Your resume is a living, breathing document that should be updated frequently, regardless if you plan to make a career change or apply for a side gig. Every time you start a new professional endeavor, engage in a volunteer activity or learn a new skill relevant to your field, take a moment and adjust your resume so it’s ready if needed in a pinch.

If you recognize this is wise, but admit you haven’t even looked at your resume in years, we have you covered. Below are three steps to update your resume in less than an hour.

Start with the obvious updates

Review where you were last time you used the resume and edit the information that’s become outdated. For example, you may need to add your current position, including start date, end date (if applicable), as well as a few points about what you did at the company.

Read through everything else and adjust your other experience and skill sections as necessary to make sure it’s a current reflection of where you are and what you can do at this point in your career.

Reorganize where necessary

The flow and layout of your resume might have made sense years ago, but chances are you’ll reexamine it and realize there’s room for improvement. Take some time to ensure it’s laid out in a logical manner that allows the reader to gain an understanding of your career path after a quick glance.

After the updates and additions made in the previous step, you might have to reformat the layout to make sure everything fits and is readable. If this is the case, determine if anything older on your resume can be cut without taking away from your experience. Sometimes an old job or volunteer activity are easy items to remove.

Take the time to edit

Once everything seems finalized, it’s tempting to skim over your resume and submit it without a closer examination. After all, you did edit it at one point and you hardly made any changes. Regardless of the number of edits and adjustments you made, it’s crucial to read through everything slowly to make sure a typo didn’t sneak through. You can have a well laid out and qualified resume but get disqualified because you didn’t take the time to edit.

Spruce things up

Depending on your schedule and when your resume is needed, you might have time to overhaul the design to make it really stand out. Depending on your industry, a resume that shines can get you to the top of the pile when it comes to the candidates the hiring company wants to interview.

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