How to Upgrade and Update an Old Resume

Maybe you’ve worked in the same job for many years, but now your company is downsizing and you’re facing the prospect of being laid off. Or maybe you have discovered that retirement is just not as satisfying as you thought it would be. Whatever your reason, you’ve decided it’s time to take a look at your old resume, but it not only looks tired and out-of-date, it also doesn’t reflect the skills and experience you've gained over the years. It’s time to shake the dust off your old resume and polish it up.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Add the online advantage to your job search. If you don’t have a digital version of your resume, it’s time to make one. If you’re computer comfortable, build a document containing your old data. (If computers make you nervous, get help with this job and then sign up for a basic computer class--it’s time to cross that bridge.) Having a digital version of your resume will make it easier to make changes and keep your data current. It also allows you to apply for jobs online, which is a simple process and opens doors to many more job prospects.
2. Take a clear and objective look at the actual content in your resume. (Don’t worry about format yet--that comes later.) If you are over 30, do you think that your high school achievements are still of interest? What about your part-time jobs during college? You may have felt that your first resume needed that information, but now it just looks like filler. Save it somewhere, but delete it from your new and improved resume.
3. Examine your resume with the eyes of a prospective employer. What else needs to go? Long narrative information about your plans or dreams--out. Long explanations or justifications of bad job experiences--no way. If something needs an explanation keep it to one or two brief sentences and don’t whine. Everybody has bumps in the employment road; the only story that’s interesting to an employer is what you did next to get back on track.
4. Now add the new work history you’ve accrued since you last updated your resume. Be methodical about this and take your time. Set your resume aside and revisit it a few times--it’s amazing how many important details you can forget to include if you have a long work history to report. Be thorough.
5. Take a look at the format of your resume. Is it easy to read? Does it flow naturally? Is it easy to see the important points at a glance? It’s very helpful to keep your resume to no more than 2 pages. That can be tough to do, but it’s a good goal. Keep deleting extraneous content--on a resume it’s not important how you felt or what you thought. Focus on what you did and how you did it.
6. Don’t duck the age factor, but don’t overemphasize it either. The sad truth is that if you’re over 50, many employers will not see that as the valuable experience it is, but as a negative. Be honest and emphasize your strengths. If an employer sees your age as a liability instead of an asset, that employer may not be the person you want to work for.

Tips & Warnings

• It’s common now for many resumes to skip the Employment Objective statement at the beginning of the resume; it usually just states the obvious.
• Don’t forget to include information about the tools and/or software you have worked with.
• Judicious use of the BOLD function on important points can make your resume easier to scan and tells the reviewer what you think is particularly important about your experience.

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