Clarification in tone

Question

I had sent my resume for review to an american person. He replied saying, "I think your resume is perfect, I would not change a thing. I actually have no recommendations for you."

What is he actually trying to say? And what is his tone?

Thanks,
Ben Sooraj M

Canadian45 · Accepted Answer

I think your resume is perfect; I would not change a thing.

Do you really not understand what he is saying? Look up "perfect" in a dictionary.

Anonymous · Answer

This would depend on the wording of the resume itself, your relationship with this American person, and your background and the background of this American. Without further context, what he said might be entirely innocent, but I have some reservations about it.

If he's a native English speaker and you're not, then his reply seems unusual. The statement, "I think your resume is perfect, I would not change a thing.", is unusual. No resume is going to be perfect, not even one by a native English-speaking Ivy Leaguer, and one written by a non-native speaker would surely not be perfect (or, at the very least, there would be things in it that are not be clear to an American and would call for clarification). So why is he saying something like this? Either: he is very busy and can't be bothered with looking at your resume or with asking you to clarify things in it, and so he simply says "It's 'perfect'."; or your resume is far from perfect and could use some editing, or, at the very least, there are things in it that are not familiar to an American reviewer, but he doesn't like you and is being sarcastic; or it really is perfect, in his estimation.

The statement, "I actually have no recommendations for you.", is also unusual. If, as he says, the resume is perfect and he wouldn't change a thing in it, then this statement is extraneous or redundant. And the wording is unusual. The word "recommendations" is a serious word in the context of a job search. Whether or not you get a job can depend on recommendations. And so for him to say "I actually have no recommendations for you." sounds hostile. It might be entirely innocent, he's merely being redundant in an awkward kind of way, but I don't like the wording of this.

Canadian45 · Answer

AnonymousThe word "recommendations" is a serious word in the context of a job search. Whether or not you get a job can depend on recommendations. And so for him to say "I actually have no recommendations for you." sounds hostile.

I think that your post is significantly off the mark.
For example, "I actually have no recommendations for you." means that the reviewer does not think that there is anything in the resume that is flawed enough that it needs to be changed. It does not mean that the reviewer would not recommend you as a prospective employee.

Clarification in tone

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