“Send me your resume.” These words usually inspire panic, especially if you do not keep your resume up-to-date. You have no time, and the clock is ticking. You need to get your resume in, but first, spend a little time pruning your resume before you send it for the best results.
Conduct Research: 10 Minutes
First, conduct research on the company and any potential positions that you may be qualified for. Search the company’s website for keywords and phrases describing the company’s values and what type of person they are looking to employ. This will give you a clue as to how to tailor your resume.
Review Your Resume: 10 Minutes
Next, review your job search documents. Is your experience up-to-date? Are all your most relevant skills and experiences for this company on display? This is your chance to quickly update the resume to include important details. Try to incorporate the key skills and descriptors you found in the first step into your resume seamlessly.
Tailor Your Cover Letter: 10 Minutes
Finally, use your last 10 minutes to update your cover letter. Make sure your cover letter contains your most recent contact information. Address it to the person you will be submitting your resume to. Tell the company who you are and why you are a good fit with a small story or by highlighting your skills.
Bonus Step: Create a Master Resume
To make resume updates easier on you, create a master resume containing all your experience, skills, courses, projects, and so on. This is not a copy of your resume that is sent out, but is instead available for your personal use. That way, when you do need to update your resume in a hurry, it is easy to find the most relevant information and include it in your document.
In just 30 minutes, you can do a quick update to get your resume into decent condition. Ideally, you would spend a little more time perfecting the resume, but in a time crunch, completing these important steps will whip your resume into shape.