Summer means you might have a little extra time on your hands
(relatively speaking) – This time could be spent updating profile information on various places like your resume, LinkedIn, social media profiles, etc.
It is a great time to shake off the virtual cobwebs! In fact, a polished resume (and LinkedIn profile) can be almost as valuable to you now as they are when you’re in the middle of a job search. Read on for five good reasons to keep your information updated — always.
5 Good Reasons to Update Your Information
1. You Want to Present Yourself as an Expert
Speaking at conferences, contributing articles to publications, or giving quotes to the media as an expert in your field are all excellent ways to grow yourself professionally. But when you pitch yourself to the media or conference organizers, you’re going to have to be able to adequately show off.
By keeping your resume, LinkedIn and other social media profiles updated, you can send them off without blinking an eye.
2. Someone Wants to Nominate You for Something
Imagine someone nominates you for an award, but when they reach out to ask you for a resume, you realize you haven’t updated it in years — and therefore it only showed a few of your achievements! Instead of feeling totally excited for the recognition, you’ll find yourself scrambling to fix up your resume, and ultimately sending in a rushed document that doesn’t represent you as well.
By having your LinkedIn profile and resume no more than a month old, you avoid selling yourself short.
3. You Have Secret Admirers
Just because you’re not looking for a new job doesn’t mean someone else isn’t looking for someone exactly like you. Recruiters or people looking to collaborate on projects are often actively keeping an eye out for the perfect fit. If they call you up asking for your resume — or come across your three-year-old LinkedIn profile—they’re unlikely to be impressed.
But if they see an up-to-date document or profile detailing all of your achievements, they might just extend you an offer that you’d have a hard time turning down (and, at the very least, it’ll be a nice confidence boost!).
4. A Promotion Comes Up at Work
Even if you adore your current company and have no plans to leave, you may eventually be ready for a more senior position. And even though your manager has firsthand experience of your incredible work, others who are making a decision may still want to see it all on paper.
By having an updated resume on hand, you’ll be able to get your application submitted in a timely manner, showing off your experience, work ethic, and enthusiasm for the new position.
5. In Case the Worst Happens
Unfortunately, no matter how much you love your job, a situation may arise where you get laid off or let go. If that does happen, having an updated resume will eliminate that additional stress.
By keeping your resume current, you’re just a cover letter away from bouncing back into the job-searching market.
The best part of all of this? Keeping your resume updated doesn’t have to take a huge amount of time, especially if you’re doing it regularly. Simply carving out 30 minutes or so every month can be enough to give your resume and profiles the polishing-up it needs!
