how do i update my indeed resume

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Can I send an updated version of my resume after I've applied?

I applied for a graduate job last week through the usual online portals that many large companies have. Since applying I found a very useful CV guide provided by my university, so I've been making some minor changes on my CV, using this guide. The online portal gives the option of 'updating your CV'. Would it be better to re-upload my new CV or leave the old one?

Although the changes are all minor, I've made a fair amount and the overall structure and presentation is quite a bit better, I think. I worry because I feel like my CV will already have been looked at. I'm not sure if re-uploading a new version would look unprofessional as I didn't upload the better version to begin with. The company may then also have two versions of my CV on file, which could cause confusion.

What are the pros and cons of uploading a new and improved version of my resume?

• applications

3 Answers 3

Just update and upload your CV whenever you're happy with the new revisions to it.

It's not unprofessional to revise your CV, especially since the website has a feature for that exact purpose.

Don't assume that someone has read our downloaded your CV the moment after you've uploaded it.

Yes, upload an update/correction. In my experience the people conducting the actual interview won't look at it until the night before or maybe just minutes before the interview.

In addition if you get invited to an interview bring a hard copy, or even better several copies. Sometimes the system the company uses to manage resumes doesn't allow the interviewers to be able to print a nice looking copy. Or sometimes they forget.

• Bringing in a copy of your resume, especially, if you have something significant to add to it is a great idea. if you have just made formatting changes, then it is less important to do so, the layout of a resume isn't that important in the long run. –  Donald Commented Sep 6, 2017 at 14:28

Can I send an updated version of my resume after I've applied?

No. Not unless you really screwed up the first time. When it comes to a job application you typically only get one shot at passing along your resume. Application deadlines are usually long enough that you have more than enough time to write a cover letter and rework your resume and as such you're expected to get it right the first time. If you only saw the job ad right before the deadline that's typically a mitigating factor but even then you'd only send in an update if the original had significant problems.

If you're only making minor changes like fixing a typo, adjusting the layout or rephrasing some bullet points then any benefit those changes would have would be more than cancelled out by calling attention to the fact that you didn't do this before you applied. Attention to detail is important in virtually every job and sending or uploading an updated version of your application is basically saying "I wasn't careful enough the first time". You need to keep in mind that if you're making these kinds of changes, you're going to have to be able to answer the question of why you felt the need to send a new version. " I didn't like the formatting " won't cut it as a valid reason.

For minor stuff you should just put it out of your mind and hope that they either won't notice or that they'll want to talk to you anyway. If you're a good fit for the job, minor resume nitpicks will never get in your way of an interview.

Now if you're talking about major issues like using a resume that's two years old, of course, you should send in the correct version because of the damage that mistake could do. Using an old resume will harm your chances much more than simply admitting and correcting mistake. Only draconian managers will refuse to consider you over a mistake since you're only human, but it's usually better to avoid drawing attention. If you sent in a resume that you customised for a different position so that you left off highly relevant information, you're going to have to make a judgement call regarding how much of a difference it could make.

If it's a major error that can't be mitigated, like using the wrong company name in your application, you'll simply have to hope they either don't notice or will forgive you for it.

The fact that you applied online ultimately doesn't really change this. You indeed have no way of knowing whether they already grabbed your old version or whether they'll be notified so you'd have to contact them if you wanted to make sure. Again: only something you'd do for major errors.

What I would do is to print out both versions of your resume and bring those along to an interview if they invite you to one.

• 1 Why would an online portal have the option to “update your CV” if updating your CV isn’t appropriate? Surely the “update” feature is provided for this exact reason...? Otherwise, why have this feature? –  user44108 Commented Sep 4, 2017 at 17:44
• @Pete Because it would be foolish not to have it because it's not uncommon for people to upload the wrong file by mistake. But virtually none of these systems will update stakeholders when an applicant uploads a new version and even if it did said stakeholders usually wouldn't care. But even if they do you just fall back into the scenario above where minor changes will have a net negative impact. –  Lilienthal ♦ Commented Sep 5, 2017 at 7:36
• I have actually even read something along the lines of "it would be nice if you updated you uploaded CV regularly, so it is always, well, up to date" or "while you are asked to keep a general CV uploaded, it is still advisable to tailor your CV to an application and use that version instead of the general uploaded one". I think the advice is solid, if you have sent your CV out for an application, but not in general for those online systems where you just keep your CV to be able to apply "quickly" (or to be searched and contacted, supposedly, even without applying). –  skymningen Commented Sep 5, 2017 at 12:22
• @skymningen Sure, but that's an entirely different question. The OP is specifically asking about updating their resume after applying for a specific job. –  Lilienthal ♦ Commented Sep 5, 2017 at 12:27

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Updating Your CV on Indeed? Here’s Why Your Employer May Be Notified

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Indeed is one of the most popular job searching platforms available, with millions of users visiting it every month. But after looking into some reports, it transpires that Indeed may accidentally notify your employer when you update your CV.

Here, we'll look at when Indeed may be notifying your employer about your CV changes and why this is even happening.

Note: It's essential to stress that this isn't an intentional Indeed feature but rather a byproduct of another feature and user error. It also will only happen under specific circumstances, as we'll explain below.

How Does Indeed Notify Employers About CV Updates?

One of Indeed's features for employers is notifications about applicants. This feature certainly sounds completely harmless at first, but it can have one unintentional fallout.

As part of Indeed's notifications to employers about candidates for any open roles, the job search site updates hiring companies on candidates. such as when they update their CV.

If employers don't change candidates' status to Hired on the platform, they'll continue to receive these notifications, as the platform assumes the role is still open. Of course, whether or not an employer marks a candidate as Hired after employing them can vary–it's certainly the case that some don't.

Due to these continued notifications, your current employer could get notifications when you update your CV in your current position. Naturally, some people are good at admin and might update their CV for their records, but it could lead to awkward conversations at work.

Related: The Best Way to Search for Jobs Using Indeed

Why Does Indeed Have This Notification Feature?

Right now, you may be wondering why Indeed would even have this feature with this accidental byproduct. The feature is handy and may even help you for getting roles in the future.

Employers want open positions filled as quickly as possible. And even more so when an employer is spending money on recruitment and job ads. Also, potential employees want to find a job as quickly as possible, whether it's to leave their current role or to re-enter the world of work.

Indeed's notification feature can prove very useful in this recruitment process. For example, when an employer overlooks someone for the role by mistake, or a candidate gets an additional qualification that will help in the position they just applied for.

In these cases, the notification that the candidate has updated their CV may make the employer take a second look. This increases the hiring odds for that person, which is beneficial for everyone involved.

Should Indeed Be Notifying Employers About CV Changes?

So, while we've established why the notification feature can be helpful for everyone involved, should Indeed be notifying employers about CV changes?

Related: How to Decide the Best Job Options for Yourself: Things to Consider

The answer gets a little complicated. As we've seen, these notifications aren't intended for your current employer, rather potential employers for job roles you've applied for. Unfortunately, Indeed only sends out these notifications to current employers due to user error on the employer's part–and Indeed can't help that.

When reaching out to Indeed, the company explained that the feature isn't designed to report on employees:

Indeed’s mission is to help people get jobs. We put jobseekers first in everything we do, and protecting their privacy is of the utmost importance. Indeed does not provide insights to an employer on their employees’ job search activity. If a jobseeker chooses to make their CV public on Indeed, then an employer can access that person’s publicly available CV. When a jobseeker applies to an employer’s open role, an employer can leverage Indeed’s hiring solutions to manage where candidates are in the employer’s recruiting process.

It's pretty clear that Indeed isn't reporting on employees on purpose, but it can have consequences for you in your career. The onus to correctly use Indeed is certainly on employers, but perhaps both the company and Indeed can do more to prevent this accidental issue.

Be Cautious When Applying for New Positions

Indeed is still an excellent option for your job search, so don't let this accidental consequence deter you from using the powerful platform.

But just in case your employer isn't using Indeed correctly and receives these notifications, be cautious when applying for new positions.

• Work & Career
• Job Searching

Updating Your Profile Contact Info

Quick summary.

The Contact information section of your Indeed profile is where you'll add details like your name, personal information, and employment eligibility. On this page you'll learn how to edit this section and what employers can and can't see.

Getting started

• What's included in this section?
• Add or edit contact info

New accounts

• Create an account and verify it. Check your inbox for the email.
• Go to your Profile .

Existing accounts

• Go to your Profile tab.

What you'll find under contact information

First and last name.

Adding a name is required. It'll be displayed on your profile. If you upload a resume, we'll prefill this information in for you when you apply to jobs on Indeed. 

Call out your current or desired job title, professional goals, skills, or achievements.

Employers can see this tagline and learn more about you and what you might be looking for in a role.

Phone number

Communicate easily with employers. Your number is only provided to employers you apply or respond to. Choose if you want to Show my number on Indeed .

Your profile email is the email you used to create your account and sign in. You can Edit it from this page.

Adding these details will help tailor your searches to jobs in your area. You can change your Country in this section as well. City, State is a required section that is shown to employers.

Indeed can calculate commute time using your location details.

Employment eligibility

Update your work authorization details here. Your selection is visible to employers.

Employers know whether you need sponsorship for a job or not.

Add or edit your contact info

Simply type your details in the Contact information text fields. Be sure to click or tap Save after you make changes.

What's next?

Now that you have your contact information filled out, continue to fill out your profile. Build a resume or add a resume file to your profile. Consider adding your preferences and qualifications as well. These might help you get better matches and improve your search experience.

Let us know what steps you tried in the sections above.

Include this information to help us investigate the issue.

• A screenshot or screen recording
• Type of device (iPhone, Android, Computer)
• Are you using the job search app?
• What browser and version are you using?

Use the link at the bottom of this page to submit a support ticket.

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