To avoid the risk of missing a big opportunity because your resume wasn’t prepared, here are some ways you can keep your resume up to date:

Set a schedule of self-evaluation – Specify a schedule, whether monthly or quarterly, in which you will spend at least one hour on that day to write down your recent success or achievements. Are there any recent projects that you’re proud of? Are there any skills that you have recently learned? These can all be used to beef up your resume.

Update it as it happens – When you achieve something, it’s better to write it down when you still remember all the details—not later on, when you vaguely remember them. Doing this will also help you recall important details down the road when you need them.

Take notes – Everyone forget things once in a while, and when this happens, you might forget something very important. Make taking notes a habit so that anytime you forget something, you can be confident you have your notes to help.

Update your online resume, too – Whether it’s LinkedIn or some other website that you prefer to use, you also need to update your profile there, too, so you can apply immediately if the opportunity arises.

You never know when you might need your resume. If somebody asked for your resume today, would it be ready? If not, then now is the time to make sure that your resume is up to date. It will require some effort, but it will all be worth it if it gets you a new job.