Buffalo Jobs Today Article

Resume Assistance

An important part of every job search is a solid, well written resume that clearly communicates your qualifications, attributes, and characteristics. If you do not have a great deal of experience writing a resume - and perhaps even if you do - it is often helpful to seek assistance from a good resume writer to ensure yours is in the best shape possible before sending to a potential employer.

Why seek assistance with your resume?

Chances are you don't write resumes very often, so you may not be familiar with the best approach to take given your particular experience and qualifications. You might be unsure about what format to use (chronological, functional, combination, etc.) to best highlight your best attributes. Along the same lines, you may have trouble deciding what information to include (or not include) to capture the interest of a potential employers.

Even if you have put together a very good resume on your own, it is often a good idea to have it reviewed by a professional with resume experience. It may cost you a bit of money for the service, but it will most likely be well worth it in the long run. Remember, a resume is your 'personal representative' to a potential employer, so you want it to represent you as accurately and positively as possible.

What kind of assistance is available?

Resume assistance is available in many different forms. Common services include the following:

Complete development - The provider works with you from start to finish, through every development step in the process. It typically involves a handful of visits, starting with a thorough interview to uncover your history, experience, and qualifications. Time may also be spent helping you decide on and set your job search goals, because those goals often have an effect on the type, style, and contents of your resume.

Editing/revision - The provider takes the resume you have already written and works with you to edit and revise the contents. He or she will look for clarity, accuracy, and impact in creating a resume that will stand out from others.

Proofreading - The provider will review your resume looking for spelling and grammatical errors; he or she will not make other corrections or changes to the document.

Formatting - The provider will put your resume into an attractive, easy to read format. This may include changing fonts, layout, or order of information. In most cases, formatting services are offered in conjunction with other various resume services.

Customization and differentiation - The provider will work with your resume to customize it and create differentiation for different purposes. He or she might create a chronological resume to emphasize certain aspects of your work history for use when those aspects are important to a particular employer, plus a functional resume to emphasize certain skills and attributes when those aspects are of interest to a different employer.

Where can you turn for resume assistance?

There are a number of places you can turn to find resume assistance. A good place to start is with the word processing software on your computer; many have templates and creation 'wizards' to walk you through the process of creating a good resume. Another option is to ask for help from a trusted colleague, mentor, or friend who has resume writing experience. If you decide to use this approach, be sure to choose a person who will respect the need for confidentiality and discretion.

Other potential sources of assistance include local employment centers, colleges, libraries, and community centers. Most of these types of resources offer periodic seminars, workshops, and classes on writing an effective resume. Additionally, there are often career counselling centers available in many communities.

If you plan to hire a professional to help with your resume, there are several places you can turn to find a qualified person. You may know someone who has recently hired someone to help with a resume; ask him or her about their experience and recommendations. Another resource to check is the phone book as well as the internet. One advantage of using the internet to access and work with a professional resume writer is you will often have access to expertise and experience that may not be readily available in your area.

How do you know if someone is qualified to help with your resume?

When hiring a professional to help with your resume, there are a few things you need to check before committing to the services of any particular provider. Start by asking for samples of previous work, and references from previous clients. Read through the samples carefully, looking for style, clarity, and general quality. Talk with the provider's references to gauge the provider's level of service, responsiveness, and value for the dollar.

If the provider has a website, read through it carefully. Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? Is the writing style clear and easy to understand? Does the content flow in a logical way and make sense? It may seem a bit strange to judge a resume writer's ability on the content of his or her website, but it is actually a very good way to get a feel for the quality of the provider's writing in general. If he or she cannot write a good quality website, they probably cannot write a good quality resume either.

Once you have narrowed down the choices to a few potential providers, ask each one for a detailed quote on resume writing services. Be very specific about the level and type of service you want (complete development, editing, proofreading, etc.) and confirm the provider does indeed offer that level of service. When you receive price quotes back from the providers, compare them side by side with each other. Are the prices quoted reasonably similar to each other? If one quote is significantly higher than another, why is that the case? It might be that provider has included a different level of service in the price quote. When making your final decision, keep in mind that the lowest price quote is not always the best value for your money. Look for a combination of high quality and reasonable price so you will end up with a terrific resume in hand.

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