Is it time for a new resume or just a quick update?
Read our 8 signs it's time to start fresh below.
Tend to Your Career Growth: Prune or Replant?
Just like plants need regular maintenance or even a repotting to thrive, your resume sometimes needs a refresh — or a complete redo — to grow with your career. Should you update your existing resume (prune) or start fresh with a new document (replant)?
This guide will help you decide whether your resume just needs a few tweaks or if it’s time for a whole new foundation.
Signs It's Time to Replant (Start Fresh):
✓ Your resume is more than five years old
Outdated resumes, like overgrown roots, can prevent growth. A fresh format ensures compatibility with applicant tracking systems and modern job search trends.
✓ You’re making a career change
Switching industries? Your current resume may not nurture your new path effectively. A new look will plant you firmly in your new field.
✓ Your resume feels cluttered
If you’ve been adding new roles without reshaping the overall structure, your resume may need a strategic redesign to keep it thriving.
✓ You’ve gained more education or certifications
Just like new growth in a plant, your resume should reflect your evolving expertise. If your current resume was built when you were just starting out, it’s time for an overhaul.
Your format looks outdated
Older fonts (like Times New Roman) and outdated layouts can stunt your progress. Modern resumes incorporate design elements that make them stand out while remaining ATS-friendly.
✓ Your job target has changed
Just like a plant moving from a pot to a garden bed, your resume should reflect new opportunities as you aim for leadership or a different career path.
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✓ Technology has evolved
The job search landscape has changed — your resume needs to align with today’s applicant tracking systems.
✓ Best practices have changed
If your resume still includes your full address (instead of only city and state), your LinkedIn URL still contains a weird random ending (instead of a custom URL), and your summary section is still a chunky block (instead of a few brief sentences or bullets), then you resume needs a total redo.
Signs It's Time to Prune Instead of Replant...
✓ Your resume is less than five years old.
If your resume is fairly recent, chances are it still reflects current formatting standards and hiring trends. Like trimming back healthy growth to encourage blooming, a quick update may be all you need to keep it fresh and relevant.
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✓ You’re staying in the same industry.​
When your career path remains rooted in the same field, your resume likely already speaks the language of your industry. A light refresh — rather than a total rewrite — can highlight your continued growth without needing to reframe your entire story.​
​✓ You only need minor updates (e.g., adding new roles, updating skills).
If your recent changes are minimal — like a new job title, project, or certification — a quick prune will do the trick. Think of it as seasonal maintenance: small edits that help showcase your progress without digging up the whole plant.
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✓ The format is still modern and ATS-friendly.
If your resume already has a clean, easy-to-read design that works well with applicant tracking systems, there’s no need to start from scratch. Keep the structure intact and focus on updating the content — just like refreshing the soil around a well-rooted plant.
So, do you need a minor resume prune or full replant?
1. Has your job target changed? (Yes/No)
2. Is your resume more than five years old? (Yes/No)
3. Does your resume still use outdated fonts or formatting? (Yes/No)
4. Have you gained significant experience or education since your last update? (Yes/No)
Mostly YES?
Time to replant with a new resume!
Mostly NO?
A light pruning should do the trick.