If you’re like me, you spent some time this weekend putting winter clothes away and checking to see if last year’s shorts still fit. Maybe you’re going through the things you put in the garage to deal with later or pulling out last year’s tomato plants.
Spring is also a great time to refresh your resume, whether you are on a job search or not. Here are some housekeeping tips:
- Check your keywords—With more employers and recruiters using computers to filter through dozens or even hundreds of resumes submitted via the net, keywords for titles and skills are all-important. Make sure your keywords match your skillset and your accomplishments.
- Write new bullets—More recent accomplishments should be added or used to replace older items if you are out of space. The more tangible – the better. Add numbers wherever possible.
- Responsibilities—Did anything about your current role change this winter? If so, make sure it is reflected on your resume.
- Activate your language—Verbs such as “maintained” and “managed” sound tired in the spring. Use a thesaurus to find more active verbs for your bullet points.
- Proofread—Yes, again. You can never proofread enough. If you made any changes to that resume, have someone (or a few someones) take a look. You don’t want to add any new mistakes.
It can be fun to take a new look at an old resume. My career coach recommended 5 hours of resume work every quarter, whether you are on a job search or not. If you are a creative, updating your portfolio of work regularly is just as important. Spend a couple of those hours now and it will pay off later!
Wendy Stackhouse for Artisan Creative