Does your resume suck? Are you sure? Here are some ways to measure the suckiness of your resume:
1. You're getting no responses.
OK, it could be the way you're sending it out. Or that you're applying for jobs for which you're not qualified. Or it could be that your resume just plain sucks.
2. Your resume is unreadable online.
How would you know? Save it in text format. Remember that fancy formatting you did on your resume? Doesn't look very good in text format? That's what is typically being seen by the resume reviewer when they pull your resume from an online resume database or applicant tracking system. That sucks, but that's the reality.
3. You used "cool" fonts and other graphics.
But the interviewer has a piece of paper that looks nothing like your resume. Those "cool" fonts don't exist on the interviewer's system and the printer doesn't format the way you saved it. Your printed resume sucks.
4. The interviewer doesn't understand your resume.
Many interviewers don't review a resume in detail until the actual interview and if your resume is not in a format that is easily readable and understandable, you will spend valuable interview time explaining why your resume sucks.
5. Others describe your resume as unique / interesting / different / imaginative.
A resume is not an exercise in creative writing unless you are applying for a position in creative writing. A resume is a business document that needs to convey your information easily and efficiently. If it doesn't, it sucks.
CollegeGrad.com offers a free cure for the sucky resume. Our Quickstart Resume Templates will give you the solid format to fill with your content. At least then the format won't suck, but you will still need to work on your content. And we provide you with the tools to help make your content the best it can be.
