Professional resume writers

Even if you ultimately choose to hire a professional resume writer or resume-preparation service to write your resume, you will have to supply the majority of this information. The same holds true if you purchase off-the-shelf resume-writing software for your computer. 

A professional resume writer can take all of the information you provide about your career objective, skills, educational background, and previous work experience, and then create your resume using the format the writer believes will best showcase and market your abilities. 

Professional resume writers come from a wide range of backgrounds. Many are former educators, professional writers or editors, career counselors, headhunters, or human resource professionals. These people typically know exactly how the whole job-search process works and therefore can create resumes for their clients that are specifically designed to get attention. 

If you have already tried to create your own resume, but you re simply not pleased with the final results, many professional resume writers offer less expensive critiquing services. So, instead of writing your resume from scratch, he or she will simply take what you created and improve it, or make suggestions on what you can do to enhance it. 

The best way to find a talented professional resume writer is through a personal referral or word of mouth. Ask friends and... 

The Internet is also an excellent resource for finding professional resume writers, because many of these services operate primarily over the Internet and communicate with clients via e-mail and telephone. Using any Internet search engine or information portal (such as Yahoo , Excite , or AltaVista, for example), enter a search phrase such as "resume preparation," "resume creation," "resume writing," or "resume tips" to find a listing of the websites of professional resume writers available for hire. 

Even if someone is a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (or another professional organization, such as the National Resume Writers Association), before hiring a professional resume writer, there are a variety of questions you should ask, listed in Exhibit 9-1. 

Although it may seem like there are a lot of questions, keep in mind that by working with a professional resume writer, you are hiring someone to create a document that represents you to potential employers. This document will be the first impression you make when contacting companies. The quality of the writer s work could easily determine whether or not an employer will consider you for a position and how highly a company will value you. 

Because you will be providing the professional resume writer... 

If you re already somewhat successful in your field and looking for a better job that offers greater career growth potential and the ability for you to earn a higher salary, investing in the services of a professional resume writer is just one additional thing you can do during your job-search process to ensure you will achieve your objectives. 

Regina Pontow is a professional resume writer who has created more than 2,500 resumes for clients around the country. Through her Proven Resumes website (www.provenresumes.com), Pontow offers online resume-writing workshops, free tips for writing resumes, and also promotes her personalized resume-writing services. 

I believe the biggest reason someone should hire a professional resume writer is because we know how to extract information from... 

Are there certain types of job seekers than can benefit most from hiring a professional resume writer ... 

Wit at are some of the services a professional resume writer provides ... 

Creating an electronic resume requires different skills than creating printed resumes, so the job seeker should make sure these are skills the person they hire possesses. Web-based resumes are in essence personal webpages created in the style of a resume. This too is a service that some professional resume writers offer. 

What is the biggest misconception job seekers have about professional resume writers ... 

ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB, there are literally thousands of career-related websites. Some of these sites offer how-to advice about landing a job. Others offer a database of job listings that can be searched by region, industry, job type, salary, position, job title, or almost any other criteria. There are also resume databases allowing applicants to post their resume in hopes of it being read by a recruiter. If you need assistance creating your resume, there are professional resume writers who you can hire directly off the Web, many of whom also have informative websites of interest to job seekers. 

Professional Resume Writers (2nd Edition). David F. Noble. JIST Works, 2004. 

Resume Magic Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, Susan... 

Writing a powerful resume is a skill unto itself. If you re not comfortable with your own writing skills, consider hiring a professional resume writer or using one of the resume-creation software packages discussed later in this book (see Chapters 8 and 9). Although writing a powerful resume isn t an easy task, you can learn how to do it well. 

To give yourself every possible advantage, don t hesitate to find a friend, mentor, career counselor, professional resume writer, former professor, or anyone else who can offer you assistance in finding job opportunities, writing your resume and cover letters, preparing for interviews, and ultimately succeeding in the whole job-search process. Also, be sure to use the Internet and take advantage of the online resources available to you. 

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