Because you never know when you’ll need to use your resume, September has been designated as International Update Your Resume Month as an annual reminder for job seekers (and those who may, at some point, be job seekers—which is all of us!) to review and update their resume, LinkedIn profile, and other career documents.
Obviously if a job becomes open with a short deadline or someone asks you for your resume, you want to be able to provide it quickly. So the best thing to do is take time now to gather your accomplishments—you do not want to forget something important!
Take a look at your most recent resume and check these things NOW, before you forget:
- Is your work experience up to date? Need to add your current position? New job title?
- What about your accomplishments? Are they current? Do you have at least one for every 12-18 months you’ve been in your job (especially your current job)? Are they any old accomplishments that need to come off (Y2K anyone??)
- Check your contact information. Do you have a Gmail account? That doesn’t include your birth year? Is your phone number accurate? Do you have a customized LinkedIn URL? Did you include it on your private sector resume?
- Do all of your career documents match? Check dates and job titles (and jobs) on both your resume and LinkedIn; dates, jobs, and titles should match. Double check that you have a consistent “message” or brand across all your career documents.
- Update your education, training, and certifications. Have you taken any classes that are not on your current resume and should be? Have you earned a degree? Pursued a certification?
International Update Your Resume Month was created in 2001 by Career Directors International to support job seekers worldwide. I will feature other tips all month that will help you update your resume and be ready for that opportunity that you should not miss!
