|
Answers to FAQs (continued) Q: What kinds of services are offered by résumé writing or career coaching firms?
A: Most firms offer printed résumés and cover letters, scannable résumés, and e-mail résumés. Many firms offer résumé packages, reference lists, web posting, résumé distribution services, interview thank-you letters, job search coaching, and interview coaching. A select few provide HTML résumés, recommendation and resignation letters, testimonial sheets, career transition coaching, lifetime updates, portfolio compilations, and grant/business plan writing services.
Q: Why should I hire a member of the NRWA?
A: Because it will maximize your résumé’s results and your job search success. Firms with NRWA membership offer you the distinct advantage of top-quality writers who remain on the cutting-edge of résumé writing. The NRWA provides continuous educational, mentoring, and training opportunities for its members, so you can be confident that your résumé will be expertly prepared.
Test
Your Résumé IQ
Is
your résumé ready for the job search? Will it help
or hinder your interview chances? Take this self-quiz to evaluate
your résumé’s effectiveness.
[
] My
résumé is packed with industry-specific language
and crucial keywords.
[
] My
résumé emphasizes and quantifies my achievements to
show not only what I have done, but also how
well
I have done it.
[
] My résumé
contains
superior grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
[
] My résumé
uses
varied action verbs and powerful marketing phrases.
[
] My résumé
emphasizes how I will benefit employers
and meet their precise needs. |
|
|
[
] My résumé engages the reader from the outset
and maintains interest throughout.
[
] My résumé
clearly communicates my job target and the key strengths I bring
to the table within the first few lines of text.
[
] My résumé
uses an eye-catching, inviting, and original design (not a
template).
[
] My
résumé includes ASCII (plain-text) and scannable
versions to enable e-mail, web, and electronic
distribution/storage.
[
] My résumé communicates
and targets
my key transferable skills.
[
] My résumé minimizes
my potential weaknesses and turns negative “red flags”
into positive assets.
[
] My
résumé uses the most effective format, style, and
strategy for my particular situation.
[
] My
résumé utilizes CAR (Challenge, Action, Result)
statements in a compelling way.
[
] My résumé
uses the same marketing techniques used by companies to sell my
unique “brand” to employers.
If
you checked 13-14 boxes:
Congratulations! Your résumé writing abilities
appear to be sound. (Have you thought of a career in résumé
writing?) You just might want to avail yourself of a critique
from a professional résumé writer to be sure you
didn’t miss anything important.
If
you checked 10-12 boxes:
You
have some distinct abilities that will help you write a résumé
more solidly than most. Leaving out some critical components,
however, can cost you interviews. Having your résumé
professionally crafted can help ensure you optimize your results.
If
you fewer than 10 boxes:
You
will miss many opportunities that may be perfect for you unless
you have your résumé professionally prepared.
|
|
|
National Résumé Writers’ Association
Why Hire a Professional Résumé Writer?
Company Address
|
|
Are You …
The
perfect candidate for the jobs you are targeting, but frustrated
by low or zero response to your résumé?
Transitioning
from the military or seeking a career change into another
field/industry?
Wondering
how
to best present your background to win a promotion with your
current firm?
A
recent graduate
trying to secure your first full-time position?
Re-entering
the
workforce after a prolonged absence?
Struggling
to overcome
job search challenges like “job-hopping” or
employment gaps?
By
partnering with a professional résumé writer, you
can realize your career dreams and overcome any of these
challenges!
Even if you are the “perfect” candidate for a position, someone less skilled might get the job of your dreams because their résumé was written more skillfully. It happens all the time. Many people think that since they know their jobs well and have adequate (or even excellent) communication skills, they can prepare their own résumés.
But when writing about themselves, people tend to undersell the “product.” In addition, a full 98% of résumés created by unskilled professionals lack several of the most important ingredients. As a result, many opportunities are missed.
Some job seekers regard the résumé as “just a piece of paper.” But in today’s highly competitive job market, where the typical nationally advertised position opening will receive literally hundreds |
|
|
of responses, it takes an effective résumé to get interviews.
Think of it this way – a $1 bill and a $1,000 bill are both “just paper,” too. But like a résumé, their value is determined by what is printed on that piece of paper.
Your résumé is one of the most important documents you will ever create. This “make-or-break” marketing tool is what stands between whether an employer will call you for an interview or pass you by.
Common Résumé Pitfalls Most people who write their own résumés are unsure of how to best present their strengths, downplay their weaknesses, and appeal to employer needs. Common mistakes include the omission of important information and/or strategic sections, the inclusion of irrelevant (and/or ill-advised) details, a shortage of keywords, a failure to emphasize transferable skills, a lack of a specific career focus, and an uninviting page design. And, perhaps most critically, the majority of applicants write “task-oriented” résumés vs. “achievement-based” résumés.
An Investment in Your Future A professionally prepared résumé is an investment in your future earning power and career happiness. Professional résumé writers have the experience and skills necessary to present applicants from diverse industries, career fields, and experience levels at their very best. They know how to set you apart from the competition, ensure that your résumé gets read, and prompt the reader to take action by calling you for an interview. |
|
|
Answers to FAQs Q: What are the main benefits to hiring a “pro?”
A: By hiring a professional, you’ll gain access to:
Q: What kinds of credentials do professional résumé writers have?
A: Credentials are varied and can include degrees, certifications, professional memberships, supplemental training, résumé expert classification by online career databases, industry-related positions, and/or being a published writer or convention speaker. Résumé writers across the country who are serious about their profession are members of one or more professional organizations. The highest standard in the résumé profession is attainment of one or more certifications.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Résumé costs vary widely and can range from US$75 to US$1,000 or more, with fees depending upon the services included, credentials of the writer, and scope of the project. Résumé writers who are certified generally command a higher price because of their expertise, credentials, number of years in the business, and success rate. |
w
ww.nrwa.com
888-NRWA-444