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Résumé – To Pay or Not to Pay, that is the Question!?!

I often have family, friends and potential clients ask me why should someone pay to have a résumé written when a person can write their own and even get tips for free online.

Well the truth is, there is a ton of information online to help a person write a better résumé.  The problem comes into play when the person writing their own is doing it from a place of urgency or wanting to tell their entire history of a career spanning 25 or more years.  I am all for ensuring your personal brand and personal career achievements are shown in the best light, but are you, the individual, the best person to evaluate your own work?  In any job, when you write something that is going out to a large audience or to the company, don’t you always want your work critiqued by another individual to ensure it is accurate and reflecting what the point is you are trying to convey?  If so, why would it be any different for your résumé which is potentially going to be posted online and seen by thousands and thousands of recruiters during résumé searches?

So to those in question of to pay or not to pay, I suggest you find a résumé writing professional who will offer you a FREE critique!   Do you go with a huge firm that gives you instant feedback via email that looks like a template sent out to millions of others; or do you go small and take a risk of getting someone not as seasoned in résumé writing?  I think the answer to most is somewhere in-between.  The large firms are going to charge anywhere from $400 on up into well over $1000 for a résumé.

I tend to believe you start with a FREE critique and see how personal that critique is.  If it is not a “form” letter with only one or two bullets that speak to your specific résumé, then I would continue to see from the personal critique if it is something you can handle writing and being objective about.

If you have any questions then it might be wise to seek out the professional writer, who can pull from your experience, education and skills and formulate the best résumé to showcase you!  A professional should inquire about what type of position you are interested in applying for and will ensure your résumé speaks to that position.  After all, that is why your want your résumé written to begin with, is to try to get an interview for a new position.

Only you can decide if you want to pay for a professional résumé, but keep in mind…you typically get what you pay for!  So, if you focus on FREE…it may not be as professional as you need it to be.  If you pay, ensure you go with the right company and that you pay a reasonable price for services rendered.

Always remember that Résumés Plus Online is here to help you if you have any questions.  Check out our website at:  https://resumespo.com for more information on our services.

Remember – only you can answer the question to pay or not to pay?

Best wishes to all those writing résumés and seeking new adventures!

 

 

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Hot Summer? Hot Resumé?

Here in good ole Virginia is it now officially summer or so says the calendar!  By now we are normally used to high temperatures and even higher humidity making it pretty miserable!  This year though, we’ve only had a small dose of summer heat so far and I sure hope it stays that way!  But as we all know, we don’t always get what we want.

Well this is true with regards to your resumé too!  If your resumé isn’t “hot” enough you may not get that new job you want!  So what can you do about that?  You can take a hot summer day and stay inside with the air conditioning and revamp your resumé to make it as hot as it can be for the career path you are seeking.

You may be asking “Well how do I make my resume “hot” for the position I am trying to obtain”?  You simply need to research the job and other similar jobs and see what the common “keywords” are that are in those job ads.  Those keywords are what an applicant tracking system will use to determine if you are pulled into resumé searches by an automated system.  Therefore, your resumé needs to have those keywords embedded in your content and most importantly in your professional summary at the top of your resumé.  The top of the resume is where the recruiter or hiring manager will see the keywords first and grab their attention.  The entire document will be scanned for those keywords by the applicant tracking system.

So my upward career seeking souls…go inside…get some cool air and start revamping that old resume and make it a “hot” one!

Resumés Plus Online is always here to assist you in the event you don’t want to miss a day of fun in the hot summer sun!  Just look us up on our contact page and reach out to us for assistance, we are always ready to help!

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Spring Cleaning? Why not do the same with your resume!

Hello Resume writing fans!

It has been a while since I posted but I am back at it now and hope to not have any delays again in the future as this is truly something I love to do!

Enough about me though, you are here to see about “Spring Cleaning your Resume”.  It’s a given that most companies do a bit less hiring during the holiday season, so then when the hiring season starts, why not re-vamp your resume to be prepared in the event you see a job posting that is calling your name.

Does your current resume have your current position?  Does it list your biggest achievements to date?  Are your oldest jobs still needed at this time?  Have you learned any news skills or software systems, if so, are they on your resume?

If the answer to any of the questions in the prior paragraph are no, then it is time for your spring cleaning of your resume!  Do not get caught in a place where you happen to find out about that great new job and you only have a day or two to submit your resume and application.  You never want to scramble or rush to write or revamp your resume, that’s how mistakes are made and critical information missed that could cost you the job of a lifetime.

So best of luck to you in your spring cleaning of your resume, but don’t forget, if you ever need assistance, Resume’s Plus Online is always here to assist.  Just reach out to us and I promise we will do our best to be a great spring cleaning team member by your side the entire time!

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College Grads – What not to do…

I read the below article from Fox Business and thought it was a great article for recent college graduates on what not to do and what to do on your resume!  

Please read the article and then if you would like a FREE resume critique contact Resume’s Plus Online!  We also offer full resume writing services if you need assistance!

Enjoy the article! 

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/04/10/4-resume-mistakes-college-seniors-should-avoid/

 

 

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A Bigger Thank-You than expected….

I had to share the fact I completed a resume for a person who was a retired disabled veteran who is working for the government at a Naval Base and was trying very hard to get a higher level position than he currently held.  

It was just one step up from where he was currently, but I could tell it was important to him, that he really wanted this and wanted my help.  We worked quickly and effectively wrote him a new resume focusing on his leadership skills, since the position he was applying to was a “lead” position.  

He seemed to be an older gentleman who called me Ms., Mrs. and even Ma’am.  He was providing me respect and courtesy.  I felt he had a very gentle old soul and did things the old fashioned way, by phone and chatting rather than emailing or texting!  

We completed the resume to his complete satisfaction and he thanked me profusely for it.

The last step was for me to email him an invoice that he could pay through PayPal or via credit card if he didn’t have a PayPal account.  I was pretty sure he didn’t have a PayPal account but he did say he could pay me via credit/debit card.  This kind gentleman attempted to pay me using his cell phone.  It didn’t work.  He called me and said he paid, but I showed no payment.  He then decided to go to his local library down the street from where he lived and used one of the library computers to try to make the payment.  He called and said he was having problems opening the invoice or paying it through the library computer.  I contacted PayPal to see if they could track down his attempted payments as I really didn’t want him to pay me twice…or more!

I called him back and explained the payment didn’t go through, he asked me to give him about 15 minutes and he would call me back.  When he called me back he was leaving the library, stating he got a library technician to assist him but they thought he got it completed.  I still didn’t see the payment post, so I again called PayPal to track it down.  Nothing.  I felt bad because I could tell this disabled vet was sincerely doing his best to get me paid.  I waited for a half hour and resumed the search for the payment with PayPal and still nothing showed.  PayPal felt my gentleman may have hit the “mock” payment button instead of the “make” payment button.  This would give him a response saying he was successful in the payment.

An hour went by and still no payment showed.  I finally conceeded that this wasn’t working for him and I didn’t want to delay his resume.  I called and ask if he didn’t mind he could send me a money order by mail, and I would go ahead and send him his finalized resume on good faith.  He was so grateful that I would work with him on the payment.  I ended up charging much less than I would have normally but at this point I didn’t care.

I kept thanking him for his service to our country, because I truly believe we all need to be thankful for their service or we might not be the greatest country in the world!  Even the craft workers are just as important if not more important than the Captains or Generals!

I upheld my end of the agreement and sent him his finalized resume immediately after making the payment arrangements.  I also volunteered to give him interview coaching for free if he gets the interview, all he has to do is call me.  The next morning I received a call from him that he just mailed me the payment and again he was so happy that I helped him on short notice with a quick turn around.

I received the payment the very next day (remarkably) in the mail with a money order stuck in a beautiful “Thank-You” card, hand written inside it said “Have a Great Day Mrs. Beth Jenkins”, and he signed his name and the money order was for $5 more than what I charged him!

This DID make my day, but it actually has lingered and made my week!

Sometimes we must go on faith that people really will do the right thing and we need to give just a little more to our disabled vets for what they’ve given up for us.

So Thank-You to all of my Clients and to all of our Service Men and Women!!

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Free Resume Critiques by Recruiters!!

Yes, that’s right, you can get a free Resume critique by actual recruiters at various employers!

How you may ask???

It is much more simple than you think.

Have you attended a job fair lately?  I did – just a week ago and decided to test my theory.

The job fair was at a Military Base for ex-military, their spouses, dependents and the general public.

I went to several government contracting companies and spoke to their HR Reps and I went to several Government Agency booths, which was really my target.  I decided to produce my own resume to see if the Government Recruiters might critique my resume to see what I could do to improve it in order to obtain a civilian position within a government agency.  Well, I hit a home run with one man in particular.  He actually spent about 30 minutes with me going over my resume and speaking to me at length with great tips!

As an HR Professional I knew what I always looked for, what my company looked for and the managers within my companies looked for.  It was very different being on this side of the fence and helps to keep all things in perspective.

So keep this in the back of your mind as you go through your job searches and take advantage of the recruiters at the job fairs in your area!  If you are at a job fair you are typically finding companies you would like to work for.  What better way to get your resume up to speed (for the company you want a job with) than to have that same recruiter critique it for you!  Once that is done, you go home, update your resume with the tips they provided, then email it to the recruiter who provided you the critique!

Last tip….don’t forget to get the recruiters business card so when you email the revised resume you have the recruiters details and can remind them you spoke with them at length at the job fair….connection is key!

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Resume Email Address Tip

Résumés Plus Online

A resume is a tool to showcase the professional you!  Not the you that hangs out on weekends with your friends at the clubs.  When seeking a new position you should do your best to ensure everything about you is as professional as can be. 

This includes your email address!

When a recruiter is looking at an emailed resume, do you think they will respond the same to an email from BoysNiteOut@email.com or to BobsName@email.com?

I am pretty sure the recruiter will pick Bob’s over BoysNiteOut, unless the recruiter is perhaps single and looking for a fun boyfriend!  We both know the likely ending to this scenario.

So now might be the time to create a new professional email address if you don’t already have one.  Then update your resume with it! 

If you need some assistance in this effort, contact a resume writing professional that offers free consultations and ask for their opinion or assistance.

Best of luck in your search efforts and remember…..Resume’s Plus Online is always available to assist you.

Resume Writing Tip

Résumés Plus Online

Do you know the average amount of time a professional reviews a resume before deciding if it should go in the pile for further review or the “not interested” pile?

The reality is it takes approx. 10-15 seconds only!! Yes, that is correct.

So what is the most important part of the resume? The top 1/3 of the first page. It must grab the readers attention or risk getting tossed in the wrong pile.

Don’t risk letting that happen to you. Pump up the top of your resume or consult with a Professional Resume Writer for assistance.

The whole point of a resume is to get you noticed, to get you in the door for an interview and that’s it. So keep it fresh, keep it professional and make the beginning pop!