Resume Update Checklist

"Resume Update Checklist

By Peter Newfield

Many of us make lists to keep on top of deadlines at work but forget to do a periodic check to see if our careers are on track. Here is a checklist of ten signs that it may be time to update your resume and look for new opportunities:

• Salary Envy -- The guy in the cubicle next to you just got a job offer at twice his current salary.
• Pink Slips in the Air -- Rumors of company layoffs are circulating, but your boss says there's nothing to worry about.
• New Career Path -- Your old resume lists your previous jobs as massage therapist and personal trainer, even though you now have eight years experience as a commodities trader.
• Time Flies -- Your most recent resume does not include the last two years of work and accomplishments at your present firm.
• New Priorities -- Your resume lists more fraternity and college sports awards than job accomplishments.
• Less is More -- With the addition of your present job, your resume is now three pages long.
• Moving On -- The address and telephone number on your resume are from your last home or apartment.
• No Personal Stuff -- Your resume includes hobbies and personal information after the education section.
• High Tech Update -- Your resume does not list any of the computer software you've learned to use in the last two years.
• Opportunity Knocks -- You just saw an ad for a terrific job in the Sunday newspaper, and the deadline for responses is Friday. Do you know where to find the current version of your resume on your hard drive?"

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<Note from JobFairy.com: We're a tad compulsive about organization. That's OK; it's our business to be that way. In our organizer software (you should have this, or a planner book), we have a to-do item that pops up every three months, reminding us to update our resumes. Just because we're Fairies doesn't mean that we don't have to make a living too... When the companies that we work for go through difficulties, have a merger, our bosses start to act like they graduated summa cum laude from Nazi Charm School, or the market starts to heat up, we increase the frequency of resume updating to every month. Especially if you came from a job that was not particularly technical, and now you are looking to make yet another step beyond that, you will want to re-write your resume in such a manner that omits prior administrative work and emphasizes only your technical experience. And yes, if the schmoe next to you got an offer for twice his current salary, that's not an anomaly. The market has improved. Get your resume out there NOW!!!>