By Elizabeth Martinez
It may seem like a waste of time with the current economic and jobs outlook, but keeping your resume current has far more benefits than reasons not to. A. Harrison Barnes, the founder and CEO of both CareerMission.com and Hound.com, coaches clients on a daily basis to assume nothing. This strategy works well whether you feel secure in your current position or are beginning to feel the winds of change. With that in mind, keep reading for the top five reasons, some of which A. Harrison Barnes stresses in his career coaching efforts, to keep your resume current and at the top of the pile.
1. Unpredictability - If there's one predictable factor in today's current employment environment, it's that nothing is predictable. Even freelancers are receiving unexpected emails that companies they provide services for are closing up shop effective immediately. The hard truth is sometimes even upper management is caught off-guard by a company-wide memo that says, in essence, "shut it down...game's over".
2. It's easier to keep it current than updating it from time to time. Even if you haven't changed jobs since your last resume revision, odds are, you've increased your skill sets. Maybe you completed non-credit courses or attended a seminar or two. It all needs to be included; remember, your resume is the first introduction potential employers are provided.
3. Just as current fashion trends change, so do accepted resume formats. Gone are the days when one had three sub-titles: objective, education and employment history. Today, it's all about versatility and other skill sets in a far more competitive job market.
4. Keeping your resume current keeps you focused less on where you've been, but where you want to be. One look tells you what you feel are your strong points and what areas you don't wish to pursue.
5. Keeping your resume updated gives you the opportunity to cull older entries out. Your job fifteen years ago or even those part-time jobs you took to offset economic pressures aren't nearly as important as the work you now do. Further, it lets potential employers know you're on top of the game and you're paying attention to the details.
Finally, it's always a good idea to consider consulting employment experts for career advice, insight to the trends of employers and other information you might not otherwise be privy to. Allow a reputable service, such as Hound.com, to step in and provide a professional touch to your resume. It can go a long way in securing your dream job or help you transition into other fields such as marketing jobs or government jobs.
Even if you have no intentions of changing jobs right now, the peace of mind gives you confidence to face the uncertainty of the current job market and economic times. To be sure, things won't be improving to any large degree in the near future. You never know when that updated resume will be the one thing that puts you over the top when you least expect it.
