Dear Coach,
I recently was asked for a copy of my resume
and realized I hadn’t updated it in three years. How often do people usually update them? Do you have any good advice
for resumes that work?
—Missed A Good Opportunity, 46
Dear Missed Opportunity,
I usually tell people they should always have
an updated resume till the day they retire. You never want to be in a situation where your dream opportunity comes knocking,
and you don’t have something on hand. You’ll either miss the boat or lose a night’s sleep editing old versions.
You don’t have to change it weekly or even monthly, but you should certainly review it at least every three months
and update it as necessary.
Your experience will hopefully show career growth over time but, even if
it doesn’t, you should outline new responsibilities and areas of expertise.
The best resumes
today focus on results, so try to present as many relevant ones as possible. Some examples are: Achieved annual increases
of 65 percent or greater in editorial media exposure; decreased operational expenses by 17 percent; and reduced employee turnover
from 60 percent to less than 15 percent within the first year.
Most companies and organizations are
looking for well-rounded and personable individuals to fit into their cultures, so make sure your resume illustrates this
as best as possible.
You should be on LinkedIn with a current profile, because potential employers can easily check it. If you have a public profile name, include
it to facilitate finding you.
If you are active on Twitter, consider including your user name. If you’ve tweeted disparaging remarks about your current or any previous employer,
do not include your user name – and mark “Only let people whom I approve follow my tweets.” in the Tweet
Privacy section. This will block your tweets from the public. That said, this is usually a red flag to potential employers.
If you have a blog, even if it’s not connected with your profession, share the URL to highlight your abilities
with this media.
Include interesting volunteer and community-service involvement, as well as any leadership roles.
As always, your resume should appear professional and well-organized. Ask a few friends or family members to review
it, make suggestions, and catch mistakes.
Don’t put off updating your resume. There aren’t an unlimited
amount of dream jobs. Make sure you don’t miss out the next time opportunity knocks at your door.
Good luck!
Lisa-Michelle
