Dang hampsters ate my post!
The title pretty much says it all. I elaborated further in my invisible post but the quick and short of it is I am looking for a respectable resume writing service. There are a lot out there but many seem to be no more than plugging info you provide into a premade format. I can do that. I am looking for professional aid to consult with me on this and hoped someone here might have a recommendation.
Thanks…
Well, I’m not a professional, but I’ve been playing the resume game for the last two months, so I’ve been writing resumes and cover letters like mad, so I may be able to give some advice.
There are a number of good advisors here if that’s an avenue you’re comfortable with.
A couple hints off the bat:
[ul]
[li]stress accomplishments, not activities. I.e. don’t say “did writing and editing on company manuals”; say “wrote 15 manuals in 3 years, which won numerous compliments from customers”[/li][li]get all the right buzz-words in there. The first person reading the resume will be an HR person who really only knows key words, so make sure they’re all in there.[/li][li]Put a summary at the top that describes you doing the job they’re looking for. I.e. if you’re applying for a tech support job, be sure you have at the top a summary saying “A Tech Support Professional with 7 years of experience in the Sheep Waxing industry”[/li][li]Don’t go over two pages.[/li][/ul]
I second the buzz-words recommendation.
Keep in mind that the biggest hurdle your resume needs to clear is the first one, in which it will likely be read by somebody who has no idea what it is you’re talking about. They’re looking for buzzwords almost exclusively. (okay, this isn’t true in ALL situations, but most)
This sounds corny, but it actually helped me. In the nice, formatted, MS Word copy of your resume, put a bulleted list down the left side of your relevant skills. Which are really just buzzwords. Short, one or two word lines that will catch somebody’s eye.
Your resume will still look nice, and there’s an easy-to-read list on the side for the HR people to glance at. Your resume will also stand out because it looks different enough to stand out, but not different enough to look cheesy.
To answer your question (I speak as a former professional writer who authored resumes among other “non-fictional” works), it solely depends upon the individual writer. A pro should have excellent interviewing skills and then be able to convert your experience and marketable skills into coherent words and attractive presentation, or a presentation suitable for online scanning. You should be able to obtain a no-fee 15 minute consultation where you can review samples, fees, and approach and see if you have rapport.
You can always start with the yellow pages. Also check with college career counselors in your area.
You can always try to do it yourself, but if you have the budget and self-realization that you aren’t particularly skilled with writing resumes then by all means hire a professional. An excellent investment that may be tax-deductable.