How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

You applied for that primo job, but still haven’t heard from your recruiter or HR person. Think your resume didn’t cut it? It could simply be that your resume was just too old. 

It's important to update your resume regularly, whether you’ve posted it on a company site or commercial job board. Today’s applicant tracking systems allow employers to search for the newest resumes or those posted within a certain job search window. The sad truth is, if you fail to update your resume often, many employers will simply skip it and move on to the next candidate.

So how frequently should you update your resume? "After each new project, update your resume while details are fresh in your mind, and it's easy to explain what you accomplished or learned," says Lisa Dickter, associate director for Career Consultants Carnegie Mellon's Career and Professional Development Center. "Whenever you have something to add, do it as soon as possible. The point of a resume is citing your accomplishments and giving the specifics: what you did, and how you did it."

These days, faced with an avalanche of resumes, recruiters typically take their first pass at resumes that are no older than 6 weeks. They assume resumes older than that are probably from candidates who may no longer be actively seeking a job. From their perspective, there are simply too many resumes to wade though, so they start with the most current. Dickter urges job seekers to update their resumes often: "In today's job market, with lay-offs and downsizing, being unemployed for a few months is typical. If you've been job-hunting longer than three months, try to find a volunteer, part-time or temporary position within your field. Register with a temp agency—an employer may have a short-term project requiring additional staff, but would rather not hire full-time or permanent engineers [who also have to be paid benefits]."

When updating your resume, make sure your stated objective is current. Add any new published papers, presentations, awards, and significant professional accomplishments. While you’re at it, double check your personal information to make sure all phone numbers, email addresses, and online profile (LinkedIn, professional Facebook, etc.) are up to date.

It’s important to keep you resume as fresh and current as possible. You don’t want to give recruiters or resume tracking systems any reason to put your resume in the “old” file.

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