Reasons Why Executive Resumes Need to Stay Fresh

Reason#1
Avoid lost data. Incorporate recent achievements and other changes in the scope of your position while fresh in your mind. Our minds seem to perform "dumps" of information, making it difficult to remember specific details the older the information becomes. So, update your resume continuously throughout the year ... or minimally, put a post-it note on your desk or in a special file so you don't forget the needed change. Make note of sales figures, client names (if you're not under a confidentiality clause), and other specific details to avoid an unneeded search later on.

Reason#2
Use your updated resume to create a mini sales pitch that you can use as needed to sell yourself as an executive professional and to sell your company. You never know when an opportunity to promote yourself and your business will present itself. Stay ahead of the competition and be prepared.

Reason#3
Be a minuteman, or minutewoman. When you have reached the executive level, chances are much greater that an executive recruiter or another firm will call. If it's one of those opportunities that is too good to pass up (or at least investigate), having an updated resume is a distinct advantage. The option may be fleeting, and your competition may not be as savvy as you. While they struggle to update their resume, you can hand over an executive package complete with resume, biography, and sample projects summarizing your executive career.

How do successful business executives stay on top of the game in an ever-changing global marketplace?

By being prepared for the unexpected, of course. When senior management and executives are up-to-date on industry movement, they are better prepared to know when to act and when to wait. Just as investors must understand and learn when to act in the stock market, so too do executives need to understand which industry changes necessitate action. Read more about, "Expect the Expected," an article by Teena Rose, executive resume writer.