If you’re wondering whether or not you should be updating your CV, there are a few absolute certain signs that you do. In practice, upgrading your CV really is something you need to do on a regular basis, but these signs of wear and tear are quite obvious when you know what to look for.
Why You Need to Upgrade Your CV
A CV is a very important career asset. This is how you get jobs and progress your career. If your CV is not performing, or uncompetitive, you have a real problem on your heads.
We’ve put together a quick list of tell-tale signs that you need to refurbish your CV ASAP:
1. 
Your CV Really Looks Old and out of Date
If you haven’t updated your CV for a while, you may or may not be aware of how much modern CVs have changed. Check online, and see some of the new CV writing formats. Now compare your own CV with those formats.
You will instantly see that the new formats deliver a lot more information. These CVs have completely different layouts, are shorter, and highly efficient. These are the CVs against which your own CV is competing. There’s no need to state the obvious, but you really do need to give your CV a major overhaul.
2. 
You Use Old Style Fonts
Old style text is just as bad as an old style CV. If you use Times New Roman font, that is a very old font. It’s what’s called a Serif font, and it’s basically obsolete. This font is sometimes still used in style guides, but the overall look isn’t great.
Another problem with this type of font is that it is not designed for modern layouts. Although these fonts are still standard fonts, they are being replaced by Arial and other “Sans Serif” fonts.
3. 
You Have a Gigantic Work History
One of the sure sign that you need to write in your resume is an oversize work history. In the distant past, meaning very distant past, putting every job that you have ever had on your CV was normal. Now, it’s ridiculous.
Most of those jobs cannot possibly be relevant to the job for which you are applying. Information more than five years old is generally considered to be completely irrelevant unless it is directly related to your job application.
4. 
You Have Your High School and Other Early Qualifications on Your CV.
Unless you are actually at entry level in your profession, there could be nothing less appropriate on a professional CV than high school and other qualifications of that vintage. This type of information is not only relevant, it wastes space. Get rid of it.
5. 
Your CV Isn’t Getting Interviews for You
This is the undeniable evidence that your CV isn’t working for you. Underperforming CVs are by definition uncompetitive CVs. Even if your CV is perfect, it still needs to be brought up to date and into the 21st century.
