An author wouldn't publish a book without involving an editor, and a job seeker shouldn't publish their resume without involving a proofreader – or four. You have no excuse for submitting an error-filled resume to potential employers when you can so easily get others to check it first.
Here are a few ways to get feedback from others:
- Send an e-mail;
- Convert your resume to a web page; or
- Print and distribute.
Send an e-mail. If the people you trust to review your resume and cover letter are all accessible by e-mail, then this is a good way to send your documents. Give them a heads up that you'll be sending an e-mail with attachments, and find out which format (Word, Text or PDF) they'd prefer to open. While you're at it, send a copy to yourself to see what it looks like to an e-mail recipient.
Another great alternative is to ...
Convert your resume to a web page. No, you don't have to have any special skills to do this. It's actually one of the easiest ways to let friends see your resume, though many don't think of it as an option. Of course, you have to know where and how to create a free web page out of your document. If you have a Pongo Resume subscription, you can just open the resume and click the Web button. Yahoo! HotJobs also gives you the ability to turn your resume into a standalone web page, if you have an account and use the site to apply to jobs online. Once you have a web resume, all you have to do is send the link to your friends for them to view on their own time.
Or, you could always go the old-fashioned route and ...
Print and distribute by hand. When your ideal proofreaders are nearby, you need do nothing more than print your documents and hand them over. This option is also a good fallback for those who aren't so good with computers (and when you're not in a rush to get feedback).
If you're not 100% confident in one person's ability to spot errors, send your resume and letter to a few different people. Unlike applying to jobs, this "shotgun" method is very effective for getting your documents successfully proofread. And while they're searching for typos, you might as well ask if they'll examine the content for ultimate impact, too.
Have you ever had a potential employer point out mistakes on your resume that could have been caught by a proofreader? How'd that work out?
And have people actually dial the phone numbers you have entered on your resume. Don't do it yourself, have someone else do it. Unfortunately, many resumes are submitted with incorrect telephone numbers. It is so easy to transpose numbers and the eye does not catch it.
Thanks for the great tips. I have created a website that contains the web version of me resume. The site also doubles as a portfolio site for my freelance work. :) I have committed some typo errors and a friend who visited my site helped me by letting me know about it.