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Rewriting your Resume after a Big Life Change

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.

Your resume should always be relatively fresh, even if you’re gainfully employed. If you let your resume turn stale, you will put yourself at a disadvantage. If you’ve been laid off, moved to a new place or even ended a long-term relationship like me, it’s the perfect time to update your resume.

 

After a big life change, your perspective and sometimes your own self-worth can change. It’s easy to get caught up in what you have and what you’re comfortable with but when that falls through, you have to be prepared. Sometimes, you may even let opportunities slip by when you’re comfortable in your life. When things change, you need to be prepared to accept and take on all opportunities.

 

With a big change, you’re likely to feel the emotions that come with loss. You’ll grieve but you’ll also feel the positive emotions like happiness, satisfaction and pride. You will probably experience the more extreme emotions that come with not knowing what the future holds; vulnerability, anxiety, worry and even fear.

 

This is the best time to not only pinpoint what you’ve lost in this big life change but also see what you’ve gained from the experience. You can’t exactly say “I had better communication skills than my ex” in your resume, but like I’ve learned, dates are like interviews. If you can’t communicate with a significant other that you really care about, you probably can’t communicate with a future employer.

 

When big changes happen in life, look at your old resume and purge it of skills or experiences you thought you could bring to the table previously and list the skills you’ve gained throughout your experience.

Junior journalism, fashion and strategic social media student at West Virginia University.
Hi ladies and gents, my name is Mel, Melanie if you're feelin' fancy. I'm a senior studying advertising, political science and fashion at West Virginia University. In addition to my studies, I am the Campus Correspondent for the WVU HC Chapter! You can hear me on the radio at U92 FM reporting the news and hosting morning shows. If I'm not there, I'm most likely at the local Panera eating my body weight in broccoli cheddar soup or writing about the daily, awkward encounters I experience. I represenative of the college of media as an ambassador and the prez of the magazine club. Oversized sweatshirts and jean on jean are my aesthetics. Lover, not a fighter unless you tell me Joe Jonas wasn't the best Jonas. Laters, baby.