Rate my résumé

11. Does the person provide enough information about their past or not enough? What should they have left out or included in their résumé?

Eubank: I think in general enough information is provided, although I think it could be presented much more effectively.

Kenney: The amount of information seems sufficient. In more recent positions, including more quantifiable results would help, particularly in sales-like roles where that is expected.

Rana: The one thing the candidate should have included in his résumé is an "objectives" section, because of his intention to get back in the field of working with clients and field associates in product management/ product distribution/ strategic cross-channel/ leadership role(s). His main concern is to draw attention to what he's looking for as opposed to having his résumé look disjointed or lacking direction. A recruiter would not be able to tell what he's looking for unless he provided a cover letter, but even then it is important to include an objective in a situation like his because his work history was intentional, and his current intentions are specifically directed to what he expects in his next job.

12. What is the résumés greatest flaw?

Eubank: The detail descriptions of the professional experience.

Kenney: The number one drawback to this résumé was the lack of a clear expression of intended direction or targeted role.

Rana: There are no flaws.

13. What is the best feature of the résumé?

Eubank: Probably the format and the quick impression of a mid-to-senior level financial services player.

Kenney: One of the best features of this résumé is that it is easy to scan and read. There was plenty of white space to create visual appeal.

Rana: The best feature of the résumé is that it is concise and easy to read.

14. Does the person successfully sell themselves? What did they fail to do?

Eubank: Comments in question 8 address this point.

Kenney: In my mind, the candidate did a good job of cataloging his background, but I'm not sure he sold himself for any job in particular.

Rana: He can sell himself better with an objective.

15. Additional comments

Eubank: Best of luck on your job search. I would imagine that you have a great story to tell, but I really feel that you need to work considerably harder on the body of your résumé to get those points across.

My sense is that the "mosaic" aspect of the résumé is somewhat obscured by the fact that the past eight years of your career have been in financial services. What doesn't come through to me are your strong interpersonal skills and your desire to compliment these with your experience. I would strongly suggest a summary and some objectives at the beginning to lay this before the reader. Ditto for your current objectives.

Kenney: My suggestion to this job seeker is to find two or three decent job descriptions for roles that they are targeting, and for which they feel qualified. Next, go through the descriptions with a highlighter, identifying the key skills and experience requested. Then return to your résumé and find where those highlighted areas are specifically referenced. Are the skills easy to see and understand? Are you using the same kind of language as your intended audience, or is your terminology specific to a prior company or industry? Basically, make sure you are selling what the hiring manager is buying.