It's time to update your resume

Am sure it’s been a while when you updated your resume and if you think you need to update your resume only when you seek job, you need to revisit your thoughts. Do you remember when you prepared your first resume, when you were in final year of graduation and wanted to apply for some position as your first job, or during second semester of your Masters of business administration program and wanted to submit your application for Summer Internship, prior to that it was all pre-defined forms which everyone uses for admission purposes in various colleges and university.

So it is imperative to state that your resume came in existence when you want to share your story to the world, Since you wanted to share your story which is unique you wanted it to summarize “your story teller” and thus your resume came in existence, think about your friend who joined their parents business or opened the shop after graduation do you think “resume” is must for them, the answer is no. but for you to showcase your achievement, to share your personal attributes and show the relevance of your candidature, resume was must isn’t. Thus the story started and came in existence as soon as you touched twenties and wanted to show the world your own story by summarising who you are and what you can do , same way as Leonardo Da Vinci did in 14th Century while applying for job in court of Milan and explaining his various  skills in summarised form giving the world “the first ever resume”, this is evident from history that this was first ever resume and he got the job and opportunity to offer his next masterpiece “The last supper” apart from “Monalisa”.

      Do you recollect how you drafted your first resume, yes by simply googling on net or available from senior, friend or relative and just copy paste, yes I also did the same way but very soon I realised the situations are different and thus mere copy paste may not suffice the purpose.  You will agree, resume what we present is unique personal marketing tool, your brand replica and representation of your skills, personal attributes, competency and achievements and thus this need more dedicated effort and attention before same go to other’s hand. Your focussed approach will help in building your own story in much successful way.

 Now the question is when should we update the resume and am sure majority of people, without any second thought, will agree with me, update as soon as you want the job. But is this really right and helpful. let’s ponder bit more.

         Vijaya, the senior Human resource head of infrastructure major, got the promotion by implementing one of the global best human resource practice and doing extremely well in her current role, she also received “letter of appreciation” from external stakeholders.  Don’t you think this should be part of her resume considering the year had been extremely successful for her and her efforts got rewarded. Don’t you think she should update her resume now mentioning the promotion details and reason for promotion. Isn’t this is going to help her own evaluation and self- retrospection.

   Vikas, Middle management pharmaceutical professional got transferred from one location to other location within same organisation and this change brings him new responsibility, new team, new challenges, new business scenario, new strategies to work upon. Do you feel is this continual change in his professional life should be part of his resume and should be updating the resume right now instead of waiting for “the recruiter call” or right time for job applications and then update.

As mentioned above, resume is your own story in summarised way thus shouldn’t the same should be updated on real time basis, instead of waiting for “the right time”.

Sanjay, Junior executive in Bangalore based Software firm recently implemented a new project from SAP to SAP –HANA and completed the project end to end. He was instrumental and involved from the project discussion phase, then be part of cross functional implementation team, followed by “user acceptance test” and finally post pilot run and final implementation across organisation. This is one of the great success story of our junior executive and shouldn’t the same can be updated and  be part of Sanjay’s resume as real time basis.

    For Yashika, fresh post graduate from prestigious management institute in Ranchi, the right time to update the resume was before campus time, she prepared her first resume when she was in second semester and wanted to submit her application with FMCG major for summer internship. Now as the year passed, there had been significant changes which happened and thus she wanted all such changes to be included like few lines about her summer internship project (which she had completed now), her final year project which she recently completed, One market research project which is completed with Media giant, her award in University debate competition, Her involvement and participation in “Toastmasters” etc. you know each and every update which Yashika includes in her resume will increase the chances of selection to many folds. Her research based project with media giant builds the impression apart from FMCG major where she did her internship she is aware about any other industry as well or in other this echo her multi industry exposure. Her participation and award in university debate competition, support the facts by offering an extra edge to her candidature, the better communicator, the go –getter and competitive approach. By her participation in city based “Toastmasters” group, which is non -academic in nature or “must to have” for her, but this initiative offers her brownie points as a person who takes initiatives, who is ready to learn and who want to grab the opportunity by being optimistic in nature. Thus by including all these pointers in her resume, her candidature attains “One extra degree” better chances of selection compare to her other 59 batchmates from same institute.

                 Apart from above mentioned scenarios, Resume can be updated when you acquire new skills, completed any new course, and received any new certificate, needless to mention it is must have when you want to offer your candidature to future employer, this goes without saying the first thing which hits employer desk, before you is your resume and this is the right time to update your resume.

#Resume Mantra :  in my view and from various research six month is ideal time, when we should update the resume, this just not gives us an opportunity to update the progress within our career but also helps in terms of realisation of future goal achievement. From the genesis during your college days for the project, internship or campus selection, you should be updating your resume when you acquired new skills, when you got transferred and got new business situation by change in product line, service offer or target audience, when you are actually looking for change and you feel time to summarize your experience and present in front of future employer, when you implemented a big project, when you received  appreciation internal or external, during your promotion time, yes these are various time when you should be updating your resume.

Good Practice : As a great practice, I suggest to update your resume in every six month and observe in case of any stagnancy feel or cheese melting case (who moved my cheese). In either scenario, sense the change and update to act, when you update your resume in six monthly basis, you will feel connected with your yearly goal and develop confidence that you are going to achieve your yearly goal hundred percent and also look forward to devise the ways, innovation, tools, techniques and processes and improvement to achieve the yearly goals fast. Thus resume is not to be updated only for job, but also to be connected as imperative part of your own story and should be updated in  every six months, irrespective of situation any in.

# Bad Practice : Just a day before the interview few candidate updates the resume and submit the revised copy during their interview to the interviewer, this creates a very bad and embarrassing situation for both the interviewer and interviewee. Hiring manager feels shocked while looking to the different resume then the one which he shortlisted the candidate basis of previously sent resume whereas during interview he had been presented the different resume, this makes interviewer disconnected and cheated too. Even the candidate feels embarrassed while explaining the reason for last minute change and starting the interview with sorry figure, the whole interview start on wrong note and may result as negative for that candidate. 

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