It’s Update Your Resume Month! And this morning I did a LIVE TV interview on WDBJ7’s morning news in Roanoke. The last time I did live TV was exactly a year ago. It’s not as easy as it looks, but each time a do it, I get a little more polished and comfortable, but I am not there yet. It reminded me that in order to be good, and I mean really good at anything, you have to do it over, and over, and over again, and have a good coach.This is true whether you aspire to play professional sports, be an accomplished actor, painter, writer, or just about anything else. Would you want to go to a Dentist who only sees one patient a year? I know I wouldn’t. Yet so may people write their own resume once every few years and can’t seem to understand the lackluster results.They just don’t have the knowledge and experience necessary to write a compelling document that anyone wants to read beyond 15 seconds.
When I launched 1st Rate Resumes in 2000, my work was better than most amateurs, but by no means as polished as my colleagues with 10+ years experience behind them, who were writing three resumes a day. I had a lot to learn, and looking back at some of my earlier documents, I didn’t really get up to speed until Year Five. Thankfully, I had great resume writers to learn from, who were willing to share their knowledge and correct my mistakes.
Resume writing is a full-time job for me. When I’m not writing resumes, I’m studying online applications, vacancy announcements, and producing an employment radio show that airs on Fox 910 in Roanoke. That’s where I get to interview experts on hiring, employment law, social media, and of course, RESUME WRITING.
When searching for a professional resume writer, ask yourself, “do I want someone who just jumped on the recession bandwagon? Or someone with several years of experience under their belt?”
There’s no shortcut to experience.