RESUME REVAMPING
The longer you wait to update your resume, the harder it will be to recall specific information and achievements about your current or past job(s). A good rule of thumb is to add a new job to your resume right as you start. Chances are you will have a job description given to you by HR, which you can easily incorporate into your resume. Same thing with new responsibilities and skills; adding them into your resume as they come along ensures that you won’t forget about them later. The sooner you start working on your resume, the easier it will be.
IMPORTANCE OF EDITING
As you add new information to your resume, also consider the usefulness of older or less relevant experience. Unless you want to return to a former career, decrease the amount of detail you provide for older experience. For job seekers with 10 years of experience or more, this may mean setting up an Early Career section, where you briefly summarize employers, job titles and employment dates. Other expendable items include obsolete technology and your high school diploma once you’ve earned a college degree. Proofread your resume carefully to ensure it is error-free. Watch for information that needs to be updated from previous versions. For example, if your old resume included a summary that stated your years of experience, increase this number if necessary.
PEAK BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS
It’s a myth that job seekers do not get hired during the holidays. Just like you have a wave of resolutions for the New Year, companies also have a wave of initiatives for the New Year and often increase hiring to meet those goals. In addition, companies that have remaining budget and headcount at year-end will want to fill those spots and not lose them next year. So there will be end-of-year hiring, for sure. Getting a job by the New Year doesn’t mean you have all the way till December to get started. You want to be tying up loose ends by December, not kicking off. Don’t forget that the holidays and end-of-year push also affect you apart from your job search.
