Resume Rubric

Here is an INFORMAL resume rubric that I created as a teacher and a resume writer. I recognize that some items should hold more weight than others, and I may make a more specific version in the future. For now, use this to get a feel for what a recruiter may see when they look at your resume, keeping in mind that this is generic, rather than industry-specific.

	0 Points	1 Point	2 Points
Introduction	Name is smaller than 12-point font or missing completely; contact information is missing; email is unprofessional.	Name is between 12- and 20-point font; contact information is unclear or hard to find; email is professional enough.	Name is between 12- and 20-point font; contact information is unclear or hard to find; email is professional enough.
Summary Statement	No summary statement is present.	Summary includes some but not all of your background, experience, passions, and soft skills. Summary statement includes an objective. Summary is less than 2 lines or more than 4 lines.	Summary includes your background, years of experience, passions, and soft skills. Summary statement does not include your objective. Summary is 2 to 4 lines long.
Format	Font size and type are inconsistent. Margins are smaller than 0.5 inches. Resume is not visually balanced. Titles are bolded, underlined, and italicized. Resume includes columns and color blocks. Resume includes icons and/or photos. Resume is well over a page per decade of work in the same industry.	Font size or type is inconsistent. Margins are larger than 1 inch. Resume is not fully visually balanced. Titles are highlighted in two or more ways. Resume has columns. Resume is slightly over a page per decade of industry-specific work OR takes up an incomplete number of pages.	Resume is consistently 10-, 11-, or 12-point font. Font is consistent and conservative, such as Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, or Calibri. Margins are between 0.5 inches and 1 inch. Section titles are bolded, underlined, OR italicized. Resume is visually balanced and does not include columns. Resume is a page per decade of work in the industry.
Content	Many sections are missing or incomplete. Skill summary includes only soft skills. Work history does not include a description. Locations and dates are missing. Bullet points do not start with action words. Content does not match the position description.	Some sections are missing or incomplete. Skill summary includes soft skills along with hard skills. Work history includes the basic job description; few numbers are present. Locations and dates are inconsistent. Bullet points repeat action words. Content matches some of the position description.	Resume includes work history and education sections. Skill summary is present and includes technical skills. Work history includes specific position descriptions that show how you moved the company forward and went above and beyond the job description. Quantifiable skills include numbers. Locations and dates are clear and consistent. Bullet points start with unique action words. Content fits well with the position description.
Grammar	Resume is written in first person and includes “I”, “me”, “we” or “our” statements. Current and previous positions alternate between past and present tense. Grammar and spelling are inconsistent and incorrect.	Resume is written in first person at times and includes “I”, “me”, “we” or “our” statements. Current and previous positions are both between past or present tense. Grammar and spelling are inconsistent or incorrect.	Resume is written in first person implied perspective and does not include “I”, “me”, “we” or “our” statements. Current positions are written in present tense and previous positions are in past tense. Grammar and spelling are consistent and correct.

TOTAL ________/10

Grade:

0 – 5 | Resume is not moving on to the next phase

6 – 8 | Resume is in the “maybe” pile

9 – 10 | Resume is worth an interview