Whether or not you’re searching for new job opportunities, it’s always the right time to update your resume. Why? Because waiting to revise your resume until you’re starting a job search makes it more likely that you’ll forget to include important information, miss unexpected opportunities, and just causes unnecessary stress.
Instead, you should be reviewing your resume at least once per month – and even more frequently if you’re in the midst of an active job search. When you do, you should be adding information about any recent accomplishments, current professional development, and your updated contact information. You will also want to spend a little time removing outdated, irrelevant, or unnecessary information.
If you’re not sure how to polish your resume, we’ve got the following tips to help you get started. Here is a list of best practices you’ll want to consider when polishing your resume to keep on file.
- Always write your resume to highlight how your skills solve problems for employers. You can safely remove information about daily job tasks, or basic job descriptions. Instead, you want to give context and a brief explanation of how your skills benefited past employers.
- Polish your resume to keep it concise and clear. You don’t want to overload your reader with too much information, so remove information that is outdated, irrelevant to the job you’re applying for, or doesn’t have positive impact.
- Don’t be afraid to include outside information about your unique skills, successes, and knowledge. If you’ve spent time volunteering, or have a great testimonial to share, highlight that information to capture your potential employer’s attention.
- Be very careful to review for language that seems to exaggerates your skills or work history. Although candidates can be tempted to embellish to cast themselves in the best possible light, you don’t want any language (or vague dates) that could lead someone to believe that you’ve stretched the truth. Also avoid using business buzzwords and jargon – it can sound phony and insincere.
- Add any social media, portfolio or personal website links that show off your professional best. Tech professionals are expected to be savvy about their online presence, so you’ll want to get out ahead of any search that your potential employer might do online.
- Rewrite your resume for its intended audience to get the best results. You’ll want to keep multiple versions of your resume on file. If this sounds unnecessary or too complicated, consider that you should be tailoring your resume based on the company and job you’re applying for anyway. Your skills may be versatile and you may have years of general experience, but you still want to highlight your specialties.
Finally, when you’ve updated your resume send it to us at Market Street Talent! We’re always happy to hear from talented tech people searching for new opportunities. We look forward to working with you!