Are you a seasoned professional at the top of your career game? You should update your resume.
Why?
You might get asked to sit on a board. You might come across a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A local news station might want to interview an expert in your field.
And honestly, it’s just a good habit to be in.
But how should you go about it if it’s been years since you paid any attention to your resume?
You’ve come to the right place.
For starters, regardless of what people have told you in the past or are telling you now, a clean, simple format is best. No call-out boxes, no super-fancy bullet points, no columns or charts. Don’t be lured in by elaborate borders or graphics. Keep your document easy to read and straightforward. That ensures that it’s accessible to anyone who might read it, since, without a target audience, we don’t know who that might be.
Second, look over the document to make sure there’s a clear, easily understood timeline. It’s not unusual for high achievers to do several things simultaneously, but make sure it’s obvious that, for instance, one thing is a volunteer role, or that you so a set of things with a partner. It remains important, no matter where you are in life, that this information is easy to comprehend.
Next, take some time to think through your achievements in your role. It’s okay if you can’t get specific about dates, but try to organize your accomplishments in a rough timeline. Make note of your contributions to team projects, really highlighting the things you’re especially proud of, in a way that your grandmother would be able to understand. I find it helpful to have a massive Everything I’ve Done version of my resume, which I add to whenever I do something I’m especially pleased with. That lets me grab info quickly when I am invited to do something professionally cool.
Then clean up older dates. If you’ve been in your field for a long time, much of what you learned or did early on is outdated now, so you can eliminate that info. The stuff that’s still relevant, like a Peace Corps volunteer stint, for instance, can stay on, but think about whether the dates you list might raise concerns because they show a bit about your age. If you think that might be the case, you can list those experiences as “three years” instead of “1996-1999.”
Finally, try to get into the habit of updating the document at least once a year. I do mine at the start of the new year since that’s easy to remember, and since that first few days back after the holidays feels a little extra hard.
Stay current with your resume and you’re a shoo-in for that board of directors!
