Follow This Advice to Keep Your Resume Up to Date

Resume writing tops the list of undesirable tasks for most job seekers; you may be tempted to let those skills go dormant when you find a great job. Yet, keeping your resume updated helps job recruiters seek you out for career-advancing opportunities. Regardless of whether you are employed, take the initiative to revise your resume with recent accomplishments so your qualifications always measure up to the competition.

1. Showcase Competitive Skills

Decades ago, it was impressive to highlight skills such as word processing and MS Office Suite. In the modern tech-savvy job market, job recruiters expect proficiency in a wide range of foundational skills and technologies, so listing them makes your resume appear outdated. If you are an older job seeker with a long work history, having a dated resume may also expose you to age discrimination. Prioritize the skills frequently listed in job descriptions for your industry, and make an effort to gain training in the optional preferred skills that other candidates may be lacking.

2. Retire the Objective Statement

The old-fashioned objective statement tells job recruiters what they already know: you want a job. Rather than wasting limited resume space on obvious statements, update this segment with a headline and profile summary. Provide a concise value statement explaining how your qualifications can benefit a potential employer. Even when you are not looking for a new position, job recruiters and fellow networkers can gauge your potential interest in other opportunities, including freelance projects, volunteer work or mentoring.

3. Emphasize Keywords and Metrics

Hiring managers cannot distinguish your abilities from other candidates when the work history section of your resume is merely a list of job duties. Replace dead statements with exact statistics and performance markers that demonstrate your contributions to past employers. For example, a resume for a management role should specify the sizes of the departments you oversaw, while a marketing resume should emphasize conversion rates. When you include detailed numbers, job recruiters have a clear picture of the amount of responsibility you can handle.

4. Include Relevant Keywords

Modern resumes are a balancing act that require you to incorporate keywords that a computer can detect while avoiding a generic presentation. Avoid meaningless, overused keywords about your work ethic or personality, such as hard worker, go-getter or innovative thinker. Use the most relevant descriptors from the job position listing that show your qualifications, including software skills, degrees and job titles.

5. Ditch the References

Hiring managers inform you when they need references, which is not likely to happen unless they already believe you are a viable candidate. Remove references or the classic “references available upon request” statement from your resume, and use the extra space to create a more organized and visually appealing layout. However, continue updating your personal list to make sure you have references to verify your most recent accomplishments.

The economic pitfalls of the 21st century are proof the employment market can be unpredictable. Proactively updating your resume may help you snag a new position in the event of a layoff. Posting your resume on job boards lets you passively market yourself to job recruiters at all times, and making periodic revisions keeps your resume writing skills well-honed in between job searches.

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