Now that the New Year has begun, it’s a great time to get back to business and reflect on your professional goals for the year. Taking the time to ensure that your Curriculum Vitae – also known as your resume – is in top shape is an integral first step to curating a marketable and professional identity. One mistake many job-seekers make is waiting until they are ready to job search to begin making updates and changes to their resume (and unfortunately, may not notice gaps in their skillset until it’s too late!) – this year, start off on the right track by understanding the importance of consistently updating your resume and how it plays a vital role in your job search.
- Additional Tools in the Toolbox
Hopefully, you’re moving towards a better version of yourself annually on a mental, physical and most importantly, on a professional level. If you haven’t been adding and acquiring additional skill sets, do yourself a favor and obtain them now, and add those to your CV. There are many resources available to acquire skills upgrades, both for a fee and for free. Take a look online as well as within your community for workshops, webinars, or courses of interest to you that will address any skill gaps.
- Don’t Get Ready, Stay Ready
The problem for most of us is that we only update our CV’s once we undertake our job search. Aim to make it a habit to update your resume at least twice per year, adding valuable input as you progress in your career – this may be helpful to those who may have difficulty remembering any pertinent courses or workshops they have taken throughout the year.
- Mapped Out Plans
When updating your CV, also take the time to reflect on your journey. Keeping in mind the reason why you started, where you currently are, and where you plan to go in the future. This will allow you to also set thoughtful goals during the New Year and for the future.
- New Opportunities (Networking)
New Year means new opportunities! Whether it’s meeting new people or joining a network that you’ve been eyeing, your network truly is your net worth and adding a few names to your potential reference list will definitely take you a long way!
- Professionalism
The mere act of habitually updating your CV on an annual basis shows your true character as a professional – knowing and staying true to yourself – will reflect as you move through your job search.
- Time Consuming
Everybody’s busy these days. Why not take on this tall task of updating your CV during the first few days of the New Year to start on the right note? In addition to helping you be more thoughtful about your professional goals for the year, updating your documents in January will ensure that this task will not get lost when the busy year is underway.
Typically, no one is or wants to be stuck in the same place they were 5 or 10 years ago – each year will ultimately bring growth and change. Your resume should reflect your growth, change, accomplishments, and development of your skills over time. In this New Year and the years to come, make it a habit to update and add on your resume as you climb the ladder to success. Small acts and meticulous details like these will train your mind to always stay on top of your game.