Getting Feedback and Iterating

Ask specific people specific questions

Fresh eyes catch problems you cannot see. Ask engineers in your target role whether the bullets show the right skills, people who hire (if you know any) what they would ask about, and anyone careful to check typos and clarity. Ask specific questions, such as "Which bullet is weakest?" or "What do you think I do, after a ten-second look?", rather than "Is it good?". Treat responses to applications as rough feedback too, while remembering that many factors outside your resume affect them. Change one thing at a time, keep versions, and do not let one opinion override consistent feedback from several people. Be careful sharing resumes with unknown services; remove your phone number from public review copies.

A feedback request template

Send this with your resume.

Hi Arjun,

I am applying for backend roles (2-4 years experience). Could you spend
10 minutes on my resume and answer three questions?

1. After a quick look, what do you think my main strength is?
2. Which bullet is the weakest or least clear?
3. What would you ask me about first in an interview?

No need to polish wording; honest notes are most helpful. Thank you!

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Iteration log
v3 (Sep): moved Postgres bullet up, cut old coursework  <- feedback from 2 people
v4 (Oct): rewrote project section after mock interview

A code review for your career

You would not ship code without review; a resume benefits from the same process: small changes, specific comments, and another pair of eyes.

Quick check: Which feedback request is most useful?

• "Which bullet is the weakest or least clear?"
• "Is my resume good?"
• "Can you rewrite all of it for me?"
• "Should I add more keywords?"