Do you start the day adding "update resume" to your to-do list? But by the end of the day you move that task to the next day? It's not just you.

Updating your resume and LinkedIn profile doesn't feel like the most interesting task on your list. Unless you have a simple strategy for tackling this task. Enter time chunks.

It's better to devote 60 minutes - or 15 minutes - or even 5 minutes - than zero minutes to making the necessary updates to your resume and LinkedIn profile. Why? Because whether you are actively job searching or happy in your current job or situation, it's always good to be ready for opportunity. And quickly!

So here's your time chunk strategy to getting this task done!

If You Have 5 Minutes: Quick Fixes

1. Refresh Your Resume’s Contact Information:

• Double-check your contact details - your city, state, and ZipCode, your email address, your mobile number, your credentials after your name, your LinkedIn profile URL. It’s a small but often overlooked element that you can update quickly.

2. Update Your Headline on LinkedIn:

• Your Headline is the little bio just under your name on your LinkedIn profile. It shows up whenever you comment on someone's post and also in Google searches. Does your LinkedIn Headline reflect what you are doing now? Does is show how you are of service now (e.g., Liver Dietitian, Virtual Speaker, Nutrition Communicator)? Does is show how people can search for you (Sustainability Nutritionist, Sports Dietitian)? If you are only using the default Headline that LinkedIn populates (which is just your current job title and company) you are missing out on potential opportunity. Update your Headline to be reflective of your current role, services or career aspirations. Use searchable keywords.

If You Have 15 Minutes: Essential Tweaks

1. Revise Your LinkedIn About / Summary Section and Resume Professional Summary:

• Update your LinkedIn About / Summary to reflect what you are currently doing. How you are of service. Use first person narrative. Update your resume’s Professional Summary to reflect your current professional goals and key achievements as a dietitian. Highlight your unique skills, especially those that are transferable between traditional and non-traditional dietitian roles. Again, use searchable keywords, like Food Labeling Expert.

2. Add Recent Skills or Certifications:

• Have you completed new courses, obtained certifications, or learned new technologies recently? Add these to both your LinkedIn Skills section and your resume to keep them fresh and relevant. You can add these skills to the Skills section but also under the Work Experience section on LinkedIn.

If You Have 60 Minutes: Comprehensive Updates

1. Revamp Your Work Experience Quantifiable Outcome Bullet Points:

• For both LinkedIn and your resume, update your work experience sections to reflect significant achievements, not just duties. Use action verbs and quantify results and outcomes where possible to really make your value as a dietitian pop. This helps in compensation negotiation conversations when you are offered a new job or during your performance evaluation.

2. Request Recommendations on LinkedIn:

• Reach out to colleagues, clients, or employers who can provide testimonials about your work. Recommendations make your profile more authentic and credible. These Recommendations can also show up in Google search results.

3. Optimize Your LinkedIn for SEO:

• Show up in more search results on LinkedIn by taking advantage of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Use keywords relevant to your desired roles and industry in your profile. This improves the likelihood of appearing in search results, increasing your visibility to recruiters and connections.

4. Add Examples of Your Professional Work:

• Upload recent work that you can link to or upload that is relevant to your service. For example, if you are a Virtual Speaker or Media Dietitian, you can upload links to the videos or photos of you in action. This can really help tell your professional story as a dietitian. You can share examples of any projects you worked on. You can also include any seminars, workshops, or conferences you’ve attended that enhance your qualifications as a lifelong learning dietitian.

Bonus Tips:

1. Profile Photo:

• Update your LinkedIn profile picture - check to see that it is professional and up-to-date. Update your banner photo behind as well.

2. Consistency Across Profiles:

• Check to make sure all your professional information is consistent across LinkedIn and your resume. Discrepancies can confuse potential employers or suggest inattention to detail.

3. Customize Your Public LinkedIn profile URL:

Timer's Up!

You did it! Congratulations. Spending a few chunks of time can help provide professional opportunity as a dietitian.

About the Author

Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, is the Founder Owner of NutritionJobs and DietitianSalaries.com and is an established dietetic career expert. She helps steer dietetic and nutrition professionals to a successful job search process with the top-ranked dietetic job board platform, NutritionJobs.com. Stacey is the author of The Dietetic Resume Guide and numerous dietetic career action-ables. She gives the tools to create a modern standout dietetic resume to land that job interview, help with job interview prep, and with creating Compelling LinkedIn profiles. Stacey has interviewed and hired many dietitians. Since running NutritionJobs in 2000, she has reviewed thousands of dietetic resumes. She works closely with dietetic hiring managers and recruiters to know the standout elements on a resume that land a job interview. Stacey speaks on successful compensation negotiation at professional conferences and frequently consults with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at FNCE and co-created the webinar series, Dietetic Career Hack: The Complete Networking and Resume Guide and Dietetic Career Hack Part II: Interviewing Tips and Tricks. Her previous dietitian jobs have been in clinical, nutrition support, and research.