Resume Critiquing Guidelines
Layout/Appearance
- Is it neat, concise and easy to read?
- Do topic headings (and your name!) stand out?
- Is your resume free of typographical errors and misspelled words?
- Is the resume well organized and professional looking?
- Were you consistent with verb tenses and placement of headings and content?
- If your resume is more than one page, is the most important information on the first page?
- Can your layout be modified to get everything to fit on one page?
Content
- If more than one phone number and address is included, is it clear when each is to be used?
- If an objective statement appears, does it project knowledge of the desired career field by using appropriate phrasing?
- Have you presented schools, degrees, areas of concentration, relevant academic experiences, courses, and honors?
- Have you included all experiences that project skills, accomplishments, and show results (noting facts and figures when appropriate)?
- Did you describe experiences in action phrases?
- Does your resume match your best skills with the needs of the employer?
- Are experiences grouped according to topics that relate to your goals or objectives?
- Have you presented experiences in reverse chronological order? If not, is there logic behind the presentation?
- Have you presented your skills in the language of potential employers, industry or profession?
- Have you listed appropriate activities, noting leadership positions?
- If you included organizations that might be controversial, have you considered how a potential employer might react?
- Did you leave out personal information that could be viewed negatively or used to discriminate against you?
- Does it lead with your strengths and accomplishments, and focus on relevant experience?
- Will your resume make a strong, positive, and professional impression on the reader?
- Is your resume the most professional presentation of your ability to complete a task effectively and successfully?