Nows a Great Time to Refresh Your ResumeHeres What to Do

Now’s a Great Time to Refresh Your Resumeâ€"Heres What to Do Now’s a Great Time to Refresh Your Resume- Heres What to Do 3Out with the old, in with the new- the turning of the calendar inspires a desire for fresh starts. But why? “In attorney-speak, it’s called a ‘bright-line point’ (derived from the ‘bright-line rule’), which means a definite cut-off point- an exact moment in time, if you will- that distinguishes the past from the future,” says Denise Dudley, author of  Work It! Get In, Get Noticed, Get Promoted. “And January 1st is probably the most practiced and celebrated bright-line point in our human existence! We can practically feel the cosmic shift as the calendar transitions from old year to new, inspiring us toward self-reflection and personal improvement.” Add to this mix the tendency of employers to schedule annual reviews around this time, and you have the perfect season to revise your resume! Whether you’re contemplating a job hunt or simply want to have this all-important document at the ready for whatever comes your way in 2019, here’s how to refresh your resume. JOB SEARCHING? FIND OPEN POSITIONS Add accomplishments. While information from your review is fresh, judge how accurately your current resume reflects the tasks you perform and what you’ve achieved. Change and add accomplishments as necessary. Remember that strong action verbs grab attention, and stating successes in quantifiable terms (such as saving X amount of dollars or improving efficiency by Y percent) paints a more vivid picture than generic terms. And don’t forget to update other areas, such as volunteer work performed. Edit. On the flip side, have you reached a career point in which getting rid of certain things might enhance your resume? As Dudley notes, “If you’re a 50+ person, don’t turn your resume into a laundry list of all the jobs you’ve held for the last 35+ years. Keep the spotlight on your last 10 years of relevant experience, and drop off all the old stuff.” A similar scenario can exist for younger workers. Including a part-time job from college may have helped demonstrate work ethic and experience on your first resume, but chances are that better choices now exist as you’ve progressed in your career. Proof for accuracy. Double-check your header to ensure the contact information still holds true. The last thing you want is a hiring manager sending info to an email address you no longer check. While you’re at it, now is a good time to ensure current information for your references, too. Check for readability. When your new-and-improved document is complete, judge presentation. “Pretend you’re viewing your resume for the first time,” Dudley says. “To begin with, is it easily readable? Resume readers will toss your resume almost instantly if they can’t quickly navigate their way through it. Next, is your resume contemporary and fresh looking, or does it look like you designed it back in the former century?” Some of Dudley’s suggestions for modernizing include: sticking with one of the gold standards of legibility, like Georgia (if you like serif) or Helvetica (if you prefer sans-serif) using a clean, uncomplicated template with margins at around 0.7 inches minimum keeping the resume clean, crisp, professional, and short Remember that 21st-century resumes need to look fabulous not just in print but also on everything from a desktop PC to an itsy-bitsy phone screen. Check presentation on various devices. Better to learn about and correct a jumbled mess now rather than later. Happy with your sparkling new resume? Do one last spell-check and proofread to ensure youre truly putting your best foot forward this year!