How often do you refresh your CV? Do you only make small adjustments to your CV once a job deadline is quickly approaching.? In a rush to post the CV, it’s tempting to force in your last job at the top and hope for the best. Forgetting to refresh your CV with all your great achievements is easy but will not benefit you in the future. If you only update your CV occasionally during job applications, it is most likely not doing you justice.
Refresh your CV regularly to allow you to:
Apply and respond quickly to unexpected job opportunities, including meetings with contacts who may want to hire you.
Submit your CV to databases on an analytical basis
Refresh your memory of what you have to offer, engaging your mind on your next career path.
Establish ongoing issues with your career advancement, such as gaps in experience or a need for more guidance and training.
How to Refresh Your CV: Step by Step
1.Update your Current Role
If you have recently taken on a new role since your last CV refresh, ensure to include a section reflecting the responsibilities of your new role, and that your achievements are up to date.
However, if you are still serving the same role listed on your current CV, add a selection of new bullet points to reflect recent activities and challenges. Reflect on your performance appraisal and CPD records to recap your memory.
Explore CV templates, best suited to you.
Tip
Have you worked in the same role or company for a long time? Would you like to show more career progression on your CV?
Set up a separate section for each role or project under the same employer, as if these were individual jobs. Make a note of where a promotion was due or increased responsibilities.
There is no reason why you can not update your CV, even if you have held the same job titles for numerous years, you can create new sections detailing recent projects and achievements.
2. Prepare a New Profile
Renew your profile at the top of the CV to demonstrate your recent track record focusing on similarities of roles you are now targeting.
Check out our latest article on how to write your personal profile.
3. Adapt to your Career Objectives
Your career plans and ideas may have changed since you last updated your CV.
Make certain your CV is precisely on target in terms of:
Content:
Select the most relevant achievements to mention in each job and decide which sections to include (e.g. a researcher moving into administration might cut out the section on research publications).
Emphasis:
Consider the order of information and the length of each section. Reflect on the language used by your target employers in your CV.
4. Edit down your Earlier Jobs
When reviewing your CV, ensure it includes no more than 2 pages (longer for academic roles). All CVs need a refresh, ensure your content is up-to-date, and remove any information that is no longer relevant.
As a rule, the older the job and the less relevant it is to your target position, the shorter the section should be – regardless of the length of time you were in post.
Be selective in the information you include. Be severe in cutting down unnecessary information, as it will free up space to talk about more recent achievements.
On occasion a job and organisation title, with dates, is more than enough, or include one or two bullet points to summarise the role.
Tip
Is your CV getting too long as you regularly add new jobs?
Stop your early career history from taking up too much space on your CV by combining similar jobs into a single section e.g. ‘Researcher roles’ or ‘Administrative roles at University of Warwick’.
Set down job titles and dates shortly and then use a single set of bullet points to cover all those jobs in one.
5. Conduct your Education and Qualifications up to date
Involve any training courses, professional memberships, and conferences undertaken recently. Incorporate anything significant and relevant to your target career areas.
6. Include in Volunteering and Interests
Take into consideration, any voluntary roles and interests that can give a positive insight into your transferable skills and personal qualities, even if they are not directly applicable to your target job.
7. Strengthen your Online Profiles
Give thought to updating your LinkedIn, and other online Profiles, during the same time you are refreshing your CV.
This will help you save time and ensure all profiles and your CV are consistent.
If you are ready to apply for jobs, potential employers will likely check out your online presence as part of the hiring process. Find tips on how to write and improve your LinkedIn Profile.
8. Upload your CV to online databases
If you are actively searching for a job, or are open to new opportunities, consider uploading your CV on a CV database and register with the most relevant agencies and job sites.
Strengthening your CV may encourage you to consider new possible career directions and work experience or training you are keen to undertake.
I need someone to compile my CV.
I am 67 years old, very healthy, strong,single and a work a holic.
I do need to work either in the UK or in Ireland.
I am from South Africa.