Evaluating the Resume

The evaluation of resume requires scrupulous attention and censorious ingenuity. The following are key guidelines for evaluating a resume---

1. Start from the end of the resume as most people leave the worst for last part of it.

2. Watch out for gaps in the work and employment history. Do look out for the "functional resume" - one which omits dates and only describes experiences and qualifications.  It is very important to verify education and employment dates of the applicant.

3. Be cautious about the applicants with many jobs in a brief spell of time or too varied an experience or work history.  This may signify career confusion, an applicant who is easily dissatisfied or bored.

4. Examine the comprehensiveness, completeness, and neatness of the resume.  Check grammar and spelling.  Is an appropriate cover letter included?

5. Mind trivia in the resume; a resume which is puffed up with interests, hobbies, or other accomplishments.  This might indicate a person who is weak in job experience and skills.

6. Avert being misled by applicants who have an extensive education section, enumerating each course or seminar ever taken.  This might be an attempt to cover up insufficient training or education.

7. Red flag the negatives.  Applications or resumes which reflect bitterness, anger, or passing the buck normally indicate a lack of responsibility or accountability on the part of the applicant.

8. Be censorious of what is exactly written on the resume. What is left out or omitted may signify the lack of a skill or qualification or it may indicate that the applicant is extremely modest about skills or qualities.