Martin: “Thank you for connecting with me; may I offer you a free no obligation, no sales pitch resume critique?”
Mary: “Thank you for the offer Martin, but I’m currently not looking for a job. In fact, I had my annual performance appraisal just last month and my manager told me I’m one of his star employees.”
If I offered you a free resume critique, would you accept or would your response be more like Mary’s?
I offer and conduct numerous complimentary resume critiques each week and am continually shocked at the number of career professionals who decline my offer. Who doesn’t like free advice?
The job for life concept our grandparents were afforded no longer exists. Employer and employee loyalty no longer exists, or at best, is a rarity. In reality, hundreds of individuals are let go weekly; some people are aware of the planned downsizing, but many individuals are completely caught off guard when the pink slip arrives.
Smart career management means you always have a current resume at the ready. While you may not be actively looking for a job, what would you do if a potential employer reached out to offer you your dream job but the HR contact needed a current resume sent within 24 hours?
At a minimum, I recommend you review and update your resume annually. If your resume hasn’t been updated recently, it likely utilizes a format that lacks keywords and would fail an Applicant Tracking System scan.
Use a brag book to document quantifiable career achievements and professional development completed during the past 12 months. Taking this one step further, seek and accept the advice of a professional resume writer knowledgeable in resume and job search trends.
Three weeks later…..“Hello, Elite Resumes, how may I help you?”
“Martin, this is Mary. I lost my job today and I’m in dire need of an updated resume. Can you help?”
Save yourself the time and stress Mary had to go through by following the Scouts motto of my youth:
Be Prepared!
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