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Are professional resume services worth it?
Abridged: NWJobs
DENVER, CO -- You've found that writing your own resume is just too painful a task. You turn to various resume writers for help and learn that prices and services vary dramatically. Does it really matter whom you hire to write your resume? The answer... Yes! Here are a few tips to consider when hiring a professional to write your resume.
Beware of resume mills. These companies crank out one-size-fits-all resumes and don't create a unique image of the job seeker. Work with a quality resume writer who will work directly with you. There should be one-on-one contact between you and the resume writer. There are two reasons this is important. First, a resume costs enough that any client should get personal service. Second, a resume is more than facts and data that can be tallied on a form. The substance needs to be tweaked to account for the job seeker's unique skills and style.
The point is that a good resume writer is a bit of a mentor and a coach who measures not just the client's experience, but the client's style and character -- and blends it into the resume. You should let a resume professional write your resume because you can't really see yourself as others see you. It takes an independent perspective to produce a resume that elicits a positive reaction from a hiring manager.
Get your resume critiqued by a professional writer-free
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- You've got terrific experience. Your work ethic is superb. You're even willing to be flexible on salary. But after sending your resume to countless, perfectly matched management opportunities, you're just not getting the interviews! Why? It may be hard to believe, but there's a good chance your resume is the culprit. With the average employer spending less than 30 seconds scanning each resume they receive, your resume needs "The Right Stuff" to grab attention and get the interview.
What is the Right Stuff? To find out, The Career News arranged for its subscribers to receive a free-resume-critique and price quote from a certified professional resume writer, specializing in resumes for management level job candidates.
You'll not only find out what's right with your resume -- but more importantly, if it is actually preventing you from getting interviews. While the critique is free-and-valuable, you'll also learn how a professional writer might successfully re-vamp your resume and refine your job search strategies -- and exactly what that would cost. This may just start making you money quicker than you think! Get your complimentary resume critique today!
Enhance your job search using Google tools
Abridged: Google
SAN JOSE, CA -- Technology lowers the activation barrier for candidates to apply to positions posted on job boards or company websites. With just a few mouse clicks, a resume is on its way to a potential future employer. The downside is that it's more challenging to distinguish oneself from a flood of applicants. Standing out from the competition is the key to a successful job search.
Job seekers can utilize a variety of online tools to differentiate themselves. There are many Google Tools that can be effectively leveraged regardless of the company or industry you are targeting. Here are some ideas on how these resources can be utilized: Identify and target companies or other organizations of interest; Network, enhance web presence, and showcase key accomplishments to potential employers; Prepare for an interview and ultimately land an ideal position
Google Maps can be used to locate target companies with office, lab, or plant locations within a tolerable commute radius for those that are geographically constrained. Once an interview is secured, Google Search, Google Scholar, Google Patent Search, Google Finance, and Google News Alerts can all be utilized to learn in-depth information about the company and its employees.
Do job seekers have to use social networks?
Abridged: U.S.NEWS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It has become fashionable to insist that job seekers must use online networking tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or their job search will be crippled. If you hate these tools and resent hearing you have to use them, here's some good news for you: You don't!
Of course social networking sites can be really helpful job search tools. And because their popularity is growing, you may be doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least check them out. But if you give yourself a chance to see if you like them, and you realize that you don't, then stop using them. You need to use the tools that work best for you. Online social networking isn't the only tool to help you get a job.
There are all kinds of great tools job seekers can use. None are mandatory. And plenty people are still getting jobs using traditional networking strategies. Use online networking sites if you like them. If the only thing driving you to LinkedIn is a sense of obligation, give yourself a break and spend your time doing something else.
Job search tool makes finding a job much easier!
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- With a new job search tool called MyJobHunter, you can search all top career sites at once & apply to all matching jobs with just 1-click. Enter your search criteria, review the matching jobs and select the ones you want. Then, click a single button and you'll instantly apply to all selected jobs with your resume and cover letter (without having to log into each job site separately).
Click another button and you can automate the whole process! MyJobHunter.com can remember what you searched for, search for it again each day, and AUTOMATICALLY APPLY FOR YOU to new jobs matching your criteria. Review jobs in advance or put searching & applying on auto-pilot. The choice is yours.
You'll also get an application history report that makes follow-up a breeze! It shows the jobs you were applied to, full job descriptions, employer contact info, and application dates. You can even add personal notes to each job! This service is proven to reduce hours of job searching and resume submitting to just minutes. Simply upload your resume, enter your job search criteria and let MyJobHunter take it from there. For more information visit MyJobHunter.com.
Correcting the misperception of a normal job market
Peter Weddle, HR Consultant & Recruiter
CHICAGO, IL -- It would be reassuring to believe that today's job market is just like the ones of the past, only tougher. If that were true, we would at least know the rules of the game. Unfortunately, however, it's not. The rules have changed, and we must adapt if we want to succeed. Historically, the skill set you had in your last job was sufficient to find a new job. All you had to do was update your resume, send it out to a bunch of employers, do a little networking and bitta-bang, bitta-boom, you would land a job!
Today, the opposite is true. If you are in transition, the skills you had to be effective in your last job are not sufficient to find a new one. These days you have to reinvent yourself. Update your skill set and add it to your resume. Such a notation demonstrates that (a) you understand the importance of always getting better in today's workplace and (b) you take personal responsibility for doing so.
Those two attributes will help to set you apart in the job market and restart your career. Looking for a job in the current environment is definitely frustrating. What's happening today is simply proof positive that the rules of the game have changed. If you change with them, you'll have what it takes to turn what used to be called failure into the modern definition of success.
'Fax' you need to know about your job search
Staff Writer, The Career News
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- There's nothing easy about job searching. What's especially frustrating for many job seekers is a disappointing response rate. However, it's important to note that a job search is based on a numbers game. For example: If you get your resume in front of 1000 hiring managers, you should get 10-50 quality responses leading up to 5 interviews. If you don't pay attention to 'how' you are sending your resumes, your actions might only serve to put your resume in a pile with hundreds of others - if it even makes it to the pile at all.
Consider a more focused approach to your job search. A search that increases the number and quality of responses by using a targeted list of industries and decision makers who are looking for people with your skills. This new type of search also employs an affordable delivery system that ensures your resume will be seen by the right person. Impossible? Not at all! We recommend using a service called JobsByFax.
This service is simple to use, effective and an affordable way to ensure a more focused and satisfying job search. You'll have instant access to information on thousands of companies and their decision makers. JobsByFax combines quality and quantity by faxing your resume to potential employers and recruiters. In fact, it's been statistically proven that sending 1000 resumes using JobsByFax can yield from 10 to 50 quality responses. Take control of your job search by going to JobsByFax.
Do out-of-the-box job seeking tactics really work?
Abridged: CareerBuilder
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Facing the most difficult job market in decades, job seekers are often advised to stand out among the competition by using creative and unconventional tactics to grab an employer's attention. While that advice is sound and good, it begs the question of whether or not these avant-garde approaches actually work. Well -- it depends.
"I personally like those candidates that think outside of the box. As an HR professional, nothing makes me happier than knowing a candidate for a marketing position has, for example, created a brochure that is actually his or her resume," says Vani Colombo, HR director for VIPdesk, a customer and concierge service. "I'm always amazed when candidates break the rules with class to stand out. It shows they are resourceful and willing to go the extra mile," she says.
Remember the rules. Barring stalker behavior and lavish gifts, out-of-the-box tactics can work if you play your cards right. Here are a few tips to consider. Whatever tactic you choose to use, make sure it's relevant to the position you're applying for. Don't go too far. It's important to walk that fine line between different, yet not going too far with trying to stand out. A good idea can get you an interview, but not a job. Remember, at the end of the day they're still going to hire the person who they feel can do the job best. It's still up to you to show you're the best person for the job. |
