Before Going to a Professional Resume Writer...

There are a lot of resume services popping up. Some are established and have been around for a long time. They were there all along but we never needed them so who knew to look for them? Lately, because of the employment situation, some people are opening Resume Chop Shops to make a quick buck. During times of uncertainty there are always people who will take advantage of any situation. If you are leaning towards a resume service, do your homework. Ask how long a company has been around. Ask about their success rate and their charges. Do a little comparison shopping and compare the services and benefits. Make sure that you are happy with the services provided.

Prior to going to a resume writer, try to figure out some things on your own. The following steps will help you plan the content of your resume. Should you decide to use a professional service, it won't hurt to bring this information along with you.

1. Identify your strengths and development needs (a nicer term for weaknesses). Go to any of the free career assessment sites and take a few assessments.

2. Dust off your old performance appraisals. In what areas were you rated “Above Average” or “Excellent”? Also review your accomplishments. How did you save time or money? Did you bring in more customers? Did you display outstanding customer service skills or team work or goal setting? Make a list of these accomplishments and development needs.

3. Look up your job on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and review the wording. Do the descriptors sound like something you have done in your previous jobs? Yes? How can you frame this wording to you and your accomplishments?

4. Look up the type of job you’re seeking in Indeed.com, Monster.com or any of those sites. Look at the job requirements. Can you do that? How? Have you done this in your past? How? What were the results? Jot down responses.

5. Review any outside/volunteer/professional group activities. What is your role? Do you have a leadership role? Are creativity, problem solving, writing, goal setting, team building involved? What descriptive words can you use to describe what you do with this team? What are the results of these activities? Did you increase donations for this organization? How much? Did you bring in more members? How many?

6. Draw a two column table. In one column jot down the job requirements for your position. In the second column write down all your accomplishments as they relate to these descriptors.

This exercise will further clarify your past accomplishments and you will be better prepared to speak about them with a professional resume preparation service. On the other hand, now that you have done all the work, you might want to review various resume templates and create your resume on your own.

Finally, make sure your resume is editable. Each and every resume should be tailored to an open position so you have to be able to modify it at will.