December is the month of magical moments, festive cheers and an excuse to gather all your loved ones over dinner. However, while you sip on the hot cocoa and exchange gifts, you might as well show some love to your career.
It is the perfect moment to do it. Then, when the New Year approaches, you can tell everyone – I am back with a bang!
The updating of a resume is a time-consuming process, and you will need a systematic guide to get to the destination. Thus, here is a precise manual that is going to help you highlight those standout accomplishments and add in a handful of your new skills.
New Year, New Resume – Do NOT Let the Festive Break Stop You!
This year, December will not be the same because there is so much more that you can do other than unwrapping gifts on Christmas Eve. Get ready; it is time to shine brighter than the dazzling holiday fairy lights.
What are ‘Christmas Career Breaks’? Let’s Dig In
In a situation where the employee voluntarily seeks a few months rest from their profession, it is called a Career Break. It is based on personal growth, travel, and probable family matters.
On the contrary, the discontinuation of employment for Christmas is quite a brief withdrawal. People usually take it to unwind and recharge themselves while they cherish the moments of the festive season. Both practices help an individual become prepared for the challenges of the upcoming year.
The Six Effective Moves for an Updated Resume
These couple of days or weeks that you have away from work are not necessarily meant for relaxation. You can make the most of this luxurious rest by sharpening your skills and other similar productive actions. Here is a list that will help you through the process. Trust the process; it is easier than hiring resume writing services.
Highlight Your Wins
The easiest way to make your way back to the grind but in a way that boosts your career is to display your recent undertakings on the employment record. It can be a recent project that you were working on or a proficiency that you have developed in the last few months.
People often forget to add their soft and transferable skills to their records, so if you are making the same mistake. Do not. Add leadership, communication, management, and other relevant abilities to the CV. An effective way of mentioning it is through the usage of quantifiable metrics.
Update Contact Info
Another thing that aspiring candidates frequently underestimate is the power of a resume as a personal marketing tool. Yes, your CV represents you, and experts suggest that you update it every few months.
So, this time, when you return from the Christmas holiday gap, ensure that all your contact information is current. You should also double-check your phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile for accuracy, or you might lose some amazing opportunities. Additionally, consider mentioning a professional email address if you do not already have a decent one.
Refresh the Summary
Attention to detail and precision in your work are the keys to reaching a new soaring height of your professional career. Therefore, while we build on the list, your next move must be to freshen the summary of your CV.
It is the first thing that a recruiter comes across as he familiarises himself with your application. Hence, the summary needs to be captivating enough to keep the reader hooked.
Otherwise, you will never get a call-back. So, take your sweet time to revise this section and reflect on your current professional goals. It will help you stay aligned and concise while writing a new summary.
Include Holiday Experiences
After you are done with the summary, your resume must have a different tone by now. Hence, now it is time to enhance the application with some valuable experiences that you have had during the Christmas break. Here is a list of things suggested by Calgary resume services from Resume Agency CA that will leave a nice impression on your hiring manager.
- For marketing roles, you can mention the organization of an effective holiday-themed social media campaign for a local charity.
- For project management, you might want to include the coordination of a community event.
- Aimed at the IT industry, developing a holiday greeting app would suffice.
- Intended for financial roles, you can write about assisting an NPO with end-of-year reports and budgeting.
Tailor for Targeting
It is quite underrated, but experiences play a major role in demonstrating your commitment to personal and professional growth. Moreover, the display of a proactive attitude, even during downtime, shows that you are a dedicated employee – a perfect fit for the company culture.
Thus, each time you want to apply for a job, do not forget to tailor your curriculum vitae. The one-size-fits-all approach is no longer operative. So, when relaxing on a holiday afternoon, find some time to review the job description and arrange your skills according to the role using keywords. This will make sure you pass through the Applicant Tracking System.
Polish the Format Nicely
When you customize your resume, it becomes evident to the recruiter that you are showing genuine interest in the offered position. Another act of yours that counts is the choice of CV format. Not every candidate is wise enough to pick the right one, even when there are several online guides to help.
First, make sure to review your CV’s layout, design and readability. Then, ensure that the fonts used are consistent throughout the document and that everything else, like heading and spacing, falls in place. Besides that, maintain a sleek, crisp look free from any typos and grammatical errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I write a resume after a long break?
Emphasize your skills and accomplishments.
Use a strong summary to attract attention.
Highlight relevant activities like volunteering, freelancing and coursework.
Write the CV in a functional or combination format.
Q. Is it advisable to mention it in the employee statement?
Yes, it is best that you discuss it in your CV, but make sure you do not over-explain it. Other than that, you must use positive language to describe what you did during the gap. The answer you write either makes or breaks your career aspirations.
Q. How long is it to work for a gap?
There are no definitive rules for this, but a gap over two years usually brings a frown to the face of the hiring manager. A 2-plus-year break requires a detailed explanation, and that can be very tricky without proper guidance.
Lesson Learnt About Resume Writing Post Break
All things considered, one fact becomes undeniable – taking Christmas breaks is for sure energizing. It offers the corporate slaves a brief moment of relief when they can reflect on their lives, careers and other choices.
This is also a great opportunity to refresh a person’s resume. You can add a touch of flair to your professional document by including relevant new skills and other quality experiences that align with your goals.
After the festive season, you must approach your personal statement with clarity and creativity. You need to make sure it is well-structured, presentable and updated enough to stand out in a crowded field.
