Appendix A contains several before-and-after illustrations, and Chapter 9 includes some critiques, illustrating the transformation of a resume from draft to finished version. Once you complete your draft, you must next complete your critique. Your silent or spoken answers to the following questions will reveal whether your resume is ready for distribution.

If answers to the following queries are all “yes, yes, yes,” your resume has evolved from “before” to “after” status, and it is ready for distribution. If some answers are “no,” keep working. You're on the right path.

✓ Identifying Information Is your name in larger font and bolded?

✓ Are your address, phone, and e-mail presented as part of the header?

✓ If more than one address or phone appears, is there a logical reason why, and are they presented using as few lines as possible?

✓ Overall Appearance and First Impression Is the resume neat, easy to visually scan top to bottom, and in a first-glance logical format?

✓ Are the font type and size easy to read and professional in appearance?

✓ Can you scan down the page and identify a logical pattern of headline placement as well as highlighting techniques?

✓ Are capitalization, boldface, italics, indentation, and page placement used to highlight specific information in easily identifiable patterns?

✓ Can the resume be cut and pasted into an e-mail message and still retain logical formatting?

✓ Objective

✓ Does this statement project knowledge of your desired field and use field-specific phrasing?

✓ Is it presented in as few words as possible?

✓ Qualifications or Achievements Summary

✓ Does this paragraph or, better, bullet point listing support the stated objective?

✓ If no objective appears, does the headline used for this section clearly project your goal?

✓ Does this paragraph or bullet point listing reveal that you understand the qualifications criteria, specialized terminology, and keywords associated with your target job?

✓ Does the headline used inform the reader quickly that you have a sense of focus?

✓ Does this section reveal a thorough projection to the future as well as reflection to the past?

✓ Does the statement reflect competence as well as confidence?

✓ Are the most significant goal-related qualifications statements presented first, and less important last?

✓ If viewed independently from the resume or within a cover letter, does this section project focus and an impressive knowledge of target-specific field and functional roles?

✓ Education and Professional Development

✓ Do special headlines reinforce objective-related focus?

✓ If a traditional header is used, does it downplay the importance of this section?

✓ Does the order of appearance accurately portray significance, with most important information presented first and least important later, if not last?

✓ Does this section present school(s), degree(s), area(s) of concentration, courses, or honors?

✓ Do courses, papers, and project listings appear as subheadings or as independent headlines?

✓ For soon-to-be or recent grads, do complimentary (over 3.0) overall or subject-specific GPAs appear?

✓ Is specialized, goal-focused training and development presented under a specific headline?

✓ If specifically related to job-search target, are experiences referred to in a qualification summary?

✓ Experience Do special headlines reinforce objective-related focus and impact order of presentation?

✓ Do the headlines project knowledge of targeted fields and draw attention to related achievements?

✓ Do headlines catch the eye, revealing through quick review the nature of entries that follow?

✓ If a traditional header is used, does it downplay the importance of this section?

✓ Are entries described using active and accomplishment-oriented phrasing, including facts and figures when possible?

✓ Are goal-specific experiences grouped under appropriate headlines, presented in order of significance?

✓ If specifically related to job-search target, is a special headline used and are experiences referred to in a qualification summary?

✓ If entries are simply cited with no descriptions, are they obviously of less importance than others?

✓ Are organizations, titles, and dates easy to see, revealing an obvious pattern and logic?

✓ Have you, for space as well as goal-directed strategies, presented only the most significant experiences, with most important appearing first and least important later?

✓ Community Service, Cocurricular Activities, and Special Categories

✓ For soon-to-be or recent college grads, are leadership roles and achievements cited?

✓ If specifically related to job-search target, is a special headline used and are experiences referred to in a qualification summary?

✓ Do all entries seem relevant to stated goal? Do they project a logic for appearing at all?

✓ Are activities presented in easy-to-read and easy-to-follow patterns, avoiding acronyms and an overly lengthy listing of detail?

✓ If specifically related to job-search target, are experiences referred to in a qualification summary?

✓ Overall Presentation, Last Glance, Final Details

✓ Are most important headlines presented first, with most significant information appearing under each?

✓ If your resume is more than one page, is the most important information on the first page and does the second page have your name and a page number header?

✓ If you have more than one targeted resume, are the objectives clear, did you change order of presentation for each, and are summaries of qualifications target specific?

✓ Does the resume present a professional image, with easy-to-recognize highlighting patterns, with a top-to-bottom and last-glance logical format?

✓ If a qualification summary appears last, does it summarize goal-directed competencies and capabilities accurately and dynamically?

✓ Can you elaborate upon the resume in a cover letter?

✓ Would a prospective employer sense goal-oriented competence and confidence even without an accompanying letter?

✓ Can you elaborate upon the resume and use it as a clear guide during an interview?

✓ Are you ready to duplicate and distribute your resume?

Your answers must be affirmative to all these questions, or you are not ready for the final steps. Don't be overly analytical or self-critical. Finish and use your resume. If needed, you can always update it, and it will only take another day!