It’s Time For Your Annual Physical – For Your Resume

IT’S TIME FOR YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL! (for your resume, that is…)

In a conversation last week with one of my favorite industry friends, we discussed the importance of keeping your resume up-to-date. He basically said, “Well I’m not actively looking, but I should probably have my resume up-to-date, right?”

It opened up a great conversation.  As the Metaphor Queen, I said, “Well, yeah. You should update your resume just like it’s a required annual physical.”  The more we talked about it, and yes, it went into a weird direction for a hot minute, we both realized that YES, you should.  Stick with me here:

Do You Get a Physical Only When You Are Feeling Sick?

If you do, then you are likely to only recall symptoms you are feeling in the moment. There are details you could be forgetting to share with your PCP that could lead to a more favorable conclusion.  And what’s worse: what if you wait too long?

Seeing your PCP annually allows him/her to track certain lab values, symptoms, and subjective information shared during your visit, year over year. It’s all maintained in one spot to refer to ad infinitum.

So, What Happens When You Wait To Update Your Resume Until You Need To Find A Job?

You are really doing yourself a disservice because you may forget to add in certain projects or achievements that could be instrumental in getting you noticed in the future.  There are details you could be forgetting to share that could lead to that more favorable conclusion.  And what’s worse: what if you get laid off and you have to scramble to remember all those highlights and achievements?  I’ve seen far too many people throw four bullet points under a heading and title with a sigh of, “I guess this will have to do on short notice.”

Keeping a living document that you can add to annually is a lifesaver in this situation. But it also has a beneficial side effect: it encourages you to continually evaluate your career and determine for yourself if you are in love with your current career choice, hate it, or are simply satisfied.

So remember, friends: be as proactive about your career’s health as you are about your personal health!

Author: Mary C. Morton