The competition for the best jobs is getting more intense as the job market contracts globally. If you are looking to advance your career goals and objectives through a better job in 2014, a top class resume – one that sets you a notch above the competition – is a must have. But, how can you achieve this first class resume? There are three obvious sources from which you may secure a resume. There is the option of doing it yourself or getting help from an acquaintance with no professional expertise in resume writing. Another option is to tap into the plethora of free online resume templates and advice. The third and most highly recommended option is to pay a professional resume writer to ensure you achieve an excellent resume that positions you for your ideal job.
Your best may not be good enough for a resume that wins you the competitive edge.
Developing a good resume is both an art and a science. This requires a combination of the flare for a particular style of writing and a good mastery of the language on the one hand, and on the other, a specialized knowledge of the industry and a commitment to keep abreast of changes in industry trends. Before you attempt to write your own resume, with or without the assistance of another untrained person, assess whether you meet the foregoing requirements. Depending on your competencies, you may, conceivably, be able to write an acceptable resume or even a good one. Bear in mind, though, that a resume could sound good to an amateur but could be considered substandard by a potential employer or other Human Resource (HR) professionals and recruiters who know what to look for in a good resume.
Free online resume services leave more questions than answers.
Free online resume services often promise you the competitive edge you seek in building your resume. And, the plethora of free online resume-building templates and other services makes the prospect of developing your own resume free of cost rather attractive. But, stop and consider for a moment. Free online resume templates and guidelines often require that you decipher a series of instructions. These include the resume format most appropriate for you given your professional background. You are asked, for example, to determine whether you should choose a chronological format, a functional format or a combination of the two. You are also left to fathom what you need to delete and what you need to emphasize on your resume. Will these generalized services with their varied options that are at times confusing or at the least difficult to translate into your own unique resume needs guide you to the best outcome? Will they help you build an excellent, professional resume that will assist you in getting the best job available to you?
Frustrated job seekers, anxious to develop their resume and get on with the business of securing the interview that can land them the job, soon recognize that such free services and templates leave more questions than answers. If you ever get to this point in your quest for an excellent resume, do not hesitate. It is time for you to revisit the option of paying a professional resume writer to build your resume.
A resume that sells – that gets you job interviews – is not just about highlighting your professional qualities, skills and experience. It is also about marketing these skills, qualities and experience in a way that effectively aligns your professional background with the requirements of the targeted organization. Unfortunately, however, free online resume services often neglect the need for analysis of the core values, goals and objectives of the targeted organization. If you rely on these services and you are not equipped with the necessary tools to effectively carry out your own organizational diagnosis, your run the risk of producing a weak resume that will be overlooked by HR professionals or other recruiters. On the other hand, paying a professional resume writer would prove invaluable in helping you fulfill this important resume building requirement.
A professional resume writer gives your resume the SEO Advantage.
The competition for that ideal job is much bigger than you imagine. Very often, HR professionals manage the volume of applications with the help of tracking software. They use this to select resumes with the best fit for a particular job. Paying a professional resume writer to build your resume can help you gain the competitive advantage here. Expert resume writers know how to select and strategically place key words throughout your resume. These keywords ensure that your resume will feature prominently in the search results of potential employers’ database as they search for resumes with the best fit. Since professional resume writers have mastered the art and science of incorporating search engine optimization (SEO) features into your resume, why not make use of their expertise and gain that competitive edge?
Working with a professional resume writer helps prepare you for the interview.
The process of interaction between the professional resume writer and the job seeker is an important value added one. This engagement gives you value for money in the form of a well written resume. It also helps prepare you for the interview. By asking you insightful questions during the process of crafting your resume, the professional helps you clarify and redefine your qualities, skills and experience and helps you focus on the relevance of these to the job you are pursuing. By the time the resume writer concludes the process, the expert would have helped you figure out answers to likely interview questions, especially the hard ones.
A professional resume writer offers expertise that can both Save and earn you money.
Like many other job seekers, you probably understand the value of getting professional help to ensure you achieve the best resume for a successful job search. Unfortunately, the very fact that you are seeking a job may cause you to be hesitant about paying a resume writer to help you design your resume. Pre-occupied with your current financial constraints, you may talk yourself into the idea that you cannot afford the service. However, industry trends show that job seekers who get professional help in developing their resumes land more interviews than those who don’t. The former also spend less time and resources on job search as they tend to find jobs quicker. Ultimately, they begin to benefit from increased earnings sooner than those who do not engage professional assistance in developing their resumes.
Conclusion
What are the disadvantages of paying a professional resume writer? There is only one disadvantage: your resume will cost you a few dollars. What are the advantages of paying a professional resume writer to work with you in developing a resume that will effectively market your professional qualities, skills and experience and help you land your dream job? The advantages are numerous, but please do yourself the favour of keeping in mind the five covered in this blog as you contemplate your move towards a wining resume in 2014.