Professional Resumes - Competing Against the Professional Resume

Like it or not, you're going head-to-head with professionally-written resumes in the job market. Begin to level the playing field by learning the Top 10 features of professional resumes.

© David Alan Carter
All Rights Reserved

Professional resumes are fighting for attention in a marketplace dominated by news of layoffs and downsizing. More immediately, they're fighting for attention against your resume. To see how well your resume stacks up against the pros, consider the following...

Top 10 Features of Professional Resumes

• The writer has selected a format (chronological, functional, or combo) that complements the unique work history of the candidate, emphasizing positive attributes, de-emphasizing the less flattering attributes.
• Rather than being too general and too accommodating toward too many possible career alternatives, the professional resume is tailored toward a specific goal or objective.
• The writer has led with a an objective statement or summary (profile) section that serves as a strong and compelling introduction to the candidate.
• Work history, education and training are chronicled in a straightforward and easy to read manner.
• Statements pertaining to job descriptions and accomplishments are crafted with care, minimal embellishment, and powerful verb usage.
• Lengthy prose is broken up with bullet points.
• The professional resume talks the language of the profession in question; without going overboard, the resume of a teacher will include the buzzwords of the field of education, while the resume of a programmer will incorporate the jargon endemic of a technical occupation.
• Keywords are utilized expertly, ensuring that the professional resume will be represented in database searches.
• On professional resumes, there are no mistakes; no spelling errors, no grammatical errors, no resume faux pas like the inclusion of a photo, personal information or references.
• Good balance between written text and white space. The professional resume is pleasing to the eye.

A professional resume service is not a necessity for every job seeker. If you enjoy the process of writing your own resume, and you've got a bit of marketing acumen, go for it. And if that resume generates phone calls and job interviews, you're doing things right.

Editor's Note:  Should You Consider A Professional Writer?

In today's tough job market, every resume is fighting for attention - keywords, design, layout, copy. If the challenge seems daunting, or you haven't the time to get up to speed on resume techniques, or you're your existing resume isn't generating the results you'd like, know that you're only two or three clicks away from a professionally-prepared resume.

"A professional writer can often make the difference," says former recruiter David Alan Carter. "Just make sure your writer is certified and talented." Carter has identified the Best Resume Services on the Web, reviewing quality of workmanship, spelling out their pricing, and giving each a star ranking.

 Back To Top

Go to our Home Page, Best Resume Services