Here’s an alarming survey reported by the Associated Press in early January.
The report says with the nation’s jobless rate hitting above 10 percent, many workers may find themselves expecting the unexpected when it comes to their careers.
Picking up the story…
But only 1 in 5 has updated his or her resume in the last three months, while almost half haven’t made changes in the past year, according to a recent survey.
The telephone poll of 493 adult office workers, conducted by staffing company Robert Half International Inc., found that 82 percent think they’re ready to start a search if they lost their jobs tomorrow. Meanwhile, 44 percent said it’s been more than a year since they’ve revised their resumes. Twelve percent have made updates in the past month.
When asked how prepared they are to conduct a job search, 39 percent of workers said they were very prepared, while 43 answered that they were somewhat ready to hunt for a new position. “Workers who are prepared in the event of a sudden job loss also are ready when new employment opportunities arise, including those within their own companies,” said Reesa Staten, senior vice president and director of workplace research for Half.
“A current resume is an essential career tool: The longer it remains untouched, the harder it is to update, since specific achievements are not always easy to recall.”
Staten suggests that you create a “personal personnel file” to keep track of your successes and kudos on the job.
Good advice! I’ve always made an “attaboy” subfolder on my work email account where I dropped in emails from my bosses when I was given praise. It’s important that you do that so when the time comes for your annual review OR when you are looking for a raise or promotion, you have ammo all ready to prove why you are worthy.
As you continue your job search in 2010, you need to adjust your resume periodically to reflect the job for which you are applying. Key words need to be included reflecting the job description, so you have the best chance of landing on the hiring manager’s desk.
Whatever side of the fence you are on (employed or unemployed) you need to make sure you are head and shoulders above the competition. Keep your resume updated and ready in case that opportunity comes along without notice.
If you are employed: Review your current resume and update with new responsibilities, new milestones reached, any year-end data that may have been gathered for your company’s annual report that you had a hand in doing. Refer to your “attaboy” email folder with kudos from your supervisors, which can help you in updating your resume.
If you are looking for work: Review your current resume, update any volunteer opportunities you are involved in and adapt to job descriptions you are applying for.
Your resume is the very window to your job history. Do you want someone looking through it and it’s muddied up with old information, or do you want them to have crystal-clear view, with new, fresh clear objectives?
Michigan is still limping along with more than 14 percent unemployment in 2010. A few minutes of work on that resume can make the difference! Remember, it is up to you to make yourself stand out from the competition!
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