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 talk about when it’s time to hire a professional resume writer. This doesn’t mean that you should jump in and hire just anyone, but these signs show 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 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 so that you can set the vision and hire someone to execute it.
You’ve put in effort, 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. Evaluate every factor in your job search before you immediately assume that you haven’t gotten responses because of your resume. 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.
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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.