Spring Cleaning Your Resume

When we think of Spring, we usually think of spring cleaning our homes. But is now also a good time to think about spring cleaning your resume? It could well be!

Even if you are not actively job searching, it is still a good idea to touch up your resume at least once a year, or anytime you have a major accomplishment, promotion, or lateral change in position. This way, you can keep up with all the new skills you have gained and honed, any new certifications you have achieved, and any other performance qualifications you have met while on the job. If this isn’t done regularly, it becomes far too easy to forget things, especially the seemingly small things that could mean the difference between landing a new position or new job and getting passed over. So, what sorts of things should you be doing to touch up your resume this spring?

Dump the Irrelevant Stuff

If you haven’t looked at your resume for a while, odds are good that there’s some stuff on there which isn’t relevant anymore. For example, jobs that you had over ten years ago, skills that aren’t relevant (no one cares if you know how to use Word 97 anymore, for example), or training that is far too old. You might be proud of your skill in Flash, but no one uses it anymore!

Things that are irrelevant or old should be swept off your resume, just like you would get rid of old junk from your home. If there’s anything useful you can pull out of it, then do so, but blend it into other things. For example, if you worked at a place that no longer exists, you still have the skills from working there and they can be blended into a skill list. This also gives you an idea of what you may want to upgrade in training – for example, replacing Flash with CSS and HTML.

Research Skills in Demand and See Where You Fit

Did you know that the skills in demand change subtly every year or every few years? If you’ve been in the same company for a number of years, you may have picked up in-demand skills without realizing it, and you may be lacking in-demand skills without realizing it. Skills that have risen in prominence in the last few years include:

  • Computer literacy
  • Ability to use video conferencing software
  • Conflict resolution and stress management
  • Creative problem solving
  • Able to pivot with change
  • Leadership

What’s nice about most of these is that they don’t really require intense training (other than for some, computer literacy), but they are easily found in a huge array of industries. Your job is to come up with examples of how you have shown these things and don’t forget to be a little creative. Leadership for example isn’t just about managing teams or being a vice president – you may have mentored new hires, come up with different ways of doing things, or taken on a project that no one else wanted.

Once you know what skills are in demand, figure out examples of times you’ve used them (for interviews) and then remember to include the skills in your resume.

Inventory Your Education

And no, we don’t just mean post-secondary, college, or vocational (though those are all good things too, of course!) We also mean things like small certifications like Foodsafe or a driver’s license, workshops you attended, professional development you did where you picked up some new skills and knowledge, or online courses you attended. You don’t need to have spent thousands of dollars to improve your education, so don’t overlook the smaller certifications just because they didn’t take you four years and forty thousand dollars to do.

If you haven’t done any training in a while, it’s a good time to inventory that as well. Is there anything you’d like to learn that you think would help you on the job? Talk to your boss and for courses that are eligible, you may even be able to get a tax credit back!

Don’t forget to update any certificates that are getting close to expiration as needed. For example, First Aid Level 1, 2 and 3 are valid for 3 years, Serving it Right for 5 years, and Microsoft Office Specialist is technically good forever, but whenever a new exam comes out, if you pass it, it effectively ‘overwrites’ the older ones (Since it’s assumed that if you did well on 365, you also know what you’re doing in the previous versions). Don’t forget to renew your certifications as they close to expiring or else you can’t claim that you have them anymore.

Don’t Forget Your Cover Letter!

The resume is the most important thing to update of course, but you may want to touch up your cover letter too. Make sure your contact information is up to date and you’ve added in the most recent achievement and best skills you have. Take out anything old or that doesn’t serve your career path anymore.

Spring is just around the corner and while we think about airing out the house, cleaning the yard, and getting the car ready, it’s also a good chance to dust off your resume! Even if you aren’t looking for work, keeping your resume updated is definitely helpful in the long run.

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