Some would say yes … but then I’m not talking about me. <smile> I’m talking getting professional help as you contemplate or begin a job search. When it comes to creating a compelling sales and market document, targeted toward landing interviews in a competitive job market, are you up to the task?
If some of this looks familiar, it’s compiled from an answer I wrote in response to a question on LinkedIn a few months ago. So many people start job searches after the holidays, it’s appropriate to make sure everyone is armed with the tools needed for career management success.
First, remember, putting together a resume is not about an individual’s writing capabilities. I’ve written resumes for clients with master’s and doctorate’s in English. Obviously, someone with advanced English degrees has strong writing skills, but there are different types of writing. A professional rez writer knows how to create a compelling document and grab someone’s attention in the 10-15 seconds allowed during that first pass read through. That’s a different skill set and a very specialized type of writing.
Second, a rez is not a career autobiography or a list of job duties. It is a sales and marketing document designed to sell your two most important commodities – your time and your talent. If you’re like most, you’ll find it difficult to objectively edit your own careers and create a targeted, focused document. You’re too close to your career wonderfulness to not want to tell everything. Do you spill your guts and tell absolutely everything about yourself when you meet that special someone? Probably not. You tell just enough to entice interest and land a date. A rez does the same thing. It entices an interview – that “first date” in the employment world.
Third, look at it in from a monetary standpoint. If a well-crafted document can reduce your job search by two or three days, the investment in the resume is returned almost immediately. Think about it: $15 an hour x 24 hours (three, eight-hour days) = $360. As you can see, a well-crafted resume pays for itself in the first week at your new job.
Bottom line – if your résumé is written in red crayon on a cocktail napkin and it’s getting you interviews, then no, you don’t need a professional. But, it you’re sending out hundreds of rezs with nary an interview, it’s usually not your skills; it’s your presentation. Invest in yourself and seek out a professional. You will get a noticeable positive impact in your job search.
And in a shameless plug for me, here’s more info on why to work with a professional …
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