It just dawned on me how many times a week I hear “that makes a lot of sense” and “I never thought about it like that” from people referred to me by satisfied customers and the countless professionals who take advantage of my offer for a free resume critique. I always spend the first 15-20 minutes on the phone getting to know them, reviewing the material they sent me, and going over the process of what I do and comparing it to what they have done or should be doing, and WHY; and inevitably these words are said to me several times during each new conversation.

 

By no means does this make me a genius. Rather, it indicates too many people in job search mode are grossly misinformed today or are engaging in the process without the requisite knowledge and life experience to write an effective resume and conduct a successful job search.

So here are some six of the many pieces of information I share with people every day that elicit these responses.

1: This is a no brainer. Your resume is a marketing document pure and simple. It is not an autobiography or a historical novel, and the focus in writing a resume should be with an eye towards the future rather than dwelling on the past. With this in mind I also caution you not to concern yourself about the controversy surrounding the proper length of a resume.

There is no universally accepted answer. For me the proper length of a resume is however long it takes to get all of the vital information that makes the case why someone should want to get to know you better down on paper. The actual length of the document depends on who you are, how extensive and complex your background is, and how much information you need to include that is relevant to the job you are applying for. A 1-2 page resume is optimal; however a more senior person or solid professional with a lot to offer can easily fill up 2 to 3 pages. If it runs over 3 pages put the information on a social media site like Linked-In and use a hyperlink to send people there.

2: You know all about who you are and the value you have to offer; but do you know what the companies you’re applying to look for in a new hire, and what they value most. Before you start to write go online and find 5 jobs that fit what you are looking for and see what it is that these employers want to know about. This is what your resume should focus on. And if your research shows different companies on this list are looking for somewhat different things, or some place a greater or lesser value on a tangible or intangible you have to offer, or you are looking at different jobs that require somewhat different skills sets and experience, this exercise will show you how to customize your resume for each one.

3: Don’t count on cover letters to make your case. Customize your resume. I will guarantee you that 99 our of 100 people who receive your resume with or without a cover letter will read or at least skim it; while my research tells me that at the most 60% of the people who will read your resume will also read the cover letter and only half of this 60% will forward it up line along with the resume to the next level of decision makers.

4: When you write a resume your goal is not to produce a dry and boring technical manual that is chock full of facts that are intended to educate the reader. A resume should be written with the mindset of a top selling author. It should capture the reader’s imagination by painting pictures with words of a hero leading man or lady who is going to burst onto the scene out of nowhere and save the day, and it must tell its story in such a way that the reader feels compelled to actually read it rather than just skim through it to get raw data.

5: Taking the point #4 one step further, you need to remember that in every case your resume will be in a pile of 30-100 others so instant comparisons are inevitable, especially since most of the resumes in that pile will contain much of the same basic information. So what can you do? Let me share with you an analogy from someone I met recently who subscribes to a local newsletter I contribute to along with 10-15 other writers where each week we submit an article on the same topic. He said “Perry, I really enjoy this newsletter. Every week I skim through the articles and I learn something new. But I have to tell you that when it comes to your article I read every word rather than skim through it.” I am far from the brightest and most knowledge writer out of the group so naturally I asked him why. What he told me is the lesson you need to learn if you want to be a good resume write. He said “Perry the other writers offer great information and that is why I skim their articles. But I truly enjoy the way you write.” Remember it is not raw information that counts when writing a resume; or a cover, follow-up or thank you letter. What matters are how it resonates with the reader and makes them want to read rather than skim through it.

6: When you buy a product and you are not 100% sure how to put it together and how to get the best use out of it, how do you think you would feel if it came without an instruction manual and had no follow up customer support? This is what you get with a lot of resume services. If you are going to make the investment make sure that you get some coaching on how to use and customize your resume when the need arises (because it does on an ongoing basis) and try and work with a writer where the relationship begins rather than ends once the check has been cashed.

YOUR RESUME – is it an investment in your future or an unwarranted expense?

“Is there really a difference between a $400 and a $10 resume? What are your thoughts?”
Once again this topic emerged on one of my Linked-In groups; this time around Faisel posted it on Indeed.com, and I thought I would share and expound on my reply to him today on Career Rocketeer.

Faisel:

In answer to your ambiguous question, I have a few questions of my own for you!

1: Is there a difference between a Casio, Timex and Rolex watch? After all, they all display the same
time.

2: Is there a difference between a Kia Rio, Ford Taurus, Corvette, Escalade, Porsche and a Bentley?
After all, these cars all get you from Point A to Point B.

3: Is there a difference between Johnnie Walker Red, Green, Gold or Blue Label, Lagavulin 16 Year
Single Malt, Bruichladdich 30 Year Islay malt, or an $18 bottle of Lauder’s? After all, they are all
Scotch whiskey.

4: Is there a difference between a Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Dockers, Brooks Brothers, Marc Jacobs,
Armani or a custom made men’s or women’s business suit? After all they’re all just articles of clothing.

I firmly believe the answer to all these questions is a resounding Y-E-S; there is a difference, and the same holds true in every aspect of commerce including resume writing,

What interested me was the vehemence and smugness of some responses like Kevin C., President of a consulting company, who wrote “I would never consider paying $400 to have a resume done unless there was a guarantee this would land me business / jobs,” although I did not see that same guarantee offered on his website. Or other responders who thought they did not need to pay for a resume because “after all people only spend 20-30 seconds looking at it” so why spend a lot of money for something that will get me so little face-time.

Then again some hit the nail on the head when they responded that the value of a resume should not be judged solely on its cost, rather the criteria to base cost on is the qualification of the resume writer and the product they produce. In spite of everything, all resumes are not equal and certainly the writer’s individual skills and qualifications are less so.

In retrospect, what I noticed from online discussions on this topic and speaking one-on-one with hundreds of people about their resume needs in 2010 alone is this: People’s point of view about the intrinsic value of a resume is based in direct proportion as to whether they believe a resume is an investment or an expense in their life.

I dare say if you are reading this blog post you may be wrestling with this same question in your mind, and if so you need to answer this question for yourself, ‘Is my resume an investment or an expense.’

So you may ask, “What is the difference.” Well if a resume is an unnecessary or burdensome expense in your mind your main concern will be price over quality, or even “do I really need to spend the money at all.”

Then again, if you view a resume as a necessary expense you know you need some help but will be more prone to make your decision based on competitive pricing, you will be more prone to consider a resume a generic document, and you will have a lesser regard to the qualifications of the writer and the value-added service he or she may provide.

Finally, if you are of the belief that a resume is a marketing document and an integral part of your job search portfolio, you understand what a professional resume can offer in terms of generating job interviews with you as a preferred candidate, and you appreciate how a resume can aid you in salary negotiations, then price is important but takes a back seat to the over all quality of the product and ancillary services you receive.

One last common sense thought I have for you to ponder on concerning the About.com question is this: $400 is an exorbitant price for a recent High School graduate without experience to pay for a resume to apply for a Cashier position in the local Piggly Wiggly or Vons supermarket, however $10 is a ridiculous price to pay for a resume if you are applying for a position as a VP or CXO at a Fortune 500 company.


In the past I have written about why I view a resume as one of the best investments that many of you reading this post will make in your lifetime, and maybe I will revisit this topic in 2011. However I will leave you with this one final thought on how you may want to determine the value of a resume for YOUR job search.

The average length of a job search today is a minimum of 15 weeks and twice that long for many senior level professionals, especially those in the 40+ Club. Now statistics say 87% of the people who use a professional resume will return to work two or more weeks sooner than those who do not. So using this as a benchmark a fair estimation of the maximum value you should place on a resume is the equivalent of one week’s salary. If you do this you are almost assured breaking even with your investment, and more likely to come away with a return on your investment of 100% -500% or more.

On the flip side, for many of you being shortsighted and viewing your resume as meaningless, or as a burdensome expense, at the end of the year you folks are prone to be in the red to the tune of $1000 to $20,000 that you will never see again.

Getting Fired Wasn’t Your Choice – What You Do Now Is

By John P. Strelecky , Author - The Why Café

You might have seen it coming or it might have been a big surprise, but the truth remains - losing your job wasn’t your choice. What happens next, is. You can either wallow in misery and collect unemployment for the next 99 weeks, or make being fired the best thing that ever happened to you.

Why It’s Not So Bad

A recent study found that only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their current job. That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. Unfortunately, this also explains why so many people are collecting unemployment. It’s not that the jobs aren’t out there; it’s that some people would rather get paid for doing nothing, than do something they hate for 40 hours each week.

What Now

If you find yourself in the nine percent of Americans who are unemployed, don’t despair. You can still get back in the game and actually make being fired the best thing that ever happened to you. Here’s what to do now:


Do something you love. Most people don’t realize that instead of spending time and money to be immersed in the things they love, they can get paid to be immersed in those items. And that is the case whether you want to work in sales, customer service, accounting, marketing or any other position.

Just as they give samples at the grocery store hoping you’ll like it and come back for more, job seekers must do the same thing. Find ways to give samples of the value you can bring to the place or industry in which you want to work. Volunteer for a half day, or one day per week in the industry you want to work. Write articles on the topic, or blog about it. Give, give, give. And if you give enough value, someone will give back to you in the form of a job offer.

It’s amazing how many people think filling out an application or sending in a resume and cover letter constitutes applying for a job. That’s not enough anymore! Make the focus on how you can improve the company’s bottom line. If you are applying for a $60,000 per year job, you have to be bringing at least $60,001 in great ideas and results to the table, or there’s no reason for anyone to hire you. Obviously, it should be a whole bunch more than just that one dollar. That value needs to be reflected in what you submit to a company when you apply for a job.

If you weren’t satisfied with the type of work you were doing previously, taking a job in the same field isn’t going to fulfill you now- or in the future!. Use this down time to expose yourself to different situations that will help you figure out your purpose for existing. Volunteer, backpack around the world, read books on topics that interest you. Do whatever you can do to experience new things, so that when you choose your next job, you are fired up to be there every day.

Only You Can Make It Happen

Our education system is broke, the economy is stagnant, and unemployment is still high. You may have taken classes you didn’t care for and entered a field that didn’t fulfill you. It’s a shame that’s the way things are, but that’s the reality. And right now you have a choice.

If you are in the nine percent of people who are not working, it’s time to figure out what you want to do, find a way to do it, and bring tons of value to the table. Nobody is coming to the rescue, so you must build your own ship and take control of your life.

Laying you off was their choice. What you do after that is yours. If you do it right, becoming unemployed can be the best thing that ever happened to you. They chose, now you choose.

John P. Strelecky knows what it’s like to be laid off. It happened to him during the last economic crisis. That experience launched him on a whole new path in which he has inspired millions of people to live life on their terms. He has been honored alongside Oprah Winfrey, Wayne Dyer, and Deepak Chopra as one of the one hundred most inspirational thought leaders in the field of leadership and personal development.
Visit www.whycafe.com