You do have a resume, right? You’ll need it today to complete Day 18 of the Just For Today Challenge – 31 Days To A Better You.

Pull out your resume and take a look at it. How long has it been since you last updated it? For many people, it’s been a few years since you last added anything to to it.

Just For Today, we will be updating our resume (or curriculum vitae (cv), if you prefer) and adding all that we have accomplished and learned during the last time it was updated.

I can hear you now. But, Karen, I’m a SAHM and I don’t have a resume. Or I don’t need one in the profession that I’m in.

Yes, you do.

Why? Because, even if you are a SAHM or in a profession that doesn’t require resumes, it’s a good thing to have your job experiences, skills and education written down all in one place. It’s not so much the final product (although that’s very important) but the process of thinking of what skills (both technical and soft) that you have developed over the years and writing them down. Do this Challenge, even if you are not looking to leave jobs. I’m not actively looking for a new job, but it’s been a while since I last updated my resume and I am starting to forget everything that I have accomplished and learned in my job.

When you create your resume or update it, you have to think of what you have been doing with your valuable time here on Earth. As you go over your day-to-day job duties in preparing to document them on your resume, ask yourself if it’s worthwhile to spend your time on that task. Could you be doing something better and more meaningful with your life?

This is not a task so that you get depressed about your skills, or lack thereof. It’s a task that should allow you to either be 1) very happy (or at least okay) about what you have been doing with your time at work or 2) motivated to take action to change your situation.

You don’t like what you have learned or what you are doing on your job, then why are you still doing it? Figure out what you do want to do with your time and go do that.

Do what you have to do to take action. Do you need to go back to school for more education? Then do it. Can you take on-line training at your current company? Then sign up and start learning. Can you pick up a new skill on the internet? There are tons of free courses in almost any area that you can think of. Start investigating what’s available and interesting to you. It may take sacrifice, but it will be worth it, particularly if you are miserable in your current situation.

If you don’t have a current resume, you can also miss out on opportunities that will go to someone who is already prepared.

The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck – Anthony Robbins

Be that “lucky” person who is prepared and ready for any opportunity that may come your way.

I’m going to disagree with Seth Godin who says “I think if you’re remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular, you probably shouldn’t have a resume at all“. It’s easy for him to say, but the rest of us need a formal tool to write down our experience, education and skillsets. Even if you never use your resume to apply for jobs, I think going through the process is very valuable.

What do you think? Is having a resume and updating it a waste of your time? When’s the last time you updated yours? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!

For a list of all of the Challenges, see the Just For Today Challenge page.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to my feed to have all the future articles delivered to your feed reader. Thanks!

Print PDF

Tagged as: Career, Just For Today Challenge