Who are you asking for resume feedback?

I well recall a client who shared his shiny new New Leaf resume with colleagues. Before I knew it he had "dumbed" down his resume so it read like a position description, bereft of any value demonstrated through quality of service. It was sad.

And then there was another client (I've had about three of these over seven years of full time service), who asked his father, daughter, and friend for their opinions. One of these said his resume was "old fashioned"! Now, for those who have worked with me, you know that I stay absolutely up-to-date with my resume and job search knowledge with courses each and every year. I found that a bit funny, really!

Who are you asking for resume feedback?

Asking those who are not recruiters (and thus know nothing of recruitment standards), or those with whom you work (who might be jealous actually), or retired folk who used to type their resumes on a typewriter using white-out for errors - might I suggest that your sources are not chosen strategically?

If you have a talent and accomplishment based resume - which is what I produce - try sending it out to a few postings first. Evaluate the response in real-world scenarios. 

I have plenty of clients who land interviews with the first few resumes they submit. In fact, one recent client, a young man not quite finished with his degree, landed a permanent, full-time, well-paying job in the company for which he had worked summers throughout his studies. He wrote me to tell me he bought a house based on landing that job offer! And he plans to complete his studies part time to make sure he still earns a degree. He could easily have lost that opening to a more qualified, senior employee, but he didn't.

Ask an expert for feedback, and remember that experts also have their 'druthers! One recruiter's praise will elicit another recruiter's critique - so it goes with subjective humans!

The critical piece is this: if your resume doesn't demonstrate how you excelled at your job, you're not going to get noticed over the many, many other applicants. And I've yet to meet a client for whom I have been unable to show a level of expertise, excellence, great fit, and so on. It's all in knowing how to identify what the reader needs to know, wants to hear, longs to find! (Part of this success is because I turn away clients who haven't yet identified the kind of job they want, and those who want a job for which they lack credentials or qualifications. A strategic resume cannot be conjured at will!)

In the end, as long as you are proud of your resume's content and secure in its truthfulness and authenticity, stick to it. The employer who will love you as an employee will see the value in your hire as the words will stir interest. Such is the power of a New Leaf resume!

- working to your career's success, Stephanie