Asking Coworkers for Help With Your Resume

A strong resume that highlights your skills is invaluable, and resume writing almost always can benefit from some outside assistance. Asking coworkers for resume help is okay as long as you don't overstep your bounds. Your colleagues' firsthand knowledge of your work ethic, job skills, position and industry makes them valuable sources of information. After all, who better to ask for resume help than someone who has worked alongside you for months, or even years?

Before you ask your coworkers for resume help, talk to your direct supervisor. Letting your boss know your intentions before someone else does prevents you from giving the wrong impression. Not knowing the details of your future career plans may also make your boss reluctant to trust you with important projects.

Don’t be afraid to ask your boss for resume help. Supervisors make excellent references and can sometimes provide important details to include in your work history. When you're writing a resume, you need to highlight your strengths by listing measurable achievements. It’s important to use exact figures, so ask your supervisor for help if you don’t know where you rank among your peers.

Don’t bring up the subject of resume help without knowing your boundaries. It’s important to stay professional. Don’t ask your colleagues to copy or see their resumes. It’s personal information that they may not want to share, and it could offend someone. Asking a coworker to write a resume for you is also a bad idea. Instead, consider how your coworkers’ knowledge can help you create a well-written resume on your own. Some of the ways your coworkers can help you include:

• Identifying your strengths and weaknesses
• Providing references
• Proofreading
• Identifying job duties and/or achievements that you’ve overlooked

Avoiding personal questions and asking for too much resume help is important, but it’s equally important not to divulge too much information. Simply tell curious coworkers that you’re updating your resume. If they continue to probe for answers, tell them that you like to keep your options open. Keep your answers vague, especially if you’re actively seeking employment elsewhere.

To avoid workplace rumors and gossip, limit the number of colleagues that you ask for resume help. Choose dependable, trustworthy coworkers that can provide the type of resume help you need. Anyone you maintain a decent working relationship with can proofread your resume, but if you need help identifying your strengths and weaknesses, your boss and people who work closely with you each day are good options.

Your boss and coworkers are excellent resources to use when you're writing a resume. As long as you remain professional, limit who you ask for resume help and be honest with your supervisor, you can get the information you need to write an outstanding resume.

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