Spinning Resume Criticism into Revision Gold

Spinning Resume Criticism into Revision GoldSpinning Resume Criticism into Revision GoldTake these professional tips to evaluate feedback on your resume.Resume critiques can feel like a barrage. You might have been excited to revamp your resume by getting a critique from friends or a professional resume writer. But the results can leave you defensive, deflated and confused about whats legitimate feedback and how to incorporate it all into a new and improved resume.To get you there, we spoke with a career-transition coach who gave us some tips on how to put feedback to work for you.Not all critics are created equalAdriana Llames, a veteran career coach with Career Transition Success Coaching, tells her clients that when it comes to evaluating what feedback is relevant, they must consider the source.For example, friends and family are a frequent source of feedback on resumes. Thats nice, not to mention free. Unfortunately, theres no guarantee that they know what theyre talking about.He res an example One of Llames clients is now working through the process of rewriting her resume. When she first approached Llames, she had just rewritten the resume in a functional format, a format that resume professionals alfruchtwein universally frown upon because it doesnt explain what experiences, duties and accomplishments happened when or where. (Professional resume writers prefer a traditional, chronological resume that lists experience in reverse chronological order, or, in special circumstances, a hybrid format, that first lists a summary of skills followed by a chronological listing of job descriptions and achievements.)It was all over the place, Llames said. In fact, the womans title (VP of marketing) was buried on the bottom half of the second page.The culprit who recommended the functional format? A girlfriend, the client told Llames. I said, ?She probably gave you a great idea for her, but, from my experience, a recruiter wont get past the first half-page of this. Its too information-heavy and it has no bullet points. Although you have great information, its buried, and youre going to get lost in the shuffle of competing resumes. Stories like these are why Llames recommends that her clients get their resume advice from professionals. If you do go the professional route and hire a career coach or resume rewriter, youve got a good chance of getting back feedback thats relevant and pertinent. After all, as Llames said, We look at hundreds of resumes a day.Short of paying for a professional resume critique, the best advice comes from those who work in your field theyre likely to have a much better grasp of the most compelling way to sum up your strengths and accomplishments, she said.Dont be defensiveLike most of Llames clients, the marketing VPs ego was attached to the document, but Llames managed to convince her to reorganize. Thats not always so easy, she said. One client in particular, a vice president of online marketing, was a tough case when it came to his bruised ego.The marketer was committed to a less-than-legible font that he felt represented his personality and refused to budge. I said, ?If you send this resume out and a recruiter or hiring manager cant read it, you are going to lose the job. I said, ?You can commit to your job search or to your font. After four conversations about the font, the VP of online marketing finally said conceded but dug in his heels on another issue.Unsurprisingly, he has suffered serial layoffs. The way you accept feedback (on your resume) is probably consistent with how you accept feedback in other areas of life, Llames said.Dont take resume criticism personally. If its coming from a credible source, theres probably at least some valid justification for it.Let go of the pastMost resume pros have stories about clients who stubbornly insist on highlighting a relic from their professional past, such as Y2K computer system remediation skills.There are a few problems with that. First of al l Nobody cares. Its done, its gone, and besides, what have you done lately?Second, if you list experience thats no longer relevant, it will date you, which can leave you vulnerable to age discrimination, Llames said.Resume pros recommend their clients stick to the past 10 years of experience - 15 years if absolutely necessary - and limit the older experience to brief descriptions.Y2K computer skills are a great example of irrelevant experience, she said, but there are plenty more categories to avoid. If youre in your 30s and were a waiter in college, for example, For Gods sake, dont put it on your resume, Llames said.The same advice applies to extracurricular activities that dont relate to your profession, she said.Ask questionsThe best use of feedback? Probe it mercilessly. Ask questions of whomever offered the feedback. If a piece of advice sounds fishy, ask about it. Get the rationale for a change, so you understand how your resume will be stronger if you incorporate it.Llames had one client, a graphic bewegungsknstler who asked questions that not only cleared up any issues she had about the critique but actually resulted in a stronger document than it would have been had she simply incorporated the suggested changes.First, the client asked, Can I personalize my resume? Specifically, she wanted to add a personal quote on the front page. It was a great idea, Llames said, particularly given the quote a former boss had said shes as cool as a cucumber in difficult situations and completely put together. Llames had never heard the question before. Go for it, she told the client, and the quote wound up in the upper right corner.The clients next question Can I add color? Specifically, she wanted to put her name in color. Llames answer Put it in green to match the cucumber. (Note An art director or other professional in a traditionally creative role enjoys more license for self-expression than most job seekers listen if your resume writer tells you personal flou rishes are out of bounds for your career goals.)When you have a professional available, ask those kinds of questions. Ask which bullet points are most effective. Ask which ones can be combined and condensed so you get more bang for your buck. Ask these questions and more, and you should receive the best possible feedback.