How to quickly update your resume
There's no shortage of information available on how to put together a resume. Piles of books and web pages are devoted specifically to this topic.
By Chris Alfe, thingamajob.com Staff Writer
What if, however, you already have a resume prepared and are only looking to polish it up a bit? You're in luck! Read on and pick up some quick tips on how to get your resume ready for prime time.
TIP #1: Update your Contact Information
A resume is an invitation. You are making your case to the recipient that you are both interested in and qualified for a certain position. It is imperative that you make it easy for the reader to reach you.
When updating your resume, confirm that the phone number is still current and that your address is correct. In addition, strongly consider providing one or more alternate methods of contact; these may include mobile phone numbers and e-mail address. If leaving multiple phone numbers, it is helpful to provide in your accompanying cover letter the times you can typically be reached at each phone number given.
TIP #2: Adjust Dates, Company Names, and Software Versions
Look out for references to times and dates in your resume and adjust them as necessary. For example, "Six months of drug testing experience" may now be "One year of drug testing experience." Look out for items you've marked as "current"; are they still current?
Similarly, examine any version/release numbers you may have included after your software proficiency section. You should change "PeopleSoft 8.0" to "PeopleSoft 8.0-8.8" if your familiarity as advanced accordingly.
Also be on the lookout of out-of-date company names. If a company name no longer in use appears on your current resume, consider supplementing the old name with the current name to help clarify your experience. "Bell Atlantic" might appear as "Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic)", as an example.
TIP #3: Critique your Layout and Objective
Does your stated objective still ring true? If not, adjust it to reflect your most recent ambitions. Remain succinct and honest, with an eye towards the future. In increasing number of applicants are omitting objective entirely, in favor of a skills summary section. Just make sure that, if you do include one, it is accurate.
Does your current resume layout still best suit your overall experience? If your educational experience is listed first, consider swapping this section with your professional experience section if you've logged in a significant amount of time on-the-job since your last resume update.
TIP #4: Check for Parallel Structure
Commonly, resumes are assembled like patchwork with different pieces added and deleted over time. As you review your resume and add new information if applicable, make sure the structure of each section remains consistent. If you begin each of the first bunch of bullet-points under a heading with an action verb, for example, then each subsequent bullet point you add under that section should also begin with an action verb. It's easy to forget this as you amend a document, so be careful!
Methods of emphasis, like the bolding of dates or italicizing of company names, should remain consistent throughout your resume as well. Other formatting rules, like spacing and border size, should remain the same too.
TIP #5: Add New Skills Thoughtfully
Give some thought to the weight that you'd like to assign to any new skills you add to your resume. Remember, you can control the message your resume sends by emphasizing (and de-emphasizing) certain items. The amount of space that you devote to specific skills and experiences on your resume does not necessarily have to be in proportion with the amount of relative time that you spent gaining them.
You may want to scale down or eliminate all together older experiences and skills if they become distracting or cause your resume to spill over to another page.
Chris Alfe is a staff writer for thingamajob.com. He has ten years of experience in staffing and human resources and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
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