If a great job opportunity presents itself, will you be ready to grab it? Will you be able to apply for that role within 24 hours? That preparedness hinges on how updated your resume is. But if you are complacent with your current employment and not thinking you’re going to join the job hunters soon, you can’t be a fast action taker when the need arises. Because you’ll have to spend time updating your resume before you finally send your application. So, know how to keep your resume updated. Applying the following tips will make it easy for you to seize the opportunity.
5 Tips To Update Your Resume: Preparing For The Next Job Search
1. Get rid of the objective section
Hiring managers already know that you want to gain experience or use your skills to contribute to the company. Therefore, the objective statement is unnecessary. It should not be included in a standard resume because many employers see it as outdated. Since you have to catch their attention at first glance, follow tip number 2 instead.
2. Use a professional summary
Replace your objective statement with your professional summary. This is where you provide a brief description of your competencies, accomplishments, and other qualifications. As you achieve more goals at your present job, strategically put the details in this section. Your professional summary serves like an “elevator pitch” for you to capture the recruiter’s attention within a few seconds.
3. Update your work experience
Unless you’re planning to change your career, you’ll have to emphasize your most recent work experiences on your resume so you’ll be prepared to get a new job with the same expertise. But even if you shift to a different field without relevant work experience, you still have to do this by stating your transferable skills and writing a strong cover letter. It’s also better to remove those older work experiences that have nothing to do with the next role you are aiming for.
4. Remove other personal information
There’s no need to put your weight, age, hobbies, religion, height, civil status, etc. Employers don’t care about these things unless they secretly discriminate against job candidates. But generally, these details are not important on your resume. Focus on the qualifications that can make you the right fit for the position.
5. Use relevant keywords
Whether or not you have a plan to get a new job soon, using keywords relevant to your expertise can grab a recruiter’s attention. If you create your resume through an online job portal, you’ll probably be one of those listed in a headhunter’s database. Imagine if a potential employer has a better offer and sees that the content of your resume matches their requirements, you’ll be an obvious choice to get invited for an interview.
Even if you are happily employed now, you never know when you’ll need to make a transition. Thus, it’s best to always keep your resume updated. Do this every 6 to 12 months or whenever you have new accomplishments at work. You might forget these things if you don’t update your resume immediately. That way, you’ll be able to quickly send your application when you need to do so. That’s one of the ways to be efficient in your job search.
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