Adding references to your resume

A few readers have been asking me if they should include references in their resume, so I wanted to clarify that point:

The usual resume writing rule is that you shouldn’t include references in your resume, especially if they don’t ask for them in the announcement. What you can however do is add a line at the bottom of your resume such as “references available upon request” but this isn’t necessary.

If employers want references, they usually ask you to include them in the application they make you fill out before the interview. In some cases, they even wait until you’re in the top 3 to ask for them.

If they ask for references in the announcement, do not include them in your resume. Put them instead on a separate page that will follow you resume or add them as a separate attachment.

Why you shouldn’t use resume software wizards and templates

Using a software to prepare your resume might seem like a good solution at first. Rather than hiring someone to prepare your resume, this allows to do it yourself by simply copying and pasting your experience and education into fields. But even though, it might sound pretty cheap and easy, this also means taking the risk of getting your application rejected.

While resume wizards and templates might somewhat work for entry-level positions, you  will need to have a resume that corresponds to your goals and level, if you’re serious about your career.

Using resume writing software might be bad for several reasons:

·    if you just spend 10 minutes writing your resume, employers will notice it. Not only will your resume writing not look professional enough but, because they receive hundreds of applications, they will recognize the cookie-cutter template, which will most likely result in your application getting rejected.

·    If you want to stand out from other candiates, your resume needs to stand out as well, which .you certainly won’t accomplish this with a cheap resume wizard.

·    Since your resume will make your first impression, do you want it look like you don’t care enough about the job to have a professional-looking resume?

Rather than sounding banal, your resume must be customized to the job you’re applying to. It must also look unique and should convey your confidence. To achieve this, using a software or a template won’t do the trick. You either need to write it yourself or should use the services of a professional resume writer.

The 2 types of Resume Writing Guarantees

For those of you who are shopping around online, looking for a resume writing service, there are several factors to consider when making a decision.  One of the most important one is the guarantee that these services offer. Resume writing companies can be classed in 3 categories when it comes to guarantees.

First, there are the companies that do no offer any type of guarantee. I would recommend staying away from these.

The second and most common types are companies that offer free rewrites as a Guarantee. To assess them, check out how many rewrites they offer – for example is that only one or s unlimited?

Finally, there a few rare companies that offer a resume writing money back guarantee. These are the companies I would recommend using as they put their money where their mouth is. They guarantee results with their resumes, otherwise they refund your money. Since their guarantee is based on the honor system, you know that they are confident that their resumes can get results (results are usually interviews or even job offers).

The importance of success rates and testimonials

Following the post How to know your resume writer is qualified I just wanted bring up a couple complementary points.

First, another way to know if a Resume writer or resume writing service is qualified is to check if they have a success rate. If they say they have a 60% success rate, this means they aren’t that good. However, if they say they have a success rate higher than 90%, you know that you’re in good hands. Second, make sure they provide testimonials – the more the better. With all this data, you should then be able to find a good resume writer you can trust.

Why Resume Writing is so important during a recession

While I’ve been emphasizing the importance of Resume Writing since starting this blog, it looks like the recession suddenly made Resume Writing the most vital part of the the job search process. Why? Simply because the competition for jobs as sharply increased – for example,  jobs that were getting around a 100 applicants are now getting 700 applicants, which means HR will have to go through 700 resumes. As a result, you can’t afford having an average resume, otherwise you will never make it to the interview. With so many resumes being scanned, read and filtered, your resume writing must not only be flawless but outstanding so that it will make you stand out from this big pile of resumes.

So make sure to customize your resume to each job and do your homework on how to prepare a great resume. If you’re not sure you have the right skills to prepare your resume or are not satisfied with it, do not hesitate to hire a professional writer. It might cost you at least a hundred bucks to get a good resume, but think this investement is nothing compared to spending months unemployed because your resume can’t get you a foot in the door. In addition, once your new resume has landed you a job, it will get reimbursed with your first paycheck.

Job Search Resources

While we emphasize in this blog how good resume writing is important, finding jobs is obviously the other essential setp in the employment process. Since I got some e-mails asking about job search resources, I just wanted to let you know about resources you might have not heard of.

While you are probably familiar with all the main employment sites since you’re online, one thing you should also check, beside the – declining – newspaper classifieds, is your official state employment department. Each state indeed offers a database of jobs as well as resources that you can use online or in their office.  For example the state of Oregon has http://www.employment.oregon.gov/, the state of Virginia has http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/index.cfm, etc …

So wherever you live, make sure to use these resources as well, especially as they’re free.

How to know if your Resume Writer is qualified

If you would rather have a professional prepare your resume for you, you will find plenty of resume writing services that can do this for you. To make sure you find a good resume writer or writing company that is qualified to write your resume, you will need to check they have completed the requisite training. Once you find out what training they have completed and what type of certification they have, you will know your resume is in good hands.

When looking into hiring a professional resume writer, you might wonder what makes them qualified to prepare your resume. Well, like in most other career fields, they also take exams to be certified.

There are two different associations that offer certification for resume writers. The most popular is the NCRW (Nationally Certified Resume Writer). A resume writer can obtain this certification from either the National Resume Writer’s Association or the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. To get a certification, writers are required to study resume writing concepts and strategies, including  cover letter preparation, must attend continuing education courses and submit a sample resume and cover letter for review by members of the association.

In addition, they must take an exam, which is broken down into two parts: questions related to a sample resume and a writing exercise. Once they have successfully passed the exam and met all of the other requirements, they will receive their resume writing certification. To keep the certification up-to-date, they are also required to take continuing education courses throughout their career or to pass an additional exam.

The other main accreditation is CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer), which also requires to take an exam to demonstrate writing abilities. This exam includes four parts:

Industry knowledge
Grammar, punctuation, and proofreading
Strategic thinking
Resume and cover letter writing test

Once they have passed this test, they will get their CPRW certification. Just like with NCRW, they must also keep their certification current through continuing education and/or additional tests throughout their career.

Once they have completed the required education and trainings, they can either start their own resume writing business or look for employment with a resume writing company. Usually they start working for a resume service in order to gain experience. So if you choose to use the service of a resume company, you are pretty much assured your writer will be certified. However, if you just hire an independent writer, make sure they have the right certification and training.