August has bid us farewell and September is hurrying along to make way for the rest of the year. Doesn’t it seem like with everything, we are always trying to catch up with time?
With so much going on around us, it’s easy to overlook important personal and professional milestones. Are you one of those executives who waits until it’s time to look for a new job before you update your executive resume?
I have stopped counting the number of senior-level professionals and executives who miss out on huge job opportunities because they are not adequately prepared.
Picture this for a moment…your phone rings and one of your contacts have information about the job you have been dreaming about, are you really prepared? I mean really, really prepared?
The month of September is special for resume writers. One of the organizations I used belong to has designated September as “International Update Your Resume” month.
Resume writers around the world are actively encouraging talented executives just like you to take a proactive approach in your career success.
Anticipate unforeseen market and company changes and arm yourself with a revised, updated executive resume – even if you have to save it for “rainy” days.
If you are still not sure whether you need a resume update now, here are a few scenarios to consider:
- Your most recent position listed on your resume in not the same position that you hold today.
- You have been promoted in the past year, but your resume does not reflect your new title and responsibilities.
- You have been working in the same company for 15+ years and have not changed your original resume.
- You have completely changed careers, but your resume still highlights accomplishments from your old career path.
- You are abiding by the overused “one-page” resume myth to squeeze 20 years of professional experience.
- You have professional experience dating back to positions you held when former President Clinton was still in office.
- Your existing resume has includes every position you ever held including jobs in college and high school.
If you can relate to any of the scenarios listed above, it’s time for a new resume!!!
Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to update your entire resume in one day, try working on one section at a time.
- Contact Information: Update your contact information if you have moved or changed phone numbers. Be sure to include an active, professional email address.
- Education, Training & Certifications: Develop a list of training classes, advanced courses, and certifications you completed in the past year – include any degree programs you have completed or are in the process of completing.
- Resume Length: You should have at least one page of resume content for every eight to ten years of professional experience. You cannot fit twenty-five years’ experience on one page, so don’t try!
Focus on the last 15 years of your work experience (even if you have worked longer) and highlight key career milestones; any experience beyond the 15 years can be summarized through a brief paragraph.
Still don’t know where to begin, review performance evaluations, talk to colleagues, and have informal meetings with your supervisor to organize a comprehensive list of your achievements to date.
Whatever you do, don’t let October find you with the same stale resume…call us today to learn about our resume refresher specials.
