Could You Benefit From Using A Resume Professional?

It could be tough to find a job in this economy. It is even more difficult to find a job when you don't develop a resume that sounds professional. If you think you need help with your application, you should go about finding a resume professional who knows what he is doing. Making this decision could help you land a job in the near future.

Establish An Excellent First Impression

Some job hunters don't realize that your resume is the very first impression you make on a future employer. A careless resume is not going to get the job done. Delivering a job application that has spelling mistakes or poor grammar is not going to help you. Misspelling a word by nothing but a single letter can make you look quite imprudent.

Communicate Your Achievements In Context

Lots of individuals find it challenging to be unprejudiced when they prepare their own resume. They may even insert points that have no importance to the job. For instance, one person was quoted as declaring they ought to be hired because they could be great for the company softball team. No professional would ever let you to put in a sentence like that. It has nothing to do with the job that you are applying for. It is also improbable to sway the hiring manager either. Unless you are applying for a job with the Yankees, the company is not hunting for somebody to play third base.

Steer clear of Excessive Buzzwords

You may think that using buzzwords makes you seem like a professional. It may, but if you use them excessively it will backfire. In reality, overabundant buzzwords make you seem like somebody who is trying too hard. You have to prepare a resume that seems like a person wrote it. This denotes you should come off as natural and sounding like yourself. Enlisting the services of a professional can help you speak in the desired tone. Using buzzwords excessively is a good way to get yourself ruled out from additional job consideration. On the other hand, not making use of buzzwords enough or using them inappropriately is also a good way to get yourself disqualified. A resume professional can help!

Format The Resume Effectively

There is a certain way you are supposed to format your resume. However, that format has evolved a lot in the past few years. It used to be that you would put your contact information on the top of your resume. An objective statement would come after that. In today's times, there is generally no need for an objective statement. It has been replaced by the qualifications profile.

It is also okay to include an email address and a URL to your social media profiles. Employers might even do an online search of their own to check into your background. Furnishing a link to a social media page can offer more data about who you are and what you do. A professional will help you maximize this.

There are a lot of great reasons why you would want to retain a resume professional. This person can help you write a powerful resume that sounds natural and professional. It will be devoid of spelling blunders and other weaknesses. Do yourself a favor by engaging someone to develop your resume if you are not able to do so yourself.

Elizabeth Shelton has a professional interest in the art of resume writing and how the services of a resume professional can improve job search results, although she doesn't claim to be an expert. To get expert help on your resume, she recommends you contact a resume professional. One of the best resume firms online can be found at http://www.distinctiveweb.com/

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Cutting and Pasting Job Descriptions Could Get Your Resume Thrown Out

I have received many inquiries lately from clients who think it's a good idea to copy their current job description into their resumes, and/or copy the job description of the position they're applying for into their resumes.

I STRONGLY recommend against both tactics.

1. Copying current job descriptions:

Your current job description is just a list of job duties. The cardinal rule for resumes in today's job market is to write your resume as a list of achievements and accomplishments, NOT as a list of job duties! I would go so far as to say that your job description has very little to do with what you actually do and accomplish in your position.

I'll take myself as an example. The job description for my current position at the University of Wisconsin Law School says that I counsel students on their legal career search. It doesn't say what my success rate is, or how creatively I work with students' cover letters and resumes, or that I created a PowerPoint presentation on Resumes for Law Students. It doesn't mention the 5 job search resource manuals I created for various big cities across the United States. It doesn't mention the positive feedback I get from the students I work with.

It is my job to put these successes, which are nowhere to be found in my job description, into my resume. They speak much more to what I will accomplish in my next position than that I "assist students with resumes and cover letters."

Guess what? You don't need your current job description to write your resume. Just write about the things you've really done that will be relevant and impressive to the reader.

2. Copying future job descriptions:

I'm willing to bet that a lot of people make this mistake. If you make it too, you will have a lot of company from people who do not get called for interviews. Copying and pasting requires no creativity and actually makes it appear that you did NOT do the things you claim you did. All it does is show a hiring manager or HR person that you can cut and paste.

Instead, FIRST write your resume to highlight your accomplishments. Create the best document you can create. AFTER you have put together a great resume, THEN see if there are small tweaks you can make to include some of the keywords from the future job description.

For instance, I recently worked with a client applying for a Senior IT Director position. The position description listed "Develop and approve exceptions to policy..." His finished resume did not have the phrase "exceptions to policy" in it, but he worked with exceptions to policy regularly. He was able to add this phrase into an already existing bullet regarding his program management accomplishments.

In general, when crafting a winning resume, truth and honesty are the best policy. Don't get lazy or think you're "working the system" by using the cut and paste functions on your keyboard. What will get you an interview is your unique accomplishments. Focus on those and you will see success in your job search.

Still need some help to make your resume great? Contact The Essay Expert about our Resume and Cover Letter Services.

BrendaB@TheEssayExpert.com
http://www.theessayexpert.com/
For writing that gets results.

Brenda Bernstein, Certified Advanced Resume Writer and accomplished editor and LinkedIn trainer, holds an English degree from Yale University and a J.D. from the NYU School of Law. Over her 15 years as Senior Editor at The Essay Expert, Brenda has coached hundreds of professionals and companies to write resumes, essays and other materials that result in sought after job interviews, admission to top schools, and measurable business success.

Specialties: Resumes, Cover Letters, College Application Essays, Professional Bios, LinkedIn Profiles

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Could Your Resume Need Resuscitating?

Have you been waiting for the phone to ring or an email requesting an interview with no luck? If so, your resume could be seeking a physical examination. This critical document should provide a photogenic picture and a synopsis of who you are. Your skills and what you bring to the table, your qualifications and knowledge are essential focal points of what makes you different from the rest. This confidence should exude on paper so that it is heard loud and clear.

With so many people searching for a job, your uniqueness needs to grab attention during the filtering process. As a hiring manager and recruiter, I often come in contact with so many resumes that enter file 13 even before I begin to read them. If the picture does not grab my attention immediately, then it's not worth reading. As the old saying goes, "First impressions are lasting impressions," that's on paper too. Outlining eye catching specifics like what makes you the person we need to contact should be your prime focus. There are a few components to keep in mind when composing your resume for distribution.

1. To get noticed, you have to sell yourself on paper or web first. Wear your best suit so that you get noticed immediately upon arrival. This includes speaking clearly, punctuating correctly and spell checking at every attempt. Don't forget to add an eye catcher like a great objective.

2. Always write in 1st person. After all, the resume is about you and no one else. Your accomplishments are what we want to hear about, not your colleague.

3. Utilize key words to express messages that are descriptive and create a visual perception. These words often jump out at a recruiter upon scanning.

4. Capture what you accomplished that really stood out for your current organization, i.e. growth, improvements, program development. I want you to do the same for my organization, if not better.

5. Make certain the resume is not too busy that it becomes confusing or distracting i.e., excessive lines, too many colors and humongous font. Just like your interview attire, the resume needs to be clean, crisp and pressed.

6. Always be truthful. Lies catch up with you. If not today, certainly tomorrow. This can lead to termination or possible criminal charges.

7. Before submitting to a potential employer, get a second opinion about your resume from a trusted source.

By initiating these steps in your resume check-up process, your chances of getting the opportunity you are seeking may be around the corner.

If you are seeking a review of your resume or have questions about interviewing techniques, please submit to diversecc2012@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter @diverseconnect.

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Resume Writing Tip That Could Make All the Difference

As a corporate recruiter I see thousands and thousands of resumes and to be honest most of them are not very good. This is primarily the reason that I started helping people write their resumes about a decade ago. There is one thing that I keep noticing that is very easy to fix and will help everyone that is applying for jobs right now. Here is the key: Customize your resume for each and every job you are applying for. Yes, it will take more time and effort on your part but it will be well worth it. I also suggest that you write a detailed cover letter and highlight the reasons why you are the right fit for the job.

The easiest way to customize your resume is to read the job description very closely and use many of the same verbiage that is included in the description. The closer your resume matches the job description, the greater your chances of getting an interview. Be sure to not copy or make it obvious that you are extracting information from the description.

By reading the job description you will have the blueprint to what they employer is looking for. Make sure the highlight the experiences and accomplishments that are relevant based on this information. Too many people create a one size fits all resume and send it out to dozens of companies and wonder why they never hear back from them. My advice is to apply to fewer jobs and spend more time writing a cover letter and resume for each one. This one change can make all the difference.

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Article Submitted On: January 04, 2011

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