Better Information Retention

 

 Resume Updating Time

Advice on how to add a new job title or change your salary in the new year.

Sometimes, when we make a big change in our life, it's hard to keep up with the latest changes. For example, we may have recently changed jobs, but haven't updated our resumes since we were still at our old job. It's easy to get lost in the complex world of resume updates and forgetting that you've made a major change.

As a Realtor, this is more of an issue for me because many clients are surprised when I suggest an update to their resume. They're often happy to have a fresh start and change from the old. Other clients want to maintain the status-quo of their current position and aren't quite ready for an update. The changes won't be drastic, but rather be subtle tweaks that don't impact career expectations.

How to Add a Job Title

If you've had a big change in your career, it's important to keep your resume updated. Here are some helpful tips on how to update it:

Don't stress if you don't have everything perfectly listed. Remember, you can always go back and add more information later. Things like salary details and dates are important, but basic skills are less important at this point. The key is to get the basics right before adding too much more information or formatting. Use our Resume Builder here at CareerBloom.co to add any new skills, projects or achievements that may have happened since the last time you updated your resume. I always suggest clients use this tool to help them put together a great resume. Make sure you're including all important dates, previous titles and the number of years you worked at each job. Check out this article for more information on adding work history to your resume. Obviously, the first step is updating your current company. Be sure to update employer contact information, industry type and a brief description that explains what you're working on now. Then list any related skills or achievements that will support your new title or position you're applying for.

Remember, resumes are a reflection of who we are now and what we've accomplished in our career so far.

How to Change Salary in the New Year

Here's a quick tip: If your compensation package has remained the same, it won't make a huge difference to update your resume. But if your salary has changed significantly, it might be worth making an update. Although this is different for every industry and job role, here's what I recommend:

Start by looking at how much you're currently earning. If you know that this number may be very different in 2016 than 2017, now is the time to start working on a new resume with current information. Yes, 2016 salaries will likely vary each year based on company budgets and employee negotiation tactics. However, there are some aspects that you can use to compare and help ensure your new resume has the most up to date salary. Here's what to look at:

Compensation for your current title or experience level. Look up salaries for a similar occupation in your area to get an idea of what you should be making. In other words: Use this information as a baseline and make sure your current compensation is within the range. Be sure to include all sources of income including bonuses, stock options or commissions if they apply.

Look up salaries for a similar occupation in your area to get an idea of what you should be making. In other words: Use this information as a baseline and make sure your current compensation is within the range. Be sure to include all sources of income including bonuses, stock options or commissions if they apply. Recent raises or promotions. If you've received a raise in the last year, be sure to note it on your resume so it appears on top of your previous salary. In other words: The most recent salary should be listed first and other salaries that are less relevant can be listed beneath.

If you've received a raise in the last year, be sure to note it on your resume so it appears on top of your previous salary. In other words: The most recent salary should be listed first and other salaries that are less relevant can be listed beneath. Job performance increases over time. Be sure to note any increases in salary, tenure or responsibilities that recognize your increased skills. Make sure these are on top of your current salary.

Be sure to note any increases in salary, tenure or responsibilities that recognize your increased skills. Make sure these are on top of your current salary. Individual bonuses for accomplishments and excellence in different jobs. Not every bonus is the same and each bonus is based on goals and performance standards that vary from company to company as well as industry specifics. But it's still worth noting individual achievements since they're relevant in terms of comparison and can demonstrate leadership ability or other important skillsets if you need them to compete at different companies later down the road.

New Titles for a New Resume

I see this mostly with entry level or mid-level managers that have been promoted beyond what their previous title indicated. In this instance, it's usually not worth updating their job description in the resume because they've already demonstrated leadership experience and expertise that is hard to accurately measure in a resume. It'd be great if they could update their job title to reflect the new responsibility, but there's not always room for that info.

This is one of those cases where it's important to focus on the qualifications listed within a resume before you decide what new title should replace it.

My advice is to find new examples of leadership within your resume and show them off. If you can demonstrate that you're a great team player with initiative and organization, it will only take a couple sentences to showcase those abilities.

For example, in the 'Experience' section it might make sense to replace "Team Lead" with the actual job title you now hold. In this case, it would be "Team Leader". You'll want to include all of the above information about compensation and recent promotions or raises in this section as well.

Then you can use the rest of this section to highlight what makes you a great leader. Try to stay away from describing your role in general terms just like I did in the above example, but focus on quantifying what you've done and how you've contributed to the company's overall success. For example:

Served as first-line supervisor for a team of three sales representatives, which led to a 40% increase in monthly revenue over the course of 3 months in new client acquisitions.

Interpersonal Communication Skills for New Resumes

If all you do is change your job title, it won't make a huge difference to your resume in 2016 and that might be okay.

Conclusion

However, if you're changing industries or job roles, you'll have a chance to fine-tune your resume to show off the most relevant skills and accomplishments that people will be expecting to see on a resume. Each year brings new trends and expectations for what hiring managers are looking for, which is why it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest information available.

This allows you to showcase your qualifications in the best way possible so you can impress any manager or recruiter who happens across your resume.

If you need some help creating new resumes for 2016, we have a resource that lists the top 10 resume writing companies so you can find a qualified professional in your area.