All opinions are not created equal, especially when it comes to your résumé.
However well-intentioned and informed, some sources might be out of touch or out of their depth, so use these pointers when evaluating solicited or unsolicited feedback on your primary piece of self-promotion.
Third-party recruiters: Recruiters assess résumés based on whether they would get an interview with their client. Sounds great, but remember this: It’s not a cold approach. They’re introducing you to a client with whom they have built credibility and a relationship, so they aren’t necessarily great judges of how a résumé needs to look when a candidate is approaching a company without such an intermediary.
Recent successful job seekers: The keyword here is “recent.” Tactics change even at the foundational level if enough time has passed. And you need to be sure the advice is firsthand, as people could just be recycling insight that sounds good but hasn’t actually worked for them. No matter who the tips are coming from, be sure to filter.
Career coaches: Just like opinions, not all career coaches and résumé writers are created equal. Having prior HR/recruiting experiences doesn’t make their every word job-search gospel. Find out if they have practical experience with the processes of sourcing and hiring, because nothing irks me more than a frustrated job seeker going into career coaching. While they mean well, the fact that they never succeeded with all the advice they absorbed should be a factor for job seekers hiring them. Would you go to a heart surgeon who hasn’t performed a successful surgery?
Hiring executives: This is a touchy subject. Executives who hire think they know what to look for in a résumé. But hiring for a job is not the same as looking for a job — just because you’ve received 100 haircuts, could you now cut hair? Ask executives if HR filters application materials. If so, you should be skeptical about their qualifications to comment on a job search.
HR professionals: Do they recruit at your level? Because finding store clerks for the holidays is a different process than hiring a boutique hedge fund marketing director. Recruiters may be highly successful, but do they understand hiring in your industry and professional space? If the answer is yes, then you likely have a winner.
Whatever advice you accept or reject, try designing your résumé from a recruiter’s perspective. That’s one sure way to get it right.
Lisa Rangel is an executive résumé writer and LinkedIn moderator with chameleonresumes.com and hosts “The Pretend You’re Fired Today Podcast.”