Don’t Keep Your Day Job: Staying Resume Ready

I love my Job, but it Isn’t Forever

I can honestly say, at present, I love my job.

It’s a blessing because it’s been a while since I could say this. Between my experience, work life balance and compensation; going to work is now something I look forward to. At this point in my life, my job is a perfect fit. 

Now, at the same time, having been through more than my fair share of layoffs, I know better than to get too comfortable at any company.  I make it a habit to update my resume every six months, refreshing it with new software platforms learned, promotions or any special recognition I’ve earned.

I keep my resume current – you never know when you’ll get that fake meeting invite that’s really a layoff in disguise. 

There’s a Reason to Keep that Resume Updated

Many don’t understand why it’s so important to always keep a current resume. Even more people don’t know how to write a basic resume. People tend to think they’ve been with a company for so long and haven’t had to interview, so the presumption is a current resume isn’t something they need.

We’re All Expendable

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Thoughts like: “They can’t replace me” or “Whose going to do my job?” are ideas that lead to a false sense of security. Furthermore, we buy into an outdated American ideal: Go to college.  Get a degree.  Work at a company for thirty years and enjoy a pension retirement. 

It just doesn’t work that way anymore.  Companies are brought out and restructure often.  Market trends change and the product that once held a chunk of the market share, doesn’t anymore.

I remember being employed at one company. When I was first hired: they were titans of fitness world. I remembered the words vividly as I was being trained: “We are the Nike of the heart rate monitoring world.”

Years later, after losing sales to competitors with better technology and overall a better kind of heart rate monitor, the company I was employed with declined and I was soon left without a job.

My experience aside, just look at the numbers: As of April 2019, job layoffs surged to 35% – the highest unemployment rate of the first fiscal quarter in the United States. Unless you’re in the medical field, chances are more likely than not you will experience an involuntary job loss in your working lifetime.

Losing a job is not the only reason to be ready with a current resume.  When it comes to earning more money, cost of living increases are typically between 1 – 3% a year (and that’s if your company is doing well enough to offer one).  Fact is, you’ll experience the largest increases in pay by switching jobs – as high an increase as 10%. Having a strong cover letter and resume ready to go means when opportunity knocks, you are ready to answer.

I remember my first layoff as clear as day. Again,   I was in the process of buying my house.  After calling my realtor and him sadly confirming what I’d already knew, that I cannot clear a mortgage without employment, I jumped on my computer and through the cloudiness of my tears, had to quickly create a resume from scratch. 

I was an emotional wreck in survival mode.  Thinking back, having an updated resume would have made things a lot easier for me.  We need to always be ready.   

Get my free Resume Template

If you’re looking to update your resume, join my email list to receive a free resume template.  The template you’ll receive is a resume builder that comes complete with resume objective tips, skills over view, and work history template.

Or on the flip side, I am a professional resume writer. You can send me your resume, and I’ll offer you tips on how to update your resume to have the strongest one on hand.

Until next time friends – don’t keep your day job and stay resume ready.

Blissfully Yours,