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Resume Writing Resources

Quality resume-writing is critical to presenting yourself well when searching for a new job. Your resume is the single-biggest factor that will determine whether you will even “get your foot in the door” to be considered for that all-important job that you so desperately want.

In fact, your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer’s mind and door so that you can proceed to the next step in the process – the big interview!

People ask me to write or edit their resumes on a regular basis. Almost every time, when I review their “draft” or “old” resume or cv, I find one or more of the following common problems:

COMMON RESUME PROBLEMS

  • It is almost always too long.
  • It doesn’t focus enough on what you can do for the new employer “today”, in the job at hand.
  • It tends to give equal weight to “ancient history” with not enough emphasis on recent experience.
  • It does not focus enough on actual results achieved in the various job experiences described.
  • It does not make a clear statement as to what the applicant is looking for job-wise and career-wise.

If you have spent any time looking around online for resume writing info and help, you will be well aware that there are literally tens of thousands of self-proclaimed resume writing “experts” out there, all of which claim that they can write the winning resume for you. So, who do you choose, and why?

To further complicate matters, if you look closely at the sites of those “experts” who actually share their philosophy and approach to resume writing, you will find a number of different viewpoints as to how a resume or cv should be written and presented. It’s not always easy to know what to do.

So, what I have done here is put together this central “resume writing resource page” containing links to various resume writing resources that are hidden away in various parts of this site. For each resource I briefly describe what you will find there, followed by the clickable link.

RESUME WRITING RESOURCES

Resume Writing Tips
This article summarizes my personal approach to resume writing; brief, focused and to-the-point. These are the 10 rules that I always apply when I write resumes for clients.
http://writingprompts.com/resume-writing-tips.html

Resume Writing Tools
This is a short-list of a few resources that I have come across that I believe will help you write your own resume should you choose that route.
http://writingprompts.com/resume-writing-tools.html

Resume Writing Services
This is a short-list of what I consider to be some of the best resume writing services available online, should you decide to have your resume written for you by a professional resume writer.
http://writingprompts.com/resume-writing-services.html

Resume Writing Samples
Just to get you started, I have posted 12 to 15 sample resumes online, based on actual resumes that I have written for clients. These should give you an clear idea of my focused and to-the-point approach.
http://writingprompts.com/sample-resumes.html

Self Employment – A Real Option
I realize that you likely came to this page looking for resume writing help to apply for a job. That’s great for you. I just want you to be aware that these days there are hundreds of thousands of people (including me) that are making their living online. Check out this link to find out how:
http://writingprompts.com/self-employment.html

Jobs For Retirees
This website encourages its visitors to find happiness with their ideal retirement jobs, for income or for satisfaction, by following their passion. Site covers retirement planning, cash gifting, traditional jobs search, entrepreneur jobs, online ideas, building websites, volunteering, connecting with family, hobbies and education.
http://enjoy-retirement-jobs.com

Remember, no matter which way you decide to go; whether you choose to purchase a tool to help you write your own resume, or you end up hiring a professional to write it for you; the old truism “…you always get what you pay for”, is especially true for a resume or CV.

Your resume and cover letter are two of the most important documents in your life; so my advice to you on this one is DO NOT nickel and dime yourself out of the job and/or career that you really want just to save a few bucks.

Resume Writing Tools – A Short-List

If you decide that you want to write your own resume or CV by yourself, without using a professional resume-writing service, you will find that there are a number of tools designed to help you do just that.

In fact, if you look around online you will find quite a few such “resume writing tools”.

I have spent a bit of time looking around at what’s available online and as a result I can recommend the following short-list or resume-writing tools without hesitation:

Resume Writing Tools

Blue Sky Resumes, offers you a downloadable self-study guide and formatted resume templates. This product was developed and is back up by a team of professional writers and job search experts based in the USA and the UK. In addition to the resume templates, they offer professional career advise and exceptional customer service.
Check out Blue Sky’s unique product here.

Resume Builder is helps you with every facet of your resume, from your actual resume to the cover letter and more. Creating your resume with resume-builder.net is the finest way to make sure your resume appears well-formatted and professional looking. We want to help job seekers to create professional, successful resume to get better jobs. This online resume builder allows you build professional resumes effectively for free!
Check out Resume Builder here.

Jimmy Sweeney has helped more than almost 20,000 job-seekers (at last count) in over 25 countries, land more quality job interviews and job offers in dozens of highly-competitive fields using his breakthrough, step-by-step resume formula.
Check out Jimmy’s System Here!

Job Interview Answers “The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers” includes 177 Proven Answers to Job Interview Questions that you can download. You will discover over 177 MODERN, TRUST-BUILDING, EMOTIONALLY-INTELLIGENT, and TOTALLY PERSUASIVE interview answers designed to help you warmly and confidently answer the difficult questions you can expect given the HR behavioral hiring practices of today’s complex business world.
Check out Job Interview Answers Here!

Specialty Careers

Did you know the pharmaceutical industry is almost recession proof? Or that a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative can make between $45,000 and $70,000 in their first year? The products on this site are specifically written to help you become a pharmaceutical sales rep! It tells you what pharmaceutical sales recruiters are really looking for.
Become A Pharmaceutical Sales Rep!

Acting Jobs – Quick-Start Guide This Home-study Course Teaches How To Get Acting Work Quickly! Weekly Video Instruction For 24 Weeks, Downloadable Course Materials, Monthly One-to-one Coaching With Tony. Not A “just Watch” Course. Students “do” And Start Working Within A Few Weeks!
Click Here To Get Acting Jobs




College Sports Programs

Searching for, selecting, and successfully applying for college sports programs is very difficult. This is a very specialized field and their are very specific ways to go about it if you hope to be successful. Here’s a service provided by Ivy League coaches that helps aspiring Lacrosse players get into their ideal program.
Get College Sports Program Help Here!

That’s my current short-list of resume-writing and related tools. I’ll add more as I come across products that I like and trust.

Resume Writing Tips – My Top 10

Here are 10 practical tips for anyone writing their own resume. I use these exact same tips every time I write a resume for a client.

Even if you are having someone else write your resume or CV for you, you should use these points to verify what you get back from that service.

If your final resume doesn’t meet all of the criteria listed below, you should revise it until it does. Remember, this is one of the most important documents you will ever write. Accordingly, it is definitely worth taking the time and trouble to get it right.

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips

  1. Keep it focused and businesslike.
    A resume should be specific and all business. Don’t try to be too smart or cute. After all, you are asking an employer to invest significant time and money by choosing you over many other similarly qualified people. Employers want to know whether you are appropriately qualified and experienced, and if you have the ability to “deliver the goods.” Save the fact that you are “cool” for all of your new colleagues after you get the job.
  2. More than two pages is too much.
    For students, recent graduates, or people with just a few years of experience, try to keep your resume to one page, two as an absolute maximum. Even a resume for someone with 20 years or more of extensive working experience, should not exceed three pages. In some cases, one or two “optional” pages can be referred to as “available upon request.” These would be such optional annexes as a list of references or an inventory of recent projects and/or publications.
  3. Get the words and punctuation right.
    Make sure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your resume, are perfect. Any obvious mistakes will hurt your credibility. Also, be sure to keep the language clear and simple. If you draft it yourself, have someone with excellent writing skills do an editorial review and a careful proofread of it as well. If a professional prepares it for you, such reviews are the responsibility of the resume preparation firm. Use an accepted English language “style guide” if you want to be sure of the finer points of word usage, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, etc.
  4. Read between the lines.
    Customize the resume to match the stated requirements of the job that you are applying for, without being misleading. Review and analyze the job advertisement carefully. Look for, and itemize the key qualifications, skills and abilities the employer is seeking. Then identify certain key words that are usually repeated in such ads. Make sure that the wording and sequence of points in your resume reflect and address these “corporate terminologies” and “code words” as much as possible. When possible, study the company’s annual report and Web site, and weave the themes and terms found there into your resume and cover letter as much as you can.
  5. Make sure it looks good.
    Use a crisp, clean, simple presentation format for a professional looking resume. Just a bit of simple line work and/or shading, done with standard word processing software will do the trick. If you don’t have the aptitude for this, there is most likely someone among your friends or in your office, who can help you achieve a professional presentation. If not, seek professional advice. It won’t cost much for a good simple layout, but it will make a world of difference to the product.
  6. Show what can you do today.
    Focus first and foremost, on your recent experience that is most relevant to the position at hand. Less relevant and/or dated experience should be either eliminated or summarized in brief point form near the end of your resume. When reviewing your resume information, a prospective employer wants to know what you are doing now, what you have done recently, and how that relates to the job requirements of the post they are trying to fill.
  7. Be a straight-shooter.
    Be completely honest. When people lie or “creatively exaggerate” on their resume, they are almost invariably exposed, sooner or later. Think about it – who really wants to get a job based on a lie(s) and then have to live in fear of eventually being found out? We often read in the newspaper about high-profile folks who get caught in a resume falsehood or exaggeration, and it isn’t very pretty. Their stock in the public eye and on the job market suddenly plunges, and no one will ever completely trust them again.
  8. Follow the instructions.
    Submit your resume in exactly the form that the prospective employer requests. If they say e-mail or fax is okay, do it that way. However, if they ask for it by regular mail, send it the way they ask. They must have reasons for requesting it in such a form and they are geared up to process it that way. If your resume is to be sent by snail mail, use the complete address that they specify, or it could go to the wrong office, especially in a large organization.
  9. Don’t get lost in the mail.
    Be careful to respect certain conventions that the prospective employer may require in your resume. For example, make sure that the cover letter mentions the exact name of the specific position you are applying for, and the competition number, if applicable. Sometimes an employer will request that the job title and/or number be printed on the outside of the envelope. You would not want to miss out on a job because you didn’t follow minor administrative requirements.
  10. Don’t repeat yourself.
    In the cover letter, don’t repeat what is already detailed in the body of the attached resume. It is a “cover” letter. It should be short and to the point . Introduce yourself first, and then briefly summarize why you believe that you have the qualifications and experience to fulfill the duties of the position better than anyone else. Express enthusiasm about the job and the company. Close, by stating how you are looking forward to hearing more from them soon, and that you will follow-up if necessary.

The foregoing resume writing tips are general enough in nature to apply to just about any resume submission situation. As I mentioned above, this list can be used as a “checklist” both during the preparation phase, and when reviewing the resume just before submission.

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