reswriter.com - Frequently Asked Resume Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use a resume service?

We all have our own unique talents. None of us can do everything well. When a pipe breaks we call a plumber. When we need surgery we go to a surgeon. When we need legal advice we find a lawyer. Why don't we do these things ourselves? Because they are the experts in their field and, in the long run, we get better and more professional results saving us a lot of trial and error, time and money.

Sure, you can buy a resume computer program or read books on how to write your own resume. Every program and every book has its own slant and advice. How do you know what to accept and what to reject? The professional knows what works and what doesn't.

To get that job you want, it takes more than just writing a resume. It takes a carefully thought out strategy to position you above your competition. A professional resume writer knows how to target your resume to achieve maximum results emphasizing your unique talents, achievements, and accomplishments. He knows what to include and what to exclude. He knows how to phrase it. He is current on the trends in the field. What was acceptable ten years ago was not acceptable five years ago; and what was the norm five years ago is not the norm today. Resume preparation is an ever-changing field.

Once the resume is completed, the professional knows what avenues to use to effectively market you. It may be a direct mail campaign to certain companies, contacting specific recruiters, and/or posting your resume on the Internet. It can include networking. It may be developing a compelling cover letter to respond to an ad in a newspaper. It could be assistance with interviewing. His knowledge and resources are endless. He takes you by the hand to expedite your job search that encompasses far more than just writing a resume. A true resume professional is dedicated to the field.

Originally published at ResumExpress.com

How should I select a resume service?

In most areas of the country you will be overwhelmed by the number of resume services listed in your Yellow Pages. Searching for a service on the Internet is even more daunting of a task. By and large resume writing is an unregulated field. Anyone can hang out a sign that says "Resume Service". How do you determine which ones are good? You need to ask the same questions of all of them and then compare the answers.

1. How long have you been in this business?

The longer a person has been in this business, the more likely he is dedicated to and current with the art of resume writing.

2. Is this a full-time business?

If it is a full-time business, they probably know what they are doing and have to care about the quality of work they do. Otherwise, they would have found something else to do to earn a living. If they are moonlighting or part-time, they may not have the resources to assist you which a full-time service has; and they may not have the time to stay current in the field. A full-time, full-service business will normally have a laser printer, a fax machine, a toll-free phone number, and 24-hour voice mail. Part-timers and price-cutters usually cannot afford this type of equipment.

3. How many resumes have you personally written?

On the average, a resume writer can handle no more than ten resumes a week. Most are more comfortable with five to seven a week. The maximum number a year would be 500+/-. However, most writers are not consistently overbooked. If someone tells you they have been in business for five years and have written over 7,000 resumes in that time, you can be pretty sure they are either using a computer program creating boilerplate resumes or they just picked that number out of thin air.

It takes the average resume writer anywhere from one to six hours to fully develop an effective resume based on the degree of difficulty. That does not include consultation time with the client.

4. What are your credentials?

The answers to this question can vary widely. The resume writer may have been a recruiter, a human resources manager, a career counselor, taught English and writing, and so on. Writing resumes for a few friends is not an acceptable answer. Merely having a college degree is not an acceptable answer.

5. Are you a member of a professional association?

There are four associations in the field: the National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA), the Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW), Career Management Alliance (CMA), and Career Directors International CDI). All associations provide their memberships with the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of the job search field. All send out newsletters. Three host annual conferences. All offer resources that are hard to find for nonmembers. NRWA is the only professional association that is not owned by someone. It is a member-driven non-profit organization.

6. Are you certified?

There are a number of associations that offer certification in resume writing. The National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA) offers the Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) status. The idea behind certification is to provide some way for the public to judge the ability of a resume writer before they hire him/her. An NCRW has to maintain that certification via continuing education every three years. At the present time there are less than 40 NCRWs nationally. Certification shows that the resume writer has a high enough skill level to pass the certification process. There are many good resume writers who are not certified and do not belong to a professional association, but belonging to an association and having certifications are good indications that you are dealing with a professional.

7. Can you supply references, testimonials, and samples of your work?

This can be a very sticky area even for a good resume writer. With a global market, due to the Internet, many writers will not give references as they do not want clients to be harassed by resume shoppers. However, a good resume writer will be able to provide samples of their work and offer testimonials from satisfied customers.

8. Are you available? What are your hours?

If they are available only from 7:00 to 9:00 in the evening, you can be pretty sure they are part-timers. If you get an answering machine / voice mail, leave a message. See how long it takes them to get back to you. A good resume writer cannot always answer the phone due to consultations with clients. Some have regular office hours of 9 AM to 5 PM, and others have flexible hours to meet the needs of their clients with evening and weekend appointments.

These questions are a starting point to help you weed out the novices and the fly-by-nighters. Compare the answers from all of the services you contact and then decide which one is right for you. If they refuse to answer some of the questions or try to change the topic--beware. There is a reason why they do not want to answer them.

Originally published at ResumExpress.com.

What are fees based on?

Resume writing is labor intensive. It takes us anywhere from two to seven hours to complete a resume and that does not include client consultation time. There is a great deal of strategizing involved in the development of a resume as well as the expertise that Advantage Resumes has and that is reflected in our prices.

How can you do it without meeting with me?

We have been developing “long distance” resumes for many years. We use a career worksheet and phone interviews, when necessary. We request that you submit three ads that are indicative of what you really want to do as that helps us target the resume. Much of the process is handled via email.

I'm interested. Contact us.

What is your procedure?

You need to send us your existing resume, plus one ad that is indicative of your target position. We will email an assessment to you, along with a price quote. If you do not have an existing resume, send us an email with each your positions, companies, and dates and a little description about each job. We will review the information that you provided and email a price quote to you. If you decide to have us prepare your resume, we will call or email for additional information.

Advantage Resumes, LLC in St. Louis
URL: http://www.reswriter.com
E-mail: sally@reswriter.com

11921 H Villa Dorado Drive - St. Louis, MO 63146

314-993-5400
866-728-9323 (24-hour fax)

Sally McIntosh, professional résumé writer, provides expert resume writing when she writes a resume. We make a resume for you. We give you a resume tip, resume help, or a free resume sample, or a free resume and cover letter sample. A sample resume or a free resume sample or a free resume example shows a current resume format or résumé form. We do not use a resume template for a resume or resume cover letter nor do we provide a free resume template nor do we do a 10 minute resume nor do we use resume software. All of our resumes and cover letters are custom designed. We target our resumes with or without a resume objective. If you are asked to send a resume fax, make sure it is clear and the page is not crowded. We can give you an online résumé.

At this resume service, we can create resumes for a teacher resume, an executive resume, a customer service resume, a nursing resume, an electronic resume, accounting resume, sales resume, college resume, student resume, IT resume, it resume, nurse resume, or any type of resume. We post resumes and can do an online resume and an electronic resume.