Consider the resume as a living document. Like humans, we bring changes according to recent trends. In the same way, the resume also requires some addition and subtraction to be able to follow the trend of the market. The most common question often found on Google is, “How can I update my CV”?  

You should update your CV throughout your career, not just when you are looking for a job. If you are successful in updating your resume whenever you have something new in your career, you will not find this as a challenge. The updated document will highlight your recent skills, and you can take advantage of them. This can help you to prepare for your future career shift and can bring this change with confidence.

In this blog, we will discuss some of the ways you can transform your old resumes into new versions with just a few changes.

Transform your old CVs into new ones

Add the description of the recent job

When you update your professional CV and review your previous resume, you will find that you have talked about your last work position either in detail or just in bullet points. The bullet points might have been exceeded due to your multiple assigned roles.

Now imagine that you are writing a CV in reverse chronological order. In this case, the recent job will be the first point in the experience section. Add this new detail to your resume. Talk about it in bullet points covering:

• Your biggest success and its impact.
• Your responsibilities.

You can support your details with facts, figures, or statistical details. Just keep your focus on adding the new key points. Avail most of the white space for the recent experience. As hiring team and recruiters are more interested in knowing your recent activity than the previous ones. This will save you time from writing the resume from scratch.

Update your skills and qualifications

With a recent job, you might have learned some new skills. For instance, you might be engaged in a project that you were asked to lead, so you have developed leadership skills. Add that to the skills section of the resume. In the same way, there might be other skills, don’t forget to add them. These are essential for helping you secure your new job.

Additionally, recruiters prefer candidates who have new knowledge for the open positions. This means that whether you have graduated in your field of interest and are working in the same domain, you need to involve yourself in workshops and seminars held that align with the nature of your job. If you have already attended such events, add them to the resume. You can ask the CV editing service to help you. This will prevent the risk of forgetting to add when designing a new CV for a job.

Highlight your achievements

This is for those candidates who have a separate space with the achievement section. Some applicants design their resume by separating the role and responsibilities from achievement. They prefer talking about the certificates and other materials they have received in their career journey. If you are among those candidates who have a separate space narrating your accomplishments then try to update it if something new has happened.

Polish your statement

To find the answer to the question of how to update my CV, read through the personal statement of the previous CV. Is it describing you in the best way? If you have been working for some time or a long time, there might be some professional changes in your behaviour and working style.

Think deep! If something clicks in your mind, add it to the personal statement. Otherwise, you should look for some of your more recent experiences and success stories, and you will realize that change is required.

Remember! This is the first thing that the recruiters and hiring managers will go through before diving into the rest of the resumes. So, make sure that you are successful in creating a lasting impression.

Squeeze down your resume

After you have made edits to the skills and experience section, you must have observed that your CV has spilt onto three pages. Ideally, the best resumes are two-paged. What should we do in such a situation? Squeeze down it by removing less-important details. How can this be down? Check this out:

• Some of the responsibilities and achievements that you might have copied from your previous CV would be less relevant. Remove them.
• You can either completely remove the bullet point or just reduce the number of lines that you used to describe the details of that responsibility.  

Keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity. Try to manage a balance between making impressive points and narrowing down your CV to limited pages.

Time to design the resume accordingly

Although this is the last step to design your resume for 2025, it is the most important one. You need to tailor your document to the job description you are applying for.

Imagine, you were given some paid leave from the company on the New Year. You updated your resume and saved it aside as the master copy. Later in the middle of the year, you found a job ad that aligned with your needs. When you apply for that position, you need to make some changes to the master copy. Here are some of the elements that you will focus on:

• The job description of the new position
• Select some keywords and phrases
• Check details of the company

Then, you will bring some changes to your resume accordingly. You will add the relevant experience first and check the file formatting.  

FAQs

Which sections should be focused on when updating the CVs?

When you are bringing changes to the resume, look carefully for the changes in the contact information section, the qualifications, experiences, and skills. Then, add or reduce the content so it aligns with your current goals and the target position.

Is it essential to add references to the resume?

Before references were essential in the resume. However, you don’t need to add it to your resume now. However, you need to provide details if you are asked to do so.

How long should be the experience section?

Keep your experience section relevant. Try to add just those recent details.

What skills should be included in the resumes in 2025?

Most of the jobs in 2025 hire those individuals who have digital and soft skills mentioned on their resumes.

The final tips

After you have got the answer to the common question, how can I update my CV and design a new one tailoring it according to the job description? Check it thoroughly for mistakes before you click the send button.

Go through the document. See if it is well-formatted. Proofread it for mistakes. When you have gone through it and still feel that a second eye is needed, you can ask your friend to help you. Finally, when you receive a green signal from all ends, you can send it.