Most job seekers come to a professional resume writer with a resume in hand, one they first wrote after they graduated college umpteen years ago or one they wrote using an online template or “free” service or with the advice of multiple friends and relatives. After months pass with no offers, they begin to wonder if the resume is to blame.
They are probably right.
Here are three main differences that a professional resume makes.
A Professional Resume Makes You Stand Out in a Good Way
Instead of crazy fonts, design, multiple colors, and even artwork, a professional resume relies on presenting you as an individual with individual skills—right from the beginning with the summary.
All too often, do-it-yourselfers (DIYs) start their resume with vague statements about hard work and teamwork, or with an old fashioned desire to “develop my talents in” or without any summary at all. A professional resume writer notes your specific contributions and skills and how they will benefit the company you are applying to:
Before: Hard-working manager who wants to contribute team leadership skills to a company where I can grow into an executive position.
After: Accomplished Sales Manager with 15+ years of experience delivering up to 120% above quota in retail environments, concentrating on home appliances, décor, and furniture.
The reliance on details and accomplishments that are specific to your career carries through the entire resume and makes you stand out from the pack.
A Professional Resume Looks Professional
A professional resume has a consistent format, font, use of bolding, choice of bullets, and headline style. It uses a variety of verbs (generated, increased, secured, slashed, managed, grew, developed, etc.) that keep the interest of the reader. If a gap or overlap in employment or an appearance of job-hopping needs to be explained, a professional resume knows how to do that honestly while making sure that it supports rather than undermining your career.
In addition, a professional resume is proofread. The smallest error—a period left off the end of a sentence, a letter missing from or added to a word (for example, fiance instead of finance), or an inconsistency in dates—will make a hiring manager think twice. If you claim you are attentive to details, communicate clearly, and always deliver great results, you do not want your resume to contradict you.
A Professional Resume Truly Covers Your Career
You never want to lie in a resume, but you do want to let hiring managers and recruiters know how awesome you are. You may have difficulty with “bragging,” or you may go overboard and take credit for results you could not possibly have contributed to. A professional resume writer helps you find just the right balance.
A professional resume writer also interviews you to determine if you have left out any facts that should be included; if you have downplayed a contribution that deserves stronger mention; or if you have repeated yourself unnecessarily. With the help of a professional resume writer, you can make sure that your resume and online presence are consistent—for example, your resume and LinkedIn profile show the same person with the same skills, education, job history, and accomplishments.
Are you ready to work to create a professional resume? Contact Robin’s Resumes® and find out what a professional resume writer and career coach can do for you.