Is Your Resume Up to Date?

If you’re fortunate enough to have a job these days, keeping your resume up to date may be the last thing on your mind. You may be thinking that the best thing you can do is to keep your nose to the grindstone and keep working. In these trying economic days, though, I am certain that keeping your resume at the ready is always a good idea.

This thought didn’t originate with me. Back in college, I had a professor who constantly told us that we should always have our resumes prepared. The last thing we would want as graduates looking for a job was to miss out on an opportunity because we needed time to prepare ourselves. She urged us to update our resume regularly as we filled new job positions or gained new skills.

Now that I’ve been out of school for a while, though, I still see the usefulness of this mindset. In the past few years, I’ve seen at least three ways that having my resume ready has helped.

During a job hunt having your resume prepared is always a good idea. You never know who you might meet. A friend of a friend may have a job opening that is perfect for you. Perhaps a family member expresses his willingness to pass your resume on to one of his contacts. It’s always a good idea to have your resume handy if you are job hunting.

An up to date resume also serves as a great tool for cataloging your life history. Have you been offered a promotion at work? Maybe you have been elected to an officer’s position in a local professional organization. Many different occasions require you to issue a press release; looking at your resume will make drafting those press releases much easier.

Even if you are lucky enough to have a job you love, you may find a way to use your updated resume. If you’re applying for a promotion, your resume may serve as a great reference point as you explain to your company’s management the reasons you should be chosen for the position. Likewise, during your annual review, having your resume handy may make it much easier to explain why you should be given a raise.