When was the last time you updated your resume? And all those profiles on the business networks?
You’re a professional recruiter, so you don’t need to be told how important it is to keep a fresh, updated resume at the ready. But just in case, now would be a good time to make sure everything is current. It is, after all, Update Your Resume Month.
“Keeping your resume up-to-date is a lot like networking — it’s something you should always be doing whether or not you’re hunting for a new job,’ says author and noted career coach Fred Myers. Yet as that saying about the cobbler’s children having no shoes reminds us, it’s easy to overlook doing for yourself what you advise others to do.
It’s for that reason Career Directors International first designated September as the month to update resumes. CDI, the trade group for resume writers, career coaches, and other career professionals, picked September because job searching and recruiting pick up the pace this month after the summer slowdown.
To get you started, CDI has a free worksheet covering not only the essentials, but also prompts to jog your memory about important projects, new skills, and other achievements. Download it here.
One of the benefits of filling in a worksheet like this one is the reality it forces upon us. Didn’t learn a new skill this year? Oops. Can’t think of an achievement worthy of listing? Uh-oh. Now is a good time to start fixing those shortcomings so when next September rolls around, your challenge is what to edit out.
Michelle Riklan, at Careerealism.com, suggests creating a “brag file” into which you put the “good job” emails, hiring manager applause, and similar notes and awards. Learning a new skill, she says, can be done by taking an online course or taking classes at the local college.
Volunteer work is always a plus. Giving of yourself is good for the soul, even if it doesn’t do much for the resume. However, consider volunteering for jobs where your professional expertise can be used. The help of a professional recruiter is always appreciated at a job center, shelter, or at your local college.
When you do finish updating that resume, be sure to do the same for those online profiles. That’s when you can actually celebrate Update Your Resume Month!