From the Search Tip File: Refreshing Resumes

If you post on the job boards, here's something to keep in mind: keep your resume "fresh."

With most boards, you can renew, refresh or edit your resume: doing so UPDATES your posting date to make it current.

You can do this every couple of days.

And it CAN be very helpful:
1. Your resume is one of the FIRST that is pulled up in your professional category or by matching keywords. They may not have to "go back" as far to find candidates.
2. Employers see that you are likely still looking; that's good for them to know.

Having used the boards as a recruiter, I know can pull up resumes not only by keywords, categories or location, but I can also choose HOW RECENTLY the resumes are posted. The more CURRENT, the BETTER.

Everyone looks at that a little differently; however, if your resume has been posted six months ago and never updated, most people tend to figure that you have found something and that you forgot to remove your resume. Plus, I've found that these "older" resumes don't always have current contact information. So, I am a little more reluctant to call candidates I may not be able to reach.

So, I may not even try!

And if you are STILL looking, why not let potential employers know such?
-In Monster, you can go to the resume section and simply choose "renew."
-In Careerbuilder, you can make a minor edit to your resume. Here's what I do: I keep my current salary accurate, and then drop it by $100. That "updates" in Careerbuilder. The next time I "go in" I just bring my salary back to what it is.
And so forth...

I'd up the ante by suggesting you do this 3-4 times per week, as a common default in job boards is "resumes w/in last 3 days." This way, you'll always be in that section!

Recruiters, whether working directly for a company or for a staffing/recruiting firm are only going to look at "so many resumes." Thus, they are less likely to go back 3 months or six months or more to find candidates, unless the needs are especially specific and the "pool" of candidates is very minimal.

Since most of us aren't in that situation, you can make it easier for them to find you ahead of many others if you refresh your resume on a frequent basis.

Little time involved. Potentially much upside. Enough suggested!