Keep your resume up to date, even if you aren’t looking for a new position.
If you’re not looking for a new position it may seem silly to be updating your resume, cover letter, and references, but you never know what life might bring you. You could be scrolling through LinkedIn and come across your dream position. You could get laid off with no warning. Or countless other situations where finding a new job has suddenly become the priority. If you’re already keeping your resume up to date, the transition from employee to job seeker will be that much easier, and if you find yourself yearning for that dream job you saw posted somewhere, it only takes a few clicks of a button to apply, instead of having to fix and format an old and outdated resume. The easiest way to keep your resume up to date is to add your job duties and positions as you get them. So, as soon as you start a new position, add your title and duties to your resume. Then, as you move forward in your role, add any accomplishments as they come. Did you land the biggest account in the company’s history? Did you hit your quota 2 weeks before anyone else? Did you implement a new system that leaves the business operating more efficiently? Whatever your accomplishments, put them on your resume as they happen so that you don’t forget them.
Having an updated resume not only helps you save time, but it saves recruiters time. If you send them an out of date resume with the promise to send them an updated one soon, they lose out on the time they could be spending with you on other recruitment processes. Also, recruiters are left wondering if you’re actually qualified for the position if your resume has not been updated since 3 positions ago.