Is it scary not to have your resume updated? Oh, yes, my pretties, it is.

You don’t have time to keep your resume updated, do you? Trying to keep your head above water in your current job and personal life is usually enough to keep you more than busy.

You feel very secure with your job and some days you even like it. Sunday scaries aren’t even on your radar.

Snap out of it. We have something scary to share with you: Every job is temporary.

In our twelve years of experience in the staffing industry, SC Staffing & Consulting has seen unexpected turnovers every day.

Here are a few reasons a good job can vanish, through no fault of your own:

• Company closes
• Company moves
• New boss
• New owner
• Downsized due to strategic planning
• Merger
• New chapter in your personal life
• Health of you or a loved one

Avoid the horror of being ill-prepared for an unwanted, startling career change by managing your resume periodically.

Here are tips to keep your resume up-to-date by spending only fifteen minutes per quarter and you will keep the frighteners at bay.

• Update your go-to resume regularly. Updating quarterly is best, then you can do so when you are not under pressure.
• Keep an eye on the dates. On your go-to resume, take off dates that are 10 years back or more. List those under “prior experience.”
• Maintain a master version that catalogs your entire work history. The master version is for your reference. The more experienced you are the more you will need to edit from your go-to resume.
• Update immediately changes or new experiences in your career when the information is fresh in your mind: training, promotion, new responsibilities.
• Have someone proofread your work, when you are not under pressure to find a new job.
• Review your resume with an eye towards clarity and variety. Don’t repeat the same verbs over and over again.
• Connect with colleagues on LinkedIn. Technically, this isn’t on your resume, but keeping current with your personal pool of experts gets you closer to a good reference.