Resume Help Blog

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Getting proper resume help is the one step in your job search over which you have total control. It is your personal career marketing document. You will either be selected for an interview from among potentially hundreds of other candidates – or passed over; depending entirely on the strength of your resume.

The Resumes Function

The purpose of a Resume is not to get a job! Its purpose is to get an interview. The competition is fierce so the better this document is, the quicker you get hired.

Job recruiters spend approximately 15 seconds looking at each Resume. In that short time, they make a decision to place you in the “yes” pile or in the “no” pile. This decision can be based on the overall appearance of your Resume template, the format, and the three or four key selling points you have listed in your Qualifications Summary at the top of the resume.

If you make it to the “yes” pile, your resume will receive a detailed reading. From that initial pile of Resumes that come in the mail, the recruiter’s goal might be to narrow the list to only five, ten or twenty candidates who will be called for an interview. So even if you survived the first screening and made it to the stack of 20, you still have a 50/50 chance of being cut from the final selection.

Remember, this entire process happens solely on the strength of your resume. That’s why your resume format is so important. And if you survive this process, your resume then becomes the basis for your interview. The recruiter will use your resume as an outline to discuss your career history, accomplishments, and qualifications for the position she/he needs to fill at the company.

After the interview, your resume continues to represent you, as your qualifications are weighed against those of other candidates who have also made it through this interview stage. Assume that only the five or ten best and most qualified candidates were interviewed. The department heads involved will meet and discuss which candidates they want to consider. Even here, your resume plays an important role in reminding the company of your qualifications, the impression you made during the interview, etc.

Should You Write Your Own Resume?

Probably not – unless you are a skilled professional writer who can also honestly look at your own strengths and weaknesses objectively. While there are dozens of “do-it-yourself” resume books on the market, the truth is that if you do your own resume, it is being prepared by an amateur.

Does it make sense to spend four years and $40,000 to earn a college degree and then market that investment to employers with a do-it-yourself Resume? Or to have solid credentials and a salary level of $30,000, $60,000 or $100,000… and use a less than professional resume to represent you?

Think of a company like Coca-Cola. The executives who work for Coca-Cola know that product better than anyone else. Yet Coca-Cola uses a professional advertising agency to create the messages that are designed to sell us on buying Coca-Cola.

The Professional Resume Writer

Hiring a professional Resume writer serves the same purpose in selling you to a potential employer as Coca-Cola’s advertising agency. You’re getting the benefit of an expert who writes resumes every day and who knows how to present a client’s background and credentials to best advantage.

There are three options open at this point;

1. do it yourself,
2. hire a professional resume writer or
3. use resume software.

I would never recommend to even my worst enemy that they write their own resume so that leaves #2 and #3. Number 2 is the best option but costs some money, sometimes $200 – $400, however it is an investment in YOUR future.

Resume software is a less expensive and was written by professional resume writers. Resume templates and Interview help is also available. Is it equal to option #2?  Very close but not quite as good but still far ahead of writing your own resume.

I would recommend that if your budget will allow, go to the professional writer route. However if you have been out of work awhile then the #3 option makes sense. That’s why our site Resume On A Budget was created, to help people on a budget. By the way the resume software has a money back guarantee so you can’t go wrong.

To be able to ace any job interview, there is a need to be compelling and competitive and go beyond what an interview is all about.

Who does not get nervous just thinking of the dreaded job interview? What is your chance of making it now after the three interviews that you failed, because you were too nervous to answer? When will you ever get your talking straight when you are in front of the board of directors?   Yes, the list goes on for the job interview problems that you need to get over to ace the position.

The chances to make it are odd and the odds are truly great, but still, you can get hired! All you need to do is to find the most credible job interview help and use it to your benefit. There is a need to experiment on every angle when it comes to a job interview preparation and it might take some time before you sound and look natural during the actual interview. You have to analyze your steps before execution and be able to think fast because nothing else beats smooth job interview skills.

All the written requirements, including the cover letter and the resume must be well thought of because they will give the impression of skill and professionalism that they need to consider you in the position. They must be well groomed as you are for the interview. However, take caution to include only what is best for the interview or the position that you wish to land on. An organized resume must not spill to the borders of the paper while the cover letter must be brief but firm and professional.

The power of impact is your key to ace any job. You have to be ready for anything when job interview questions are directed to you as an individual, an applicant, a future employee and a team leader. Be sure to save some job interview answers that produce outstanding impression that does not sound too highly of you but compelling and competitive. Some interviewers want brief but clear answers while some wish to know more about you. That is why you need to think of these things that are not included in your resume that will help them know that they need to hire someone like you.

To be compelling and competitive, you must sound and look professional in every way. Do not give them the idea of another useless employee with slow and senseless answers. You have to do everything the best that you can before the decision is taken, even up to the making of your job interview thank you letter. During the job interview follow up, for example, it must be rendered with a firm tone whether it may be on the phone or personal.

The interview will never be easy without job interview tips. There are ups and downs in life that back you down in getting employed. You have to choose to be better and seek all possible solutions to your job interview dilemmas. Break the barriers and go beyond and learn what job interview is all about.

I was reading a recent article on Reuters news site that said the following:  “Single spelling mistake can derail job application.”  Wow! That sucks!

The article went on to say that a recent survey revealed that 1/5th of Canadian employers stated they would not interview someone if they had just ONE spelling error on their resume! That percentage probably grows if the overall writing quality is poor.  The survey was conducted by AccountTemps.

So what’s the point of this post? The point is that there is no shame in admitting that you are a bad speller, or that you have trouble writing a decent sentence. It’s better to swallow your pride and ask for help than it is to lose opportunity after opportunity because your resume gives off the impression that you are sloppy or don’t pay attention to details. 

There’s a couple of things you can do to double-check your resume and make sure that it doesn’t have spelling or sentence errors. 

The cheapest one is to find a friend that you know is a good writer, or has an eye for detail, and ask them to honestly read through your resume and locate spelling or sentence errors.  And while this sounds easiest, and the least expensive, it also entails a little bit of humility.

Don’t be so personally invested in exactly how a resume is written. If your friend thinks a sentence would read better, don’t get defensive. Listen to what they recommend and make the change if the sentence honestly sounds stronger. Nobody wants to help you if their opinions are met with abrasiveness or argument. And pride can lose you that job opportunity!

Bottom line. Swallow that pride and make sure your resume is the best it can be! No typo’s and no bad grammar! You’ll be glad that you did when you trot off to work while many other people are still job hunting.