Your CV is one of the most important documents you own, whether you’re a job seeker or a seasoned professional in any field.
It is a detailed overview of all your personal and professional qualities, skills and accomplishments. As such, it is ideal to consistently work on your CV, even if you’re not currently looking for a job.
Here are four reasons why you should consistently work on your CV:
- Emerging trends
While you may think that constantly working on your CV is insignificant, your CV may become outdated if left as is. The way CVs were written 10-15 years ago is different from the way they are written now. Industries and economic job roles change over time; CVs are not exempted.
For instance, CVs used to focus on specific personality traits and goals for your future as a professional, but today, the focus is more on skills, qualifications and experience. As such, you must consistently update your CV to keep up with the latest developments in your field.
- Career growth
Your CV can become a guide to who you are and who you want to become and not just a document for your potential employer. As your career progresses, you’ll understand more about how you work as a professional and what you value most. The skills, experiences and qualifications you have accumulated over time will naturally impact your career. Hence, you need to update your CV.
As your career takes new directions, you’ll want to ensure your CV becomes more specific about what you value in your professional life. This will help you stay focused and better monitor your ever-changing goals.
- Time-sensitive details
As you progress in your career and accomplish more, your accomplishments should immediately reflect on your CV to avoid forgetting some critical details as time goes on.
Consistently updating your CV means you have a better chance of including details that could eventually become relevant. It would also increase your chances of accuracy as it would be fresh in your memory.
Another benefit is that you are more likely to see and correct grammatical or other errors you would have missed otherwise. In other words, you become a better editor. As they say, practice makes perfect!
- Emergency applications
Emergencies in this scenario refer to particular times when you will need your CV urgently. Having an updated CV means you can jump straight into looking for a new job without extensive editing and searching for the details you need to update it.
To wrap up, remember that potential employers and business partners use your CV as their primary source of information to know more about you since they don’t have the luxury of talking to you beforehand. They form their opinions about you based on what is there. Thus, you should constantly aim to present the best version of yourself in your CV. The tested and trusted way to do this is to update your CV as often as possible as you progress and grow.
Do you need help tailoring your CV to fit your job application and stay up-to-date? Our professional writers are available to assist you. Try us today!