Don't be an Ostrich: Update Your Resume NOW!
If you haven't faced the fact that jobs aren't secure and Austin isn't safe from layoffs, you are an ostrich.
What should you do? Update your resume. What's really in it for you? Positions you to quickly take advantage of job opportunities, internally and externally. And it's a hellalot easier when you do it a little at a time, rather than all at once.
Most major employers have a Performance Objectives system, where every role has specific objectives which individuals must complete, and their annual raises are tied to how well they meet or exceed those objectives.
When I was last working for a permanent employer, I would keep track of this monthly, so when I did my other monthly reports, I'd do this for myself. This meant I kept my objectives fresh in my mind and could easily quantify them. So on my resume, I can say that in one month, I was able to reduce the Average Speed of Answer (ASA) Service Level Agreement (SLA) for a critical client to one of the lowest in a call center, and then for two quarters, we had the best ASA out of over 30 clients.
I bet you can do the same thing. Why would you want to, besides the Performance Objectives? On a softer note, it's an ego boost to show yourself you're doing well when things are rough. On a practical note, you can prove to your bosses how well you are doing. Think this doesn't matter? My last Performance Review with that employer was a met/exceeded, despite me not meeting three required goals. Those goals weren't physically possible to meet, but I was able to prove that, and demonstrate all the hard work I did outside my goals as well.
And that's the sort of thing that gets raises and promotions. How so? Not only is it documented in the company's Human Resources Information System (HRIS), for management to see, but I can use it to update my resume.
Which I did, and which got me a promotion to my last position in that company.
So part of your spring cleaning should be to update your resume on a quarterly basis. Believe me, it's much easier to occasionally tweak it than to have to add one or two or more positions at once, when you've been unceremoniously RIFd.
Not sure how to start? Check out other posts that are part of the Job Seeker's Tool Kit.
- Today, AMD it's intent to cut 10% of work force
- Dell is closing an Austin site
- Freescale is doing some reorganization
What should you do? Update your resume. What's really in it for you? Positions you to quickly take advantage of job opportunities, internally and externally. And it's a hellalot easier when you do it a little at a time, rather than all at once.
Most major employers have a Performance Objectives system, where every role has specific objectives which individuals must complete, and their annual raises are tied to how well they meet or exceed those objectives.
When I was last working for a permanent employer, I would keep track of this monthly, so when I did my other monthly reports, I'd do this for myself. This meant I kept my objectives fresh in my mind and could easily quantify them. So on my resume, I can say that in one month, I was able to reduce the Average Speed of Answer (ASA) Service Level Agreement (SLA) for a critical client to one of the lowest in a call center, and then for two quarters, we had the best ASA out of over 30 clients.
I bet you can do the same thing. Why would you want to, besides the Performance Objectives? On a softer note, it's an ego boost to show yourself you're doing well when things are rough. On a practical note, you can prove to your bosses how well you are doing. Think this doesn't matter? My last Performance Review with that employer was a met/exceeded, despite me not meeting three required goals. Those goals weren't physically possible to meet, but I was able to prove that, and demonstrate all the hard work I did outside my goals as well.
And that's the sort of thing that gets raises and promotions. How so? Not only is it documented in the company's Human Resources Information System (HRIS), for management to see, but I can use it to update my resume.
Which I did, and which got me a promotion to my last position in that company.
So part of your spring cleaning should be to update your resume on a quarterly basis. Believe me, it's much easier to occasionally tweak it than to have to add one or two or more positions at once, when you've been unceremoniously RIFd.
Not sure how to start? Check out other posts that are part of the Job Seeker's Tool Kit.
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