The Myth of the Free Resume Critique

Literally every day, job seekers ask us about a resume critique. They feel like their resume is not getting them the results they need, and they are looking for insights as to why. Is it too long? Or maybe not long enough? Does it have the best keywords? Is it task based or accomplishment driven? Should it be in different font? These are all great questions!

A quick web search brings up countless sites offering to help you make sure you have the best possible resume for your job search. These sites will promote a "Free Resume Critique," suggesting that recruitment, career coaching, and professional resume writing companies want nothing more than to give away advice that will ensure each job seeker has the best resume possible.

If that last sentence seems odd, you're not alone: A business doesn't generally have any reason, nor can they afford, to give things away. This raises the question, "what's in it for them?" Why are some online career management companies so quick to promote a free critique of everyone's resume? If a resume could truly be improved by a free critique, why use a professional resume writer in the first place?

Before we can answer this question, it could help to define what a critique even is. The most basic definition is "a serious examination and judgment of something" or "a careful written examination of a subject that includes the writer's opinions." The key words in these definitions are "serious" and "careful." When providing a critique of something, the reviewer is offering an in-depth, informed opinion to judge its value, effectiveness, or strategy. It is fair to expect specific details, examples from the text, and references to source information to support the critique.

So that is what a resume critique should look like and maybe—just maybe—there are sites out there actually providing such a service (though it would likely not be free!). One of the greatest dangers involved with most online resume critiques is that an actual critique is involved. In reality, they provide much less.

The following are commonly used by the majority of sites that provide a free resume critique:

• Boiler-plate feedback. The resume will receive a handful of pointed responses that rely on more generalized strategies. Your resume is too long (or too short). Your resume is too focused (or too broad). Your language is "task driven" instead of "outcomes driven." A closer look will reveal how the feedback does not apply to the overall resume.
• Outdated information. Many sites still recommend a one-page resume, even though it has been more than a decade since this recommendation held true for most job seekers. Others offer suggestions that don't align with current trends in applicant tracking system (ATS) technology. What may have been good feedback just a few years ago does not necessarily hold true today.
• Inaccuracies. It is common for critiques to include advice and criticisms that are simply inaccurate. We have seen critiques suggest that the resume include accomplishments formatted differently than the job description (which is excellent advice!), but upon reviewing the resume in question, this strategy is already in play.

Of course, these issues, and numerous others, occur because the company providing the critique is attempting to spend as little time as possible on the feedback. Being thorough and specific requires time, and time is money.

Which brings us to the purpose behind these "altruistic" offers of free resume critiques: SALES. The goal of a free resume critique is to motivate job seekers to purchase, whether it is the services of a career coach or professional resume writing service. Unfortunately, the majority of the sites offering these "critiques" lean on one or more of the following strategies to compel job seekers to buy their service:

• Scare tactics. This sort of feedback tries to convince you that you've already made a terrible mistake. Perhaps you took some bad advice or you're using terribly outdated strategies. The crux of the input tends to be value-based or judgment-driven, so look for words like "bad", "weak", "ineffective", "outdated", and "bland."
• Deflating criticisms. This is a somewhat more subtle approach that argues something like "after digging through the resume, it's clear you have amazing skills and experience; however, this resume makes you look dull and under-qualified." Like the scare tactics approach, the language will be value laden, but the ultimate goal is to make you feel like you lack the ability to ever successfully sell yourself.
• Emphasizing appearance over strategy. In this case, the message focuses upon how the resume looks rather than how it is strategically working for you. Often, it will start with something like "It is clear that you used a MS Word template for your resume..." with the clear implication that a hiring manager would *never* consider such a document.

It is important to note that not all resume writing services and other career-related companies use this approach. Choosing the best resume service is not difficult if you focus on companies that prefer to educate job seekers. These companies will provide proven resume writing strategies and insights, sample resumes, and other resources for job seekers to consider. Perhaps they realize that there is already enough fear and uncertainty involved in a job search and job seekers don't need any more of it. Instead, job seekers need a professional resume writing service that helps. And maybe they believe that, in providing excellent service and high quality work, there is no need to scare people.