Most people don't think about updating their resumes until, suddenly, they find themselves out of work and looking for a job. But with job security a thing of the past, we all need to think more carefully about job change and how that impacts our financial security. Uncertainty is the only certainty these days, so whether it is just time for a change or cutbacks are in the wind, maintaining a current a resume is simply a smart career management strategy that keeps you ready for disaster or opportunity.

Three smart resume maintenance strategies

• Resumes have changed dramatically in recent years, so make sure your resume is structured in a way that ensures it's discoverable in resume database searches, includes a target job title and the skill keywords that you see in job descriptions.
• A resume has to be visually accessible, because the recruiters first reading is in fact going to be just a six-second scan. Get all the keywords in the first half of the first page and repeat them throughout your work experience.
• Once your resume is up-to-date, the consistency that recruiters expect demands that your social media profiles reflect the same messaging.

Cultivate your professional network strategy

Keeping your resume current is part of a smart long-term career management strategy. Most people don't appreciate the importance of having a professional network until they are in a job search and realize they don't have one. In a world without professional security, connectivity with your professional community is an ongoing priority not a transitory demand of a current job search. A well-written resume can quickly be adapted to become your social media profile, making you both visible and a desirable contact within your professional community.

Invest in career success tools for your future

Invest in your future by learning the job search and career management strategies that will give you greater control of your professional and financial destiny. Learn to effectively brand and market yourself with a cutting-edge resume and a social media profile that reflects the same messaging, and you'll not only be ready for an unexpected job search, your next job might coming looking for you in the form a headhunter or HR recruiter.

The most important document you own

You can start to change the trajectory of your life as soon as you take control of your career, with the careful development of the tools and skills of the new career management; that all starts with owning a resume that gets results.

A resume is the foundation of your brand and is your primary marketing tool. When your resume works the doors of opportunity open for you, when it doesn't they don't. Keep your resume current at all times, because you never know when you will need it for that next promotion or a new job.


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