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How often should I update my CV main

How often should I update my resume?

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Whether you’re ready to apply for a new job or not, taking the time to update your resume regularly to reflect your skill development, responsibilities and successes makes sense as part of your long-term career management. After all, you service your car at least once a year, so why not update your resume and online social profiles at least as often?

A CV should be a work in progress. And, just like your car, if you don’t service it regularly it won’t perform as well as it could. Even if you’re not looking to start a job search, it’s worthwhile keeping your resume up to date. You are constantly gaining new skills, experiences and successes in your current role – keeping your resume updated with these means that you’re not only broadcasting an up-to-date list of skills and experiences to your network, but if a dream role does happen to appear – you’ll be ready to apply.

Regular updates also ensure you have the most relevant details fresh in your mind at the time of writing. This can be important to avoid getting stuck behind a line of applicants for a role you want because they had their resume up to date.

Effectively update your resume

Start by making sure you have it set up in a format which makes it easy to edit. You can download our template here which can help take some of the cognitive load off the process for you.

You can also confirm that your professional summary is up to date, including any new work experiences or events that may have happened since you last wrote it. For example, if you took a break from work for a certain period, it can be addressed here.

When you’re writing a summary of any education you’ve completed or past and current employment, offer details succinctly so the hiring manager can read them easily. For example, as simple layout would consist of:

Role and job description
Company
Duration
Responsibilities and achievements

Questions to ask when you update your resume

When it comes time to update your resume, there are a few things to consider.

Is there a project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of?

Is this project a better example of your abilities that an older project that’s currently listed on your CV and social media? If so, update your resume and swap it out.

Have you completed any courses, won any awards or been recognised for a job well done?

If so, add these details.

Can you quantify your accomplishments?

Hiring managers and recruiters love to see hard evidence of your success, such as how many views your blogs regularly receive or the percentage by which you exceeded a recent target.

Have your duties and responsibilities increased?

If so, summarise these responsibilities and the outcomes you’ve achieved and update your resume accordingly.

Ongoing skills development

An annual service of your CV also makes you review your overall offering to a potential employer. There isn’t an industry or sector today that isn’t experiencing dramatic transformations. If a review of your CV shows that you are falling behind in terms of the skills employers now need, it’s time to take a look at what skills you’re missing from your portfolio.

Not sure how to develop your skills? Ongoing skills development can be achieved in many ways, from formal courses to volunteering to take on additional responsibilities in your existing job. You could look for a mentor, ask your manager for more opportunities or access to more advanced projects.

Our Hays Learning platform gives you access to thousands of free courses which can help your skill set.

Remember, your dream job could be out there now. A regularly updated resume and online profile will ensure they’re representative of your current skill base and abilities, making them current and effective resources.

As for if your particular skills are being looked for by companies and recruiters, take a look at skills in demand and see if you feature and what might be worth looking at as potential career change.

How do I update my resume?

You can update your resume by listing out any relevant experience or education you’ve undertaken since the last time it was updated. Using a template can make this process much easier.

How do you write a resume update?

Think about the person reading your resume. They want to see information quickly, so when formatting updates, state what role you were in, the company you were a part of, what the duration was and what you achieved.