Update your CV every three months.

Do you ever get that incomprehensible anxiety when someone asks you to send your “updated CV” for something?

CV-making is hard. Even talking about oneself is hard. Under the pressure of a deadline and an impending job/career opportunity, CV-making can be harder. One of the simplest ways to overcome this difficulty is to keep your CV updated every three months — whether anyone is expecting it or not. Even when you’re not looking for a job at all (you never know when you’ll be head-hunted for an extraordinary opportunity, right?

What do I do if nothing has changed in the last three months?

I’d argue that’s unlikely. I believe that a quarter is enough time for someone to have made noticeable career progress, and to evaluate your own growth. Even if you feel like nothing ‘substantial’ has changed, there is no harm is sitting with your CV and making sure that it reflects your current self clearly.

Things to consider

Does your profile summary still reflect your skills and capabilities?

Is your latest job up-to-date? Any new projects, promotions, accolades, increased team size, anything?

Have you learned anything new? Photoshop, a new programming language, some design thinking technique, or some such.

Most importantly, does your CV show that you’re ready for the next career you want? If not, what do you need to get there?

Think about it. Every three months. If you’ve nothing to update on paper, that’s fine too. Think about what you might be able to add in the next three months.