So we’re almost two months in to the new year, and new year’s resolutions are beginning to falter. How many of you made a mental note to keep your resume better updated this year? Or to not put off updating your resume until the last minute?
For some, easier said than done. Rather than post another entry full of reminders of why it’s important to update your resume every six months or once a year, I thought I’d share a real-world suggestion for how to streamline and implement those bi-annual updates.
Setting yourself the goal of updating your resume every year isn’t going to be effective if, when the day comes, you’re staring at a blank page trying to recall the events of the past year. So make updating your resume a part of every day, week, and month.
Set up a file folder in your desk and create a new folder in your email account so that when something comes across your desk or through your emails, you can file it away immediately into a ‘keep’ pile. If you don’t want to forget about a particular project or outcome, email yourself notes on it and then file that email in your update folder along with testimonials and words of appreciation from colleagues, clients, and managers, performance reviews, project specs, or c ompany newsletters and flyers highlighting strong performing products, divisions, and teams.
You get the idea. This way, everything is one place when the time comes, and you or your professional resume writer will be able sort through, prioritize, and then begin updating your resume with your most recent accomplishments.
See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy!