Posts Tagged ‘write resume’
February 11th, 2009 | 
Author: A job posting is all about tomorrow, and the resume is all about yesterday. Make your resume future-focused Ask how you can honestly, ethically, and professionally marry yourself up with what your employer is looking for.
Paul Mathews
Read the job description and use the same words. If the ad specifies ‘instructor,’ don’t write trainer.
Anita Attridge
Don’t use buzz-words like a good team member, problem solver, self motivated. You are not telling me anything. Be specific. Describe your accomplishments, not your duties. Quantify your experience.
Michael Worthington
Exerpts From: Powering Up Your Resume
When to Hire a Career Coach
“Being laid off is a fact of business today,” says Elaine Varelas of Keystone Partners. “It’s not personal.” But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a shock. Career coaches can help you navigate almost everything: handling emotions, defining skills and goals, and even adapting to a new workplace.
When you’re competing with top talent, the old saying is even more important: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. “That’s why it’s important to have your act together,” says Bettina Seidman. “A career coach can help you do it right the first time.” That includes working with you to hone your two-minute pitch so you can quickly and effectively describe yourself and your accomplishments, prepping you for the interview, and proofreading your resume to catch the typos that can torpedo your chances.
“You can get a lot of information on the Web or in books,” says Cheryl Lynch Simpson. “But a coach can help you apply that information to your situation and work with you to create your unique ‘brand.’ ”
Before you sign on with a coach, ask for his or her credentials and check the bio and client information, advises Anita Attridge. Also, “ask to contact previous clients.”
There is no governing body that certifies coaches. The Career Management Alliance and Career Directors International (careerdirectors.com) have directories, but the best way to find someone is through word of mouth, says Simpson. And experience is more important than certification. Some coaches charge up-front fees that range from $5,000 to $20,000. Hourly fees run between $100 and $500. Clients looking to change jobs may need four to six hours; to change careers, 10 to 14 hours; to get performance coaching, three to six months. “Make sure the coach doesn’t insist you start from scratch if you have already done some of the footwork,” Attridge says.
Career coach Elaine Varelas has a simple “so what?” test that she thinks every line of a resume should pass: “If you say, ‘I managed six people,’ ask yourself, ‘So what?’ But saying ‘I managed six people with no turnover’ does answer the question. Resumes are all about results.”
You’ll also want to use strong, specific action verbs to highlight your results. “Worked, for instance, is a weak and overused word,” says Randall Hansen. “Use collaborated or led.” Here are a few more verbs that can help put the action back into your job search:
- accelerated
- accomplished
- collaborated
- constructed
- created
- designed
- developed
- devised
- drafted
- established
- expanded
- formulated
- generated
- implemented
- improved
- initiated
- launched
- managed
- negotiated
- operated
- presented
- produced
- streamlined
- supervised
- tracked
- wrote
Posted in Job Search Tips | 
Tags: How To, Job Search Tips, resume keywords, successful resume, write resume | 
1 Comment »
A professional resume writer can give you the edge you need to gain an interview, and possibly even negotiate a higher salary. But not all resume writers are the same. Some specialize in resumes for the fresh out of college, while others specialize in executive level resumes.
Here is our top 5 list of professional resume writers.
We suggest you review each resume writers site, check out their sample resumes, and even get a FREE quote and consultation from more than one of them before choosing one. After all, this is your career we’re talking about.
Our Best Professional Resume Writers
Distinctive Documents has been in service since 1996 and is one of the internets best known professional resume writing services. They specialize in writing resumes for people that in niches markets (IT or web design) and executive levels (upper management, CEO, CFO, etc.). In fact, they boast that over 86% of their clients are in upper management levels and 67% of them earn $100,000 or more.
Specializing in resumes for all career levels – from entry level college graduates to executives that have extensive experience. They even offer resume writing tailored to people with military experience. With an over 98% satisfaction rating we definitely think Resume Edge lives up to it’s name.
Their theme is “Vault – Don’t Climb” and they certainly live up to this with all the services they offer job seekers. Not only do they offer superior professional resume writing services, they also have a fantastic job search engine (that’s completely free by the way) and specialized message boards where tens of thousands of people post and answer questions and network with each other.
Resume Corner is one of our favorite resume writing services. Mostly because of all the free services they offer!
- Free phone consultation with a professional resume writer
- Get an interview within 30 days or they will rewrite your resume for free
- Free internet ready Word, PDF, and keyword scannable files
- Free thank you letter sample and reference list
- Free consultation with a professional career coach
- Free consultation with a professional coach for interview help
According to the Washington Post, Winchester Star, and The LA Times Resumes Planet is one of the leading resume writing services in the US. Unlike most professional resume writers services they go one step further and offer a resume review and editing service – which can mean a substantial savings if you’ve already got a good resume and just want to tweak it up a notch.
General Information
Distinctive Documents Professional Resume Writers are for you if you are in a niche market, such as IT or graphic design or if you are at the executive level in your career.
What They Say About Themselves
We pride ourselves in assisting our clients with all the tools necessary for a successful and productive job search. All of our resumes (and other personal marketing materials) are created with your unique needs in mind and are designed to place you ahead of the competition by emphasizing your personal brand and the distinguishing value you will bring to your next employer.
Services
- Professional Resume Writing & Design
- One-on-One Resume Writing & Career Marketing Services
- Cover Letter Writing & Other Career Marketing Tools
- “Maximum Success” Job Search Coaching Club
- Secrets of a Successful Job Search: 7 Simple Steps to Land the Job You Want in Half the Time
- 101 Before-and-After Resume Examples
- Targeted Resume Distribution
Credentials
- Certified professional resume writers (Certified Professional Resume Writer – CPRW and Nationally Certified Resume Writer – NCRW)
- Career Coach and Certified Personal Branding Strategist (CPBS)
- Credentialed Career Master (CCM)
- Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC)
- Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP)
- Michelle Dumas is acknowledged as an authority in the industry and one of the leading executive resume writers and career marketing strategists in the U.S
Positives
We love Distinctive Resume’s because they know their niche! Instead of a “one-size fits all” strategy to writing resume’s they have established themselves as a premier service for executive and niche market professionals. They know what headhunters and executive recruiters look for in a resume and will tailor yours specifically to this elite group.
Negatives
Services are not cheap. But if you’re an executive then you know that the market gets more competitive as you move up and therefore it’s more important than ever to stand out from your peers.
Click here to see their clients results and comments
Click here to see samples of resumes created by Distinctive Documents
Click here to visit Distinctive Documents website
