The New Year represents many things to people. Some use the occasion to plan for the future in terms of resolutions. Some use it as a time to reflect on the past year and their accomplishments. Your career shouldn’t be left off the list of resolutions and reflection, so now is the perfect time to spend a few minutes revisiting your resume to make sure it’s up to date and ready for whatever opportunities may come your way.
Add new skills to your resume
Did you learn some new tricks last year or forget some old ones? Now is a good time to consider what skills you want to focus on and set some goals to improve upon or add some new ones this year. Taking an online course or adding certifications is easier than ever these days. Go ahead and learn that new computer program. Study that second language that will put you in front of others when those skills are needed.
Reevaluate your employment history
Is that college internship from 8 years ago still relevant to your career today? Or how about that summer you spent working at the local Dairy Queen in high school? Your employment history does not need to contain everything you’ve ever done, and as you get older and have had more jobs, that list can get pretty long and distracting. Stick with the jobs that are relevant to your current career or where you want to go, and add just enough to be able to tell the right story about you.
Boast about yourself
Keeping your current position’s job accomplishments up to date can sometimes slip by. Then you’re left scrambling when you want to update your resume to submit for a new position or promotion. Make sure you mention that project you successfully lead last summer. Or maybe you increased sales in your department 50% since last year. These are the bits of information prospective employers want to know about you, not a boring list of your daily responsibilities around the office.