The Purpose of Your Resume

The Purpose of your resume

You should only build a resume for one purpose – to get an interview.
Keep this purpose in mind as you read the article below:

Why did I say ‘build’ a resume and not ‘write’ a resume?

A resume is not a story, it is not written with stream of consciousness like a novel. Resumes are built in a purposeful, strategic way to sell your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. The best resumes turn your Tasks and Responsibilities into Accomplishments and Results

A resume should not be purely chronological – that is a big mistake. I don’t know anyone who has had a consistent rise in significant accomplishment over a long career. Most people, including you, have nuggets of brilliance – accomplished at many different times throughout your life.

Your resume should be a highlight reel not an autobiography. The strategy is to match significant keywords, (Knowledge Skills and Abilities), to your accomplishments. You can’t do this with a chronological resume,

The only purpose a chronology has in today’s job market is to help the reader understand when you moved from job to job and which job you had first, second, and third. The chronology doesn’t explain a thing about who you are and what you accomplished. Neither does your longevity. Some people accomplish more in six months than others do in five years.

Never confuse a job title with an accomplishment.

Resumes must be functional to attract attention. Many say it’s the first third of the page that sells – if you can’t grab the reader at the top, the list of facts at the bottom will never be read. That is why it is critical to sell your key accomplishments and KSA,s up front.

Use the following checklist to help you think outside the margins of your resume:

1. Prepare a profile that matches your background to the job description.
2. Prioritize your tasks and responsibilities to match the job description.
3. Only list tasks that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
4. Select tasks that you can back up – preferably with a strong accomplishment.
5. Use a qualifying line to describe how you were selected for the job.

Example:
ABC tech Firm – 2006-2007
Technical Writer
Hired by the V.P of Documentation to improve RFP efficiency and develop a document reuse policy.

This line adds a little zing because it gives the reader some insight into your story. Be prepared to add more details at an interview. This short descriptor can help you build interest in your story. First, you name drop a little. In other words, you tell the reader who hired you and the title they command.

Second, the reader/interviewer may want to know how you increased efficiency and how you developed that reuse policy. The strategy is to place ideas and questions in the readers head. Just make sure you have the answers.
Your resume must be constructed – ‘built’ in such a way that it structures the conversation before you get to the interview.

The Interview process is like dating. You wouldn’t sit down on a first date and say – “let me tell you what my worst qualities are”. Yet, people do this all the time on their resumes.

Now, let’s continue with the checklist:
6. List all tasks in the active voice. For example Developed, Initiated, Directed, Organized
7. Never say ‘responsible for’ just use the action word.
8. List your accomplishments before you build your resume. I guarantee that this is the most difficult part of the process.
9. Select the strongest accomplishment and place it after your keyword table- (more on this in my next article), and before your chronological list.

Wait a minute – I thought you said chronology doesn’t’ matter. I didn’t say that. What I meant was it is the least important part – but an essential price of admission.

10. Identify your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s), by using the Occupational ONET Online database. This is an excellent repository developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and contains occupational information that can be an invaluable resource for education and research.

When you are ready, please visit http://www.ONETOnline.org
Now, lets continue.

11. Smooth out small gaps in employment by using annual dates i.e., (2006-2007) instead of the month and date.
12. List awards and citations/achievements only if they compliment the job you are seeking.
13. A note on Education. Include all completed degrees, regardless of subject matter. All employers value education. One caveat: Don’t include Certifications that do not apply to the industry in question.

Example: I am a professional writer and in addition to my B.S. and M.A. I am a certified professional Coder (CPC). This is a health care certification. The only time I include it on my resume is when I am approached about a writing opportunity that requires some understanding of health care issues.

Finally, remember that building a resume is one of the most difficult jobs you will do – if its done right. Its not easy to capture the essence of a persons talents and abilities in one or two pages, especially if you are a mid-career professional. There is no recipe. The checklist I provided is only a guide. Always practice good judgment and use what works for you.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

Functional vs chronological resumes

Your choice of resume formats is critical to your job search. In most cases, your work history will determine if you should emphasize your job history or transferrable skills. Janis Smith of RDE Specialists has some key points to help you decide. … Resumes Jobs “Functional Resumes” “Chronological Resumes“…

Writing a Killer Resume to Attract Prospective Employers

Resume is a document containing a summary highlighting the experiences and credentials and education usually written for the purpose of gaining an interview while seeking an employment. Since resume is the first thing that a potential employer encounters regarding the applicant, it carries a great significance.

A resume may be limited to one or two pages and can be organized in several ways.
A chronological resume highlights a candidate’s job experience in reverse chronological order, that is, the main body of the document shows the professional experience beginning from the most recent experience going chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience. The main aim of a chronological resume is to give an impact of credibility through experience gained. This type of resume is the most common resume in use.

A functional resume highlights work experience and skills classified by skill area or job function. The objective of a functional resume is to focus on the skills particular to the kind of position being sought which directly gives weightage to professional capabilities and experiences as a backup. In contrast to chronological resume, functional resume will highlight these competencies and is most suited for jobs that require a particular skill or clearly defined personality traits.

A combination resume balances both the chronological and functional resumes, which typically leads with a functional list of job skills and then the chronological list of employers.

A resume is quite short and therefore contains experience directly relevant to the position and many resumes use precise keywords and action words that the employer is seeking for. Increasing number of job seekers and employers are using Internet based jobs and therefore an ideal resume should be long enough to provide a concise, adequate and accurate description of an applicant’s employment history and capabilities. Job seekers are now able to reach the employers through direct e-mail contact and resume blasting which is the mass distribution of resumes to increase personal visibility within the job market. The simplicity and complexity of the resume formats produce results varying from person to person, industry and occupation.

Since many employers find candidates through search engines, it is important to use appropriate keywords while writing a resume. And they must choose a file format to maintain their resume. Unlike regular two page resumes, which highlight only the recent work experience and education, Internet resumes highlight the candidate’s skill development over his or her career.

While writing a resume, emphasis should be placed on accomplishments, effective organization and more importantly the appearance of the resume. To achieve this, proper care should be taken to see to it that the font is plain and easy to read written on a resume quality paper, formatting the resume with simple bullets, highlighting the accomplishments and not taking away the attention.

While organizing a resume it is very important to start with an active descriptive action word, include numbers and percentages and restrict the resume to one page. The resume is nothing but an advertisement with the main purpose of winning an interview and to be an effective resume, it should stand out from the crowd.

Article Source: http://www.itempad.com

Article res has been removed due to spammers exploiting this site and stealing itempads pr rank. Link Res will be returned once the database has been purged of bad links probably after the next google update. We do not believe in using nofollow. We are sorry for this temp problem. But once the database has been cleaned all links by writers will have a higher value. We hope you understand and continue to submit your articles. If you would like a permenet link on itempad Please email admin

Writing a Killer Resume to Attract Prospective Employers

Resume is a document containing a summary highlighting the experiences and credentials and education usually written for the purpose of gaining an interview while seeking an employment. Since resume is the first thing that a potential employer encounters regarding the applicant, it carries a great significance.

A resume may be limited to one or two pages and can be organized in several ways.
A chronological resume highlights a candidate’s job experience in reverse chronological order, that is, the main body of the document shows the professional experience beginning from the most recent experience going chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience. The main aim of a chronological resume is to give an impact of credibility through experience gained. This type of resume is the most common resume in use.

A functional resume highlights work experience and skills classified by skill area or job function. The objective of a functional resume is to focus on the skills particular to the kind of position being sought which directly gives weightage to professional capabilities and experiences as a backup. In contrast to chronological resume, functional resume will highlight these competencies and is most suited for jobs that require a particular skill or clearly defined personality traits.

A combination resume balances both the chronological and functional resumes, which typically leads with a functional list of job skills and then the chronological list of employers.

A resume is quite short and therefore contains experience directly relevant to the position and many resumes use precise keywords and action words that the employer is seeking for. Increasing number of job seekers and employers are using Internet based jobs and therefore an ideal resume should be long enough to provide a concise, adequate and accurate description of an applicant’s employment history and capabilities. Job seekers are now able to reach the employers through direct e-mail contact and resume blasting which is the mass distribution of resumes to increase personal visibility within the job market. The simplicity and complexity of the resume formats produce results varying from person to person, industry and occupation.

Since many employers find candidates through search engines, it is important to use appropriate keywords while writing a resume. And they must choose a file format to maintain their resume. Unlike regular two page resumes, which highlight only the recent work experience and education, Internet resumes highlight the candidate’s skill development over his or her career.

While writing a resume, emphasis should be placed on accomplishments, effective organization and more importantly the appearance of the resume. To achieve this, proper care should be taken to see to it that the font is plain and easy to read written on a resume quality paper, formatting the resume with simple bullets, highlighting the accomplishments and not taking away the attention.

While organizing a resume it is very important to start with an active descriptive action word, include numbers and percentages and restrict the resume to one page. The resume is nothing but an advertisement with the main purpose of winning an interview and to be an effective resume, it should stand out from the crowd.

Article Source: http://www.itempad.com

Article res has been removed due to spammers exploiting this site and stealing itempads pr rank. Link Res will be returned once the database has been purged of bad links probably after the next google update. We do not believe in using nofollow. We are sorry for this temp problem. But once the database has been cleaned all links by writers will have a higher value. We hope you understand and continue to submit your articles. If you would like a permenet link on itempad Please email admin

Useful Tips to Draft a Convincing Resume

A resume is a summary, which advertises the education and job experience of a jobseeker to gain an interview. But a resume will get the interview but not the job itself. So it is very vital that the resume produced represents the person and his or her achievements.

An ideal resume should set him apart from other applicants. Therefore it is advisable not to copy a standard resume template from the website or a book. It must be ensured that the resume is easily readable and the best to attract attention.

Before beginning to write a resume, it is necessary to get all the relevant information to hand because all the information given should be correct. The type of job applied for should also be taken into consideration. If it is a permanent one, the career development should be highlighted and if it is a temporary role or on a contract, the skills and the adaptability should be highlighted.

The important points to be included on the resume are the name, phone number, email address and also the residential address. Students should specify both their term and home addresses in the resume. Employers are interested in knowing what the applicant can achieve and so it is better to include the major achievements, which are relevant to the job. It is essential to give a concise history of the career in reverse chronological order with the most recent position coming first. If the application is for permanent roles, relevant training courses and awards must be included.

There are certain things that should not be included in a resume. The foremost point is not to write anything negative or critical about own self while writing a resume. Only the positive abilities must be highlighted. Poor grades or bad employment experiences can be avoided because it is impossible to lie in the resume. Another thing that should be avoided in a resume is the list of references. Strictly photographs on resumes must be avoided for two reasons. One obvious reason is that it is the experience and skills that count and not the appearance unless applying for a modeling or acting job. The second reason is employers use databases to store the resumes and a photo may not be scanned well and corrupt the application.

In majority of the cases listing the hobbies and interests is not needed. Regardless of the career there is no need to include the age, gender, date of birth, marital status and so on.
There are certain common resume mistakes. A spelling mistake in a resume will cost an interview and the job and so spellchecker on the PC must be utilized. Too many fonts and font sizes on a resume reduces the chances of the employer reading the resume patiently. Normally it is better to confine the resume to two pages even if the career history is long. Bullet points are the best method to draw the attention of the reader and also to bring down the resume to two pages and word processed resumes are better since hand written resumes have become obsolete.

Article Source: http://www.itempad.com

Article res has been removed due to spammers exploiting this site and stealing itempads pr rank. Link Res will be returned once the database has been purged of bad links probably after the next google update. We do not believe in using nofollow. We are sorry for this temp problem. But once the database has been cleaned all links by writers will have a higher value. We hope you understand and continue to submit your articles. If you would like a permenet link on itempad Please email admin

Can You Really Afford To Write Your Resume?

Why would someone pay a professional resume writer to write their resume when they have a computer, can use resume templates, and can find resume samples online and in books to get ideas on setting up and composing their own resume?

The answer lies in what type of position they are targeting and their level of resume writing skills. Whether basic or complex, a resume must be attractive, focused, and interesting to read. Failing to achieve these objectives means failing to make a good first impression. Many things need to be taken into consideration in order to accomplish these goals. Here are five things to consider:

1. You must understand the technical aspects of resume development. This includes resume design (what fonts to use and spacing), use of industry specific key words, career synopsis and company profiles, appropriate resume style and formats (reverse chronological, functional and combination), and page length.

2. You must have good word processing skills!

3. You must understand what the hiring manager is looking for and what you’ve done so you can make a match between their needs and your qualifications.

4. You must have grammatically correct, creative writing skills to communicate what you have done in the positions you have held using a reasonable amount of detail.

5. You must avoid wasting the reader’s time by listing too much irrelevant information or going back too far if the position does not warrant it.

Some positions such as waitress, car wash attendant, and cashier might not require a resume. If they do, it would be a general resume with a traditional objective statement and chronological listing of jobs held with a sentence or two under each to indicate responsibilities, along with job-specific skills, and education.

In a word: simple. However, sometimes a resume needs to be strategically developed to emphasize the value you offer a company, especially if the position is very competitive and you need to stand out from the rest of the potential candidates.

Often, a job seeker finds himself or herself in a pickle because they have held many different positions over the years and do not know how to keep the resume focused for a particular position. Maybe you are returning to the workplace after raising your children and are concerned the gap will put you at a disadvantage.

Maybe you are just starting out in your career and do not think you have enough to offer a company. Or, maybe you are ready for a career change and do not know how to create a presentation that will position you for a new field.

If you have done your homework (which we believe you have since you are reading this article!), you know that a resume is often referred to as a “marketing tool.” No different than a commercial advertisement, your resume needs to entice the reader to buy the product (you) by grabbing their attention, listing the product’s benefits (your qualifications), and compel the reader to make a move – in this case, to invite you to an interview.

As you know, time is money. The more time that passes after sending your resume out, the more money you lose if it is not generating responses. If you cannot afford to be out of work for several months, you should make the decision to have your resume professionally prepared. Here is a quick quiz to help you put things into perspective:

Client A: wanted to save money, so she prepared her own resume. She faxed and mailed her resume to over 50 companies over a period of six weeks, but nothing happened. While she kept her fingers crossed, she depleted half of her savings. She eventually landed an interview in the seventh week through someone she knew.

Client B: understood that having her resume professionally developed was a good investment. Without one, she knew she could not launch her career in the right direction. She faxed and mailed her professionally prepared resume out to ten companies over a two-week period. By the end of week two, she landed a great interview that resulted in a fabulous job.

Quick Quiz: who came out financially ahead in the long run?

If you answered the job seeker that invested wisely in consulting with a professional resume writer, you are 100 percent correct! So, in summary, the question is not whether or not you can afford to write your own resume. The question is whether or not you can afford not to have it done properly.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

The Purpose of Your Resume

The Purpose of your resume

You should only build a resume for one purpose – to get an interview.
Keep this purpose in mind as you read the article below:

Why did I say ‘build’ a resume and not ‘write’ a resume?

A resume is not a story, it is not written with stream of consciousness like a novel. Resumes are built in a purposeful, strategic way to sell your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. The best resumes turn your Tasks and Responsibilities into Accomplishments and Results

A resume should not be purely chronological – that is a big mistake. I don’t know anyone who has had a consistent rise in significant accomplishment over a long career. Most people, including you, have nuggets of brilliance – accomplished at many different times throughout your life.

Your resume should be a highlight reel not an autobiography. The strategy is to match significant keywords, (Knowledge Skills and Abilities), to your accomplishments. You can’t do this with a chronological resume,

The only purpose a chronology has in today’s job market is to help the reader understand when you moved from job to job and which job you had first, second, and third. The chronology doesn’t explain a thing about who you are and what you accomplished. Neither does your longevity. Some people accomplish more in six months than others do in five years.

Never confuse a job title with an accomplishment.

Resumes must be functional to attract attention. Many say it’s the first third of the page that sells – if you can’t grab the reader at the top, the list of facts at the bottom will never be read. That is why it is critical to sell your key accomplishments and KSA,s up front.

Use the following checklist to help you think outside the margins of your resume:

1. Prepare a profile that matches your background to the job description.
2. Prioritize your tasks and responsibilities to match the job description.
3. Only list tasks that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
4. Select tasks that you can back up – preferably with a strong accomplishment.
5. Use a qualifying line to describe how you were selected for the job.

Example:
ABC tech Firm – 2006-2007
Technical Writer
Hired by the V.P of Documentation to improve RFP efficiency and develop a document reuse policy.

This line adds a little zing because it gives the reader some insight into your story. Be prepared to add more details at an interview. This short descriptor can help you build interest in your story. First, you name drop a little. In other words, you tell the reader who hired you and the title they command.

Second, the reader/interviewer may want to know how you increased efficiency and how you developed that reuse policy. The strategy is to place ideas and questions in the readers head. Just make sure you have the answers.
Your resume must be constructed – ‘built’ in such a way that it structures the conversation before you get to the interview.

The Interview process is like dating. You wouldn’t sit down on a first date and say – “let me tell you what my worst qualities are”. Yet, people do this all the time on their resumes.

Now, let’s continue with the checklist:
6. List all tasks in the active voice. For example Developed, Initiated, Directed, Organized
7. Never say ‘responsible for’ just use the action word.
8. List your accomplishments before you build your resume. I guarantee that this is the most difficult part of the process.
9. Select the strongest accomplishment and place it after your keyword table- (more on this in my next article), and before your chronological list.

Wait a minute – I thought you said chronology doesn’t’ matter. I didn’t say that. What I meant was it is the least important part – but an essential price of admission.

10. Identify your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s), by using the Occupational ONET Online database. This is an excellent repository developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and contains occupational information that can be an invaluable resource for education and research.

When you are ready, please visit http://www.ONETOnline.org
Now, lets continue.

11. Smooth out small gaps in employment by using annual dates i.e., (2006-2007) instead of the month and date.
12. List awards and citations/achievements only if they compliment the job you are seeking.
13. A note on Education. Include all completed degrees, regardless of subject matter. All employers value education. One caveat: Don’t include Certifications that do not apply to the industry in question.

Example: I am a professional writer and in addition to my B.S. and M.A. I am a certified professional Coder (CPC). This is a health care certification. The only time I include it on my resume is when I am approached about a writing opportunity that requires some understanding of health care issues.

Finally, remember that building a resume is one of the most difficult jobs you will do – if its done right. Its not easy to capture the essence of a persons talents and abilities in one or two pages, especially if you are a mid-career professional. There is no recipe. The checklist I provided is only a guide. Always practice good judgment and use what works for you.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

How To Choose The Best Resume Styles

The job market is extremely competitive, and you want to make the best impression possible. While there hundreds of resume styles being used by job seekers, you want to take the time to choose the right one.

You may be wondering why there even has to be so many styles. Well, for starters, resumes aren’t just presented as physical documents any more. There’s a growing trend for people to view documents like resumes on the computer. A style that works splendidly as a printed document just will not work as well when sent through email or fax. So, this has naturally led to more styles for each medium.

Then there is also the fact that some positions practically demand a very specific format or resume style, so it pays to be adaptable and make tweaks to your resume. After all, the resume is intended to show off your skills, so you want it to show your capabilities in the best light.

By far, the most widespread form of resume writing is the chronological style, which as the name implies lists all of the positions that you have worked in starting with the most current.

The functional style resume is a bit newer, but it’s steadily growing in popularity. Unlike the chronological style, you use this resume to list your very best accomplishments and qualifications first, followed by the just slightly less impressive ones. The advantage of this resume is that it makes it easy for the employer to read it quickly and decide whether or not you sound like someone who is qualified for the job. It also lets you give your strengths the center stage.

These two resume styles aren’t the only styles around, certainly, but most other formats are variations of the chronological and functional resumes. Here’s a good point to remember: Don’t be afraid to try out different resume styles. Change them out to suit your needs and purpose for each situation. Resumes exist to tell potential employers about your abilities, and the right resume will put them in the best light.

Article Source: http://www.itempad.com

Article res has been removed due to spammers exploiting this site and stealing itempads pr rank. Link Res will be returned once the database has been purged of bad links probably after the next google update. We do not believe in using nofollow. We are sorry for this temp problem. But once the database has been cleaned all links by writers will have a higher value. We hope you understand and continue to submit your articles. If you would like a permenet link on itempad Please email admin

How To Format A Career Change Resume

If you are seeking to change careers, the best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both. It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.

The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. The heading depends on your career level.

If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring managers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.

But what happens when you have held different types of positions across several industries? Some reasons for gaps in employment or holding too many or unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume.

Hey, things happen. That is life. You cannot worry about the past. It is time to think about the future. So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. It is time to make a fresh start.

First, create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.

Include a career summary section that highlights where you have been in your career, being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position. If there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the job requirements and what you have done. Do not use the exact wording.

Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the database in response to a keyword search.

Under your Professional Experience section or Work History. Again, it depends on your background. Then present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking, amongst many others.

Take all of the experience you have gained over the years and categorize it into skill or functional areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category.

Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.

Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you have already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it.

The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that is the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation, which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest, in this case the position, who engage in conversation in a professional manner.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

Can You Really Afford To Write Your Resume?

Why would someone pay a professional resume writer to write their resume when they have a computer, can use resume templates, and can find resume samples online and in books to get ideas on setting up and composing their own resume?

The answer lies in what type of position they are targeting and their level of resume writing skills. Whether basic or complex, a resume must be attractive, focused, and interesting to read. Failing to achieve these objectives means failing to make a good first impression. Many things need to be taken into consideration in order to accomplish these goals. Here are five things to consider:

1. You must understand the technical aspects of resume development. This includes resume design (what fonts to use and spacing), use of industry specific key words, career synopsis and company profiles, appropriate resume style and formats (reverse chronological, functional and combination), and page length.

2. You must have good word processing skills!

3. You must understand what the hiring manager is looking for and what you’ve done so you can make a match between their needs and your qualifications.

4. You must have grammatically correct, creative writing skills to communicate what you have done in the positions you have held using a reasonable amount of detail.

5. You must avoid wasting the reader’s time by listing too much irrelevant information or going back too far if the position does not warrant it.

Some positions such as waitress, car wash attendant, and cashier might not require a resume. If they do, it would be a general resume with a traditional objective statement and chronological listing of jobs held with a sentence or two under each to indicate responsibilities, along with job-specific skills, and education.

In a word: simple. However, sometimes a resume needs to be strategically developed to emphasize the value you offer a company, especially if the position is very competitive and you need to stand out from the rest of the potential candidates.

Often, a job seeker finds himself or herself in a pickle because they have held many different positions over the years and do not know how to keep the resume focused for a particular position. Maybe you are returning to the workplace after raising your children and are concerned the gap will put you at a disadvantage.

Maybe you are just starting out in your career and do not think you have enough to offer a company. Or, maybe you are ready for a career change and do not know how to create a presentation that will position you for a new field.

If you have done your homework (which we believe you have since you are reading this article!), you know that a resume is often referred to as a “marketing tool.” No different than a commercial advertisement, your resume needs to entice the reader to buy the product (you) by grabbing their attention, listing the product’s benefits (your qualifications), and compel the reader to make a move – in this case, to invite you to an interview.

As you know, time is money. The more time that passes after sending your resume out, the more money you lose if it is not generating responses. If you cannot afford to be out of work for several months, you should make the decision to have your resume professionally prepared. Here is a quick quiz to help you put things into perspective:

Client A: wanted to save money, so she prepared her own resume. She faxed and mailed her resume to over 50 companies over a period of six weeks, but nothing happened. While she kept her fingers crossed, she depleted half of her savings. She eventually landed an interview in the seventh week through someone she knew.

Client B: understood that having her resume professionally developed was a good investment. Without one, she knew she could not launch her career in the right direction. She faxed and mailed her professionally prepared resume out to ten companies over a two-week period. By the end of week two, she landed a great interview that resulted in a fabulous job.

Quick Quiz: who came out financially ahead in the long run?

If you answered the job seeker that invested wisely in consulting with a professional resume writer, you are 100 percent correct! So, in summary, the question is not whether or not you can afford to write your own resume. The question is whether or not you can afford not to have it done properly.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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