While I don’t suggest that people write their own resumes – it is too important a document not to go to a professional who writes them all the time – anybody in a job search can still sense and determine when their resume is spinning wheels and going nowhere. This can be true for a variety of reasons, including some that are easy to identify.  So with the traditional season for job transitions coming up, it is high time to double-check your current document and make the necessary adjustments in collaboration with a seasoned resume writer in order to get more traction – and ultimately your next job.

Two quick questions that can help you put your finger on the problem:

1. What does your intuitive “gut” tell you about how well your resume is working? If you have used the resume for some time, but continue to be nagged with a real feeling that it really isn’t highlighting your skills – then it is time to get it into the “shop” for a big tune-up. When your body is not right, it will let you know – and so your resume’s performance will make it clear that there is a problem.

2. What does your actual job search track record tell you so far?  Are you getting any results at all? Have potential employers consistently misunderstood your information?  Is the layout too cluttered or too thin? Even if there are more variables outside your control than within it AND you have made sure to really work the search process, and still nothing – then something significant needs to change.

Two more big questions to ask yourself in the self-diagnostic process:

I.  How well is your resume organized?

  1. Does it read logically and smoothly?
  2. Are the graphics too heavy or distractive?
  3. Is the basic job info correct?  Company name, city/state, years of employment and job titles?
  4. Are the detailed about education and professional training accurate?
  5. How about your basic contact info? You really only need your Name, Best Phone and Best Email. And your email should always be professional sounding.

II. How well is your resume prioritized?

  1. Is your career chronology tight – going back only 15-18 years maximum?
  2. Have you bundled any earlier jobs in a brief Previous Experience section?
  3. Have you left the years off your college education if before 1990?
  4. Do you start your resume with a solid orientation section that consists of Objective Title, General Profile and Core Competencies areas? This quickly gives the potential employer the strategic 30,000 foot perspective on the arc of your career.