Resume
services give extra edge
By Carrie Miner
Special for The Republic
You've lost your job or feel you're ready for a change. It's time to dust off a book on resume writing or search through computer programs for a ready-made template just waiting for you to fill in the blanks. Or is it?
With the changing economy, more and more people are reassessing their positions, searching for security in a shifting marketplace. It takes an edge to get noticed in the flood of applications, and resume writing services claim to offer that edge.
"A resume today is so much more than a piece of paper, " said Donna Tucker, owner of CareerPro Resume Centers. "It has to stand out from hundreds of candidates."
Currently, there are about two dozen local resume writing services catering to the needs of the Valley's job seekers. Although many people attempt to create their own resumes, many more are searching out the services of a professional.
"People go to lawyers to develop a will and a licensed contractor for electrical work. There are just some things that professions do better," Tucker said.
One of the biggest problems resume writers see is people using fill-in-the-blanks templates in an attempt to be all things to all people. Professionals maintain that a resume is a marketing tool and should be used as such, listing not only previous job histories and descriptions, but highlighting skills, knowledge and expertise of the applicant.
"It's all about you what you can bring to the table and the accomplishments you've made to back it up," Tucker said.
Carmen Rice, owner of Arizona Resume Experts agrees.
"Your resume is the single most important document you'll ever have prepared for yourself. There is no other document with more. Life-altering consequences," Rice said. "It is a dynamic marketing tool and must be thought of as a competitive document. It can't just tell your experiences, but has to show why you are more qualified to receive an interview than someone else with similar qualifications."
Rice has been writing resumes in the Valley since 1982 and stresses that people should look at a resume as an investment. With a price tag ranging from $85.00 to $250, a professionally written resume costs as much as a good business suit.
"You have to ask yourself, is it worth $250 to ensure that you are marketing yourself in the most effective and powerful way that you can so that you have an edge on competition," Rice said. "A resume is a powerful document with powerful consequences. It's the key to those progressive things in your life and the determining factor in receiving the interview, getting the job and getting paid and promoted correctly."
In addition to interviewing clients and compiling their work history into a viable document, resume services often offer other ancillary products including cover letters, e-mail formats and follow-up letters. Others also help applicants with counseling services on job opportunities, going wages and other job market information.
"It's one thing to have a good resume, but it's another to know what to do with it," said Rice.
Rice shakes her head at applicants basing their entire job search campaign on the classified ads.
"People feel they have to be invited to submit a resume, but it's the worst thing you could possibly do," Rice said. "Sixty-five to 85 percent of all positions are filed before they ever make it to the newspapers. And then you're dealing with is leftover."
In spite of the heavy
competition in the workforce, an independent study performed by Rice showed
that 94 percent of her clients received an interview with her resumes.
"I've written resumes for 20 years. Resume writing is a talent,"
Rice said. "How many resumes have you written in your life? How many
do you want to write? Do you want to become proficient in resume writing?
It all comes down to asking yourself these questions."