What do you think of my resume?

Before sending out resumes, many people ask for opinions and feedback from people around them, including friends, family and co-workers.

Feedback is good - often we need an objective opinion, especially on a document as personal as a resume. But I recommend being careful about whose advice you seek.

When someone asks us for feedback, we want to help. We want to offer suggestions because we've been asked for our contribution. That's natural and human. In fact, it's very rare for someone to say 'I'd love to give you my opinion but honestly I don't know much about this subject."

 That's actually the answer most people should give though, when you approach them for help with your resume. Most of your friends and family won't have experience hiring people into positions like yours. Nor will they have any advanced knowledge of the art and science of resume writing. And yet, they will offer their opinions, many of which will contradict the opinion of someone else you asked, and you will make the changes because you don't know either!

That's why I recommend asking only a select group of people for their feedback on your resume. Ask only  recruiters and managers who regularly hire for your profession. (If you have a professional resume writer for a friend, ask that person too).

You should also ask only one question: "What impression do you get of me when you read this resume?"

DON'T ask a wide-open question like "what do you think of this resume?" because everyone will feel the need to offer criticism which will often be unfocused and unhelpful. Asking about the impression your resume makes is likely to get you much more focused information, such as "I think this resume makes you look more junior than you really are" or "I don't get a sense of accomplishment and impact."

And when you're done collecting feedback, just remember that you'll never please everyone. Even the most experienced hiring managers are carrying around unique prejudices and viewpoints, So focus on the common threads amongst the comments you receive.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I just wanted to mention that I really enjoyed your post! You made some very good points!

I was also going to add that not only is it important to get the opinions from recruiters and managers on how the resume flows, etc., as stated in the post but it is equally important to have a couple of people check the grammar and spelling. I have seen so many resumes with typos and bad grammar and many hiring managers will immediately toss the resume if they see anything like that. If you have a friend or relative (preferably a content writer) pass it along to a couple of them and see what they think. That way it will look even better when it gets into the hands of the recruiter or manager.

Thanks again for the valuable information!

[Recruitnik]

You said it all above. I have repeated this same phrase 100's of times, "There is no perfect way to write a resume."

As you stated, the best advice is to have other look at it, and as you stated be selective. Many schools and community workforce outreach programs provide free resume reviews. I have also noticed this service is sometimes provided at job fairs for job seekers.

Cheers,

Recruitnik
http://recruitnik.net

[Max Maidak]

I like the thoughts about resumes; I've written up a few complete turkeys myself, although I prefer to work through my own mistakes.

If you'd like to see a resume that got me a job, you can check out my real-life sample at http://www.maxopedia.org/?q=resumes

I used this resume to apply for an entry-level IT consultant position.

-Max

[Samara]

I learned a lot in the last year when writing a resume when I graduated from MA school. I looked for a job for a year with no results.

This year I went to an adult learning program and received resume help along with other useful skills. I learned what I was doing wrong and how to write an excellent cover letter which is also key. Cover letters are what causes the employer to view your resume.

Also using objectives containing "professional growth" isn't a good idea. Employers don't want people who still need to grow.