Dust Off Your Resume

Whether you are job searching, or not – you should always be thinking about your next career move and an exit strategy from your current workplace so you can be ready at all times. This is part of being in control of your career destiny and developing a personal career plan that you can implement incrementally, or quickly, as the need arises.

We often fail to keep our resumes updated when life is good in a current position because we are not showcasing this part of our professional toolkit on a regular basis. I urge you to dust off your resume and make sure it is good shape since you never know when opportunity will knock.

Since my public speaking has really ramped up, I have a press kit that I use to showcase my experience, book, and keynote/workshop topics for prospective clients. Recently, I was asked to also include my resume. As a career coach, I take pride in having a strong resume and I have reviewed literally thousands of resumes over the past 10+ years for students and clients. But I decided to share my resume with a trusted advisor, a fellow career development expert who specializes in resume writing to get her take on my resume.

I had become so close to my own resume that I wasn’t showcasing myself in the best possible light. I can say with confidence that my good resume is now a great representation of my professional strengths. It took someone else’s keen eye and strategic resume writing skills to help me take my document to a new level.

My resume guru should not be a well-kept secret since her professional services are worthy of strong praise. Jessica Sremanak http://jessicasremanak.com/ took my resume to new heights when my bar was already set very high. The point is – we can all get too close to something to see what needs to be tweaked and adjusted in order to improve. Jessica conducted an interview with me asking in-depth questions about all my positions so she could enhance my job descriptions with specific accomplishments that clearly define my value-add. The end result was a new and improved resume that I am thrilled with.

I urge all of you to brush off your resume and consider a tune-up. Of course you know the importance of customizing a resume for each specific opportunity, but having a great mother-ship version will give you the point of departure you need. Jessica revolutionized my resume and she is a new member of my personal Board of Directors whom I highly recommend. Having a great resume is an investment in your career future.