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Resume Services
- Thread starter SeanFlynn
- Start date
AIXSPadmin
MIS
You are going to pay at leat $300 for a good professional resume and cover letter.
I'll weigh in on this.
I would imagine that it depends on whether the unemployment office can actually produce a nice cover letter and/or resume. The mechanics are not at issue, its in the marketing.
While I personally created a formula and took the time to "learn" how to create a resume and cover letter, the time spent may or may not be worth it.
If they study and book and end up doing it well then they should but if they study it, spend several hours, and it is not as good as a "professional's" then the $300 is money well spent.
In short, it comes down to application of your aptitude in the most appropriate area.
Matthew Moran
I would imagine that it depends on whether the unemployment office can actually produce a nice cover letter and/or resume. The mechanics are not at issue, its in the marketing.
While I personally created a formula and took the time to "learn" how to create a resume and cover letter, the time spent may or may not be worth it.
If they study and book and end up doing it well then they should but if they study it, spend several hours, and it is not as good as a "professional's" then the $300 is money well spent.
In short, it comes down to application of your aptitude in the most appropriate area.
Matthew Moran
I used a service some years ago and,yes, I spent $300 for something I could have produced alone. Of course, my degree is in print journalism.
If you're smart enough to work as IT professional, you're smart enough to write your own resume. Peruse the career section of your local monstro-book-mart. Also consider that you may need to craft a few 'different' resumes depending on the firms you apply to. Can you get away with one style and the shotgun approach to job hunting, yeah, but it's not the best form.
A lot of work really does have to go into the resume. It doesn't matter if it comes over the fax, thru e-mail, whatever, as long as certain standards are adhered to, like spelling, punctuation, grammar (not in this message, tho) -- seriously, I had a chance to see the process in action and watched the resumes of people far more qualified than I get pitched because they misspelled a word.
The idea behind a different resume for different firms is more about changing an emphasis than a fundamental change. For instance, customer service skills might be more important in one industry than another. Basically it's about trying to jive with the culture you're trying to join -- think Bill Clinton.
Good luck.
Cheers,
cyclegeek
If you're smart enough to work as IT professional, you're smart enough to write your own resume. Peruse the career section of your local monstro-book-mart. Also consider that you may need to craft a few 'different' resumes depending on the firms you apply to. Can you get away with one style and the shotgun approach to job hunting, yeah, but it's not the best form.
A lot of work really does have to go into the resume. It doesn't matter if it comes over the fax, thru e-mail, whatever, as long as certain standards are adhered to, like spelling, punctuation, grammar (not in this message, tho) -- seriously, I had a chance to see the process in action and watched the resumes of people far more qualified than I get pitched because they misspelled a word.
The idea behind a different resume for different firms is more about changing an emphasis than a fundamental change. For instance, customer service skills might be more important in one industry than another. Basically it's about trying to jive with the culture you're trying to join -- think Bill Clinton.
Good luck.
Cheers,
cyclegeek
"If you're smart enough to work as IT professional, you're smart enough to write your own resume."
That's kind of what I was thinking too, but I was curious to be having the advantage of the forum and hear from some who evaluate them and make hiring decisions based on them.
In some respects I feel like the "resume trade" is similar to the funeral industry - they approach an individual in a time of emotional vulnerability.
When you've been unemployed for a couple of years and are dealing with things like outs with your family because you're not doing christmas presents; hamburger in the cart instead of turkey at thanksgiving; and the problems your kids are having at school because their "cheapo" clothes don't blend with the current trends; it is possible to become vulnerable to marketing pitches you would not consider at other times. When you get beyond such basics as typing assistance, spell checking, and grammar review, I have questions about value added by "resume services".
That's kind of what I was thinking too, but I was curious to be having the advantage of the forum and hear from some who evaluate them and make hiring decisions based on them.
In some respects I feel like the "resume trade" is similar to the funeral industry - they approach an individual in a time of emotional vulnerability.
When you've been unemployed for a couple of years and are dealing with things like outs with your family because you're not doing christmas presents; hamburger in the cart instead of turkey at thanksgiving; and the problems your kids are having at school because their "cheapo" clothes don't blend with the current trends; it is possible to become vulnerable to marketing pitches you would not consider at other times. When you get beyond such basics as typing assistance, spell checking, and grammar review, I have questions about value added by "resume services".
Well that may be. However, I just coached a few individuals who had been out of work for some time (average 9 weeks) and through resume, some coaching and interview skills, I had them both working in about 4 weeks.
I made a decent wage for this, considering the time spent. (about $125/hr.)
Was I hired at a time of vulnerability - maybe - or desperation. I used to have a hard time charging my fees until someone pointed out the economics of it.
If I cut down the job search by 2 weeks (I believe a conservative estimate as neither individual had interviews lined up) and they made approx $40k/year (1 was about that, 1 more), that amounts to more than $1,400 dollars in increased revenue.
I would think it is more. But I was providing more than resume and cover letter services (strategy and coaching/mentoring on their search and interview & networking skills.)
I guess worth is somewhat quantifiable but can be gauged also by the perception of the event.
Matthew Moran
I made a decent wage for this, considering the time spent. (about $125/hr.)
Was I hired at a time of vulnerability - maybe - or desperation. I used to have a hard time charging my fees until someone pointed out the economics of it.
If I cut down the job search by 2 weeks (I believe a conservative estimate as neither individual had interviews lined up) and they made approx $40k/year (1 was about that, 1 more), that amounts to more than $1,400 dollars in increased revenue.
I would think it is more. But I was providing more than resume and cover letter services (strategy and coaching/mentoring on their search and interview & networking skills.)
I guess worth is somewhat quantifiable but can be gauged also by the perception of the event.
Matthew Moran
"But I was providing more than resume and cover letter services"
If what I've seen in some of your other posts is any indication, I would guess this is the real key to your success and where the value was.
I have been fired 3 times, and a forth may as well have been a firing. I am not very hirable and my unemployed times are quite long-months to years. In relation to my employment area, salary levels, etc.; I don't think a professional could come up with resume format, structure, content, etc that would offset that and justify the costs involved. In one of these previous jobs I had the opportunity to see my complete personal file. I had used advice in the form of books, counselling at the unemployment office, and reviews by "resume and employment consultants" at job fairs to make a resume to mask "problem areas". I noticed that every one of the "masked" areas had been marked and scribbled on by my boss. I obtained that job after approximately 9 months of unemployment. I got the job based a) on a strong recommendation from a close personal friend of my boss, and b) being watched doing some part-time "just for fun" work in his friend's business. When the man who hired me sold his interest in the business, I was number 1 in the office on the "get em out of here" list.
I obtained and kept that job on the basis of personal relationships, support to my boss, and a good working relationship with my boss. In my opinion, the value of the resume was pretty much non-existent and although I can't remember, I don't think it generated much in the way of leads for me.
Just my personal experience-obiviously there are a lot of folks with different situations and different stories.
If what I've seen in some of your other posts is any indication, I would guess this is the real key to your success and where the value was.
I have been fired 3 times, and a forth may as well have been a firing. I am not very hirable and my unemployed times are quite long-months to years. In relation to my employment area, salary levels, etc.; I don't think a professional could come up with resume format, structure, content, etc that would offset that and justify the costs involved. In one of these previous jobs I had the opportunity to see my complete personal file. I had used advice in the form of books, counselling at the unemployment office, and reviews by "resume and employment consultants" at job fairs to make a resume to mask "problem areas". I noticed that every one of the "masked" areas had been marked and scribbled on by my boss. I obtained that job after approximately 9 months of unemployment. I got the job based a) on a strong recommendation from a close personal friend of my boss, and b) being watched doing some part-time "just for fun" work in his friend's business. When the man who hired me sold his interest in the business, I was number 1 in the office on the "get em out of here" list.
I obtained and kept that job on the basis of personal relationships, support to my boss, and a good working relationship with my boss. In my opinion, the value of the resume was pretty much non-existent and although I can't remember, I don't think it generated much in the way of leads for me.
Just my personal experience-obiviously there are a lot of folks with different situations and different stories.
I have never used a resume service, and I don't plan on it, but then again, I consider my writing skills to be above average.
I recommend getting some peers to review your resume, especially if you can get some who have done hiring. This can give you lots of good insight, and help find spelling, grammar errors as well as things that may be gammatically correct, but are still not worded well.
Also, if English is not your first language, or if you feel that your writing skills aren't very good, it very well may be worth your while to use a resume service. I have also seen resumes that were discarded because of spelling/grammar mistakes. The one that sticks out in my mind was a girl who mentioned that she had excellent communication skills and then her grammar was so bad, we had trouble figuring out what she meant. Her qualifications were never even examined.
I recommend getting some peers to review your resume, especially if you can get some who have done hiring. This can give you lots of good insight, and help find spelling, grammar errors as well as things that may be gammatically correct, but are still not worded well.
Also, if English is not your first language, or if you feel that your writing skills aren't very good, it very well may be worth your while to use a resume service. I have also seen resumes that were discarded because of spelling/grammar mistakes. The one that sticks out in my mind was a girl who mentioned that she had excellent communication skills and then her grammar was so bad, we had trouble figuring out what she meant. Her qualifications were never even examined.
I've never gotten a job from sending a resume... it's just not how it's done...
Oh, sure, I've sent out literally thousands of resumes. From that, I've gotten exactly 10 interviews at companies that were not really a match for either of us...
Fortunately, there is a better way, a way that works.
Read the books "What Color is your Parachute?" and "Don't Send A Resume". They describe how to know yourself and how to create the job you want at the company you want.
Or don't. Be one of the 15,000 resumes that the minimum wage HR staff at your target companies are going to see this month... like that's going to work... what do you do when you get junk mail?
JTB
Senior Infrastructure Specialist
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSE-W2K in progress)
Oh, sure, I've sent out literally thousands of resumes. From that, I've gotten exactly 10 interviews at companies that were not really a match for either of us...
Fortunately, there is a better way, a way that works.
Read the books "What Color is your Parachute?" and "Don't Send A Resume". They describe how to know yourself and how to create the job you want at the company you want.
Or don't. Be one of the 15,000 resumes that the minimum wage HR staff at your target companies are going to see this month... like that's going to work... what do you do when you get junk mail?
JTB
Senior Infrastructure Specialist
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSE-W2K in progress)
I agree in part with your statement. I have always advocated you meet someone prior to getting them a resume and/or cover letter. Personal referrals are the "only" way to get the bettter job. That is because a "better job" is normally created as an agreement between you and an employer with whom you have a relationship.
I have on this board and in numerous articles explained that you are mostly wasting time sending resumes to jobs in want ads, job boards, etc. Do it, but don't hold your breath.
I whole-heartedly agree that "What Color Is Your Parachute" is a vital read. In fact, it should be standard reading in high-school but that might be too pragmatic.
I was interviewed by TechRepublic on Professional Networking. While it makes me appear a tad rabid, the fact is that this is the single best way to create long-term stability and career growth.
I tell people constantly that it is not "Who you know but who knows you and what you know." They way opportunities come up is that someone ("who knows you and what you know"
is in a conversation with someone they know. That person they know mentions the need for service and/or the need for someone matching your skill. The person who knows you passes along your name - making you a much more desirable candidate.
When you are finally put in touch with this one-off referral, they get your resume because they are actually interested in the sum of knowledge, not in weeding out undesirables. That is a huge difference. The interview, likewise, is also more of a meeting of the minds, not figuring out if you can do the job. You are assumed to be qualified because of the referral.
I am assuming that when you are on the job you perform with excellence - that is a given. If not, identify those areas you are struggling with and...well... correct them!!
Matthew Moran
I have on this board and in numerous articles explained that you are mostly wasting time sending resumes to jobs in want ads, job boards, etc. Do it, but don't hold your breath.
I whole-heartedly agree that "What Color Is Your Parachute" is a vital read. In fact, it should be standard reading in high-school but that might be too pragmatic.
I was interviewed by TechRepublic on Professional Networking. While it makes me appear a tad rabid, the fact is that this is the single best way to create long-term stability and career growth.
I tell people constantly that it is not "Who you know but who knows you and what you know." They way opportunities come up is that someone ("who knows you and what you know"
is in a conversation with someone they know. That person they know mentions the need for service and/or the need for someone matching your skill. The person who knows you passes along your name - making you a much more desirable candidate.When you are finally put in touch with this one-off referral, they get your resume because they are actually interested in the sum of knowledge, not in weeding out undesirables. That is a huge difference. The interview, likewise, is also more of a meeting of the minds, not figuring out if you can do the job. You are assumed to be qualified because of the referral.
I am assuming that when you are on the job you perform with excellence - that is a given. If not, identify those areas you are struggling with and...well... correct them!!
Matthew Moran
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