Now that we’ve had a chance to settle into 2026 a bit, it’s time to think about some updates! Is your LinkedIn looking good? Have you captured your latest projects on your resume?
While it’s obviously not urgent, I recommend updating things at least annually so that you know things are current. We do a lot in a year, and trying to remember everything when you have the added pressure of needing to recapture the info for an application or a promotion makes things extra tricky.
So simplify your life and tackle this project once at year or more! The new year, your birthday, your work anniversary—these are all good memory-joggers, so choose what you think will work for you. Obviously there’s no right or wrong here.
Start by reflecting on what you accomplished this year. You’ve gotten a lot done, even if you’re between jobs. I find it helpful to start with some quick notes to get my thoughts in order. Then start framing each of those as short accomplishment statements, giving enough context that someone who’s unfamiliar with the field can understand, but try to keep it short. That makes people likelier to read it, which is, of course, the goal!
Add these accomplishments to your LinkedIn profile, thinking a little about what kinds of words or phrases are key in your line of work. Then take a look at your resume and see how this new info will fit. Do you need to remove some older experience? Are there some repetitions you can eliminate? Or is this the year you embrace 2 pages? (Two is fine, but unless you’re in academia or medicine, don’t go longer than that.)
Once you’ve done this, give yourself a little treat! It’s a lot, and it’s worth celebrating.
