According to Career Directors International, September is International Update Your Resume Month, and if you thought that your need for a resume ended the day you became self-employed, you may want to re-think that. Although it isn’t customary to send your resume to prospective clients, situations may arise when you need one. I can think of three occasions when I’ve used one over the past few years.
Certification
Many professions offer voluntary or mandatory certification, and in some cases, you have to submit a resume with your application. Some organizations require you to write an exam, but at VACertification.com, where I attained my Master Virtual Assistant certification, your eligibility is evaluated through a system where points are awarded based on your experience, education, and training, and your resume is a key component of your application package.
Contracts
Most clients do not expect you to submit a resume, but will decide whether or not to work with you based on a recommendation from one of your clients, testimonials, your website and/or work samples, and of course a personal consultation with you. However, large organizations tend to be more bureaucratic. For example, one of my clients frequently bids on government contracts, and along with her proposal, she has to supply resumes for everyone who will be involved with the project.
Occasional Employment
Naturally, you expect your business to be successful, but there may be times when you wish to apply for a short-term contract or casual position, to supplement your income or for other reasons. A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a posting for an Employment Resource Specialist to work a few days a year when the regular staff was out at meetings or professional development activities. Since I’d enjoyed working in that capacity for many years, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to put my experience to good use without having a serious impact on the time I’d be available for my own clients. (Unfortunately, I had to decline their offer, as I had a previous commitment on the first day they needed me.)
So, don’t toss that resume out just yet! Instead, take the time to review it and to add any new skills, credentials and achievements you have attained. You never know when you might need it!
Another great post from Janet.
I can add one more reason to update your resume regularly: Awards.
Last Spring, in order to qualify as a finalist for the ARISTA provincial competitions, I had to submit my resume along with answering a few specific questions to the Young Self-Employed Worker of Quebec category.
There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with reviewing your resume and seeing all you’ve accomplished so far.
Thank yoy for reminding me. I’m off to add my latest achievements.
Danielle – you’re absolutely right – in our line of work, since we learn so much on an ongoing basis, we often don’t realize the extent of our skills and knowledge until we see it all on paper!
Thank you so much for mentioning yet another reason to keep our resumes up to date (and congratulations, if I forgot to say that before)!