The Benefits of a Professionally Written Resume

by: Debbie Panell

If you think a professional resume is only for Office Managers, Accountants and CEO’s, you are dead wrong. If you have been sending out your resume for weeks or months on end, and have not had much of a response, chances are your resume is to blame. Even though you may have read, re-read, written and re-written your resume and had friends and relatives look it over as well. But still no calls. Most people don't realize their resume is either mediocre or far worse. Why is that? Really, the answer is simple. Just as I could not wire a new light in my kitchen, most people are not resume writers. I don’t have the skills to play with electricity, and you and your friends don’t have the skills and experience necessary to differentiate a bad resume from a great one.

This is exactly why there are professional resume writers.

Every week you are unemployed, another $500 to $1000 (or more!) in take home pay is lost. So if the normal job hunt length is 3 months, the financial loss is $6,000 to $12,000. Keep in mind that right now, the average search time can be 6 months to a year! The longer you are unemployed, the more money you lose- from your earnings, to your savings account and to your credit card debt!

A high quality professionally written resume and cover letter can change all that. Even if you have already experienced financial loss, it can start to be reversed by getting you back to work ASAP. Getting interviews is difficult right now. If your resume and cover letter do not fit the position to a 'T', the Hiring Manager will not look at it for more than 7 seconds. That’s right-7 SECONDS. Then it goes to the trash can. It stands to reason if you want to dramatically improve your chances of getting hired, your resume must provide a positive first impression to employers. Your resume MUST catch their eye and distinguish you from the competition!

A Professional Resume Writer knows how to format your resume style and appearance (yes, appearance is important- no matter your industry!) and content to emphasize your positive attributes and qualifications and minimize your weaknesses! They can tailor the resume to your desired job descriptions and industry and know how to make you shine! They can capture the attention of the hiring manager and keep them reading past the average 7 second resume scan! They will ask questions, whether over the phone or in a questionnaire, that get past your 'job duties' and focus on your VALUE to employers.

You can have all the skills, talents and abilities in the world but if you don't get the interviews you are stuck. When you compare the average cost of a professional resume at $150 to the cost of your lost wages for 3 months, hiring a professional to write your resume and cover letter makes sense. It is an investment in your career and in your future. Just as you pay for licensing and continuing education for your career, hiring a professional resume writer is also an investment in your career. The sooner you hire a professional resume writer, the quicker you will go back to work! Do not waste precious time (remember time is money) and wait 3-6 months before you discover that you are not getting a response from your resume!

As a special offer to ElectricSmart.com members, FishBowlResume is offering a discount. ElectricSmart members will receive $45 off a resume or a resume/ cover letter package. This makes your investment $75 for a resume or $105 for a resume AND cover letter- all tailored to your job history, your career ambitions and the job positions you are interested in applying for. Simply enter the coupon code ‘ELECTRIC’ when you checkout on the website. www.fishbowlresume.com