Resume Templates: A Smart Idea or a Huge Mistake?

If you have ever been stuck and held back by writer's block while trying to create your resume, you know how tempting it is to use a resume template. Using a resume template, you may reason, will lead you in including all the crucial details in your career background. Further, a resume template will help you in creating a resume that is appropriately formatted and designed, and looks professional. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth than these assumptions.

Resume templates are inflexible, one-size-fits-all formats. You, on the other hand, are a one-of-a-kind individual with incomparable experience and value to bring to your next employer. Resume templates force you to present your experience in an unbending format that makes every candidate look just like every other candidate. Is that your goal in a job search? Or is it better to promote yourself and your professional capabilities in a way that helps you to stand out to recruiters as an applicant who has distinguishing abilities and will produce benefits for the hiring company in a way that all your competitors in the job market will not.

The job market is fierce, after all. Many applicants for the positions you are going after will have experience and qualifications that are similar to yours. Using a template to develop your resume will simply spotlight this same-ness. Creating a unique resume format that is tailored to accentuate your past accomplishments and your unique selling points will get attention from hiring authorities, and will ensure that your resume is pulled from the pile of hundreds as you'll be recognized as an exceptional candidate worthy of bringing in for an interview.

So, without using a resume template, how will you overcome your writers's block and create a dynamic resume that generates superb results in the job market? One potential source of inspiration is examples of other distinctively written, custom-formatted resumes, particularly before and after example resumes. Of course, you should never, never copy wording or duplicate a design and format idea without giving it some unique twist to make it your own. But, example resumes are still great resources to show you the creative design and formatting techniques that have been successful for other job seekers.

If you are really stuck, professional resume writers are experts in developing creative, tailored resumes that will accentuate your top selling points while downplaying any potential negatives. While having your resume professionally written is an investment, it is one that will often pay large returns by helping you get attention in a crowded job market and land a new job faster, many times at a salary that is higher than anticipated.

However you proceed, remember that your goal is to stand out, generate interviews, and win job offers. Writing a resume can be challenging, but there are many resources available to help you. Just be certain to avoid the use of resume templates. Even though they may save you some time and effort at the start, using them will almost always backfire and result in a longer, more difficult, and more costly job search.

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Experts Are Smart to Sell Themselves on Professional Sales Resumes

Why does a sales person need a professional resume? A person who has become an expert at selling cars was able to attain this through years of experience. Professional resume writers are the same but what they sell are people. They can identify the approach that works. A sales person would have to rely on trial and error. This experimentation might cost a lucrative account because the wrong technique can be fatal. The professional has an arsenal of proven methods that have been tested as effective.

Resume-Writing Fantasies

Most people who already make a living through selling occasionally do not believe they need the services of a professional resume writer. They are already good at sales so they consider their expertise sufficient to the task. Unfortunately, one type of expertise does not ensure another. For instance, a person great at sales talk might not be as effective when it comes to the written variety of selling. A professional resume writer will definitely do a better simply because it is his or her field of expertise.

There is much "How To" literature on resume writing so how it is supposed to be done is available. Is knowledge gained this way sufficient? The truth is, many people know how to sell but only a few really sell. Knowing what to include in a resume and how to package it or present it does not immediately make what is produced an effective advertisement. Unless one is seriously planning to enter professional resume writing, the time spent developing this skill would have been better spent selling what one already sells best.

What Should a Resume Look Like?

One area that can challenge the sales or marketing experts is proving their contribution to a successful sales initiative. It may be true that they already know how to focus a customer on the benefits one can get instead of going on and on about the features. When it comes to presenting their own value or contribution, they have difficulty quantifying their impact. A professional will be able to do this for their clients, creating a professional sales resume based on input from the client. Moreover, the visual presentation of the resume will be appropriate and contribute to closing the sale.

In today's competitive world, standing out matters. Since people emulate what works, what was once unique rapidly becomes the norm, and at times an obsolete method when newer ways come along. By necessity, professional resume writers keep an eye on these trends. They keep up on the most effective way to make a resume stand out from the rest.
Even expert marketers or great salesmen can benefit from the services of a good professional writer. At the very least, a professional sales resume will free them to pursue their own expertise.

Paul Freiberger is President of Shimmering Resumes, a resume-writing, interview preparation, and career counseling service based in San Mateo, California. Paul is the author of several books and the winner of the Los Angeles Times book award. He offers resume writing services, job interview and job search campaign coaching nationwide. He can be reached at: Paul@shimmeringresumes.com, or, by phone at 877-796-9737. You can see resume and cover letter samples of his work at http://www.shimmeringresumes.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_A._Freiberger

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