September is the perfect time to update your resume.
But you’re not looking for a job, you say? You’re not even considering changing jobs.
Let me tell you a story.
“Trevor” (not his real name) was online director for a newspaper. He had been with the organization for 11 years and had a stellar history in this position and in previous positions.
He was the ideal employee who understood his job to be making his boss look good. He had good ideas, let people know about them, and wasn’t hung up about getting credit for all of them all of the time. He worked well with the rest of the administrative team and loved his job.
Newspapers as an industry have not fared well in the past decade. The recent recession added to the financial instability at the paper. When the publisher decided to make some changes, Trevor was demoted from a director to a manager. Ultimately, his position was eliminated altogether.
Trevor hadn’t been planning to look for a job, either.
Although indications are that the US economic climate is improving, the jobs market has been the slowest segment to recover. We don’t hear about wholesale layoffs every day now, thank goodness, but uncertainty still causes some businesses to look at payroll as their only budget item with any flexibility.
When we aren’t prepared for these things, they can cause serious disruptions in our lives. The shock and stress of losing or being forced out of a job is enough to paralyze some people and cause depression in many. I know because I talk to these people every day, and I’ve been through it myself.
The best things you can do to protect yourself are to:
- Document your experience thoroughly.
- Maintain your professional network.
- Have an exit plan.
If you’re like most people, you haven’t kept track of your career accomplishments, and starting seems like a really big project. I suggest having your resume professionally written. The process will give you a framework for collecting data and a good perspective on what information is important and what is not.
Contact me to set up a phone call so we can figure out if I am the best person to guide your project.
If you pay for your resume update in September, I will honor the price through the end of the year. This means you will receive your resume at the lower 2013 price even after the October price increase takes effect. Contact me today to reserve your place in my schedule.
