RATE YOUR RESUME
(1
= Worst; 5 = Average; 10 = Best)
Because it is difficult to be objective about
something you have written yourself, it’s best to have someone else that
is not familiar with your resume read it and rate it for you based on
the questions below.
Pick a friend that is always brutally
honest with you.
1) First Impression (Visual Appeal):
From a strictly visual perspective, within
the first five to ten seconds, does your resume invoke a positive
immediate impression?
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2) First Impression (Visual Flow):
Does it have a smooth visual flow to it?
Does
it visually draw the reader’s eyes to the “best” parts first?
Have a friend help you with this one so you
have “fresh eyes” review.
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3) First Impression (Content):
Within the first ten to twenty seconds, do
you capture your audience effectively?
Would the reader be inspired to finish the
balance of your resume?
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
4)
Is there a clear objective or mission
statement telling the reader what type of position you are looking for?
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
5)
Do you quantify your contributions with
respect to increased efficiency, profitability, performance and other
measurables?
Does your resume contain powerful and
concise results-oriented job descriptions, rather than just a list of
duties and responsibilities?
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
6)
Do you effectively and powerfully
differentiate yourself from your competitors?
Do you answer the questions “why should I
bring you in for
an interview over another candidate” and “what can
you
do for me”?
Score: It
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7)
Does your resume content convey competency
for the job you are seeking?
Is proper emphasis placed on your education
and/or past work experience?
Score It:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Less than 14 Points:
Bad News.
A
resume this bad most likely will not generate any interview
opportunities.
This
resume is holding you back.
The Good News is that now you
KNOW
it and can
DO
something about it!
15
to 35 Points:
Poor to Average.
Average resumes produce average results.
Don’t settle for an average resume.
Average, status quo is a no-go these days.
You need to stand out!
Most
resumes fall into this category, which means they end up on the bottom
of the pile.
36 to 56 Points:
Average to above Average.
Most people fall within this range, yet even these resumes end up
on the bottom of the pile.
Don’t settle for an above average resume.
Why?
Because
you don’t have to!!
57
to 65 Points:
Looks like you have a good resume.
If you are near the upper end of this range, you
should get some interviews and an above
average chance of landing a some interviews.
66
Points and Above:
WOW!
You’ve hit it out of the park!
If
you aren’t getting job interviews with this resume, your resume is
not the problem.
At this point you should focus on your job search and
interviewing skills because you should have plenty of opportunities to
use them.
Only the top 3% to 5% of
resumes are selected.
This means your resume must rate between 95% and 97% to achieve this (65
points and above).