Technical Editor Resume

Before

After

Resume Editing

A Critique of Your Resume:

Dear William ~

I carefully studied the job description you provided and geared your resume towards those specific responsibilities so that you would have an advantage over the other applicants.

To begin, I condensed your resume from two pages to one without losing any content. In the industry, one-page resumes are far preferred over two pages. Only seasoned executives with decades of experience have a two-page resume.

For your resume, I chose the “Professional” format, a style that’s most chosen by white-collar workers, such as you. This format employs the Times New Roman font resulting in a document that’s quite elegant in appearance. I separated your contact information, placing your phone/fax number flush left and your email flush right. Now, a hiring manager can easily locate this data.

Rather than writing an objective, I chose a Qualifications summary. In an objective, you’re telling a hiring manager what you want. In a Qualifications summary, you’re telling the hiring manager what you can offer the targeted firm. You’re sending a powerful message when you put a hiring manager’s needs above your own.

In this paragraph, I described you as meticulous and accomplished. Keeping in mind the job responsibilities, I emphasized your writing, editing, and proofreading experience for healthcare related documents, “…including those for hospitals, insurers, and pharmaceutical concerns.” I added that you’re skilled in both print and online editing - a real talent in today’s technological marketplace. I next added your computer skills. Because editing is generally computer-intensive, a hiring manager likes to know, up front, what software you’re familiar with. I went on to write of your fluency in Japanese and English and that you’re certified in Technical Writing and Editing. In this brief paragraph I gave a hiring manager many reasons to make you the successful candidate.

The Professional Experience section follows. In the bulleted text, I began each sentence with the strongest action verb possible, while also revising some of your data for clarity, conciseness, and maximum impact.

For example, you wrote:

“Wrote, edited, proofread, produced company quarterly news letter.”

I revised that to read:

“Produced company’s quarterly newsletter, including writing, editing, and proofreading copy.” (The fact that you produced the entire newsletter is the most important activity, with the tasks involved coming later. Too, so many of your bullets began with the word “Wrote,” I felt it necessary to use different terms so that a hiring manager would be compelled to read all the data).

In another example, you wrote in two bullets:

“Coordinated the development of the culture training program for exchange students going to and from Japan.” “Developed marketing materials for exchange courses and programs.”

I revised that to one bullet that reads:

“Organized the culture training program that assisted foreign and national exchange students; developed marketing material for exchange courses and programs.” (Since both activities concern the exchange course, the resume’s better organized by combining these two activities.)

For your last job listing as an Editor and Translator in Japan, I condensed the data into one line for space considerations.

I ended your resume with the Education section.

All decisions to modify data were in keeping with the guidelines and standards set forth by the Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW).

With this resume, you now have a powerful tool that’s well organized and filled with pertinent data, while also being aesthetically pleasing.

It was a pleasure serving you, William.

Good luck with the job!

ResumeEdge Editor

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)