In marketing, great job opportunities come and go at a rapid pace. Marketers who aren’t fully prepared to take them on may miss out on a dream job. Marketing recruitment firms today know businesses across all industries are in urgent need of top marketing talent of all kinds.
So, how do you take advantage of these opportunities to accelerate their marketing career in the right path? There are few better ways to showcase your professional expertise and competitive skill set as a marketer than having a concise, impactful, and up-to-date resume.
When (and Why) to Update Your Resume
When was the last time you looked at and made adjustments to your resume?
If you’re like most people, it was probably the last time you were looking for and applying to jobs. And depending on how long you’ve been in your current role, that could easily have been many years ago.
As a marketing recruitment agency, we often see that professionals usually rush to update and polish up their resume right before they apply to a job or are contacted by a recruiter about a great position.
However, this isn’t the optimal time or place to be making major changes to your resume.
Here’s a tip: Are you comfortably employed? Do you have good job security? Are you not urgently looking for work?
If this describes you, then the best time to update your resume is probably right now.
The Advantages of Working on Your Resume When You Don’t Really Need to
Unfortunately, most people do the majority of their resume creation and development when they’re in active need of new work, or were recently approached by a marketing recruiter. In situations like that they’re most likely on a time crunch and may be under intense emotional or even financial pressure, causing critical details to be left out.
You shouldn’t create a resume once and neglect it for years. Treat it like a work in progress that needs regular attention throughout the evolution of your career. That’s why the most optimal time to update your resume when you’re not under too much stress or time constraints, and you’re in a state where you can construct an impressive resume that sets you ahead of the competition.
As a marketer, one of the most important and sometimes challenging tasks can be marketing yourself. Your resume is essentially a powerful marketing tool to show off your knowledge and skills so take advantage of it!
Be Ready When Your Dream Job Comes Your Way
Imagine a marketing recruiter called you right now to talk about the perfect job opportunity for your career. Their client has an urgent need and wants to hire fast. How long would it take for you to have a resume ready to go?
If the job is a good one, you can bet there will be plenty of competition for it. If it takes you more than a day or two to get a polished resume in your marketing recruiter’s inbox, you could well be looked over in favor of someone who was able to respond faster.
That’s why it’s wise to revisit your resume every few months. If a sweet new opportunity lands in your lap, you won’t hesitate to get your resume in the hands of potential employers and marketing recruitment firms. If you’re dragging your feet and waiting to get a cohesive resume together, someone else may beat you to the punch.
Keep Your Accomplishments Top of Mind
A good marketing resume is full of detailed accomplishments shared with analytical support.
That big marketing campaign you just completed may have been a huge success, but recruiters and employers won’t be able to see the true impact of it unless you provide quantifiable data and numbers to back it up. Employers don’t just want to see what you’ve done but more how you’ve contributed to improving the bottom-line.
The best time to include an accomplishment in your resume is shortly after you completed it. At this point, you’ll have ready access to data and all the details will be fresh in your mind. If you wait for months or years to add it, you’re likely to forget some important points you’d want to include.
Avoid Mistakes
When you’re in a rush to put together anything, mistakes become more likely. That’s especially true if you’re in an emotional state from being laid off or unhappy in your current role and anxious to get a new job.
In terms of a resume, errors might mean typos, poor formatting, or a critical omission. All these shortcomings weaken your resume and make you a less attractive candidate.
Whether you’re in the process of looking to jump-start your career, pursue a better job, or currently unemployed, your resume is a vital tool in your job hunt and should be consistently revised.