How to Update Your Resume in 6 Easy Steps
It’s about time for this decision to be taken. It’s time for a change. It’s time to finally seek and find that one profession that fits me well. How do I start though? I haven’t been on the job market for quite some time now…
If you find yourself struggling, perhaps it’s time for you to dust off your CV and get yourself going. Let’s do it tomorrow or even the day after. I really don’t feel like going through my biography and making myself look awesome. I don’t have the motivation to do so right now. Perhaps finding a new job will always be an option for me.
Here comes the question whether you are seeking just another job or you have finally decided to follow your own career path. To be able to fully represent all the experience you have gained and the quality knowledge you have acquired it would be a hustle trying to remember it all. If you have difficulties remembering what you had for lunch yesterday, how do you expect yourself to know what daily tasks you have successfully completed a year ago? Having said this, your chances of actually presenting yourself in the best possible light fade away.
But wait. There is something you can do about it. You can have written it down. Like a skills’ journal. This would make updating your CV easier, faster, and last but not least more accurate. Read more on how to do so below.
Follow your professional development
To be able to precisely update your CV and biography is only one of the reasons to note what you do, learn and accomplish. Some other, perhaps slightly more important, reason is to be able to back-up your statements since you actually remember details about that particular thing you have done. Well, if you are invited to attend an event and need to present yourself, you can always get inspired by the notes taken during your development.
What is more to the notes? They can be your best assistant when preparing for an interview when the interviewer asks you “What are your biggest achievement?” or “Tell me about a time when you handled a touch situation successfully?”
What is to follow?
Since this is not a process of actual CV actualization, you can use longer descriptions to your accomplishments. Let’s check what to be conscious about:
1. New skills - if you have participated in workshops, educational events and so write it down. Company-organized knowledge exchange session may also find their place on your journal. Have you leaned a new way to communicate more efficiently at work? Write it down as well.
2. Awards and recognitions - if you have received a credible email for a job well done - write it down. You managed to win the award “Employee of the Month”? Write it down. Your efforts as a NGO volunteer were recognized? Write down the dates, the content, and the title of your awards.
3. Projects and tasks - think of this on a daily base. It’s like doing your laundry - it is important and at the same time quite slippery to miss out when busy or tired. Establish the habit of writing at least the tasks that answer the question “what?” (I lead a team meeting on Monday morning) and think of “how?” did I accomplish this. What were the challenges that I faced? Not only this would be helpful to update your CV, but it will also get you well prepared for kinds of interview related questions.
4. Relationship with colleagues, managers and team members - if you are a team leader you would love to put this on your CV. What are the most common work situations you face? How do you handle them?
5. Challenges - this section may not find its place among your CV, but it will surely help you demonstrate all the qualities you possess related to the way you handle conflict situations with your colleagues, managers and so on. The preparation for the interview with the HR professional is half done only if you keep a journal of your challenging situations. If you have missed a project deadline, how did you solve the matter, how could you do better next time?
6. Accomplishments and results - whether we speak about organizing an event or over delivering to the targets, closing a deal or saving on costs, write all the important events down. Keep the journal full of quality details, so you don’t have to browse your inbox at a later stage.
How to follow up on your work?
When you receive a compliment, “This was a great job!”, perhaps you tell to yourself you would never forget it. As matter of fact, it’s highly likely this to happen if you don’t write it down. Among the bullet points below you may find your way of keeping up with your skills’ journal.
7. Draft email or a document - use draft and/ or word/ notepad
8. Agenda - perhaps you would like to use the old fashioned way of using pan and paper?
9. Voice recorder - if writing is a boring job or you can better express your thoughts while speaking, the record your voice on your mobile phone for instance. Keep in mind that even though this seems as an easy to execute practice, it may be quite challenging to get all the data you need on a later stage from all those recordings.
10. Draft CV - make a copy of your official CV and use it to add bullet points for every new activity you perform. When the time for setting the final design comes, you will only have to organize the bullet point and Voilà!
11. Paper or digital calendar - it is quite useful when you want to save the information in tiny bits.
12. A folder on your computer - think of creating a folder where you save all those emails, recognitions and documents that possess valuable information!
When you are about to keep a journal of your development remember to choose methods which will allow you to have constant access to the directory of your choice. You may consider sending the important work emails to your personal mailbox. Regarding the folder on your computer, think of putting it on the cloud for constant access.
