How to Know When It's Time to Dump Your Resume

Keeping your resume updated is a given when you're seeking a new job. Your resume is a key factor in determining how you present yourself to the world, so how and when to change your resume is an important decision. When do you know that it's time to dump your resume and start from scratch?

Change Your Resume When Making a Major Career Shift

When you are about to make a huge change in your business life, it's time to change your resume. If you are changing fields, much of your previous experience may be less relevant in your job search than you would wish. Consider carefully whether to write your resume chronologically or functionally. In a chronological resume, your job experience is listed in chronological order starting with the most recent. If your career shift is moving you to a field where skills from your old world are transferable, this format may be the best choice. If your career shift is less than voluntary, however, or if you are seeking work after a long period of unemployment, choose the functional format, which allows you to list your job experience in order of its relevance to your new field.

Change Your Resume When It Isn't Working

If you have sent out dozens, even hundreds, of resumes and gotten little to no response, it is probably time to dump it and start over. Analyze your current resume critically to assess whether it reads as too generic and vague, lists irrelevant information such as details about your personal life, or is presented in a format that makes it hard to read. Have people working in the field you want to enter take a look at your resume and make real changes based on their intuitive assessment of it. Be ruthless in rewriting every single line of your resume, doing everything you can to make it exciting, concise and relevant.

Change Your Resume When You Want to Shake Things Up

Especially if you work in or want to work in a creative field, you may want to apply your ingenuity to your resume. Consider using visual tools to spice up the look of your resume, adding graphics and links to make it more interesting to look at. You may want to create a so-called "Prezume" using the website Prezi, in which your resume takes on the appearance of a non-linear slide show. This highly visual tool lets you tell your story with energy and style, and it attracts the attention of even the most jaded hiring manager. While a cutting-edge resume format isn't right for every position, in the right fields, it could put you on the top of the interview list.

Dumping your resume isn't an irrevocable action. After all, you should have multiple resumes ready to go anyway, so you can always hang on to the old version. When you need to make a powerful impact in your job search, however, consider changing your resume to get the attention you deserve.

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