An essential part of the job search is writing resumes and sending them to potential employers. Unfortunately, writing alone takes lots of effort. Oftentimes, you will find yourself sketching draft after draft, trying to make it sound perfect, and rewriting to make them suit this or that position.
It is natural and, in fact, is a big plus if you change your resume with regard to the context of the application, and it plays a significant role in reaching success. Yet, another trick to let you get the vacancy you’ve been pursuing with your CV is to ask for feedback.
Whom Should I Ask and How to Make the Request?
Anyone can find themselves in situations of an expert help need to craft a resume, cover letter, or anything related to the job application. Resume review services such as Zipjob might offer great use in many cases. Read more in the Zipjob reviews from their former clients to see if the tool is worth your attention.
Being shy to ask the right people for comments and going all in and overdoing the number of commentators is a common mistake. This is a perfect situation if you stick to minimalism and approach those who can help you with each point of the resume. If you can’t consult one person about everything, seek advice from several experts, especially those you’ve known for some time already.
These can be your former teachers or professors, colleagues, fellow students, or friends with higher education and more experience in job applications. The first group of people would be especially valuable since they are in your sphere. Make sure to inform them either about the specific vacancy you have as a goal or at least its type (e.g., freelance or full-time) and nature.
Points of Resume That Can’t Be Reviewed Too Much
When perfecting your CV, paying attention to all at once equals paying attention to nothing. You should have clear goals for review. Otherwise, this will be done in vain.
So, the key areas to focus on when requesting resume feedback are as follows:
- Relevant or irrelevant information.
This concerns the facts and backgrounds you should and shouldn’t include in the letter. The more relevant info the recruiter finds, the higher the chances of being picked out of the crowd.
This point needs careful consideration: if you have anything related to the sphere and knowledge needed to perform the potential job, include it. In the same way, one should review the resume and have no mercy on the projects and qualifications that have zero to do with the job they are applying for.
Bonus tip: If you have some free time (or a source person to ask), explore the nuances of the software that HR managers use to determine the best job matches. They often rely on certain facts, keywords and phrases. That is another reason to choose the wording for each point prudently.
- Grammar.
No one will be an attractive candidate with mistakes in every other word. Spelling and grammar, as well as style and punctuation, play a central role in how you are perceived.
From the point of view of an employer, it’s not logical to give a chance to anyone who doesn’t bother to craft a flawless resume. When editing and proofreading, consult dictionaries (online will do) or ask those with excellent grammar command to read it. Sometimes even the word order will make a big difference.
- What makes you unique.
The task of a resume is to introduce you as a professional along with your relevant skills and backgrounds. But did you know it takes around 7 seconds for a recruiter to decide whether to decline or keep the application?
That is how little you’ve got to make an impression. Yes, it can be hard to see when re-reading your resume. Still, if there is a fresh pair of eyes for that, good for you! The goal is to ask them what catches the eye and where more emphasis should be placed.
Here is an example of a request for feedback that you might want to use:
Dear Sir/Madam (or Recipient’s Name),
I am contacting you to request your feedback on my resume. I would appreciate your review and corrections, as well as additional comments. This will let me create a better resume to apply for (a position).
I thank you in advance and am looking forward to your feedback.
Kind regards,
(Your Name)
This being said, there is no formula to write such messages. So you’re good to go as long as it’s polite and errorless.
What Questions Can Help to Polish Up a Resume Even More?
Apart from the review of grammatical structures, choice of words, and information included, it is vital to ask the right questions.
So, there are a few questions to let you receive more info and make the most of this resume review. That’s a few we’ve received from resume writers that do such reviews:
- What job do I look like applying for this resume?
- When did you start to skim the CV?
- What were your first thoughts & impressions (after an 8-second review)?
- What could be improved?
- Which parts of the resume were redundant and lacked clarity or accuracy?
- What impressed you most?
- What would you change if it was your resume?
It goes without saying that these questions can be customized and changed, but what remains is the overall idea. You are supposed to get a clear picture of the areas that need improvements, rewriting, omitting, completing, or emphasizing.
