A Post-Semester Activity That Will Help You Get a Future Job
At the end of each semester, there is a lengthy list of the many tasks you should complete. Your list of to-do items will probably include organizing documents, cleaning your room, emptying the fridge, turning off AC or heat, and you may even need to pack to leave campus temporarily or to move.
One thing I am certain that is not on your to-do list is the need to update your resume at the end of the semester. I know you may think updating your resume is not necessary to complete at the end of every semester, but I will use this post as an opportunity to convince you why you should do so.
To start, it is almost certain that you will forget the details if you do not write them down when your memory is fresh. I know you think you will remember the essential information to add to your resume. Trust me, I have been there myself, and you won’t. You might forget the exact start month and end month. You may not believe me, but you may even completely forget about a project you completed in your role. Or, you might forget the exact details, like the number of people you helped, the percent increase in sales, or other details that can transform a mediocre resume into a strong one. The best time to do something is when it is fresh in your mind and when an experience has just finished.
Updating your resume as soon as possible can help you be prepared to find opportunities for the spring semester, summer, or following the fall semester. The only way you can leverage your current opportunities is by updating your resume and materials to contain your most recent (or current) experiences. In general, the experiences on your resume should build on one another, getting you closer to your future career goals. And the only way to get a step forward is to have your current experience on your resume.
Third, you may need an updated resume sooner than you expect. You may get an email about a scholarship, internship, or other opportunity that requires a resume. You never know when a faculty member, staff member, family member, friend, or someone you know will have an opportunity that may align with your interests. This means an up-to-date resume is crucial to always have available. You do not want to be stressed out by an important deadline to submit your documents when they are out of date, and you need to do a lot of work in a short amount of time.
Additionally, you can use an updated resume to connect with faculty or mentors on campus. When sending an introductory email to a new potential contact on campus, attaching your resume can show your interest in their field and help to support your reasoning behind reaching out. Since your resume indicates a certain future field of interest, a more up-to-date resume can help to show that specific interest to potential employers. If you do not plan to send an introductory email but plan to talk to your faculty in the coming semester in the first week to get to know them, you can immediately follow up on that meeting with your resume later that same day.
By updating your resume soon after the semester ends, you still have the opportunity to access your work and contributions so that you can save items for your portfolio. Creating bullet points for your resume will help you remember the essential projects and responsibilities you completed. This can then help you select documents to save to a space that you can access even if you lose access to your login or work computer (if you had one). A portfolio of your work will be helpful if you are looking for more in-depth experiences like applying for an internship, interviewing for a postgraduate full-time position, or attending graduate school.
Lastly, updating your resume promptly at the end of the semester can help you reflect and find important aspects of why the experience was valuable. When an experience ends six months, a year, or more than a year before you update your resume, you are more likely to be in a rush to write something down on your resume rather than highlight the important and meaningful tasks completed that highlight the transferable skills you will need in the future.
So, if you haven’t updated your resume already at the end of your semester, go take an hour or so to do it now! If you need help with this process, connect with your student career development center or guidance counselor (if you are in high school) to ask for help. And, if you are in college, the staff in that office work in the summer and winter and usually have some flexibility. Therefore, they are available to meet with you and want to help you.
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