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By Peter Newfield

We are always making lists to keep on top of the daily/weekly schedules and deadlines that face us in our business lives. But, odds are that many of us keep our noses to the grindstone and forget to do a periodic check to see if our jobs and careers are still on track. Here are a few items you may want to refer to every six months or so to see if it's time to update your resume and look for greener pastures on the job front.

Salary Envy - Your good friend who is on your project team just got an offer for a job that pays considerably more than you make, despite having less experience than you. Many times, to earn a raise it is necessary to change companies. If you have gone for more than two years without a cost of living raise or if you have really earned a merit raise and it is not forthcoming, you may want to consider looking for a new employer.

Pink Slips in the Air - Although the rumors are flying, the boss says there is nothing to worry about. If you feel there is even a possibility of a layoff, it is time to update your resume and get your portfolio ready to go. A few good signs of a coming layoff are the loss of a major contract/customer, lower than predicted earnings/profits, or an upcoming merger or acquisition.

New Career Path - Your old resume lists your previous jobs as a massage therapist and personal trainer even though you now have eight years experience as a commodities trader. Unless your future career path will involve roaming stress-massages on the trading floor, you need to update your resume. An updated resume will place the emphasis on your future career path by maximizing the space with information that will contribute toward winning your next position.

Time Flies - Your most recent resume does not include the last two years of work and accomplishments at your present firm. In fact, you should conduct a review of your resume at least yearly to make sure you have current information. Within the past year have you: earned a new certification, completed a big project, been awarded recognition, or worked in a new capacity? More than likely, the answer is yes to at least one of these scenarios meaning it is time to update your resume.

New Priorities - Your resume lists more fraternity and college sports awards than job accomplishments. Those items of information might have been important to get that first job out of college but it is time to ditch them in favor of more meaty information. Review the information in the resume to make sure it targets your current career goal. Information that might have been relevant to attain your last position might be under-powered for your next job and should be omitted.

Less is More - With the addition of your present job, your resume is now three pages long. As a rule of thumb, employers are most interested in the last ten years of your career. Beyond ten years, and the information is not relevant to today's market. If you go into detail about positions that are further in the past than ten years, you need to drop something or significantly edit the content. There are lots of ways to do this and still highlight a progressive career path. One method is a Career Chronology, a small section toward the end of the resume that lists positions and dates only.

Moving On - The address, telephone number, or email on your resume are from your last home/apartment. It is vital to keep the header information on a resume up-to-date and accurate. It does no good if you field a resume with contact information that is inaccurate or out-of-date. Double check that you have your phone number correct on the resume and that you have a current, working email address.

No Personal Stuff - If your resume includes hobbies and personal information, your resume needs to be updated. This type of information is no longer included in a resume and can actually work to get you eliminated from consideration. If you have listed health condition, age, or marital status in the personal information, you have guaranteed being eliminated from consideration; employers are barred from considering such information when making a hiring decision.

High Tech Update - Your resume does not list any of the computer software you have learned to use in the past two years. Additionally, if your resume still lists BASIC as one of your computer skills, you need to update it. Your technology skills section needs to include the most up-to-date information that an employer could use. Technology older than five years is usually not relevant to the current job market.

Opportunity Knocks - You just saw an ad for a terrific job in the Sunday newspaper and the deadline for responses is Friday - do you know where the most current version of your resume is on disk/hard drive? There is nothing worse than losing out on a great opportunity simply because you are unprepared. Having an updated resume ready to go at any moment can make you more competitive and ready to move forward when the opportunity presents itself.

Peter Newfield is President of Career-Resumes.com.

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