Is it true recruiters edit your resume?
The short answer: yes. The longer answer is more complicated; sometimes, some recruiters do. When you hear this, don’t panic! It is worth understanding why recruiters may make minor adjustments and what it means for you as a jobseeker.
So why do some recruiters edit your resume? It’s simple: your resume is your first impression to a potential employer and working with a recruiter is like getting an additional set of eyes on a draft. Because we want to help both our candidates and clients, we are not initially reviewing a resume for typos, mistakes, or formatting when setting up an initial phone screen. Our goal is to find a strong match for open roles; we look for relevant skills and related previous experience. However, when a resume is sent as is and directly to a potential employer, they are likely to notice something as small as a typo, and, depending on the employer, they may even pass on the candidate as a result.
In today’s highly competitive job market, we understand the importance of getting a candidate’s resume in front of a hiring manager ASAP! While we’re here to support candidates in getting their resume seen, our job as recruiters is not to be detailed editors. So, rather than go back and forth with our candidates to suggest small edits (think font continuity, formatting, misaligned bullet points, missing dates, a spelling typo, etc.), we may request access to edit a resume to quickly make these small changes to get our candidates sent to our clients as quickly as possible. And trust us, we see hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes in a year and we know what works and what doesn’t. These changes are not monumental and typically do not involve changing the content of a resume. However, in a competitive job market where companies are receiving hundreds of applicants, wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out on an otherwise perfect opportunity due to a small typo?!
We mentioned that we don’t typically edit resume content; while this is true, there are some instances where we may make suggestions about removing certain details. As a general rule of thumb, resumes should have clear and simple formatting and black font. While recruiters and employers are no doubt eager to meet you and see your face, leave this to the imagination until the interview stages! That’s right – do not include photos of any kind on your resume. A resume is to showcase your professional experience; we recommend foregoing a headshot for a multitude of reasons, from potential bias to a cleaner and more professional looking document. (The one exception to this rule may be for roles of an artistic or creative nature, like graphic or web designers.)
In conclusion, while not all recruiters will edit your resume, it is not an uncommon practice, and it is always with good intentions when we do. We are on your team and want to assist you with having the best shot possible at a great opportunity. So, to us, if that means tweaking a resume, we think it's worth it. Below we shared our ideal format for a resume; consider comparing yours to up your game!
Meet the Authors
Isabelle Thanopoulos
Talent Manager, Admin & Legal
Neve Bonelli
Director, Admin & Legal
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