How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

?JobSeeker/Resume: How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

If you put off updating your resume, you could be harming your prospects of being offered the job you really want. Career experts advise that you update your resume regularly to reflect your recent achievements.

Once you upload your resume to a commercial job board, you need to keep it up to date. Recruiters often pass over resumes that have not been updated in the last six weeks, as they assume that the owners of older resumes are no longer seeking a job. If you want employers to contact you about roles for which you would be an ideal fit, you need to update your resume every few weeks.

Even if you are not actively seeking a job at the moment, it still pays to update your resume frequently. Whenever you complete an important project at work, update your resume to reflect the new skills and experiences that you have gained. It is important to update your resume while the project is still fresh in your mind so that you can accurately list your project responsibilities.

According to Heather R. Huhman, an experienced hiring manager and founder of the content marketing consultancy Come Recommended, you should update your resume roughly once a month, whether you are looking for a job or not. She advises taking a few minutes once a month to think about what you have achieved during that time so you can update your resume with this new information.

Have you recently learned a new skill, such as how to use a new computer program? Published a book or important article? Spoken at a conference in your field? All these achievements are good reasons to update your resume. Get into the habit of adding new skills or publication credits to your resume as you acquire them to make sure your resume is always up to date.

You can also update your resume with achievements that are not directly related to your work. For example, potential employers want to read about your leadership role within a volunteer organization, as it demonstrates that you have valuable skills. A list of your voluntary roles also gives the reader a more complete picture of you as an individual.

Whenever you update your resume, remember to upload the new version to every site that hosts a copy of your resume, including job boards. You should also update your LinkedIn profile to match so that you present a consistent picture of your career and achievements.

Even if you are not currently searching for a job, you still need to update your resume regularly. Keeping your resume fresh reduces the risk of it being passed over by recruiters and prevents you from forgetting about achievements before they make it onto your resume.

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