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I’m the Jobfox resume expert that was assigned to critique your resume. Your resume was assigned to me because my focus is on job seekers with a technical background. We’ve found the complex nature of technical resumes requires a different approach and base of knowledge. I reviewed your resume with the goal of giving you an honest, straightforward assessment of your current resume, and not a judgment of your skills and qualifications. I should warn you about my style: I’m direct and to the point, so I hope you won’t be offended by my comments.

I have found that the most brilliant technology people are also some of the worst resume writers. In the past, even the very recent past, a talented tech professional could get away with a sub-standard resume. Simply having experience with the right set of tools and technologies was sufficient. I’m here to tell you this is no longer the case. Employers are flooded with candidates, often 300 to 500 resumes per position, and the poorly written resumes are the first ones to go. We see this phenomenon every day within the Jobfox service. On the other hand, when a recruiter sees a resume from a technology candidate that’s well written and beautifully formatted, they take notice. There are so few it puts you in a category far above the rest, and in today’s market, you need every advantage you can get.

Here’s the good news: my first impression of you is that you have an impressive array of skills and experiences. You’re a qualified [generic title from profile, not resume], with a lot to offer an employer. Now, here’s the bad news: your resume isn’t doing a good job saying that to an employer. I found it to be mundane and unlikely to catch an employer’s attention. If you were selling yourself as Crème Brulee, it’s as if your resume is saying “pudding in a cup”.

Your resume needs a boost from a visual, content, and organizational standpoint to engage the reader. It needs to make them want to learn more about you. I didn’t find it to be exciting and it didn’t make me want to run to the phone to call you. These days, employers are being flooded with resumes, and we need yours to compel a hiring manager to continue reading and contact you for an interview. Countless studies have proven that resume quality is the key determinant as to whether a candidate is selected to be interviewed.

[first name], to be honest with you, I think you should view this version of your resume as a work in progress. It’s missing many key elements that we like to see on resumes at your level.

Here are the major issues I see on your resume:

VISUAL PRESENTATION

Your design is very crowded. The appearance is not polished, and doesn’t say “experienced Online Services Manager.” By way of example, it’s like the difference between a professionally printed brochure, and one that was done at home and printed on an inkjet printer. For people at your level and experience, I’m used to seeing a much stronger visual appeal. In the real world this means your resume is at a disadvantage when the manager is culling the pile of resumes. The ideal resume format is airy, clean, and uncluttered, with the effective and strategic use of white space.

CONTENT

As I was reading your resume I was trying to imagine myself as a hiring manager, looking for that ideal [title]. I then asked myself whether I’d have picked your resume, and whether it was memorable. I concluded that much of the information was superficial and that in many instances it was too long. Simply put, I wouldn’t remember you. There are a lot of words on your resume, but they’re not formulated into powerful and impactful statements.

Your Career Summary is weak. It’s a critical element of your resume that should be designed to compel the hiring manager to keep reading. The purpose of this section is to define you as a professional and cover those areas most relevant to your career level and job target. By having a weak Career Summary, you are making it easier for the reviewer to say “pass” when your resume is given the customary cursory glance.

From a grammatical standpoint, I found your resume to possess many of the most common flaws. Expressions like “Accountable for” and “Oversee” are monotonous for the reader, and serve to repel versus attract their interest.

From the way the resume is worded, you come across as a “doer” not an “achiever.” Too many of your job descriptions are task based and not results based. Meaning they tell what you did, not what you achieved. To be effective and create excitement, a great resume helps the hiring manager visualize you delivering similar achievements at his or her company. By way of example, you can say you were responsible for managing a particular business process, or you can wow them by describing how you overhauled the process to deliver 50% higher results. Here are some examples of task based sentences in your resume.

[two task-based sentences from resume]

These statements are more about what you did, not what you achieved. It would be like you saying “I played golf last week” when you could have said “I won the men’s golf tournament at my club last week unseating the guy that held the title for the past three years.” Which sounds more impressive?

Employers want to know not only what you accomplished at your jobs, but the depth of those accomplishments. How did your work improve things, save money, etc. Employers are looking for return on investment (ROI).

Additional Issues

As a final tip, I recommend you use a Cover Letter whenever you are sending your resume directly to a recruiter or hiring manager for a specific job. (It’s not necessary when you are just submitting it to a database) A well written Cover Letter can give you a huge edge over other candidates with similar skills. It’s the best way to make a personal appeal to grab the recruiter’s attention by linking you to the company or the job and explaining why you are uniquely qualified for the job. A Cover Letter can be crafted to be reusable because your core strengths and accomplishments remain the same. But the aspects of the letter that change each time you send off a new resume—the company address, the name of the position, how you heard of the position, can be easily filled in as needed. We include a reusable Cover Letter with our Technology Resume Package.

SUMMARY

[first name], I’d like you to go back, reread your resume, and ask yourself whether it’s selling you short. Does it say “[first name] is a [title] with tremendous expertise?” A great resume is the lynchpin in your job search, and I hate to see a strong person like you being underserved by something that’s so easy to fix.

NEXT STEPS

Most people are like you – they struggle to put themselves down on paper effectively, but that’s where we come in. All the recommendations above can be combined in a cohesive, strategic manner so that you can distinguish yourself from other candidates. Our resume writers are experts in doing this. As I mentioned earlier, the complex nature of technical resumes requires a different expertise. You can’t just go to any resume writer and expect them to understand your world. We’ve assembled a team of resume specialists whose sole mission is to help our technology clients with their resumes.

Countless studies have proven that professionally written resumes get more interviews, and, if it shortens your job search by even one day, a professional resume will pay for itself.

Purchasing the right resume writing service is important. You want to be sure you are getting everything you need to be successful in your job search without being nickel and dimed.

A Professionally Written Resume
A Cover Letter
An Electronic Version of your resume
Technical Keyword Optimization
I’ve included the comparison below so you can see how the Jobfox Technical Resume Package compares to other services. At $399 we are priced to be the best value service.

If you would prefer to pay in installments, we have a fantastic option that no other resume writing service provides: Six (6) payments of $69.95 per month. You will receive your professionally written resume now but have the advantage of paying for it over time.

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I was speaking with a job seeker yesterday and he asked a very interesting question. How much time does an employer or recruiter take to review a resume?

The answer is 3 to 5 seconds.

To get an idea how long (or short) 3 to 5 seconds is, glance at a newspaper for 3 to 5 seconds and see if your attention is brought to anything in particular. Is there anything appealing that stands out right away, or did you move on to the next page?

The same thing may be happening to your resume. That’s why having a professionally written resume can improve your chances of having an employer or recruiter notice your skills and accomplishments. Let’s face it, 3 to 5 seconds is a very short opportunity to make an impression.

If you purchase a resume re-write between now and tomorrow at midnight, you will receive a free reusable thank you note ($50 value) along with your resume, cover letter, and e-resume. Yes, in this market, thank you notes after an interview are back in vogue. In addition, we have discounted the price of the package 15% so you only pay $59.46/month for 6 months or a one time payment of $339.15. We are the only company that lets you pay for your resume in installments.

I hope that as you continue to think about your career objectives, you’ll consider having your resume professionally written. It might be the only thing holding your job search back, and it can be solved in a few short days.

To get started today, give me a call, send me an email, or click here.

Best of luck in your job search,

Peg Crits
Senior Resume Consultant
1-877-851-4283
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm ET

Think I’m late to the party but here goes! I’ve been in this biz for over three decades, first as a headhunter (1973 – 1987) and then as a career/job search coach (1987 – Present).

I am a Certified Career Coach & Resume Writer; I have written a career column for Business Journals for 9 years, and as a second tier founder of National Resume Writers Association, brought professional education into the Midwest.

I totally share your position because I have first hand knowledge of resume mills who find their “writers” on Craig’s List with one required qualification, “must have your own transportation.” Maximum pay, $50 per project. Cost to client – $499.

Nick, who writes one’s resume certainly does matter! In conjunction with strong search strategies, the resume is the one required document that precedes a personal appearance. Much like a print ad it competes! Ad agencies don’t promo a Mercedes like a Cheerio, and resume strategies differ based on job seeker offerings and the audiences they are attempting to impress. Seasoned, proven pros know how to configure these strategies!

Our firm goes beyond creating resumes, and we do nothing fast and cheap. As a boutique firm we have clients who come to Columbus, Ohio from throughout the US. We spend hours face-to-face with as many folks as possible, operate our own “job search school” and spend hours of phone time with our international clients.

While this all sounds great, it’s nothing without the candidate results generated from that business model. I don’t mean sales and I don’t mean ROI; I mean putting people back to work! There’s your evidence! If it works it’s worth it!

Now regarding the snake oil resume mills to whom you refer, they do not detract from our quality or longevity. But they do lure and capture the credit card numbers of already zombied job seekers and devastate them further. And because of the recession, there are now many additional microwave resume writers and job search coaches in a totally unregulated industry.

The solution? Your voice and for that I’m grateful!

Oh yes, I don’t know who wrote your crib sheet but I do have my own collection of about 12 verbatim documents from anther firm saying the same things about every candidate who inquires.

Janice Worthington, President (@execjobcoach)
Worthington Career Services

I have read many more resumes as an employer than I have submitted as a candidate, and here is how I look at them:

1. I scan the cover letter to see if it’s basically coherent and to the point, as well as devoid of obvious errors. In short, does it pass the basic literacy test—and if it sings, that’s a bonus. More than one page—boring.

2. I look at the introductory portion of the resume, which is typically a statement of career objectives or summary of qualifications, to see if it meets my needs.

3. I look at the job history, and primarily ONLY at the job title and employer. I know what I am looking for, and the job and employer usually tell me what I need to know for starters. Only if that piques my interest do I bother to look at the more detailed narratives under each previous job.

4. More influential than the resume is whether or not the individual comes to me with a referral or recommendation from someone I respect—that will sometimes trump a resume that doesn’t fit exactly what I am seeking.

In short, the applicant has about 60 seconds to get my attention. I assume that prospective employers look at my resume the same way, so I have designed it with that in mind. Shouldn’t that be sufficient?

Especially since I have never gotten a job from a resume only, but through a personal relationship or referral that the resume simply supplements.

So, my guess is that these expensive resume writing services are a waste of money, unless you are totally clueless as how to write one up. But, if like me, you have a degree in journalism, you can do without them.

I’ve been following this blog for a while, and everybody seems to have their own opinions mostly based on lots of years of experience, but in my case being a recent graduate struggling to pay rent, the only thing I have is the opinion or comments made by other people and recruiters about my resume. I haven’t read your book, and I wish I could have the time to do all the tips you mentioned in your articles, but I don’t. So do you think it would be a good idea to compare my resume to this crib sheet? Honestly I am really lost with all this.