Your resume highlights your skills, industry experience, education, and more. But if you do not update your resume at appropriate times, your resume could become “stale.” In this instance, you could miss out on opportunities to achieve your career goals.
There is no telling when new career opportunities will arise. If you keep your resume up to date, you’ll be well-equipped to capitalize on these opportunities — regardless of when they come your way.
Ultimately, there are various milestones that dictate when you should update your resume, such as:
1. You Start a New Job
Landing a new job is a significant achievement — now, you need to add this position to your resume. But if you are starting a new role at a new company, you have not yet performed the tasks outlined in the job description, and you need to update your resume accordingly.
When you start a new job, update your resume’s career summary section. As you perform different job tasks, continue to revise your resume to reflect your day-to-day activities. That way, you can provide an accurate description of how you contribute to your company’s success.
2. You Get Promoted
A job promotion shows that your current employer values your work contributions. Meanwhile, it also requires you to add your new role to your resume to show your growth with your present company.
If you receive a job promotion, include details about your new job title and your prior role. Whenever possible, you should add information about why you received a job promotion.
3. You Earn a New Certification or Degree
You have myriad skills, and you are committed to learning new ones, too. Therefore, if you earn a new certification or degree, you should add this information to the education section of your resume.
It is often beneficial to review your resume every few months to update your skills section as well. This allows you to remove any outdated skills from your resume, along with identifying skills you want to develop or improve.
4. You Get Laid Off
It can be tempting to shy away from the fact that you were laid off by a company. But it is important to note that a prospective employer will likely ask about why you were laid off during an interview. However, if you are upfront about why you were laid off on your resume, you can help job recruiters and hiring managers quickly determine if you are a good candidate for a new opportunity.
If you get laid off, you should also update your work experience to reflect any projects you are completing while you seek a new job. For example, if you volunteer with an industry organization in your community, you can include information about this on your resume. In doing so, you can show potential employers that you are actively involved in your industry as you pursue new career opportunities.
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