We’re all navigating these unprecedented times together, and with the current economic and public health crisis comes anxiety and uncertainty, particularly relating to the job market. While you should always maintain your budget and allocate resources based on essentials such as health and wellness, it may be worth your while to invest in yourself and your career. If you’ve been struggling with a job search and are facing an uncertain career path, now is the time to update your resume. If you can do it yourself, that’s fantastic, but if you need help, you shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for it.
I believe that everyone should learn how to write their own resume to effectively highlight their value, however it’s important to realize that many people don’t have the knowledge to do this, the time to do this, or quite frankly the desire to write their own resume. That’s where professionals like me come in. I’m a certified professional resume writer and offer all forms of content writing including resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, web content, and more. Ultimately, hiring someone to write your resume is a big decision, and you need to make a decision that is right for you, so I wanted to share four reasons to invest in yourself and hire a professional resume writer. This doesn’t mean that you should jump in, forget about your budget, and hire someone to do the work so you don’t have to, but these reasons may suggest that it’s time to explore options to help you portray the best version of yourself in your job search.
You’ve tried to write your own resume and are frustrated
First off, let’s acknowledge the fact that writing your resume is a very difficult task. It’s not something that most people are educated about in school, and if it is, most people learn about very old resume writing tactics that aren’t very effective in today’s job market.
If you’ve worked on your resume to the point that you’re simply frustrated and don’t care about it anymore, your document likely won’t be as effective as you’d like. It’s okay! Take a step back, breathe, and look at your options. You can always utilize resources, shift your mindset, and take another stab at it with fresh eyes, however if you’ve hit your limit and are just over it, it might be time to hire a professional resume writer.
You can’t seem to get the message you want across
Writing about yourself and looking at your achievements with an unbiased eye is one of the most difficult things to do. I work with over 200 different clients a year and write resumes every day, yet when I sit down to write my own resume, it’s still a challenge! If you’ve worked on your resume until you can’t see straight and have explored different resources but still can’t seem to create a document that delivers the message you want, look into hiring someone who can help you. Part of hiring a professional resume writer is finding someone who can take your information and mold it to better articulate your value. Essentially, you are hiring someone to take the information you provide to craft a story about why you’re a valuable candidate. If you are struggling with doing this yourself, simply outsource this task so that you can set the vision and hire someone to execute it.
You’ve put in effort, have been strategic with your job search, but still haven’t gotten any hits
It’s important to acknowledge that a resume alone will not get you the job whether you write the resume yourself or hire a professional to do so. Evaluate every factor in your job search before you immediately assume that you haven’t gotten responses because of your resume. There may be other factors that are impacting your ability to land a job.
With that said, if you have customized your resume to each job you’ve applied to and been strategic about only applying to positions you really want, it’s likely that your resume is playing at least a small part in why you haven’t gotten any responses.
If this is the case, it might be time to hire a professional resume writer to help you truly articulate your value, highlight your achievements, and create a focused document that aligns with the kind of positions you’re interested in.
You need a confidence boost
This is one of the most underrated (yet important reasons) to invest in yourself. My job as a resume writer is to create a resume that you’re confident in. I often see people with huge career accomplishments diminish what they’ve achieved or simply fail to realize all that they’ve done. Sometimes, it takes a third party to look at what you’ve done with an unbiased eye, gather all of the pieces, and present the information in a way that tells your story effectively so you can gain confidence in what you have to offer. Yes, a large part of what I do is craft an engaging story about your career, but a big part of that is about building up your confidence so you can share and truly believe in the value you offer. If you’re not confident in yourself and your achievements, how can you expect a potential employer to be confident in you? When applying for a job, it’s important to show the potential employer that the benefits of hiring you outweigh the risks. When you’re confident in yourself and can clearly articulate your value, potential employers will be more confident in your ability to successfully take on and thrive within the role as well.
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If you don’t want to (or have already attempted to) write your resume yourself, it’s worth it to at least be aware of strategies to help you effectively write your own resume, however there are professionals out there for a reason. Part of creating the career (and the life) you want is knowing when to ask for help. DIY is great, but if it’s not working out, hire a professional resume writer for help.