ARE YOU EMPLOYED? IF SO, YOU NEED A RESUME NOW!!
YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!! Resumes are no longer just for job seekers. A professionally written resume is vital in today’s competitive marketplace, and those of you that have procrastinated in keeping your resume up to date—beware. Companies merge, consolidate, relocate, expand, close or get sold. Change is a constant, and it is important that you be proactive, not reactive regarding your career. Change is uncomfortable, however, for most people. Some of us tend to get comfortable and complacent in our careers, and take the easy way out. We wait for the company to make a decision on our employment destiny instead of realizing that we are the ones that need to take responsibility for our own careers.
As a certified career coach and president of Resumes By Design, I have a few questions to pose to you:
How many of you actually keep a folder of your accomplishments, achievements, awards and/or commendations? Have you listed management and leadership training programs, continuing professional development, and industry-sponsored seminars? Have you thought about and documented all that you have contributed to each of your positions throughout your career? For example: Have you managed divisional startups or turnarounds? Have you developed new processes, procedures and systems? Have you streamlined operations to gain efficiencies? Have you saved your company money? Have you generated revenues? If so, have you documented the results of your performance?
It is so easy to get bogged down with every day pressures at the office and neglect the most important person—yourself! You and only you can take control of your career and make things happen. That is why it is so important to keep documentation of all your success stories and to have your resume professionally updated by a certified professional resume writer, preferably one that specializes in $100,000 + careers.
Listed below are a few reasons why having a professionally written resume updated and ready for distribution can be crucial:
Succession Planning
Your company needs to build internal bench strength and will be putting a succession plan in place. Does you resume capture your leadership talent and position you as a potential successor?
Internal Advancement Opportunities
Don’t wait until you see your ideal job posted within your organization and you have only a few days to have your resume professionally updated and submitted.
Corporate Restructuring
Your company is rightsizing and they want to ensure their top talent is in place. You know they are going to be reviewing your resume on file. Have you updated it with all your accomplishments since joining the firm?
Annual Reviews
It is review time and you know that you deserve to be promoted or, at the very least, maximize your annual increase. Does your resume tell them or does it sell them?
Board Appointments
You have been asked to serve as a director on an industry board and you haven’t updated your resume since college!
Solicitation by Executive Recruiters
An executive recruiter calls you out of the blue to let you know of an opportunity that sounds too good to pass up. You are embarrassed to send him the resume you have, or even worse, you sent him your resume and are told to have it professionally written!
Nonprofit Associations
A nonprofit organization that is near and dear to your heart would like you to serve in a leadership role. Are you proud of the way your resume looks?
Company Acquisition
Your company has just been acquired and now there are too many people vying for fewer positions. Is your resume going to showcase your talent and attributes effectively?
Company Merger
It was announced that your company is going to merge with XYZ Corporation and they also have a CFO, VP, Sales & Marketing, etc. How confident are you that they will keep you on?
Searching the Web
You just happen to be surfing the net and voila! A position that looks like it was written just for you appears out of nowhere…and the submittal deadline is tomorrow!
Testing the Waters
You’ve been at the same job with the same company for many years. You need to confidentially explore other opportunities to ensure you are being fairly compensated. Sometimes the only way to advance your career or to receive a large salary increase is to make a move.
DON’T WAIT until you find yourself unemployed before you jump on the bandwagon and seek professional help. When you are gainfully employed, you are far more marketable, exude an air of confidence, and possess stronger negotiating power than when you are unemployed, anxious and willing to settle for a lowball offer because of financial insecurity. That is a reactive, not a proactive strategy! Take command of your career. If you have not done so, start compiling a folder of your success stories and employ a certified professional resume writer to create your resume. Your career success depends on it.
Cheryl Harland, Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC) is Founder and President of Resumes By Design, a premier Houston resume services company.