Where to Find Help Writing Your Resume

Where to Find Help Writing Your ResumeWhere to Find Help Writing Your ResumeA resume is a very short document. If youre job hunting, few things are more important than a properly-formatted, well-thought-out resume. Writing a resume can be a daunting task because you need to make sure you include all the necessary information while keeping the document to a manageable size. Even if youve worked hard to write your resume and think it doesnt need improvement, its helpful to have it reviewed by an objective experienced professional. Where to Find Resume Writing Help There are numerous options available for getting help with your resume to ensure that the final draft will be looked at by employers more than once. You may be excellent at your job with the credentials to prove it, but if your resume doesnt shine, it may end up at the bottom of the pile, or worse. College Career Offices If youre a college student (or alumnus) the career services office at your school or alma mater ma y be able to help you write your resume or provide you with useful feedback. The staff in a career office has a lot of experience helping professionals, as well as recent graduates, and they know how to polish a resume to make it stand out. They are also familiar with hiring managers, how managers scan resumes, and the resume software used by employers. These career counselors can also provide guidance regarding the best way to format your resume and the best keywords to use to set you apart from the competition. Career professionals also know that active verbs (such as managed, supervised, developed, and produced) are keywords that will better position you in the marketplace. Professional Resume Services It may not seem worth it to spend money on a resume service, especially if you are unemployed and on a tight budget, but your resume is your first impressionbeforeyou even get the interview. For a fee, professional resume writing services will either write your resume for you o r edit the one you have. State Resources for Resume Writing Help Every States Department of Labor website offers free resume writing services for new employees, the unemployed, those returning to the workplace, and military veterans. Find a local American Job Center for help producing yourresume and other career services. Local government websites will likely also offer sample resumes, sample cover letters, interview tips, and other pertinent information helpful for your job search. Family and Professional Contacts Compose a draft of your resume and ask for feedback from family members, college alumni and other professionals who have experience screening job candidates. An added benefit to this strategy is that your contacts might develop an appreciation of your assets as a prospective employee and refer you for some job opportunities.