Career Counseling with a Twist Laila Atallah Seattle Career Counselor

Resume Review Form
Select the number that best reflects your resume’s strength in these 11 key areas. (1 = Needs Work, 5 = Very Strong.)

		1. Strong "Summary" Section • Well-strategized and targeted. • Well-written. • Packed with "hard skills" and key/hot button industry/field terms. • Gives a sense of your unique personality.

		2. Accomplishment-Oriented • Illustrates how your efforts impacted business/organization bottom line. • Shows problems you solved.

		3. Quantifies Accomplishments & • Uses numbers/percentages to create clear and compelling picture of the scope and impact of your work.

		4. Strong "Summary" Section • Well-strategized and targeted. • Well-written. • Packed with “hard skills” and key/hot button industry/field terms. • Gives a sense of your unique personality.

		5. High Ratio of "Hard Skills" vs. "Soft Skills" • Strives for an 80%-20% ratio of hard vs. soft skills.

		6. Demonstrates Insider Status & Understanding of Industry/Job • i.e. Responsibilities, challenges, insider language, key players/orgs, regulations, etc.

		7. Focuses on Highest Level of Experience/Ability • Risks sharing highest level of experience and ability. Does not underplay you or your experience.

		8. Strong "Experience" Section • Substantial, info-rich job descriptions. • Sufficient info to paint a compelling, broad picture of your capabilities.

		9. Powerful Language • Strong action verbs (uses highest level verb possible). • Not jargony. • Interesting/engaging/draws you in. • Variety in syntax.

		10. Handles Work-History Liabilities • De-emphasizes choppy work history, less-than-ideal job titles, un-related job experience, etc.

		11. Format • Eye is led to most important and impressive info. • Easy to skim and read. • Professional-looking. Attractive. Lots of "white space."

What your score means: Highest: 46-55 points Congratulations, your resume is an excellent ambassador! Remember to keep refining your resume by adding key skills, experience and industry-based language. Job descriptions are a great resource for new ideas. A good resume is like a fine cheese and usually improves with age. Be sure to create a separate resume for each job target. For example: if you are applying for both Sales Training and Sales Manager positions, you want two targeted, distinct resumes for each job type. Now go forth and explore opportunities, meet new people, talk to those in your current network, apply for online opportunities. The final proof of your resume’s strength will be in the good responses you can expect to receive! Pretty High: 36-45 points Good going! You're getting very close. Remember that it's critical that your Summary Section is well-strategized. Also, if you're finding it challenging to identify quantifiable and exciting professional accomplishments, enlist a supportive friend to help you brainstorm. Don’t just say what you did. Look at how you spent your time and your key projects and ask yourself why it was important? How did it impact the bottom line? Just a few more hours, and you should be even closer to having a high-impact resume. All this work will pay off handsomely in the form confidence, clarity, and a much higher application-to-interview ratio. Medium: 26-35 points Good work you're on track. If you get stuck, sit down and write out a whole page for each job, describing everything you did. Keep writing, without editing or censoring yourself. You can always ask a friend to help. Focus particularly on what you accomplished and how you impacted the organization's bottom line. You may be surprised at some of the important projects and details that remain locked in your brain until you really focus. While it takes some time to write a first-rate resume, my clients have found it not only shortens their job search, but brings them significantly more money and job enjoyment in the long-run. Lowest: 0-25 points Although you have a ways to go, you get major kudos for taking this quiz! Assessing where you are is the first step in reaching your goal. Working from sample resumes with the same job objective that you're targeting is usually the best way to start. Also, good job descriptions are your best friend. You can find them at Monster.com, CraigsList.com, organization websites, etc. If you'd like assistance, there are many resources available online and at the library. "The Overnight Resume" by Donald Asher is and excellent resume book. You can also contact me!
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	Laila Atallah (206) 547 - 4709

	"I seriously believe that my new resume sold me before I even walked through the door for my second interview."

	"She really rolled her sleeves up and worked side-by-side with me to achieve me goals."

	"You've helped me recognize my strengths and skills. Things have opened up at work, including my recent promotion. My last evaluation at work was one of the best I ever received. I had some sort of Warrior Woman come out in my life."

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