Professional Resume Writer - When to Consider Professional Resume Services

If you're hunkered down over the keyboard trying to write a resume that will take your career to the next level (or in the case of a layoff or "downsizing," just get your career back on the same level), I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you have it within your capabilities to craft a resume that can be competitive in the jobs marketplace. The bad news is, it's going to take time and study to get there on your own.

As a former resume writer, I can say without a doubt that each and every one of my clients, from every professional walk of life, could have crafted a resume themselves that could have competed with the one I wrote for them. I can also say, without a doubt, that each and every resume those clients initially sent me (either a rough draft or a previous version), needed help.

Why The Disconnect?

On average, an employed professional will need a resume every 3 to 5 years. So, every 3 to 5 years the job seeker will find himself or herself staring at a blank computer monitor trying to create a resume from scratch. Or trying to shoehorn a current or recent job into the work history section of a previous resume version, and trying to keep the resulting document from ballooning into a manuscript. Throwing a bit of concentrated effort onto a task every 3 to 5 years does not an expert make. Rather, it too often makes for a nervous wreck.

Enter the Professional Resume Writer

The advantage the professional has over the job seeker is that the professional works on resumes every day. Day in and day out. That's his job. You can do his job if you...

• Understand resumes. The professional resume writer is schooled in the techniques of resume writing, from selecting the correct format for a particular client, to knowing what hiring officials want to see in a resume (and equally important, don't want to see). Those holding a certification from one of two industry associations have had to successfully demonstrate that skill to their peers.
• Have a good overview of your industry. The professional resume writer is knowledgeable in industry – likely having come out of industry – and is steeped in industry terminology.
• Are familiar with "keywords" and their application. The professional resume writer is skilled at working optimized "keywords" into a resume, ensuring that the resume pops up in database searches.
• Have an aptitude for marketing. The professional resume writer is above all, a marketing professional; experienced in marketing a skill set to an often cynical audience (i.e., recruiters and hiring officials).

Can all of this be imparted to the job seeker who needs to write a resume every 3 to 5 years? Most certainly. It's not brain surgery. It just takes time and study, like everything else in life. It's also understandable that not everyone wants to dedicate that kind of time and study; hence the growing popularity of professional resume services.

When Should You Consider Using A Professional Resume Service?

Consider a pro if time is of the essence in your job search. If you've got a full plate of activities and can't work in the "study" angle. Or finally, if your resume will be fighting for attention in a highly competitive marketplace, and you'd simply rather not take chances.

You can do this. You can write your own resume. But know that there's help out there if you need it.

David Alan Carter is a former recruiter who offers in-depth reviews of the top Resume Writing Services on the Web, spelling out their pricing and giving each a star ranking. (Note: David's "Top 3 Picks" are resume services that actually guarantee interviews.)