Don’t Wait until you are Out of a Job to Update Your Resume! Most people scramble to update their resume after they have lost a job or while they are in a transition period between jobs. This article highlights 8 ways you can keep your resume up-to-date while you are still employed. You may have a lot more to offer than you realize.

1. Key Accomplishments.

People often overlook their key accomplishments or strengths when they re-work their resume after the fact. Keep an ongoing journal of projects with associated goals and results, awards and promotions.

2. Incremental Counts!

You may not think incremental title or responsibility upgrades are a big deal, but they will help you sell you. They show progression, upward mobility, achievement and advancement. All of which underscore your worth and are votes of confidence.

3. Securing Referrals.

Get in the habit of securing customer, partner or co-worker referrals while you are employed. Who have you collaborated with on projects or initiatives, sold to or partnered with, who might write you a referral? How did you bring value to them or impact a project? It’s best when the details are fresh in their minds. Offer to reciprocate the gesture when appropriate.

4. Words Matter.

Did you just “help” or did you co-chair, co-form, co-invent or co-lead? Did you just “sell”, or did you drive sales? Did you “work with the marketing department”, or did you help design a successful campaign? Also use articulate and power words to describe yourself. Were you simply a “sales rep, marketing manager, or real estate agent”, or could you be described as a “consistently top ranked sales professional, highly innovative marketing manager, or real estate agent in the top 3%”?

5. Take a Closer Look.

Oftentimes we neglect to give ourselves credit. It’s easy to get boxed into an idea of who we are and what we do. Upon closer examination, you may discover that you have more to offer than what you initially thought. For example, your main role may be business development, but your job has expanded into other areas, perhaps you could add: event planner or community liaison. Many people wear a variety of hats, but they can only carry one title. Our official title isn’t necessarily our best representative.

6. Track Results.

Record goals or targets and then fill in the results on the backend after projects are completed. For example: Sell 500 units in Q2 at a 12% margin, or Secure 5 new sponsors through project “xyz” between December 1-31st, or Prepare to launch new product by June 10th and obtain at least 15 testimonials in the first three weeks.

7. The Education Factor.

Think outside-of-the-box. Education is the acquisition of knowledge, learning, training and instruction. Apart from formal education, have you completed any on-the-job-training courses, online education, attended topic or industry-focused seminars or a lecture series? Have you completed an internship or conducted valuable research? Take a look at the whole picture–don’t shortchange yourself.

8. Significant Contributions.

Have you formed key partnerships, launched initiatives, contributed to industry alliances, co-chaired significant events, introduced new strategies, established new standards, led teams or created campaigns… Designed? Invented? Wrote? Taught? Write everything down. Whatever is relevant, add it!

Every piece of information that illustrates you are a significant contributor, team player, active participant, executor, leader–or anything else that plays an important part in the sum of you–and may add to a company’s bottom line, is a plus!

A resume tells prospective employers who you are and what you do. Think of your resume as your invitation for them to invest in you-your goal is for them to accept.

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