Resume Results

Assess the Effectiveness of Your Resume

Let’s break down what the main purpose of a resume is – to get you to an interview. Resumes are like bait -their purpose is to lure in the catch and hopefully snap a bite. Who knows, you may even catch a fish! With this in mind it is important to assess the effectiveness of your bait (resume) by how many “bites” you are getting.

As a professional resume writer my job is to create a marketable resume for customers that is best suited for the industry they are entering. Often, I have client’s ask me for resume feedback to assess the effectiveness of their resume. One question that I always like to ask customer is:

“How many resumes have you handed out and what has the response been?"

As a rule of thumb, if customers are getting one call back for every 10 resumes submitted, then they are doing fine. These are standard results in a competitive economy (i.e. North America). However, if they are not having this type of success then it is likely that their resume and cover letter need work and are not adequately tailored for each position.

I recently had a client that told me he has handed out 110+ resumes and has gotten 3 interviews. These stats are not good and tell me that there is something inherently wrong with the applications he is sending out. Alternatively, he may be applying for jobs that he is under-qualified for or do not match his skills.

A good rule of thumb is to apply for jobs where you meet 75% of the qualifications. It is always good to aim for jobs that are slightly above your experience level but if don’t have at least 75% of the qualifications then you are taking the risk that the time spent on your resume and cover letter may be in vain. There is a good chance that there will be other candidates who meet more of the job qualifications than you.

This rule of thumb is effective in most industries, however, if you are applying for work in a sector with a very low unemployment rate (i.e. high demand positions) then employers will be getting a lower volume of applications and may not be as picky about selecting candidates that meet this 75% rule.

In summary, it is important to consider the effectiveness of your resume. The whole point of your resume is to peak the interest of an employer to merit a call for an interview. If you are handing out a high volume of resumes and not getting any interview calls – it may be time to refocus on the quality of your resume and cover letter.

If you find the whole process of resume writing challenging and need some help, please have a look at our resume writing service options. We are here to help!