How reliable are free resume critiques??
Hello. I am a foreign trained attorney looking for entry level work in the US market. prior to this, i have has 2.5 years of experience in a associate level job, where i was reporting directly to the Legal counsel of a company. Because of the entry level type of my previous job, most of my resume experience has tasks that i have done as a team or on my own.
I put in my resume, on one of the job seeking websites, for a free review, and the feedback i am getting, is that i am more of a 'doer' rather than a 'achiever'. I have never been in a high level position, till date nor am i looking for one right now.
So how can i put something on my resume that i havent done ?? like achieve phenomenal results or bring about dynamic changes.... ? that is something that wont really go with my ' associate' level of experience.
Any suggestions, on how reliable this free resume critiques are ?? i have a slight feeling, that they play down your resume, so as to tempt you into buying their resume writing services.
before you put something else in your resume you have to make some research first and good luck
Most of the comments are at least partly true. Temember, you either make a company profit or you reduce costs! it boils down to those two things! Use words that make you feel the most comfortable. Get those points across, make yourself seem very valuable no matter the level
Anushree,
I too submitted my resume to a free service and received the same type of response “Your information portrays you as more of a 'doer' rather than an 'achiever'.” Don’t take it too personal. Just as others said, get as many eyes on your resume as possible but don’t just stop there. Apply for jobs that you know you may “over qualified” so actual interviewers can provide quality feedback as well.
Being a doer is a part of my leadership style and I like it that way. If I were trying to become a CEO, or VP, maybe I’d consider changing. With all that said, when you get the critiques, accept them, do a self-assessment and see if making the edits will convey the wrong message about who you are. If the revision does not feel right, don’t change it.
Hope that helps
-Reggie
Here is my advice. Move past the "salesmanship" part of the response- the part where they hope you will buy their product - and try to find something of value in the free advice. It is important to present your life work as achievement, especially in a performance based industry such as the legal profession.
So, review the action words used on your resume. Even though you were accomplishing tasks as part of a team, you were still "achieving" and accomplishing. Choose action words that demonstrate your skills and abilities. For example, did you contribute to a project that resulted in better distribution methods? Or assisted in organizing meetings that resulted in favorable negotiations? Or took the leading role in doing team research? You might say something like, "Assisted with distribution improvement strategies that increased on-time deliveries by 15 percent."
It sounds like there is value in what the salesperson is saying. After all, the goal in career development is to use your experience as leverage to get to the next level. In other words, expand on what you "used to do." You just have to re-think your wording.
But isn't that what attorneys do anyway? Present your position in the most favorable manner - as an achiever, not just a doer. Because achievers are innovative thinkers, able to work independently, and willing to take on a challenge.
Best Regards,
Hi, Anushee Writing should be fun it is not always what you write it is how you are getting your audience attention. Using your life as a tool to relate to people. Any help from a writing service is a great but check the company that you use first.
It's always a good idea to have someone else look over your resume, even if it's not professionals. But I've found that generally with the free resume critiques, they're trying to sell you a make-over of your resume. So even if there's nothing wrong with it, they'll try to sell you a package to re-work it. This may or may not be a good thing, they do offer some guidance free of charge though.
It's always a good idea to have someone else look over your resume, even if it's not professionals. But i've found that generally with the free resume critiques, they're trying to sell you a make-over of your resume. So even if there's nothing wrong with it, they'll try to sell you a package to re-work it. This may or may not be a good thing, they do offer some guidance free of charge though.
Hi Anushree,
Thanks for using Jobcase and asking a great question. Any extra set of eyes on your resume is always helpful, in my opinion. First things first, being a "doer" should not been seen as a bad thing. You are showing that you get things done, which any company would want. If you didn't lead an initiative, but helped make something successful, you should say that. "Part of a team that accomplished...."
I'm not too experience in using outside resume reviewers, but if they offered a free look, that is always helpful. Take whatever notes/criticism they gave you and make changes that you think should be made. Have other people look it over as well. Like I said, it's always good to have multiple people look things over, including friends and family.
I hope this helps!
-Mark
Anushree, I recently finished school and I've had several free critiques for my resume and they've all said the same thing you received! It can be upsetting, but I did recently pay for one and I love it!! I used my old resume at first and only got a 50%, and after several tries and more critiques from them I got it up to a 90% with their help with their examples and words to use!! I created 3 resumes because I feel better about having a few different ones a few different styles, but found one I'm extremely happy with, even tho it's still only a 90%! But, still no job, but, its only been 4 weeks since I finished school!! Best of luck to you!!