How to Tell If Your Resume Sucks

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Applying to jobs online seems about as effective as throwing a tiny piece of scrap paper into a big black hole. It’s easy to justify the many reasons why you’ll never hear back from a single company. Your resume must have got lost in the shuffle, right? That’s a lot easier than admitting the truth: no one wants to hire you. That’s a tough pill to swallow but there is good news hidden here. It might not be you, it might be your resume.

Writing a glowing resume is a skill that’s not easy to master. Your resume should never be complete. It should be constantly revised and improved upon. If you’re not doing that and you’re not getting hired, there’s a chance your resume sucks. There are a few easy ways to tell. Analyze the situations below and see whether or not they apply to your current job search situation. If they do, it’s time to give your resume a serious revamp. Read our tips on how to revamp your resume plus the dozens of other posts we’ve written about how to draft a stellar resume.

1. You’re applying to dozens of jobs, but barely getting any interviews — even for the ones you’re 100% qualified for.
This is a huge warning sign. Something is not working. While networking will always come in handy here, you need to first give your resume a once-over and make sure that even your connections would be proud to pass along your resume to someone they know. Ask an outsider for help — perhaps a professional whose career you admire or a friend who’s good at writing and editing.

2. You keep telling yourself, “If I could just land an interview, I could show them what a great hire I am.”
I have some news to break to you: you’re being lazy. You clearly know that your resume is not painting you in the best light. Instead of self sabotage, pick a new strategy. Think of your resume as a marketing piece with the sole purpose of selling yourself. View yourself and your skills as an outsider. How would you describe them to someone who’s never met you?

3. When you do land an interview, you have a lot of information to share that’s not on your resume — and interviewers are surprised.
While it’s important to expand on your resume in an interview as opposed to just reading from it, your career highlights should be the major highlight of your resume. Don’t think you’re doing yourself a favor by withholding important information that’s relevant to this position. Touch on all the high-level skills and experiences that will help you land an interview. You owe it to yourself.