How many times should someone review a tailored resume for a job before applying or submitting an application?

14 Comments

1. AnonymousAugust 27,2023 at 5:49PM UTC

   I do it every time for a CV.

   I have the basic body and I incorporate three of their responsibilities into my experience. Resume I leave alone

   I also provide a summary of ALL requirements and responsibilities/experience to the recruiter AFTER I get the screening call. Copy and paste straight from THEIR laundry list and reflect on my experience. Shows I pay attention.

   Think it's waste of time?

   I have FOUR interviews THIS WEEK for SOLID OPENINGS after seriously looking last week

2. AnonymousAugust 27,2023 at 9:57PM UTC

   How many times should a tailored resume be reviewed?

3. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 3:39AM UTC

   As many times as it takes until you find something.

4. AnonymousAugust 27,2023 at 9:58PM UTC

   How many times should a tailored resume be reviewed?

5. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 12:08PM UTC

   Until you are confident in the content, format and accuracy of your resume (no typos, appropriate grammar.) Software can be very helpful in catching errors, but beware of errors introduced by auto-correction.

   Reading the resume aloud can be helpful in identifying problems, as can viewing a pdf at greater than 100% magnification.

   It also might be helpful to have a trusted friend or family member conduct a review to give your document the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes.

6. Megan LeasherAugust 28,2023 at 2:12PM UTC

   The more the better, yes, but at a certain point in time you have to declare it "done". Resumes are easy to overengineer and over-wordsmith. After you've gotten feedback from around 2-4 people, pause and ask yourself if you are confident in how it stands and how it represents you. Only you can declare it "ready".

7. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 2:25PM UTC

   If you are proned to mistakes and formatting errors I would say look at it several times and then have a friend take a look. Sometimes fresh eyes can spot mistakes we dont.

8. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 4:18PM UTC

   If you use a service like an online resume service that guides you through tailoring it or use chat for, it can eliminate time spent reviewing the resume

9. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 4:48PM UTC

   *”chatgpt”

10. AnonymousAugust 28,2023 at 7:56PM UTC

    I am going to take the advice of a recruiter who mentioned the number of times a tailored resume should be reviewed. Many of the responses are leading to more confusion. Thank you.

11. Megan McKeeverAugust 29,2023 at 12:39PM UTC

    As a career coach I always suggest 5-8, I try to have people break it down like this- 2-3 people should be folks that you know with good reading/writing skills (friends, family, old coworkers) that can check the grammar and flow, second I recommend 1-2 younger adults and seniors to make sure what you wrote is easily understandable (can someone unfamiliar with job description make out what you are saying you have done and do they have questions about it). Lastly 1-3 people in a hiring capacity or in recruitment- if you have social media or linkedin sometimes these can be a great place to see who is in your network or who has a person that knows a person, having someone who sees multiple resumes can help point out anything that doesn't seem to fit or might be taking up valuable resume real estate. Hope that helps!

12. Katheryn MAugust 29,2023 at 12:40PM UTC

    A few quick reads and readjustments are fine. If your resume is at it's best before applying, you may only need a quick review to ensure it is good to go,

13. AnonymousAugust 29,2023 at 12:52PM UTC

    The best way is to have another set of eyes or two take a look -- we often can't see our own typos. I recommend no more than 3 people. Why? Because each person, in an effort to be helpful and useful, will recommend changes. I've seen people end up in tears from conflicting feedback. So review it until it's satisfactory to you (45 minutes to edit, then 15 to review, maybe?). Then ask a person who knows your work to review it-- this to ensure you've represented yourself accurately and not minimized or forgetten significant accomplishments-- I've seen this all the time. Finally ask someone who has an "eagle eye"-- just to review for grammar/spelling to catch those pesky typos. Be clear to all that at this time you're not asking for a critique on format or style. You need to get this thing submitted and if you spend days on it, the opportunity may be lost.

    Good luck!

14. Shelby CAugust 29,2023 at 9:52PM UTC

    There isn't a certain magical number for this. Here's what I do:

    1) Read it to myself slowly until I no longer see errors

    2) Read it to myself outloud

    3) Have two people whose writing, career experience, and detail-oriented mindset inspire you review it and ask them not to be nice. This is important because people often think that their praise will help you. It does the exact opposite in this scenario.

    Best of luck!