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Reasons You Need a Résumé, even if you aren’t looking for a job now
The
most obvious reason why you might need a résumé is when you’re looking for a
job. But there are many other reasons why you might want to put together a
résumé now, even if you’re not actively seeking new employment.
Your
employment situation can change in a heartbeat — an uncertain economy may cause
chaos — the company may be acquired, or sold, or go out of business. A great
boss may leave for a new position — and maybe he or she wants you to come with them.
Or maybe their replacement wants to bring in their own people.
Your
current employer may even request a résumé from you, perhaps to include in a
proposal the company is preparing for a new contract. It’s not uncommon for key
personnel bios to be included in a response to an RFP or Request for Proposal
or for applications for grants. The best thing you can do is be prepared.
If
you want to apply for an internal promotion or transfer, you may not think a
résumé would be required, but often, it is. An internal recruiter or a hiring
manager in a different part of a big company isn’t going to be familiar with
all the aspects of what you do — and even if they have access to the job
description for your position, that won’t tell them about the specific
contributions that you’ve made in your current role. It’s your job to quantify
and document your achievements — and a résumé is a good way to do that, even
for an internal position.
A
good time to create — or update — your résumé is when you are preparing for an
annual performance review. Documenting your accomplishments can help you
prepare to show your manager how you’ve added value to your position — and
department — since your last review. The résumé development process is also a
good time for self-assessment. A well-written résumé tells the “story” of your
career — demonstrating consistent themes and supporting information that
highlights your qualifications for the job target, while omitting irrelevant
information.
If
you are applying for a position it is helpful to have a resume even if it doesn’t
specifically ask for one. If the application is online and doesn’t require a
formal resume, it is very useful to have a well-organized, neatly formatted
document so you can easily transfer the information and then have a copy ready to
hand to the hiring manager at the beginning of an interview. The résumé can
also serve as “talking points” to guide the content of an interview. The time
invested in compiling information on your credentials, skills, and
accomplishments can also help prepare you for the job interview itself. It is
an awesome way to boost your confidence and refresh your memory.
Outside
of an employment context, you may also be asked for a résumé if you’re going to
be a speaker for an organization or an event, so they can use the résumé to
create your bio and speaker’s introduction.
Individuals
being considered for a political position such as a government committee or
board — will likely be asked for their résumé. The same is true for individuals
being considered for key volunteer roles — for example, if you are asked to serve
on a board of directors.
You
may also be asked for a résumé if you are being considered for an award — or
being given an award in recognition of your work or volunteer efforts.
Résumés
are also a tool for networking. Perhaps you meet someone at event and they are interested
in learning more about you may ask for your résumé. This contact may help lead
you to unadvertised job openings. In the same way, getting your résumé in the
hands of someone who knows you well can also lead to new opportunities. They
can use the résumé to pass along to other people who might be in a position to
hire you, or to use as a “door opener” to introduce you to other people who
might be useful in your job search or to further your career.
The
résumé can also be used as a tool to market yourself. If you work in a
service-oriented position, your skills, education, and expertise are a critical
part of what makes you credible to potential clients. Having a résumé — or a
bio based on your résumé — that communicates why you are a good choice to
provide the service can help fill your appointment book, especially for
therapists, clinicians, coaches, and teachers. A document that showcases your
credentials can be an important part of your company or practice’s marketing
materials.
Résumés
are important at any age. A résumé is an important resource for high school
students applying for scholarships and to include with college applications or vocational
training programs. It can be updated throughout the schooling years and be used
to apply for internships and part-time jobs. And, of course, once you graduate
from college, you’ll likely need a résumé to apply for your first job.
It’s
also important to note that an Indeed.com profile or LinkedIn profile is not a
substitute for a résumé. Because a LinkedIn profile is public (even if you have
your privacy settings locked down on LinkedIn, someone can still take a
screenshot of your profile or create a PDF of it), there may be information
that you do not want to include on your LinkedIn profile that can help
demonstrate your accomplishments to a prospective employer.
A
well-written résumé can actually help you populate your LinkedIn profile,
making it easy to complete the “Work Experience” and “Education” sections.
In
addition, a résumé should be customized to target a specific position, while
you can only have one LinkedIn profile. Visit JobSearchPrep.com/workshop to
find found out more about customizing your resume to highlight how you match
the needs of each position.
Why To Update Your
Résumé Now
One
of the most common reasons to update your résumé when you’re not actively
looking for a job is because you don’t have a good feeling about your current
situation. Is there a lot of turnover in your current job or the company
overall? Have there been rumors of layoffs, or did the company just lose a big
contract? Both of these can signal a need for a résumé update.
On
the other hand, what if your department — or your company — is doing very well?
In that case, you may be contacted by competitors — or recruiters working for
competitive companies — looking to hire you away from your current job.
Putting
together your résumé can also help you determine where you want to go next in
your career. Sometimes, looking at your work history can help you identify a
pattern in your employment history that will help you determine where you want
to go next in your career. An effective résumé communicates both your current
skills and qualifications and your
future potential. Identifying a common thread in your experience and
accomplishments can help you decide the next step in your career.
The
exercise of putting together a resume can also help you identify where you may
need to enhance your current skills or education. If you’re putting together
your résumé and you realize your last certification or in-depth training was
more than 10 years ago, it may prompt you to look at how you can bring your
skills up-to-date in a key area.
A
résumé can also help you if you’re considering a career change. Your résumé can
highlight transferable skills targeted towards a new career goal. The new
document can also help you identify any deficiencies that you may need to work
on strengthening as you pursue a different type of job or career path.
Having
your résumé prepared by a professional résumé writer can also provide you with
a sense of how you are seen by others. A third-party validation of your
accomplishments — put together in an attractive, easy-to-read, modern format —
can give you confidence. It can also provide reassurance that you have
marketable skills — and that you would likely land on your feet should your
current position be eliminated.
Why To Keep Your
Résumé Updated
The
main reason to create — and maintain an — updated résumé is that it takes time
to put a powerful résumé together — whether you’re writing it yourself, or
having a professional prepare it for you. A résumé is not just an “obituary” of
your work history — it’s not a summary of everything you’ve done — it’s a
strategic marketing document that showcases your value to a prospective
employer.
It’s
easier to maintain a résumé than to scramble to put one together, especially
when a new opportunity arises and you need to give someone your résumé on short
notice. Even if you don’t keep your résumé fully updated, keep track of your
accomplishments. Use a work journal to track your accomplishments (including a
file folder to keep copies of emails or letters of appreciation from customers,
co-workers, or your boss). You can also maintain an electronic record: forward
“kudos” emails to your personal email address (change the subject line so it’s
easy for you to find these later) and email yourself notes about project
specifics — especially scope-and-scale information like percentages, numbers,
and dollar figures.
How
often should you update your accomplishments? As often as necessary. For some,
that may mean weekly updates (for example, if you’re working on a series of
projects); for others, that could mean a quarterly assessment. The most
important thing is to take the time to do this on an ongoing basis. Put an
alarm or task reminder on your calendar so you remember to set aside the time
to track your accomplishments regularly. This will make it much easier to
update your résumé.
Coming
up with accomplishments will also help you prepare for a job interview. Anytime
you are asked to “describe a time when you…” or “give me an example of when
you…” that is an opportunity to share a story in CAR format:
Challenge-Action-Result.
First,
describe the Challenge — or situation
— that you faced. Next, identify and articulate the specific Actions you took to resolve the
situation. Finally, outline the Results
your actions brought about — specifically quantifying them in terms of
measurable numbers, percentages, or dollars, when possible. Including CAR
statements on your résumé — and preparing them to discuss in an interview — is
a valuable exercise.
The
best practice is to keep your resume updated and then tweak it as needed. Even
if you keep your résumé updated, you may still need to re-target it for
different kind of opportunities that may arise, but it’s easier to re-work an
existing résumé than to start from scratch. You may decide to keep a “master”
résumé document that contains all of your credentials (including a full list of
your continuing education classes and workshops, for example), but editing the
list down to meet the needs of a specific position.
If you don’t have a résumé, it’s time to get one; and if you have one, but it hasn’t been updated in a while, now is the time to bring it up to date. You never know when you might need your résumé, and you want it ready when you do.
I
have been a professional resume writer for over a decade. I know what works.
Learn more about our professional resume writing services at www.JobSearchPrep.com/resume
Listen to more podcast episodes at www.JobSearchPrep.com/podcast
