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Any good online resume writing programs or???; or Should I have someone do it for me?
Topic Started: Apr 15 2008, 10:40 AM (232 Views)
Smiles
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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Well I need a better resume or need to find phoney/embelished information to put in my resume... :duh: Is there any online site that people have used that are good or should I just have someone local write one for me?
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jn4jenny
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Is the meadow on fire?
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As someone who does editorial consulting on the side, I say that you really are better off using a local professional. Frankly, most of the resumes that I see these days are either obviously full of B.S. (meaning that your future potential employer will also recognize it as B.S.) or communicate honest job skills in a way that makes them sound completely unappealing.

A great resume is great not because it's full of great credentials and jobs but because the candidate communicates their marketable skills effectively. To put that in perspective, I had one client who approached a major national sports team about an internship, and they told him that with a job background in furniture delivery and house painting that he didn't have a chance in hell. The resume that he brought me initially really did make him sound like someone who could only mop floors and haul furniture around.

I spent two hours with him restructuring his resume and cover letter to reflect the skills that he DID bring to the table: ability to work and thrive under strict and fast deadlines, to work with a diverse set of individuals (including uneducated nitwits) and maximize their assets in a team environment, to be the positive face of a company in a world where customers rarely get to put faces with names, blah blah blah. None of that was a lie, nor was it embellishment, but it helped the potential employer see beyond the job title to the candidate's skills.

They called him three days later to offer him an interview. They called him three days after that to offer him a job.

It doesn't have to be an expensive project, either. You can get good-quality editorial assistance for as little as $20 per hour, although some extortionists charge upwards of $100 per hour. Try contacting your nearest University's writing center and asking if any of their faculty do consulting on the side. You may also be able to find consultants through your local newspaper. And of course, there are professional resume services that you can use as well.
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buryinghill2
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A good person to write your resume is the best money you could spend. When I left the horse business, I needed one to get on with my life. I didn't think I had any background that would be of value to anyone. The woman I hired worked wonders! It looked so good. I got job offers from everyone that I left it with.
Money well spent for sure!
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DairyQueen2049
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DRAGON BREATH. DRAGGIN' BUTT
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ahm - jn4

WHERE are you in MI??

Can you do mine plz?

What do you charge???
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monami
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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I agree with having someone write one for you. I have been in HR for many years as well as having been a cooperate recruiter and a resume is the "first impression" and it can make or break you.

My partner that does the horses with me is an excellent resume writer, if you are interested she is $20 per hour and has really turned a few peoples resumes and lives around. You can email her at signature_sporthorses@yahoo.com if you are interested.
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Buryinghill1
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buryinghill2
Apr 15 2008, 10:53 AM
A good person to write your resume is the best money you could spend. When I left the horse business, I needed one to get on with my life. I didn't think I had any background that would be of value to anyone. The woman I hired worked wonders! It looked so good. I got job offers from everyone that I left it with.
Money well spent for sure!

I remember BH2 telling me about her professionally done resume. Many moons ago, but that conversation still sticks in my mind.
The writer asked BH2 to describe her usual (horse-filled at the time) day, and the writer interpreted the daily duties. Such as "good time management" for bringing in 2 horses from the pasture at the same time :innocent: (for example). "Team player" for loading the semi with the truck drivers :innocent: (for example).
Well worth the money!
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buryinghill2
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Not to hijack this thread, but I think on a daily basis at work how much the skills I learned grooming horses have translated to my job in the "real" world. The most important, time management, and prioritizing work to be done. I do it to the extreme in my job now, and it's the one skill that weeds so many out of my field. A lot of people just don't have that ability!
I learned it all in the days of having four horses, three of which were probably going to the ring at 8:00. All had to be braided, bathed, lunged, etc. to be ready to go to different rings. Oh, and the small job of getting the barn mucked, swept and totally dusted and clean by the time riders arrived. Add to that all the other stuff, blacksmith and vet work, shipping arrangements, dealing with clients, well everyone here knows the drill. If all that doesn't teach you time managing skills, nothing will!

And here I thought all those years grooming were wasted!!
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Trialbyfire
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I agree that you are unlikely to be happy with the results of an online program (or any program, for that matter). They are not capable of really identifying your strengths and presenting them in a way that will catch the eye of the people who are hiring. It's worth the money of a professional, or at the very least, a good bottle of good wine to your professional pal with the best writing you know.

Many years ago I was a career counselor for a while and spent a lot of time helping people write resumes - mostly students changing careers after getting business school degrees/certificates, for example. But it was amazing how many of them a) couldn't think of ANYTHING that they could DO, and b) had horrible, horrible structure, grammar, spelling, word processing, etc. :brickwall: (The things you CAN fix, unlike a bad employment record!)

More of my work experience has been on the other side of the desk; reviewing resumes for positions I was personally hiring for, or as a member of a search committee or administrative layer that culled the "worth reading" from the "circular files". Many times the person reading resumes is going through hundreds at a time. It's your first and last chance to get sorted into the "worth reading" pile....so get a professional to help you out.

Honestly, I don't even read cover letters unless the resume is good. A fact pointed out to me once when I was giving an interview - the person said "I see you've flipped my cover letter to the back.....and I worked SO hard on it!" I told her I did read it, but only after seeing that her resume was a quality piece of work and she had skills, education and experience that all caught my eye. And I hired her. :one:
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