When was the last time you updated your resume? Unless you are a fresher, it is quite possible that you haven’t brought your resume out of the closet (read: the folder on your computer!) after landing your current job.
Whether you are searching for a new job or not, at some point in time, you may decide to make a career change. However, don’t wait for that day to arrive to update your CV. Let’s say; you want to switch your job after five years. Now, during these five years, you have acquired more experience, accomplished achievements and even enhanced your skills through various certification courses. But would you remember every little detail that has added value to your job profile after five years? Most probably not!
It makes sense to refresh your resume at regular intervals so that you do not lose track of your career path. Here are handy tips to make sure your CV is as current as your skills:
Delete the Irrelevant
There is no harm in weeding out information that is no longer relevant in the job landscape. For example, you are an IT professional and you had listed social media knowledge as your secondary skill in your old resume. A few years ago, social media skills were rare. Today, employers expect every candidate to have the clarity of basic social media concepts. So, chuck it out from your resume. Similarly, you may have listed playing guitar as your hobby. Today, you like to play tennis. You need to get rid of these minor details as well.
Add the New
You may have been assigned an off-shore project, awarded a promotion or accomplished something noteworthy during all your current working years. You should highlight all these achievements in your resume. If you have acquired a new technical or soft skill/certification, include that too. In case you are studying any subject or have enrolled for a course, it should find a place in the new resume.
Insert Keywords
A few years ago, employers scanned through every resume manually. Today, with automated recruitment platforms and bots, hiring managers simply run a programme to match the expected job profile with candidate resumes on the basis of certain keywords. Try to study various job descriptions on the job portals, shortlist the common keywords and incorporate them in your resume. For example, instead of mentioning ‘digital marketing’, you should be more specific as to whether you are a content marketer, SEO specialist or social media strategist.
The key to keeping your resume updated is to refresh it at least every 4-6 months or immediately after there is any change in your career.
