INSIDE THE

Resume Review Results

Patra Frame reviewed resumes at the September 5 Cleared Job Fair and gave us some feedback on what she saw from job seekers, both good and bad.

The Good

About a quarter of the 50+ resumes Patra reviewed were on target. They were well-written, focused and presented the job seekers’ accomplishments effectively. That is probably the highest percentage we have ever seen when reviewing resumes at a Cleared Job Fair.

Job seekers are getting the message to focus on accomplishments on their resume, not responsibilities. The challenge that people struggle with is providing results, but they do understand the importance of showing recruiters their accomplishments and demonstrating how they stand out from the crowd.

The Bad

We saw lots of transitioning military. Most had gone through some sort of training such as a transition class on base. But many still haven’t focused on the type of work they want to do. How can you write an effective resume if you don’t know what it’s for?

Patra was surprised at the number of four-, five- and even six-page resumes she saw. That’s way too long, unless perhaps you’re going to run the company. Focus on what you want to do. Focus on what is most relevant in the past 5-10 years for the type of work you want to do. Your resume is an ad to get you an interview. It’s not your work-life story — that’s a CV.

We’re still seeing resumes written in the third person. That’s fine when a contractor is submitting a proposal. It’s not OK when you’re a job seeker providing your resume to an employer.

In the proofreading department we had an individual with an email address of [email protected]. Many recruiters contact job seekers via email. If you’ve misspelled your email address, you’re in trouble!

Resume Review at the next Cleared Job Fair

If you’re at the next Cleared Job Fair on Oct 1, be sure to check out the Resume Review. It’s free!

Google+