One of the hardest arguments we professional resume writers have with job seekers is the argument that a professional resume is a good investment. Most of our clients have college degrees and/or work in white collar positions where writing memos, reports, and analyses is part of their daily jobs. It is difficult to jump the mental hurdle that a resume is a different type of writing, and thus, should be left to the professionals.
In college, most students are required to take two full years of English. The first year is composition and the second year is literature. Generally in composition, students learn the basics of research, how to build a report, and some creative writing. These skills are the necessary skills they will need for other classes in their studies such as history and sociology. What these classes do not teach is resume writing, direct marketing writing, or copy writing. They leave the resume writing instruction to the career center who provide a one-hour instruction course on Saturdays once a semester. A student may or may not take that course during their senior year. If the student attends, they have one hour to learn how to write marketing copy that will sell their hard-earned, expensive four years of college to prospective employers. Doesn’t really make sense, does it?
Professional resume writers write resumes every single day. Part of their job is to look objectively at a job seeker’s career history, take into consideration the immediate and future career goals, and craft a hard-hitting marketing document that will win the interview. They do this eight to ten hours a day, not just once in a lifetime. Their abilities are top notch.
I once heard the analogy given that hiring a resume writer was like hiring an electrician to rewire your house. Given a few books and a great deal of time, you could probably figure out how to rewire your house but you would not have much confidence in the job that you did. Your lack of experience could mask a great many mistakes that you don’t recognize but which could result in disaster like a house fire. You would wince every time you turned on a light.
Writing your own resume is like that. Do you know enough to recognize the mistakes you make in your resume? Are you confident when you send it out or do you cross your fingers and say a prayer? Can you afford to spend the time that is needed to learn all the ins and outs of resume writing or would it be more fiscally astute to hire it out? Think about it and give us a call.
