resume professionally done?

pinkydapimp

All,

Has anyone had their resume professionally done? If so, can anyone reccomend someone that specializes in IT resumes. I am thinking about seeing whats out there and want to make sure my resume is as good as it can be.

thanks.

cyberguypr

You can always post what you have here and we can rip it apart, I mean, provide constructive criticism

ptilsen

I've considered trying to make money on the side professionally writing IT resumes, but I've sure never thought about paying someone else to do it.

Post it here and you will probably get some good feedback.

FloOz

i had my resume professionally done and i can tell you right know that the difference was night and day. My new resume is much more appealing and not the "plain old " look everyone else has. I would recommend it

Everyone

ptilsen wrote: »

I've considered trying to make money on the side professionally writing IT resumes, but I've sure never thought about paying someone else to do it.

Post it here and you will probably get some good feedback.

I've thought about doing this too. I recently helped 2 of my friends from my Air National Guard unit re-write their resumes. One is trying to get out of his Post Office job and into IT, and the other has been in IT for a few years now but looking to change companies. No charge for those guys of course. Although if more of them keep coming to me for it I may have to start charging.

jfitzg

I HIGHLY recommend getting your resume professionally written, the difference really is night and day! I had mine rewritten and it made a huge difference in my job search!

demonfurbie

yea i gotta say if you got the cash get it done

most people who write them are in HR departments and do it for extra cash, we all know we have to impress the HR dept first to get our resume passed on to the hiring manager so having it written by a person in a HR dept would help.

just make sure before ya spend the cash check out the person writing it.

cyberguypr

demonfurbie wrote: »

yea i gotta say if you got the cash get it done

most people who write them are in HR departments and do it for extra cash, we all know we have to impress the HR dept first to get our resume passed on to the hiring manager so having it written by a person in a HR dept would help.

just make sure before ya spend the cash check out the person writing it.

Make sure you check their previous work. An acquaintance of mine paid a "Pro" and in my eyes he wasted his money. Format looked old and did not reflect modern practices.

jibbajabba

I had mine done once and they company who did it didn't even bother removing the Microsoft Template references ...

I agree - have previous works checked out.. Having said all that - some agencies / employer know fair well if a CV / resume has been done by you or someone else.

Especially if you write your own cover letter and it doesn't really reflect your "style" shown in your resume (if that makes sense ) ?

sheckler

Check out this place: Resume to Interviews

I haven't used them yet, but a lot of people have been really satisfied.

KeithC

sheckler wrote: »

Check out this place: Resume to Interviews

I haven't used them yet, but a lot of people have been really satisfied.

I have not used them either but it seems a tad pricey, not many comments about the owners resume writing business.

He is also younger then me.

Like cyberguypr said check the author's previous work and do some research like the link above's owner has another website which had an article written about his entrepreneurship and how the owner likes to travel. . .

pinkydapimp

ptilsen wrote: »

I've considered trying to make money on the side professionally writing IT resumes, but I've sure never thought about paying someone else to do it.

Post it here and you will probably get some good feedback.

Do you mind me asking who did yours?

pinkydapimp

jfitzg wrote: »

I HIGHLY recommend getting your resume professionally written, the difference really is night and day! I had mine rewritten and it made a huge difference in my job search!

who did yours?

pinkydapimp

sheckler wrote: »

Check out this place: Resume to Interviews

I haven't used them yet, but a lot of people have been really satisfied.

thanks i will check them out.

Valsacar

I wrote mine but used the Army's ACAP program to get feedback and editing, it really made a big difference in the end product. Good resume writers, or editors, are definitely worth it.

Forsaken_GA

The question for me is how representative of reality is your resume going to look once it's done professionally.

As someone who's had the duty of screening applicants for technical ability, I have a serious problem with a resume that gives an impression which is not true.

I understand that integrity is hard to maintain when you're out of work and the rent needs to be paid, but if you're paying someone to make you look like something you're not, you're doing yourself a disservice.

I personally write my own resumes and cover letters, always have. I also don't pretend to be someone other than who I am during an interview. If there's an incompatibility problem, I'd rather know it sooner rather than later, so I let them see who I am from the word go.

It seems to be working out fairly well for me, as with a recent job change, I've managed to double my salary in about 15 months, and I'm finally making something close to what I'm worth.

pinkydapimp

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

The question for me is how representative of reality is your resume going to look once it's done professionally.

As someone who's had the duty of screening applicants for technical ability, I have a serious problem with a resume that gives an impression which is not true.

I understand that integrity is hard to maintain when you're out of work and the rent needs to be paid, but if you're paying someone to make you look like something you're not, you're doing yourself a disservice.

I personally write my own resumes and cover letters, always have. I also don't pretend to be someone other than who I am during an interview. If there's an incompatibility problem, I'd rather know it sooner rather than later, so I let them see who I am from the word go.

It seems to be working out fairly well for me, as with a recent job change, I've managed to double my salary in about 15 months, and I'm finally making something close to what I'm worth.

I dont think having a resume professionally done is about misrepresenting yourself. its about presenting yourself in the best fashion. Im sure that there are certain keywords and formatting that do a better job at gaining the person screening the resumes attention. that is the job of a professional writer.

Forsaken_GA

pinkydapimp wrote: »

I dont think having a resume professionally done is about misrepresenting yourself. its about presenting yourself in the best fashion. Im sure that there are certain keywords and formatting that do a better job at gaining the person screening the resumes attention. that is the job of a professional writer.

Well of course that's the selling point, and it's usually the rationalization that folks use to justify it to themselves. And it's a tricky matter sometimes. I've seen resumes that were beautiful works of art in portraying a help desk position as though the person was the sole reason their previous company was able to function. And the ones with the line cook lead at a fast food restaurant coming off as a major management position were also quite well done. Utter and complete bullshit, of course, and nowhere near representative of the candidates actual abilities, and it made me negatively disposed towards them from the word go, because I felt like they were trying to snow me before I'd even talked to them. I understand it, it's felt like it's necessary just to get noticed.

Ironically, it's the ones that were honest in their approach that stood out to me, and every single one of those was written by the candidate. My advice is to represent yourself positively, but honestly, and don't overdo it. If you've worked the help desk, I understand that you've got people skills, and likely have the ability to work under pressure and learn quickly, especially if you've done it for longer than a year. If you were a line cook lead, I understand that you probably have leadership skills.

Speaking only for myself, I've always been more willing to give someone who may be short on experience, but is representing themselves accurately a shot ahead of those who decide to make their resumes an exercise in creative writing. Take that for what you will, every company is different in their approach.

onesaint

Forsaken, I'd be curious to see some of the verbiage you use in your resume / cover letter and how it compares to the standard major management line cook approach. I think the key to a lot of this is having an understanding of what it is that will get you noticed or a call back. Once you've got that understanding, writing your own ticket (or resume) becomes a walk in the park.

I do agree with the sentiment that as long as you are communicating your ability and not overstating, you should get noticed by those who are looking. Sans fluff.

ptilsen

pinkydapimp wrote: »

Do you mind me asking who did yours?

I have always written my own resume. I've asked for feedback on it from others, but not actual advice.

pinkydapimp

I just posted my resume here:

http://tinyurl.com/75nyyc3

Thanks for the great advice as always. looking forward to the feedback.

buzzkill

pinkydapimp wrote: »

I just posted my resume here:

resume feedback

Thanks for the great advice as always. looking forward to the feedback.

"Outside the box thinking"

pinkydapimp

buzzkill wrote: »

"Outside the box thinking"

what?

buzzkill

pinkydapimp wrote: »

what?

It's one of those trite phrases that has no place in a resume.

pinkydapimp

Really? Thanks for the feedback. I think its actually a useful skill that many in IT dont have. But, maybe you are right. i will consider removing it. Thanks. any other feedback?