resume-optimizer/references/analysis-checklist.md

Resume Analysis Checklist

Comprehensive evaluation criteria for analyzing and scoring resumes.

Table of Contents

1. Quick Assessment Framework
2. Section-by-Section Analysis
3. Scoring Rubric
4. Common Issues & Fixes
5. Recommendation Templates

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Quick Assessment Framework

First Pass (30 seconds)

Check these immediately:

• Clean, professional appearance
• Contact info complete and visible
• Clear section headers
• Appropriate length (1-2 pages)
• No obvious formatting issues
• No typos in first few lines

Second Pass (2 minutes)

Deeper review:

• Achievement-focused bullets (not just duties)
• Quantified results present
• Logical career progression
• Skills relevant to target role
• Summary tells clear story
• Education appropriately positioned

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Section-by-Section Analysis

Contact Information

Check for:

Criteria	Good	Needs Work
Name visibility	Large, bold, top of page	Small, buried, or unclear
Email	Professional format	Unprofessional handle
Phone	Clean format	Missing or unclear
Location	City, State	Full address or missing
LinkedIn	Customized URL present	Missing or default URL
Portfolio	Included if relevant	Missing when needed

Red Flags:

• Photo included (US resumes)
• Personal info (DOB, marital status)
• Unprofessional email (partyguy99@...)
• Multiple phone numbers

Professional Summary

Check for:

Criteria	Strong (3)	Adequate (2)	Weak (1)
Clarity	Clear value proposition	Generic but coherent	Vague or confusing
Keywords	Target role keywords included	Some relevant terms	No relevant keywords
Length	2-4 focused sentences	Slightly too long/short	Paragraph or single line
Specificity	Specific achievements mentioned	General experience noted	Only soft skills
Relevance	Tailored to target role	Partially relevant	Generic for any job

Issues to flag:

• Objective statement instead of summary
• First-person pronouns (I, me, my)
• Clichés ("hard-working team player")
• No connection to target role

Work Experience

Per Position, Check:

Criteria	Strong (3)	Adequate (2)	Weak (1)
Achievement focus	Results-driven bullets	Mix of duties/achievements	Only job duties
Quantification	Metrics in most bullets	Some metrics	No metrics
Action verbs	Strong, varied verbs	Adequate verbs	Weak or repetitive
Relevance	Directly relevant to target	Partially relevant	Irrelevant experience
Bullet quality	Specific and impactful	Generic but clear	Vague or confusing
Formatting	Consistent throughout	Minor inconsistencies	Inconsistent

Scoring Bullets:

• ✅ "Increased revenue 45% by implementing targeted email campaigns reaching 50K subscribers"
• ⚠️ "Helped increase revenue through marketing campaigns"
• ❌ "Responsible for email marketing"

Issues to flag:

• More than 6 bullets per recent role
• Duty descriptions vs. achievements
• Missing dates or inconsistent formats
• Large unexplained gaps
• Job hopping without explanation

Education

Check for:

Criteria	Include	Omit
Degree & Major	Always	Never
Institution	Always	Never
Graduation Date	Always	Never
GPA	If 3.5+ and <5 years out	If lower or experienced
Coursework	If recent grad or career change	If experienced
Honors	If notable	If minor

Position Guidance:

• Recent grads (0-2 years): Before experience
• Experienced (3+ years): After experience

Skills Section

Evaluate:

Criteria	Strong	Weak
Organization	Grouped by category	Random list
Relevance	Matches target role	Generic or outdated
Specificity	Specific tools/technologies	Vague terms
Credibility	Realistic and honest	Overstated

Issues to flag:

• Soft skills listed without context
• Obvious skills ("Microsoft Word")
• Skills bars or ratings (subjective)
• Outdated technologies
• Skills not demonstrated in experience

Optional Sections

Evaluate inclusion of:

• Certifications: Relevant and current?
• Projects: Demonstrate skills? Have impact?
• Volunteer: Leadership or relevant skills?
• Publications: Relevant to role?
• Languages: Proficiency levels clear?

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Scoring Rubric

Overall Resume Score (Out of 100)

Category	Weight	Max Points
Content Quality	40%	40
Formatting & Readability	20%	20
ATS Compatibility	20%	20
Relevance to Target	20%	20

Content Quality (40 points)

• Achievement-focused bullets: 0-10
• Quantified results: 0-10
• Professional summary strength: 0-10
• Skills relevance: 0-10

Formatting & Readability (20 points)

• Visual hierarchy: 0-5
• Consistent formatting: 0-5
• Appropriate length: 0-5
• White space balance: 0-5

ATS Compatibility (20 points)

• Standard section headers: 0-5
• Simple formatting (no tables/columns): 0-5
• Keyword integration: 0-5
• File format readiness: 0-5

Relevance to Target (20 points)

• Skills match: 0-5
• Experience alignment: 0-5
• Summary targeting: 0-5
• Keyword coverage: 0-5

Score Interpretation

• 90-100: Excellent - Ready to submit
• 80-89: Strong - Minor improvements recommended
• 70-79: Good - Several improvements needed
• 60-69: Fair - Significant revision required
• Below 60: Needs major overhaul

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Common Issues & Fixes

High-Priority Issues

Issue	Impact	Fix
Duty descriptions instead of achievements	ATS + Human	Rewrite with STAR method
No metrics/quantification	Human	Add numbers to 70%+ of bullets
Missing keywords	ATS	Extract from job description
Inconsistent formatting	Both	Standardize throughout
Poor summary/objective	Human	Rewrite with value proposition

Medium-Priority Issues

Issue	Impact	Fix
Too long/short	Human	Edit to 1-2 pages
Skills not organized	Both	Group by category
Weak action verbs	Human	Replace with power verbs
Missing LinkedIn	Human	Add customized URL
Generic content	Both	Tailor to target role

Low-Priority Issues

Issue	Impact	Fix
GPA missing (if strong)	Human	Add if 3.5+ and recent
No projects section	Human	Add if relevant
Missing certifications	ATS	Add if have any

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Recommendation Templates

Opening Assessment

**Overall Assessment:** [Score]/100 - [Excellent/Strong/Good/Fair/Needs Work]

**Key Strengths:**
1. [Strength with specific example]
2. [Strength with specific example]
3. [Strength with specific example]

**Priority Improvements:**
1. [High-impact issue] - [Specific fix]
2. [High-impact issue] - [Specific fix]
3. [High-impact issue] - [Specific fix]

Section-Specific Feedback

**[Section Name]:** [Strong/Adequate/Needs Work]

Current: "[Quote from resume]"

Recommendation: [Specific suggestion]

Revised: "[Improved version]"

Bullet Rewrite Examples

**Original:** "Responsible for managing customer accounts"

**Issues:** Duty-focused, no metrics, weak verb

**Improved:** "Managed portfolio of 45 enterprise accounts totaling $2.3M ARR, achieving 95% retention rate through proactive relationship management"

Summary Format

**Resume Analysis Summary**

Score: [X]/100

Top 3 Priorities:
1. [Issue] → [Action]
2. [Issue] → [Action]
3. [Issue] → [Action]

Would you like me to implement these changes?

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Analysis Workflow

1. Quick scan - First impressions, obvious issues
2. Section analysis - Score each section
3. ATS check - Formatting and keywords
4. Calculate overall score
5. Identify top 3-5 priorities
6. Provide specific rewrites for weakest areas
7. Offer to implement changes