It’s a simple question, really, but one that many people aren’t prepared to answer. How often are you updating your resume? If your answer is, “when I’m looking for a new job,” you’re not updating your resume often enough. Your resume should be a living document. You’ll find it’s much easier to track if you spend a little time with it frequently rather than cramming your memories from the last year or five in all at once. So how can you keep your resume up to date? Here are some ideas.
Write down your accomplishments.
The problem with waiting to update your resume when you actually need it is the natural gap in your memory. You may struggle to remember some of the accomplishments from past positions that would be great for selling your skills to a new marine employer. To help with this, keep a running list of accomplishments in a notebook, on your phone or on your computer. This way, you can access them and update your resume accordingly.
Create a LinkedIn profile.
Most people in the marine industry don’t think about having a completed LinkedIn profile, but it can be a great tool. If nothing else, it can act as a living resume to allow to keep your information up to date. Log in to your LinkedIn account and make tweaks regularly. Your LinkedIn profile will be much bigger than a resume, but it can give you things to pull from.
Consider alternative formats.
There was a time when resumes were a simple list of jobs and duties. But that concept is changing. Hiring managers and recruiters are looking for different formats now, and different information. You can’t just state what you did, you have to demonstrate how you did it and why you were successful. Look into other formats to see what’s best for your career right now.
Create a customizable template.
It may also be helpful to think about how you need to customized your resume for different jobs. For example, if you do electrical work you may be applying to jobs within a shipyard as well as other industries. But you can’t send a general resume to a shipyard and expect to get much attention. You should be updating resumes for each job so you can maximize your chances of getting a call back.
Work with a leader in shipyard staffing.
Do you need help updating your resume? Contact the recruiters at Hutco today to see how we can help.
