Putting Off Working On Your Resume? Why That’s A Really Bad Idea

If you are currently employed and only considering looking into other opportunities passively – or if you’re waiting to go back to work until the end of the summer my one piece of advice to you today is do NOT put off working on your resume! With the summer upon us and the upcoming Holiday weekend you may be tempted to work on your tan and practice your grilling skills. I’m not suggesting you spend your July 4th working on your resume and not spending any time celebrating and spending quality time with family. What I am saying is a new statistic was just released that the average job search is taking 10+ months so if you were planning to take the summer off from your job search you may want to reconsider.

Start working on your resume now to maximize time others are spending goofing off.

While you’re taking time to manage your life, it’s a good idea to work on your resume little by little so that you can actually build it into a stellar document. Oftentimes, we spend just a few hours on the resume, hoping that it will impress employers. But writing an impressive resume isn’t usually accomplished in a short period of time.

So while you’re not seriously searching, you can take your time to decide exactly what message you want to send to employers through your accomplishments—and maybe even remember additional bits of info from the past that you’ve forgotten about. This way, when you’re ready to apply, you will have a solid document to submit.

Utilize the extra time to perfect your resume.

Working on your resume now also allows you to edit and perfect the resume’s design, ensuring that you have eliminated typos, spelling problems, or grammar issues. You can create just the right amount of white space and arrange your sections to help managers flow through the document exactly the way you want. (Not to mention that you get the opportunity to keep up with new trends in resume writing so that yours doesn’t look dated when the time comes to start submitting them again.

Take some time to reflect.

Sometimes, developing your resume without actually submitting it gives you a chance to take a good look at your career and decide whether you’re on the right track. As you look at the jobs you’ve worked and the positions you’re likely to apply for, you may realize that you’re moving laterally, when in reality, it’s actually time to start climbing the ladder.

When you’re actively searching for a job, it’s hard to see the changes that you could make to advance your career. But as you take weeks or months to slowly build your resume, you may find that you’re ready to guide your career in a new direction.

There’s nothing wrong with taking time away from a job search to manage other areas of your life. But if you want to make sure you’re still in the game and up to speed when it’s time to start applying again, it’s good to keep working on your resume while taking your break.

For additional resume tips and advice follow Jessica Hernandez on Twitter @GreatResume.

Author: An exceptional resume authority, Jessica Hernandez and her team of credentialed writers partner with professional- and executive-level candidates to open doors to jobs at prestigious corporations, achieving over a 99% interview-winning success rate. Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.