It is important to ALWAYS Update Your Resume!
You never know when you will be asked to submit a resume. Obviously, if you’re in an active Job Search, you have an updated resume; but if currently employed, are you prepared to submit an updated resume if a promotion becomes available at your place of employment?
Even if needed on-the-fly, updating you resume is a process you do not want to rush. You also want to be prepared if an opportunity was presented to you that represented your next logical Career Move!
As you update your resume, remember these important tips – great nuggets of information that many do not know or tend to overlook, for these helpful tips may make the difference in securing a promotion or a new career altogether:
DO NOT MISREPRESENT FACTS
It’s easier than ever to confirm facts provided on a resume. Many Clients hire third party companies to conduct thorough reference checks. Dates, Salary Levels, Titles and Responsibilities can be verified. Errors on a resume can result in termination AFTER an offer is accepted or AFTER a person has actually begun employment. Conduct the research necessary to ensure that your resume is 100% accurate.
DO NOT HAVE A RESUME THAT IS MORE THAN ONE PAGE
Resumes are often the first step in the Screening Process. In the case of your resume, less is more. Your resume should peak interest, but not answer all questions. The goal of a resume is to be invited to an interview.
DO NOT HAVE A NARROW OBJECTIVE
Often hiring authorities read the first one-third of a resume. If you have a precise title in your job objective, you are greatly limiting your potential interviews. If you have answered an ad, make sure words used in the ad are included in your objective. If you are applying on-line it is important to include key words on the top one-third of your resume.
DO NOT KEEP REVISING YOUR RESUME DURING YOUR SEARCH
Do not change your resume except to correct an error or to add on a new skill or experience. Everyone who reviews your resume will have some suggestion for improving it: “Why didn’t you tell them that you had a scholarship?” or “Wouldn’t this look better in italics?” The time to consider those kinds of questions is before it is printed. Make sure another set of eyes reviews your resume to ensure 100% accuracy. Errors on a resume CAN eliminate you from an interviewing process.
DO NOT MASS MAIL OR EMAIL YOUR RESUME
Do not send out a mass mailing. If you send letters to 700 company presidents, you can expect a response from 1% to 2% and 95% of the responses will be negative. The shotgun approach is expensive; it takes time and costs money for postage and printing. You’ll get much better results if you are selective about where you send your resume. The important thing is to concentrate on the hiring authorities of your targeted companies. The same information holds true for mass emailing your resume