Resume Review Like a Pro!

In workforce development, it is commonly asked of that we review résumés, but how do you do this? How do you know what to look for? How do you know if a résumé is good or not? This post will address how to critique a résumé for a customer. First, it's not about being "good" or "looking good." Those terms are how general job seekers think. When working with customers avoid the word "good" when reviewing a résumé. It is not specific enough.

Let's first look at the goal of the résumé. The résumé is a marketing tool designed to sell a job seeker to an employer. Therefore it is a marketing tool. It is a marketing tool the way billboards on the side of the highway are. In the same manner that the fast food chains want to make their hamburgers look delicious, meaty, and full of toppings (all that you can distinctly see), a job seeker wants to do the same thing with his résumé. The goal of the résumé is to get sell a job seeker, so that he can get an interview. So, before you can say a résumé is bad or good, you need to first stop and ask the customer about interviews.

How many interviews have you obtained using this résumé?

Once that question can be answered, you can then determine if the résumé needs further assistance. So, once you have decided that a job seeker's résumé is not working for him, then what do you do?

Step 1: Back Away From the Résumé!

Although you now want to dive head first into the page, what you really need is to know the customer and establish rapport. What are your customer's short and long term career goals? How has his experience in previous positions made him desire these goals? Taking the time to learn about your job seeking customer will give you the knowledge you will need to determine the customer's strengths, skills, key points, and industry key talking points.

Step 2: Research

Although job seekers may think that we as workforce development professionals know about every job and industry in the world, we don't. It doesn't matter if you are a case management provider or a business service provider, we are constantly learning about new industries, new positions within those industries, or how the same job title has changed and evolved with new technology. Admitting that will help you learn and grow, not only when reviewing résumés, but also as a workforce development professional.

Understanding that, the next step will be research. What are the skills and experience that employers that hire a particular job title are seeking? This requires research. Look online for 6 to 10 jobs in the specific job title. What are the common skills, duties, and candidate requirements? The commonality between them is what you are looking for on a customer's résumé. Does your customer have these items? If so, are they listed on the résumé? This is a key way to find out what your customer is missing (either on the résumé or as a candidate).

Step 3: Finding the Transferrable Skills

Many of the job seekers are looking for change. They may have been the victims of downsizing multiple times and they want to change careers. Some may just want to take the skills they have and go to another industry.  What skills does the customer have that can be transferred from one job to another? These are transferrable skills. Consider the following when getting started: communication- oral, writing, presentations, sales, negotiation; computer skills; management; organizational skills.

Step 4: Job Duties vs. Accomplishments and Achievements

Gone are they days where an employer is hiring someone based on what they did.  Employers want to see more than existence. Résumés that list job duties only show what the person was hired to do and not how proficient he was at the job. How did they do it? What were the accomplishments and achievements within that position? Why would an employer pay a person to do a specific task? When trying to convert job duties to accomplishments and achievements think dollars saved/earned , numbers, time,  and  meeting/exceeding goals.

Step 5: The Devil is in the Details! Editing, Format, Visuals, Consistencies

Until you have the meat and potatoes on the plate, you can’t worry about the garnishes. What this means is to worry about getting the content on the paper and established, then go back and “make it pretty.”

Editing : Check spelling and grammar. Résumés are not English class essays, but they do need to have consistent language and correct spelling. Spell check will not always do the trick, so make sure to read and then read backwards.  

Format: Not one format is appropriate for every person. There are many formats to try. I would suggest finding a format that meets the customer’s needs for space and does not waste prime needed real estate – the page.  There are many books out there with sample résumés. Looking at samples is a good way to get ideas on format.

Consistencies: Make sure the font is not changing mid-sentence and it is only different if it was strategically changed.  The same rule applies to spacing. Make sure that the amount of space between lines is the same. If it is different, it should not be an accident. Small details like these make the difference between an amateur and a pro!

I hope this post addresses some of the common things to look for in your customer’s résumés. I welcome comments and suggestions. Do you have a résumé review story to share? Feel free to post in comments. I have also suggested some of my favorite books to check out and some questions to think about.

Pondering Points:

·         How can you utilize these steps when working with your customers?

·         What are the common mistakes your customers are making when writing a résumé?

·         How has a résumé revision helped one of your customers obtain employment?

·         How do you discuss the importance of a résumé with your customers?

Suggested Reading

Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer (4^th Edition) by Susan Britton Whitcomb

Gallery of Resumes: A Collection of Quality Resumes by Professional Resume Writers (5^th Edition)

Elements of Style (4^th Edition) by William Strunk and E.B. White