Dear Camilo,

I'm the Doostang resume expert who was assigned to evaluate your resume. I reviewed your resume with the goal of giving you an honest, straightforward assessment of your current resume, and not a judgment of your skills and qualifications.

Having worked with many candidates at your career stage, I have some insight into what you are probably looking for in your next job. Most of my recent graduate clients have course work, internships, and real work experience that if positioned correctly, make them ideal candidates to skip over entry-level job openings. By targeting jobs which give opportunities to gain hands-on experience right away, you can fast track your career instead of starting at the bottom.

Ironically, most job seekers at your stage in their career write resumes that are targeted toward a job that is below their level of education and experience. Their resumes are full of the tasks they performed and responsibilities they had, but these do not tell the recruiter or hiring manager the impact that their recent degree can have for a company. They don’t highlight their areas of expertise and as a result they do not distinguish themselves from the hundreds of other applicants seeking the same job.

So, let’s get started with a review of your resume:

Here’s the good news: My first impression of you is that you have an impressive array of skills and experiences. You’re an up-and-coming Physics Sciences Professional with a lot to offer an employer. Now, here’s the bad news: Your resume does not pass the 30-second test, and the content is not up to the standards one would expect from a candidate like you. Countless studies have proven that resume quality is the key determinant as to whether a candidate is selected to be interviewed. Your resume needs a boost from a visual, content, and overall writing standpoint to engage the reader. It needs to make them want to learn more about you. I didn’t find it to be exciting, and it didn’t make me want to run to the phone to call you. In short, your resume is effectively sabotaging your job search.

Camilo, your resume is missing key elements that we see on the best resumes at your level of experience. Here are the major issues I see on your resume:

YOUR RESUME'S VISUAL PRESENTATION

We’ve all been told that looks don’t matter as much as substance, but in the case of your resume this just isn’t true. I found your design to be crowded. The appearance is not polished, and it doesn’t say “up and coming Physics Sciences Professional." Remember that your resume is your marketing tool. It’s the first impression a potential employer has of you. Now – think about how generic brands are marketed versus the name brand. The packaging, advertising and branding are all carefully selected to attract attention and convince you to buy. Your resume should do the same thing- you want to be the brand name product. I’m concerned that your resume is selling you like a generic, and that it’s not likely to get picked among those of other candidates. The ideal resume design is airy, clean, and uncluttered, with the effective and strategic use of white space.

THE CONTENT OF YOUR RESUME

As I was reading your resume, I was trying to imagine myself as a hiring executive, looking for that ideal Physics Sciences Professional. When I reviewed your resume, I asked myself if I could easily pick out your key attributes, experience, skills and accomplishments. A recruiter will do this to quickly decide if you’ll be successful in the job they have open. When I read your resume, the answer to that question was “no.” Here is one of the reasons why:

For someone in the early stages of their career, an objective statement at the top of your resume makes good sense. An objective statement tells a prospective employer what position you are seeking, and should also reflect the needs of the employer, (i.e. your “value add”, what you would bring to the position and the company). An objective statement should be concise and clear, but not limit your opportunities.

From the way the resume is worded, you come across as a “doer,” not an “achiever.” Too many of your job descriptions are task-based and not results-based. This means that they tell what you did, instead of what you achieved. This is a common mistake for non-professional resume writers. To be effective and create excitement, a great resume helps the hiring executive “envision” or “picture” you delivering similar achievements at his or her company. Here are some examples of task-based sentences in your resume:

Designed and helped development of information systems.
Helped transition from paper based to internet based clinical records.
Employers want to know about your previous contributions and specifically how you’ve made a difference. More importantly, they want to know how you are going to make a significant difference at their company.

THE WRITING ON YOUR RESUME

It’s easy to overlook errors in your resume. They could be typographical errors, inconsistent verb tenses, grammatical errors, punctuation problems, or misspelled words. You’ve rewritten the resume and proofed it multiple times so you may not notice the issue. But errors can be the kiss of death for your resume. Recruiters are reading your resume with fresh eyes, and they’re experts at finding errors. A misspelled word or punctuation error may not seem like a big deal, but to an employer these errors demonstrate unprofessionalism and a lack of attention to detail. That’s not the impression you want to leave.

Additional issues

• Make sure that the additional pages of your resume have contact information on them. If a hiring manager prints your resume, but for some reason, the pages are accidentally separated, the manager is still able to identify the additional pages. They will not spend time trying to place a page that has been separated and will move on to the next resume.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Your unique skills and experience are good. But your resume, as it's currently written, is not likely to get you the attention you deserve. I understand it can be uncomfortable to hear, but if you want to get hired or further your career in today's super competitive job market, you must nail that first impression. And your resume is the ticket you need to do it.

That's why I recommend that you have your resume professionally rewritten.

Research, as well as feedback from thousands of our satisfied customers who've had their resume rewritten by one of our Certified Resume Writers, told us this: A professionally written resume results in two to three times more interviews. What's more, job seekers who have their resumes rewritten by Doostang feel dramatically more confident in interviews. It's as if they have an extra skip in their step and they can't wait to show it and upload it!

Why not have a friend or colleague help write your resume?

Many employers now use automated tracking systems to evaluate and screen their incoming resumes. To be "processed" properly by one of these systems, a resume must be built with the right structure, keywords, and format. This is known as keyword optimization, and most non-professionals are not well-versed in this technique.

However, our industry-best resume writers are continuously updated on the newest trends, keywords and phrases. They work directly with hiring managers, recruiters and HR personnel, so they know precisely what kind of resumes and cover letters get their attention. And Doostang resume writers don't use templates! Your resume is written to capture your distinctive skills, personality and industry.

A few words about your cover letter.
Think of your cover letter (which is included in your resume package) as the key that opens a recruiter's gates. Employers tell us that a poor cover letter will actually eliminate a candidate from any further consideration. A carefully crafted, customized cover letter distinguishes you from the crowd and it's the best way to make a memorable appeal that personally links you to the job.

Special Offer on a New Resume
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