By Rod Powers, About.com
By Doris Appelbaum
One of my clients said, “I spent the money and had my resume rewritten, and I do believe it is well worth the money -- if you find the right person to do it. I supplied Doris Appelbaum, a professional resume writer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with facts via a toll-free telephone interview; it was quite thought-provoking. She wove my information into a great resume. She was much more objective about my experience than I was. She has done this for a living for 28+ years as President of Appelbaum’s Resume Professionals, Inc., and she knows what types of things recruiters and hiring managers are looking for, especially in this age of unemployment. It is a great marketing piece about me and my background. Compared to other friends who have a plain Jane version of their resume, I've gotten a lot more job leads and am a lot closer to landing that next job than they are, too.”
Qualified professional resume writers also counsel clients about statements that involve "soft skills." When reading a profile or summary of qualifications, a hiring manager wants to see the specific skill sets, which generally appear in their summary of qualifications for the job. A recruiter said, “Having hired individuals for major corporations, if I didn't see the skills immediately listed, a job hunter would automatically be passed over.” He also said he agrees with the statement that there are "bad apples" (no pun intended!) in the resume-writing profession. However, there are many excellent writers in this industry. Many times, clients have a hard time discerning what is important to a hiring manager. That is where the experience of a resume writer who has a human resources background is beneficial. The highest compliment paid to a professional resume writer is when human-resources managers retain your services to write their resume. It is equally important for resume writers to stay in contact with hiring managers and recruiters to understand the trends and use them as a resource. Neither side should see each other as an enemy, but as a partner in the job-search process.
When an individual decides to hire a resume writer, he or she should ask questions about why the individual chose the writing profession, what qualifications he or she possesses, and if the person will get a personalized consultation. I have never understood firms that use a "form" and never contact the client. If the client could bring out the achievements and word it correctly, there would be no need to hire a resume-writing firm! Those of us who have been in the resume-writing industry for any length of time are still doing this craft because our clients are successful. Helping a job seeker obtain interviews through a document that gets results is very satisfying.
Since most resume screeners simply look at the most-current job title and industry, either of those factors is enough to eliminate 99% of the resumes they receive. Therefore, a frou-frou resume is unlikely to make much, if any, difference at all. Smart job hunters should also seek solutions to the problem of how to get interviews with people who can hire them. A professional resume writer may or may not produce a better resume, but unless the job hunter's functions and skills are similar to the ones he or she is applying for, even a resume written by a professional resume writer will not work.