Reasons to Update Your Resume Regularly

I saw today’s Microsoft news just minutes after I finished reviewing the resume of a contact who had been laid off quite suddenly earlier this year and realized while I’ve given this advice to plenty of people 1:1, it needs to be shared more broadly: your resume should be a living, constantly-evolving document. But you may say “Crystal, I love my job and I don’t want to leave!” and that is AMAZING. However, each of us needs to remember that employment status is not guaranteed. Having worked in communications for 20+ years I’ve had to deliver that devastating news personally, I’ve done all the communications at a company-level around it and I’ve even been on the receiving end myself. Whether you’re fresh out of college or a C-Suite executive, an employee of three days or an employee of 30 years…no one is truly immune. So what does that have to do with maintaining your resume? Being able to communicate your skills through data and impact is ESSENTIAL in this job market. Led a campaign? Great, what was the impact? 33k sign-ups? Fabulous, did it meet expectations? Launched a product? Exciting! What was the impact on traffic, share of voice in the market, or growth on key channels? Point being whether you’re in a field that has been historically data driven or not, the expectation is that you show impact through data in today’s job market. And here’s the rub — if you find yourself suddenly out of a job, updating your resume to get it out there for new prospects…how confident are you that you have those #’s readily available? Think about the end-of-year review you write for yourself. How much time do we spend hunting and pecking through emails and documents trying to remember what we did over the last 12 months? Now imagine trying to do that without access to those resources over the long term. Maybe you’re perfectly content in the job you’re in but then that dream job comes across LinkedIn and you want to throw your name in. Being among the first to apply can increase your chances of receiving a response. So when time is of the essence, are you confident you can really remember and successfully represent your biggest wins if pressed in the moment? Save yourself the trouble. Looking or not. Loving your job or suddenly finding yourself out of one. Don’t wait. Treat your resume like any other source of critical information and check in with it on a regular basis to see where it is, if it’s still an accurate representation of who you are, the job you want to be doing or the accomplishment you’ve made! Take 15 minutes this week to review and update your resume. I promise, you'll thank yourself later.

Early in December a new client—reached out in a panic. A job she was desperate to get apply for showed up in her LinkedIn feed.   The problem? Her résumé was so outdated it still listed her college part-time job as her "most recent experience." Yikes. She graduated college in 1998. 🤣 We had 48 hours to pull together a brand-new résumé. We worked late, squeezed in calls between her meetings, and made magic happen. She got the interview and—spoiler alert—she landed the job. But here’s the twist: after signing her offer letter, she told me she almost didn’t apply. Why? She didn’t feel “ready.” Her résumé felt messy, her LinkedIn was gathering cobwebs, and she figured she’d update everything “someday.” Sound familiar? Here’s the thing: opportunities rarely wait for “someday.” They show up unannounced, often when you least expect them. That’s why your résumé isn’t just a document; it’s your golden ticket. It’s your chance to say, “This is who I am, this is what I’ve done, and this is what I’m ready for next.” So, here’s your nudge: Did you take on new projects this year? Update your résumé. Did you learn a new skill? Add it. Did you crush your goals? Brag about it. Don’t wait for the perfect job to show up before you get ready. Be ready, always. Because when opportunity knocks, you don’t want to answer with, “Uh, can you come back in a week?” Your future self will thank you. #AreYouReady #ResumeWriting #LetsDoThis

I wish I’d started tracking my career achievements earlier. It’s a simple habit: spend 15-20 minutes each week noting 3 things related to your job: Achievements, Challenges, and Learnings. Don’t forget to make this note on your personal computer, or if you’re old school like me, go analog with a trusty notebook! 📖 There are a few reasons why this practice can benefit you: 🕑 When review time rolls around, you’ve got your list of what you’ve achieved and areas you want to grow in to help make the case for promotions, raises & development opportunities. 📄 If you find yourself suddenly in the midst of a #layoff, you’ll have a very solid record of exactly what you achieved and the impact you brought, which will help you greatly in updating your #resume. 📊 If you practice this habit regularly, it can provide insightful data about your career path that you may not have considered, had you not been paying attention. But why wait for a job loss to update your resume? Instead, update your resume once per quarter – if your company does quarterly reviews, this is a great time to do it. Even if they don’t (I’m looking at YOU, early stage #startups!!), why not schedule this time for yourself? 📣 No one will ever care as much about your career as you, so be proactive about highlighting and documenting how awesome you are. It’s never too late to start, and it will serve you well throughout your career!