It’s important to share your vision as a client. Sometimes you don’t know what this vision is until you see the first draft. Then it becomes readily apparent that this draft isn’t it. This is why revisions are vital to the process.
Not allowing the writer an opportunity to revise is doing a disservice to the writer and the resume. Although I’m pretty consistent, I can get these opposite reactions:
- “It looks exactly like my current resume.”
- “I don’t recognize my resume.”
Seeking employment can be highly stressful, especially if you’re between jobs, or in a challenging situation in your current position. You may have been in the same role for twenty years and therefore haven’t needed a resume in all that time. Maybe you’re a new grad seeking your first real job and everyone is giving you advice on how your resume should look. If you’re changing careers, you may not know how to present your accomplishments for a different path.
We don’t often think about how to present expectations. And we often don’t know them until they’re not met. I have received very detailed feedback requesting specific changes, which is super helpful and easy to incorporate. I have also received feedback that is vague about not feeling impressed by the first draft, or feeling that the first draft is not their vision.
The second response needs further exploration (and sometimes a phone call!). More times than not, once I’ve explained my reasoning behind my actions, the client either understands and feels more comfortable with the first draft, or the client is able to express more clearly where I can meet expectations.
Communication is key in client-writer relationships. Hiring someone to create such a vital document representing something as personal as the work you do every day can be unsettling. My job as the writer is to remain confident in my work and steadfast in the process, with an easy to follow timeline. I can’t take edits personally, and I can’t make them personal. This means I will do what the client wishes within best practices to ensure client confidence in submitting the resume to applications.
If you’re working with a writer on a resume (or any other document), providing detailed feedback with specific requests is the most helpful. If this isn’t possible, presenting a big picture response is also helpful, maybe even making comparisons to your current resume for reference. Also, if you feel the first draft is nowhere near your expectations, which you may not have realized until you saw the first draft, give the writer a second chance. I have on the rare occasion completely overhauled my own first draft based on big picture feedback, and the client has been pleasantly surprised.
Setting expectations need not be confined to the opening of the process. Expectations can be adjusted throughout the process. It can be frustrating for the writer to have missed the mark completely, without ever having been given the mark. This is a part of the process, to present work based on expectations given upfront, or offered after the first draft. Always give the writer a second chance, especially if your expectations are prompted by the first draft. You will most likely be pleasantly surprised.