Edgar's resume Case Study

The challenge

Edgar has had a lengthy career in construction. He had not needed to apply online to jobs very much, and found applying online didn't get him as many interviews as applying with a paper resume used to.

How Vincent, a TopResume writer, helped Edgar

There are a lot of ways the job application process has changed since Edgar started working. For example, his specific skills were worded in long phrases and sentences and not into keyword couples like "Hazard Prevention" or "Accident Investigation" that are smoother to read and better to feed sorting computers these days. And, it seems counterintuitive, but recommendations and people's names are now usually reserved for the interview stage of the application and can actually hamper a resume's effectiveness. I went through all the new trends with him and tidied up his problems.

Secondly, his resume was way too long and not easy on the eyes at all (apologies, Edgar!). His old resume required a lot of reading to learn what Edgar was all about, and failed the 6-second test -- that's the time you get to impress that HR rep. I worked from the top down on the layout and content, starting with a crystal clear header and everything you need to know about Edgar in the first half of the first page. Nicely formatted and impressive career bullet points filled out the rest. The result was a clear narrative that was both interesting to read and also very complimentary of Edgar's skillset.

In his own words

I think the resume writer did a fantastic job of converting a story outlining my career into a concise and effective marketing tool. Well done!

Package details

Edgar bought the Career Evolution package. This package includes a resume, cover letter, and two revisions:

• Professionally written resume (top 20%) - Our resumes are written by industry experts and optimized for Application Tracking Systems (ATS).
• Cover letter - Employers are 40% more likely to read a resume with a cover letter.
• Linkedln makeover - We will review and rewrite your profile - 97% of employers use Linkedln.
• World-class resume editor - Quickly tailor your new resume to specific jobs and change templates.
• Career services platform - Unlock 18 tools like interview prep, job search services, plus 3 free Auto Apply credits, and more.