Every year, around mid-July is when I devote some time to update aspects of my personal brand.
This year, that happened a bit later, at the beginning of August, due to distractions from the FIFA World Cup which dominated much of July. Nonetheless, I always make this a yearly ritual to make sure my online presence is up to date.
Here are the things I did to keep up visual appearances, at least from a professional perspective.
- First, I reviewed my online resumé / CV, making any and all tweaks or updates I deem worthy. For 2026, a significant expansion was necessary, due to the fact that I had started a new job nearly a year ago and hadn’t yet documented it.
- Then, I modified the PDF version of the resumé. The PDF is available on my website as a download for printing or whatever.
- Finally, I applied all the same CV updates to my LinkedIn profile.
- As a “bonus,” I fully refreshed my Indeed profile, after not visiting it for several years. Actually, I had forgotten I even had an Indeed profile, until they recently contacted me out of the blue.
Sometimes I’ll go even further than a CV update, reviewing my website in general, and looking over my portfolio to see if there’s anything new worth adding, or even removing if I no longer find it valuable to showcase.
Regardless of whether you have an professional online presence, there are several important reasons to keep your resumé or CV up to date. First, it’s a great opportunity to take stock in what you’ve accomplished, as well as skills and capabilities you’ve gained, and have those properly documented. And then, should anything major happen with your career, like a job separation, you’re ready to take the necessary steps right away.
Finally, having a resumé refreshed and current also puts you in prime position to respond immediately, should someone contact you about a career opportunity that seems exciting.