How fast could you turn around a CV if you were shoulder tapped today, with applications closing the very next business day? That actually happened to one of my clients this week.

Thankfully, we’d already begun working together, even though I hadn’t started drafting anything yet. They’d begun doing that mental sweep we all know well digging through past roles, wins, projects and results, and sending pieces through for me to work with. That small head start meant we could move quickly and my client was able to submit their CV before the deadline.

It did however, made me stop and think – how prepared are most people when an unexpected opportunity comes up?

A few ways you can set yourself up well:

➤ Keep your CV current. Even a solid base version you can adapt quickly is better than starting from scratch.
➤ Keep a running list of your wins, achievements and performance feedback. These are absolute gold for both your CV and interviews.
➤ Have a cover letter template ready to tweak for different roles.
➤ Keep your LinkedIn profile updated and active. Ten minutes a couple of times a week is enough to stay visible and engaged.

These small actions mean you’re not scrambling when the timing is tight, because sometimes the window is incredibly small. One easy step this week? Update something. Anything. A recent result, a project you’re proud of, a small detail you’ve been meaning to fix. It all helps.

Your future self will thank you for being ready.