So, you have decided that you want to give resume writing a try as a career. You are someone who is passionate about writing, enjoys conducting research and prides yourself on providing excellent customer service. These skills are some of the most important considerations you will want to explore as a resume writer.
As a resume writer you need to be 100% invested in the work that you produce because customers job prospects depend on your willingness to understand and explore their career field.
Here is a breakdown on why writing, research and customer service are the most important considerations when deciding to become a professional resume writer.
1) The Art of Resume Writing
Now, you don’t have to be an English or Communications major to be a resume writer, but you do need to have a solid understanding of the English language. Being able to communicate assertively is also an important consideration because you must be able to state your client’s credentials in a meaningful, powerful way.
The reality is that there is an art to writing resumes and part of this involves synthesizing and condensing a bunch of information into concise, actionable statements. If you have a knack for this – your job will be much easier as a professional resume writer.
2) Research, Research, Research
In short- research is EVERYTHING when it comes to your resume writing career. Regardless of how many years you spend in the field, you will ALWAYS encounter customers who have job titles you are unfamiliar with, skills that are foreign to you and training and/or courses that seem alien.
Your job as a resume writer is to explore and understand your customer. This means that you will likely spend hours researching information on Google so that you can properly understand their job roles.
Here are a couple of research tips that will help you better understand your client’s past experience:
a) Conduct preliminary research on the companies that your clients have worked for. This will help understand the type of industry and work culture they are accustomed to.
b) Try to find job postings for previous roles they have occupied. There is a chance that your customer's old company is hiring for the exact same position. Having this in hand will help you gain more clarity on scope of work and will help to flesh out achievements and job tasks on their new resume.
c) Explore abbreviations and acronyms- clients often have abbreviations and acronyms listed on their old resume and so you should spend time understanding what these mean. Also, it isn’t always advisable to use abbreviations on the new resume (unless they are related to same industry) so you may think of spelling these out in their entirety.
d) Jobs of interest – try to locate a role of interest for the client. This will help to focus on keywords and industry terminology which can be used to construct the new resume, so it is ATS optimized. See article on Applicant Tracking Systems.
3) Customer Service Counts
This is such a big aspect of the job as a resume writer. Customers are your business and if they are not happy with your service and product then you won’t be getting any referrals and recommendations.
From the moment a customer inquires about your service it is important that you go above and beyond to ensure that they feel comfortable and supported in making a purchase.
One way to ensure an excellent customer experience is to set up a phone call with the client after they have made a purchase to discuss their employment background as well as their future career goals. Customers will appreciate the time you spend getting to know their unique skills set.
Another way to ensure excellent customer service is to show customers resume examples BEFORE they make their purchase. This will not only give you a chance to showcase your writing skills but will help to manage their expectations on the final product.
If you are considering a career as a resume writer, it is important to reflect on whether you are suited for this career path. Although there are many skills that need to be developed as a professional resume writer – some of the important aspects of this work is being a good writer, conducting industry research and being able to deliver excellent customer service.
If you are interested in making money online as a resume writer and believe you are suited for this type of work - check out our in-house Resume Writing Course.
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