis

24% never!

Having an up-to-date, ready to send CV is a time critical factor in maximizing your potential in the job market. Most people omit lots of key achievements from a current or previous role when ever updating their CV, if they do not do it on a regular basis, most commonly because they have forgotten many of them.

In our daily working lives we could be contributing to a key company project, increasing profitability and productivity in our departments, training other staff effectively and so on. These are just a few key things that could be included on your CV as you update it, if you are not keeping an active eye on your CV regularly, its easy to forget to add important achievements.

Trying to delve deep into your memory bank to remember why you were so great and effective in your job before the company cut staff or closed down, is not an easy task.

Losing a job, impacts massively on our ability to really market ourselves well. Shock sets in, we lose confidence, we are distracted with the worry at not having a regular income, we panic the list is endless. However, losing a job does not have to be the end of the line, its an opportunity to reinvent yourself and make the most of your core skill-set and apply those to creating a winning CV.

Tips For Updating Your Resume

Updating a resume on your own might be confusing for some people, especially if you dont know where to start. Here are some important tips for you to consider:

  • Delete all the irrelevant information. Your resume should be a short representation of your best and most appropriate skills for the job. If a skill has been lost or is a bit rusty it is best to delete it until you are sure that you can use it to its full capacity.
  • Put your strongest traits at the top of each section. Your resume may only get a brief scan from the recruiter at first. By putting your most important skills and achievements on top you will increase your chances to be noticed and invited over for the interview.
  • Check your grammar. Relying only on grammar-checking applications isnt the best choice as something might still slip through. So after youre finished with updating your resume, carefully reread it or ask someone you know who majored in English to do it.
  • Adjust the layout. The appearance of your resume should reinforce its content and contribute to your successful self-presentation. Therefore, it is essential to choose the right layout. The GetCoverLetter builder offers various designs for you to choose from. If you feel like your skills or education are the most critical part of your resume, you can pick a layout where these sections are placed right at the beginning of your resume. This way, you will immediately draw the recruiter’s attention to the needed information.
  • Why An Updated Resume Is Necessary For Veterans

    For a veteran in the civilian world, you must recognize that having an updated resume is crucial for your professional career. Because civilian life differs from life in the military, especially when it comes to career and employment, an updated resume is necessary for veterans for the following reasons:

    • Theres no such thing as job security.

    ;Unfortunately, job security is nonexistent in civilian life. A company can offer you a job today, downsize in two years, and let you know that after some consideration that they are letting you go due to budget cuts. Or, you can lose a job for no reason at all. If you live in whats described as an employment at-will state, losing a job for no reason or explanation at all is common.

    In employment at-will states, an employees position can end any time, without an explanation or warning. Additionally, the employee has the right to end his or her employment for any reason, or no reason. Exceptions to this would be some sort of contract such as an employment contract or personnel handbook.;

    For more information on at-will employment, review the article on At-Will Employment at the Workplace Fairness website.

    • Change is inevitable.

    Change is a constant in society. And, as a career professional, change is the result of growth. We live in a time where changing jobs is the growing norm. Decades ago, people would gain employment in their chosen career field and work at the same company for 20 years plus, up to retirement.

    Also Check: What To Put On Resume For Experience

    When You Complete A Big Project

    Did you close a major transaction? Wrap up development on a new product? These accomplishments need to be reflected on your resume.Any time you finish a successful project, make sure it goes directly onto your resume, says Barrett-Poindexter. Citing quantifiable results is crucial . Include such details as how many people worked on the team, what your role entailed and the hurdles you crossed, says Barrett-Poindexter.

    Exploring The Consulting Area:

    How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

    You are happy with your current job and not looking for a change.

    What about consulting in your special domain?

    If you want to undertake consulting work since you have some time over the weekends. An updated resume would be great for you and you can mail it immediately to the concerned people.

    But if you have not updated your CV immediately, then all your dreams of consulting would take a backstage for the time being. You might lose out on a major breakthrough in your career too.

    Don’t Miss: What To Put On The Education Part Of A Resume

    How Often Should You Update Your Resume Do You Know

    Did you know that a new job applicant will update his resume a few times in a week?

    This is undertaken so that it catches the attention of the recruiters or get noticed by them , who look for fresh new resumes every day.

    Therefore if you have applied for a plum job and have yet not heard from your recruitment agency, there is a chance that your CV has been rejected as it is an old CV.

    Here you can learn from the experience and update your resume regularly at least once a week and give your competition a tough fight.

    How Would You Enjoy The Benefits

    Have you ever volunteered to dig a ditch during summer season?

    The answer would be no for most people, as it is very stressful.

    Therefore when your job is in trouble you are in a similar situation and do not have the right frame of mind to write your resume for job. You have to accept that you are in a state of panic and disturbed.

    However you can enjoy the benefits if you have been updating your resumes regularly once you have achieved your accomplishments. Let us now take a closer look as to how you can be benefited.

    Also Check: How To Put Community Service On Resume

    During The Passive Job Search

    Anyone with more than one job under the belt will tell you that youre always in the job market. Today, youre already employed and not looking leave anytime soon, so youre considered passively in the job market. Youre not entirely out of the game because, well, things happen. You might get laid off or fired. Your boss may retire, leaving you stuck with a troll. You may want a promotion, a higher salary, a change in career, or to switch from contract work for full-time.

    Whatever situation puts you back in the job market, you need a résumé, and not the one you submitted last time. ;So it pays to be proactive by updating elements of your résumé before you need another job, instead of just when youre scrambling to hustle for a new role. You save a lot of time and have a lot less stress when you update regularly;.

    How Often Should You Update Your Rsum

    Updating Your Resume

    Neglecting to keep your résumé and social profiles updated is a common mistake. After all, if you have a job or a steady series of contracting gigs, why bother with tweaking your résumé to reflect your evolving skills and responsibilities? Its not as if youre looking for a job at the moment.

    Nonetheless, keeping your résumé and profiles updated covers your flanks in a handful of ways:

    • In the event of an unexpected job loss, it means you can immediately start hunting for a new position.
    • It makes you look like even more of an awesome candidate to recruiters and prospective employers who might be lurking around the Internet.
    • It keeps colleagues appraised of your skills, which is particularly useful if youre the type who takes on freelancing work on a regular basis.

    Some tech pros update their résumés and profiles every time they learn a new skill or accomplish something notable; done often enough, it becomes a habit. Others set a calendar date to scan and adjust their materials. Whatever cadence works best for you, keeping updated will only serve you well in the long run.

    Recommended Reading: What Is A Chronological Resume

    Benefits Of Frequently Updating Your Resume

    The best part of updating your resume more frequently is it can take a lot of the sting out of the process. If I asked all of our readers how many of you would rather spend four hours updating your resume or be forced to dig ditches in the summer heat, an unhealthy portion of you would probably ask to see where the shovels were.

    Updating your resume doesnt have to take a long time â thats the beauty of it. If you spend 15 or 30 minutes every six months jotting down your most recent accomplishments you never have to sit down for hours on end to remember all that you did over a several year span.

    Oh, and there are three other specific benefits:

    How Often Should You Update Your Resume

    Life certainly has a way of throwing you curveballs. What you think is pure bliss one moment can instantly turn sour the next. Even people who thought their career was secure could suddenly face a dire situation. That said, if you have been employed for quite a while, love your job, and see no reason for leaving, then its likely you dont feel any pressing need to update your resume paper.

    Though its natural to feel this way, you should know that you are not doing yourself any favor by letting your resume go stale. Here are three of the main reasons to keep your resume current:

    • Youll understand how far youve come having an updated optimal resume helps remind you of your strengths, skills and achievements, allowing you to track the progress and trajectory of your career.
    • Youll be ready for better opportunities when they come knocking what if a call from a headhunter suddenly came along, offering a better job and a better salary at a better company? You certainly dont want to be caught working on your resume under a tight deadline.
    • Youll be prepared for the worst an immediate job loss can be jarring. Whether you get fired or laid off, the transition period is bound to be highly stressful, and you dont want the quality of the optimal resume that youll be sending out to potential employers to add to your worries.

    Also Check: How Many Years Of Experience On Resume

    In Case You Want To Present Yourself As An Expert

    Speaking at conferences, contributing articles to publications, or giving quotes to the media as an expert in your field are all excellent ways to grow yourself professionally without leaving your current gig. But when you pitch yourself to the media or conference organizers, youre going to have to be able to adequately strut your stuff.

    Questions To Ask Yourself

    How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

    When it comes time for your CV service, there are a few things to consider:

    • Firstly, what new technology, digital or technical skills have you developed over the past year?
    • Is there a project youve worked on that youre proud of? Is this project a better example of your abilities that an older project listed on your CV and social media? If so, swap it out.
    • Have you completed any courses, won any awards or been recognised for a job well done? If so, add these details.
    • Can you quantify your accomplishments? Hiring managers and recruiters love to see hard evidence of your success, such as how many views your blogs regularly receive or the percentage by which you exceeded a recent target.
    • Have your duties and responsibilities increased? If so, summarise these responsibilities and the outcomes youve achieved.

    Also Check: What To Put For Education On Resume

    Make The Time For Your Resume Updates

    Making the time to update your resume a part of a routine seems a little extreme. But, as you can see, when you set aside time for this task, youre better able to think about what youve accomplished and how to present that to the employer in the best manner possible.

    And, scheduling resume updates puts you in the drivers seat should an amazing opportunity come up, even when you arent actively seeking work. If nothing else, updating your resume outside of your job search gives you ample time to proofread your resume and work at a pace youre comfortable with.

    Weve got tons of tips on how to proofread your resume, guides on chronological resumes and hybrid resumes, and even tips on how to write a better resume. But, if you want even more advice, consider scheduling a session with one of our career coaches.

    List Of Relevant Skills Tools And Certifications

    Your skills section should be updated to include not just any new skills or certifications you may have obtained, but also any advancement in previous skills you have listed.

    For example, if you previously stated that you have intermediate-level experience with a software application and have since increased your skill in that area, update your resume to state that you now have expert-level proficiency. You might also include the years of experience you have using the tools that are most valuable to your industry.

    When updating your resume, you should also take time to review the job description. Pay attention to keywords they include that align with skills you have and add those to your skills section. Leave off skills employers list if you do not feel comfortable expressing experience or proficiency in them.

    Also Check: What Is A Functional Resume Sample

    When You Get A Surprise Promotion At Work:

    People are moving in and out of large companies quickly nowadays. If you have had your superior changing jobs suddenly, there is a high chance that you might be up for promotion.

    Here if you have been updating your CV regularly, you can in a few minutes share the CV with your management and HR when the need arises.

    But it would create a bad impression and you might lose a promotion if you get back to the concerned superiors and HR mentioning that you would share your updated CV next day.

    It is thus very essential that you always update your CV and keep it at a location where it can be accessed easily.

    When You Receive Praise Or Go Beyond Assigned Job Duties

    Updating Your Resume for Each Job Ad

    If youre a registered nurse, you know that any job role you take requires;compassion toward patients and strict adherence to cleanliness and safety codes. When you receive positive feedback or a former patient sends you a thank you letter, make sure you write down exactly what they said about your service. If you create your own sanitation checklist that your team uses to make sure all instruments and rooms are free from contaminants, youve successfully created a system the organization uses;to improve service and safety.

    If your work involves event planning, you can list the number of attendees and budget at an event, but also incorporate the feedback you receive from the client and guests. You can start with the exact feedback, such as best use of natural flowers in centerpieces that Ive seen and so much attention to detail that every ounce of the space matched the event. Later on, you can revise the details to fit résumé language. For example, if you see a pattern of compliments indicating youre the best at filling a space with themed elements, write that you continually receive exemplary feedback on the overall quality of events related to intricate theming details.

    Recommended Reading: Should You Include Your Address On Your Resume

    How To Update Your Indeed Resume

    To update your Indeed resume, do the following:

  • Go to Indeed.com and click on Sign in.
  • Next, click on Resume.
  • Now, click on the pencil symbol for each section that you want to edit.
  • When youre done editing each section of your resume, click on the Save button.
  • Keep your resume updated as you gain new experiences, increase your skills and advance in your career. An updated resume will help potential employers accurately assess your strengths. To increase your chances of a successful interview and potential job offers, always update your resume with the most recent and relevant information that best reflects your current skills and experiences.

    How Often Are You Updating Your Resume

    Its a simple question, really, but one that many people arent prepared to answer. How often are you updating your resume? If your answer is, when Im looking for a new job, youre not updating your resume often enough. Your resume should be a living document. Youll find its much easier to track if you spend a little time with it frequently rather than cramming your memories from the last year or five in all at once. So how can you keep your resume up to date? Here are some ideas.

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