3 Signs You Need a Resume Updateand How to Do It

3 Signs You Need a Resume Updateâ€"and How to Do It 3 Signs You Need a Resume Update- and How to Do It When was the last time you did a resume update?  Many people create a resume when they first start out in their career or industry, and then the file lingers untouched on their hard drive for years. But you never know when you’ll need to dust off that old resume and send it out, so it’s best to be prepared. Here are three  signs that it’s time for a resume update: 1. You haven’t incorporated keywords. Today’s job search is increasingly conducted with recruiters and employers online. So if you crafted the current version of your resume before this was the case, you likely don’t have the right keywords in the document. Many recruitment agencies and hiring managers use a keyword search by job title, position, and industry as a starting point to identify qualified candidates. Relevant keywords shouldn’t be too tough to figure out- start by thinking about what words you would type into a search engine to find a position like the one you’re looking for. For example, if you’re a project manager with international experience looking for a job in the financial services industry, your keywords might be “project manager,” “international,” and “finance.” You should position keywords related to these functions as close to the top of your resume as possible, as well as throughout the file. 2. Your experience isn’t quantified. Back when you first pulled together your resume, you may have been new to your field with less quantifiable experience under your belt. Fast forward to today, and you likely have a wide range of data-verified evidence that speaks to your effectiveness, regardless of what type of role you’re in. It’s important to update your resume from time to time so that you can incorporate these types of numeric details. Employers care about understanding the actual quantity of impact you’ve achieved on the job as proof of your expertise and effectiveness. Give them what they’re looking for by using specific percentages, numbers, and data points wherever possible to exemplify your accomplishments. Whether it’s showing percent of revenue growth you’ve driven in your department or how one of your ideas led to landing a specific number of new clients for your end of the business, numbers often speak louder than words. 3. You include outdated resume conventions. Nothing will signal “out of the loop” faster to a recruiter than a resume that contains yesterday’s trends. For example, you are no longer expected to append a list of contacts to the bottom of your resume, so there’s no reason to waste valuable resume space on this. You can provide this information separately if and when you clear initial interviewing hurdles and are moving toward a background check. In addition to avoiding old conventions, it’s also a mistake to omit signs of digital savvy from your resume. Don’t just include your address and home phone number as your contact information; you should also add your email address, smartphone number, and website URL if you have one- as well as your LinkedIn URL- so that employers can use these as additional sources of professional verification. You may still be in the same job as when you designed your first resume, but the world has moved on- and you need to keep pace by updating your job search materials accordingly. Looking for a new job? Once youve finished your resume update, check out open job listings and apply.