The job market is fierce. A known fact for the past two decades. With the global pandemic, many are forced to reinvent themselves due to job loss. Hiring a great professional resume writer can help increase your chances of landing a job interview even during these tumultuous times. Before hiring a professional resume writer, here are three keys that will let you know whether you have hired a pro that can write a resume that will not only get you any old job, but – the job.
Document Customization
Firstly, when you first sign up for a resume writing package, whether it is to help you with your graduate job search or executive job search, your writer should reach out to ask what your target job is. A good resume is a resume that is tailored to a specific position or industry. There is no such thing as a generic resume that will yield positive results for every job you apply to. If you are a graduate from a business management degree program, you could potentially land a role as a Social Media Coordinator or as a Customer Service Coordinator – both jobs require a different set of skills and knowledge, which must be showcased on two different resumes and cover letters. The same thing applies to that MBA professional wanting to apply for a Chief Financial Officer today and as a Marketing Executive tomorrow – two resumes are warranted to make a good impression.
The Notorious ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
Secondly, a great resume writer will know about your industry and the keywords that are needed to get you past the ATS. For one job posting, the average company may receive at least a hundred applications, which would be impossible for the human eye to sift through every single one. Rather than have a recruiter spend time scanning through resumes with the naked eye, and possibly make mistakes by disqualifying skilled candidates, resumes are scanned through the ATS – hence, it is absolutely crucial your resume and cover letter contain the keywords necessary to deem you as qualified. A good resume writer knows how to strategically market your experience, skills, and education using the appropriate keywords geared to your target job.
Accomplishments vs. Tasks.
Thirdly, we can all relate to having a resume that simply states the past positions held, along with the job tasks bulleted under each respective position. Recruiters receive countless resumes like this, which always almost end up in the trashcan. A good resume writer will probe and ask you what you achieved in your current role and in your past roles. They are looking for key contributions you made or what made you stand out in a particular position. To elicit answers from you, they may ask any of the of the following:
1. What did you achieve? For example, did you meet sales targets consistently?
2. Did you receive any awards? If so, why did the employer give you the award?
3. Did you create a system or pitch an idea that somehow improved a process?
4. Did you receive any promotions? If so, why?
Once this information is gathered, it will be integrated into your new resume and cover letter to convince an employer to call you. There is a strong correlation that an employee who has made key contributions to employers in the past, will likely do the same for a future employer –these are the candidates that employers want to call.
When it comes to resume writing, your career is worth the investment because everyday you are left unsatisfied with your career situation – you are only costing yourself increased misery or a potential loss in wages or salary. Feel free to pick up the phone and call us or email us. Contact us today to learn more about our packages and remember when hiring a professional resume writer – keep these three golden keys in mind.
If you find the whole process of resume and cover letter writing challenging and need some help, please have a look at our resume writing service options. We are here to help!
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