Career Advice

3 Reasons To Sit Down And Update Your Resume Now

posted on December 10, 2018 | by Michele Lando

We’ve all been there; you find the perfect job but it’s been posted for a few days (or longer) and you need to apply IMMEDIATELY. This is just one scenario that could happen if you don’t have your resume updated and on hand. To put it in perspective, 89% of Glassdoor users are actively looking for a new job or would consider better opportunities. If you’re one of the majority, this reason alone is why you should sit down and update your resume right now. If that isn’t enough, here are a few other factors that might persuade you to update this important document.

Holiday parties are a great way to meet people

You never know what will happen or who you’ll meet.

Over the last few years, some of the best professional contacts and clients I have secured have been at holiday parties. The holiday season brings all kinds of parties and festivities, which is why you should perfect your elevator pitch and have your updated resume ready to go if need be. Holiday parties are a great way to meet people both socially and professionally because they often bring unexpected people together. While it’s not smart to attend a holiday party for the sole purpose of networking, meeting people who might be good professional contacts is a bonus of the holiday season.

Part of further developing your career is about being open to new opportunities and networking with the right people when you have the chance. Having a killer resume to send them right away will greatly benefit you. If you want to cultivate these relationships and establish trust, communicate clearly and in a timely manner. If someone feels as though they are waiting on you or have to hunt you down to get a hold of your resume, their interest will likely wane.

It’s much easier to add information as you go than remember information about past jobs

One of the biggest problems people make when writing a resume is not including specific metrics or achievements. “Subjective terms and clichés are seen as negative because they don’t convey real information. For instance, don’t say you are ‘results-driven’; show the employer your actual results,” says Rosemary Haefner of CareerBuilder.

It is absolutely important to highlight the specifics of your role; however, if you’re only highlighting the job description and not your achievements, your resume will not be as effective as it could be. (Read this article to help you craft the perfect job description for your resume!) The longer you wait to update your resume, the harder it will be to recall specific information and achievements about your current or past job(s).

A good rule of thumb is to add a new job to your resume right as you start. Chances are you will have a job description given to you by HR, which will make it easy, and will help you out immensely in the long run. Same thing with new responsibilities and skills; adding them into your document as they come along ensures that you won’t forget about them later. You can always edit your resume to be more clear and concise, but finding previous material, descriptions, and project information is much harder. The sooner you start working on your resume, the easier it will be.

Revamping your resume doesn’t automatically mean that you’re not happy in your current role

There seems to be a stigma that you must be unhappy where you are if you are working on your resume, but this is absolutely not the case. Being proactive about your resume will benefit you by preparing you for the unknown, and giving you a leg up when the time does come for a new opportunity.

Writing about yourself if tough. It’s hard to remember and highlight specific information that reflects all you’ve achieved, but biting the bullet and revamping your resume to keep on hand is key to a successful career. It might not be your ideal way to spend the evening, but you should revamp your resume now so that you can feel confident in the document you have on hand, and be prepared going into the holiday season in case your dream opportunity arises.