Pop Quiz: Resumes

Pop quiz: How long would it take you to present a current resume?

Any answer beyond an hour is too long. You never know when you might need a resume in a hurry.

But, you may protest, my job is safe. I won’t get fired, downsized or laid off. (Really? Are you sure? But that is a whole different topic)

My job is safe. It takes a lot for someone to get fired and they rarely do a downsizing and haven’t done a layoff that I have heard of. And yet, several times in the last year, I have needed a resume at a moment’s notice.

For example, last week, I heard a new position is being created and it is of great interest to me. Because my resume is current, I was able to spend fifteen minutes “tweaking” it to fit the job description, highlighting the skills necessary for the new position. I was able to them walk it directly into the hiring director’ office and let him know of my interest. Time will tell if I get the position or not, but I have to believe I made a favorable impression with the director. That little bit of preparation just may make the difference to give me the inside track.

So how does one keep a resume current at all times? Here are 5 easy steps. Do these monthly and a current resume will never be more than 60 short minutes away.

1. Throughout the month, upon completing an assignment, finishing a project, or receiving positive feedback, jot it down on a PostIt note and place it in a file folder.
2. Create a recurring, one hour meeting on the last day of each month to review the folder contents. Spend a few minutes reviewing the notes and adding any other accomplishments that were overlooked throughout the month.
3. Identify the skills used in completing the achievement.
4. Write a short SOAR story for each. A SOAR story, in two or three sentences, tells the Situation involved, the Actions taken, the Obstacles encountered, and the Results achieved. Use numbers to quantify where appropriate. Write different versions highlighting the skills identified. This is handy for quick adjustments to the resume when a job requires a particular set of skills.
5. Add the SOAR stories to your resume and an accomplishment document for the annual review. It is always good to have the achievements handy when the boss asks what you have been doing all year. Chances are your list will be ten times longer than his/hers.

It may take a few sessions to catch up from the last resume refresh, but it is worth it. Several short sessions may be more productive than one long one, especially if the long one is put off until another day that never comes.

There are more uses of a current resume than job applications. Several times though out my career, I have been reassigned to different teams. My previous vice president was famous for reorganizing the department on Thursday, effective on Monday. Having my resume up to date gave me a great advantage when meeting my new manager. I handed him the resume and immediately could start talking about my strengths and status of my team. It never failed to impress them and allow them to leverage my favorite skills more quickly.

A resume is handy for networking, too. Last week I had lunch with a manager I used to work with before he moved on to another company. While working with him, I was a project manager. He had no idea of my many years of team management and was surprised when I pulled out my resume to show him. It completely changed his perception of me and my skills. He suddenly had a completely different set of people he wanted to introduce to me, all of which who are more in line with my desired career path. Very handy.