Do You Know Where Your Resume is?

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Wednesday, February 6, 2002
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The time to update your resume isn't when you need a job. One of the most important things any professional can do is keep an up to date resume ready to go at a moments notice.

Experts say that most people will have seven to nine different jobs in their lifetimes, which includes several total career changes. I just read that the lifespan of a company today is twenty years. The time when one got a job, stayed for thirty years, got the gold watch and retired is over. Today we can expect to change jobs many times before we stop working.

According to Dr. Jordan Kaplan, Professor of Managerial Science at Long Island University, "think about your next job before you have to." Keeping an updated resume makes good sense. Rushing around to put something together at the last minute isn't going to put you or your skills in the best light. By keeping your resume updated you can take the time and care to make your resume the best representation of you possible.

It can be difficult to remember and keep track of all your accomplishments. By regularly updating your resume, you will not have to try to remember and recreate what happened a year or two ago. You can use your resume as a way to track your successes and to make sure that they are presented in a way that will highlight your skills.

Keeping your resume updated can also be a way to boost your morale. On the days that you feel that you don't have much to offer or you worry that you might not be able to find another position, pull out the resume. By keeping track of your accomplishments, you will be reminded of just how much you do have to offer and that you have value.

Coaching

Keeping an updated resume just makes good sense. Even if you love your job and never plan to leave, keeping a resume is a good way to track your successes and accomplishments. Also, you may not plan to leave your job, but in these times of change we can never be sure what the company plans to do. You may find yourself laid off or being reassessed. I once had to apply for the job I had within my company. Having an updated resume supported me in establishing why I was the best person for my job.