#IdealistNewYearNewYou Challenge | Refresh Your Resume
Congrats! You've made it to the fifth and final challenge in the #IdealistNewYearNewYou Challenge series. To wrap up all of the great work you've done over the last few weeks, it's time for the ever-dreaded (and ever- important) resume and cover letter update.
(Haven't tried the other challenges yet? Then get started with Challenge #1 now!)
Challenge #5
The previous challenges have helped you gain new insights and refresh important career connections. Now it's time to bring those gains to your resume and/or cover letter template.
Did you take a course? Recall a professional success (and perhaps pull together some numbers that best illustrate that success)? Reconnect with a mentor? Find out where in your resume or cover letter these new developments can live so you can appropriately feature all of your hard work.
Pro Tip: New insights on professional challenges and growth, renewed professional connections, and passion projects can all go in your cover letter, while courses taken and quantitative success should fit nicely into your resume.
Why it matters
A lot of work goes into drafting a good resume and keeping it up to date. You’ll want to make sure you’re using the best format to showcase your skills and achievements, that you’ve carefully edited each section, and that the information you include is relevant to the position for which you’re applying.
And if you haven't dusted off the old resume in a while, you'll probably be surprised at what needs to be updated and reformatted.
Additional resources
- The Only Resume Cheat Sheet You'll Ever Need
- Action Verbs to Get Your Resume Noticed
- 4 Common Resume Mistakes | Find Them, Fix Them
***
Congrats! You’ve completed the #IdealistNewYearNewYou Challenge and set yourself up for a year of career success.
Feel free to revisit any or all of the past five challenges in this series to up your knowledge or redefine your career goals as time goes on. Like any good social-impact professional, you know that career progress takes planning, and we at Idealist Career Advice are here to support you every step of the way.
As the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications at Idealist and a lifelong nonprofit professional, Alexis offers job seekers, game changers, and do gooders actionable tips, career resources, and social-impact advice.