Building your Resume as you proceed in the workplace

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How much have you achieved in your current job? How many monthly, annual or quarterly targets have you met? What are the major projects you undertook and your team leader commended you for your effort?  You need to answer all these questions in your resume. As you progress in your job over the years, you somehow forget to update your resume. Keep track of all your major and minor achievements at work and make sure you add them to that one document which can earn you better opportunities.

Your resume is probably the most important document to help your potential employer take a glance into your professional experience, qualification and what you are capable of. There are various schools of thought on how important this document is. There are a few who believe that it is your communication and interpersonal skills which matter most, but there are others who believe that your resume is the single most important document to help you in getting a job.

Your resume might not be the single most important thing in earning you a great employment opportunity, but it is definitely something that will build up your chances of getting an interview call or creating a place in the market.  It is therefore important that you pay close attention to how you build up your resume overtime.

Along with the projects undertaken at the current job, you must look for accomplishments which are beyond your current job requirement. Stay updated about the latest happenings in your area of expertise by undertaking extra courses, trainings or workshops. Stay a step ahead of what your organization has assigned you with. It is always easier to switch jobs if you have something more than ordinary on offer. Today, apps like edX, coursera, duolingo, etc. enable you to undertake online distant courses from renowned universities and learn new languages, free of cost. This can be a substantial add-on in your resume along with your current job experience.

When you start off as an entry level candidate, your resume is more focused towards your education and interests, whereas at the mid-level it is more experience-centered. Therefore, when you have been associated with a particular field over a couple of years, you list down your major accomplishments or targets achieved, in quantitative terms, within that field. Another major change is that the education section moves towards the end of the resume as you become a professional. It is your experiences which will help you stand out.

If you undertook a certain project and it earned the organization a calculable increase in revenue, etc. mention it on your resume. This makes the accomplishment prominent and noteworthy. Not only this, the skills mentioned on your resume must become more relevant to your core competencies over time. Certifications, professional examinations, etc. related to your area of expertise must be replaced by generic skills.
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Building up your resume as you climb up your professional ladder is immensely important. Every target that you achieve, every skill that you enhance, every serious interest that you have deserves a place in your resume. Create it in such a way that the ten second glance which the recruiter makes at your resume is captivating enough.

Sara Mashhadi

Be the change you want to see.