Annual Career Check: Update your CV

17/12/2009

Our recent research has discovered that forty-four percent of people update their CV less than once a year and nearly one-in-five haven't updated their CV in over two years. Right Management surveyed over 1,330 people via an online poll on LinkedIn® during November 2009 and asked "How often do you update your CV?" The results were as follows:

  • 19% - It's been more than two years
  • 25% - Maybe once a year
  • 18% - Every six months
  • 28% - Each time I achieve a new goal
  • 7% - Once a month

The end of the year and start of another is the perfect time for a 'career check-up' to put yourself in the driver's seat of your own career. You never know when the perfect new opportunity might come along. Keeping your CV updated so you have your most important marketing tool at the ready is a great way to ensure you are well prepared when opportunities arise.

Among the study's other interesting findings:

  1. Employees at large companies are more like to regularly update their CV. Fifty-seven percent of employees said they update it as soon as a new goal is achieved, compared to only 35% at mid-sized organisations.
  2. Professionals in Consulting and Sales roles are the most diligent at updating their CV as soon as a new goal is achieved, with at least 40% citing that they did so. Finance and IT professionals were the least proactive updating their CVs.
  3. Forty-eight percent of employees in the 18-24 age range said they update their CV when a new goal is achieved, while employees in the 35-54 age range were least likely to do so (24%).

Three best practices for updating CVs:

  1. List accomplishments and proof of performance. Focus on success metrics that can be quantified or qualified whenever possible. Highlight skills and how you have used them to be successful in the past.
  2. Focus on most recent experience. This is your industry and functional experience garnered mainly from the last two years. Remove information that is no longer important to your career goals.
  3. Keep the format fresh. Use contemporary styles to ensure it appears current and relevant. Make sure you cover the basics with what should be included: name, contact information, objective statement, employment history, skills and experience, and educational achievements.
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