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22 Resume Writing Service Tips That Actually Work

Whether you are fresh out of college, looking for a career change, taking it to the next level or simply searching for a better fit, finding a great job can be tricky. To simplify the process, we’ve compiled a list of handy tips that will help lead you to a fantastic new work experience.

Goal-Setting

1. Set Immediate & Long-Term Goals
Obviously one of your immediate goals is to find employment, but what do you hope to achieve in six months? One year? Five years? Setting career and personal goals can be a great way to get focused before you begin a job search and a great way to find job options that truly fit your needs and goals.

2. Identify What You Want
Think about the type of work environment you want. Some people thrive in big corporation, while others prefer working at a smaller company. Some people thrive in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment, while others prefer a more laid-back setting. If you’ll be spending 40+ hours each week on the job, it’s crucial that you try to find an environment that fits your personality as much as possible.

3. Identify Special Needs
Some companies are more flexible than others. For instance, some companies allow you to stagger your hours, coming in from 7 to 3 instead of the traditional 9 to 5. Some companies allow you to work from home some or part of the time. Other companies might be open to job-sharing or working part time provided you meet set goals. If you need a level of flexibility beyond the traditional 9 to 5 workweek, it’s important to be clear about that, both to yourself as well as potential employers.

4. Research Companies
It’s not smart to simply send out resumes to dozens of companies without taking a look at the company mission and culture. Before you send a resume out, learn a little bit about the company needs and what they do and what they expect from employees. This helps you select companies that are a better fit for your skills and personality, as well as helping you answer and ask questions more thoughtfully during the interview process.

Learn To Network

5. Build Up Your Contacts
There are many available jobs out there, but they aren’t always posted online. Sometimes companies prefer to use recruiters to search for suitable applicants, and sometimes companies are just in the beginning stages of hiring and have yet to post, but truly do need a solid new employee.

If you have an extensive network of business contacts, this can make it easier to discover jobs that might not be posted. For instance, you might be talking about your job hunt with one contact who knows someone who is searching for a new employee. Your contact might be able to provide you with the name of the hiring manager or even contact their friend and recommend you for a position. The larger your circle of contacts, the easier it can be to find an amazing new job.

6. Set Up A LinkedIn Account
LinkedIn is a free service, and hiring managers and recruiters use it every day to find job candidates. If you aren’t using it at all or failing to use it to your advantage, you may be missing out on many opportunities. Resume writings services companies sometimes offer LinkedIn profile writing, and we highly recommend that you opt for this service to ensure that your LinkedIn profile looks dynamic and professional.

7. Get Your Group On
Join business or social groups can be a great way to build up your contact list. There are meetups for people from all sorts of industries, where you can get together and be social and make contacts. A word of caution – don’t be pushy in these situations. The building of contacts is a side benefit of meetups, and not usually the focus. The focus tends to be on gaining knowledge and sharing knowledge. Be sure that you bring something to the table when you join these groups.

The Social Media Dilemma

8. Be Mindful
If you think employers don’t stalk you on social media, you are quite mistaken. These days, almost all employers will Google your name and check out sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get a sense of your personality. If your profile is filled with profanity, inappropriate pictures and other red flags, this absolutely can cost you a job. This might seem unfair, but employers aren’t just hiring you for your skills. They also need a person that will mesh well with other employees.

Likewise if your posts are indiscreet, this can be a huge turnoff to potential employers. Social media is not the place to air your dirty laundry about your family and other personal relationships. If your posts are whiny and constantly negative, this also is a bad sign. This type of personality can truly bring down the morale of an office, so if you keep it public, keep it fairly positive.

9. Tighten Security
One of the easiest ways to avoid social media issues is to simply tighten up your security settings so that very few people can see your posts. If your posts are not the problem, but some of your friends are, tighten settings so that people cannot tag you or post on your wall without your permission. If a hiring manager sees that you have tight security settings, this sends a signal that you are discreet and responsible about the image you present to the world.

10. Use Social Media To Your Advantage
Of course, social media isn’t just a tool for evil; it also can be a great resource. Your social media posts can showcase your positive aspects, such as your positive approach to life or perhaps your commitment to volunteerism. You also can use social media to link back to your blog and spread industry knowledge or share something helpful. Hiring managers can be swayed into calling you in for an interview if you have a great social media presence just as they can be dissuaded if your presence is negative.

Enter The Resume

11. Resume Writing Services Can Help
We’ve made it to Tip 11 without even mentioning your resume, because you need to think about 1-10 before you even make it to the resume stage. Once you get there, it can be smart to hire a professional service to create this document as this can ensure that your resume is error-free, correctly formatted and with grab the eye of a hiring manager.

12. Hiring A Pro Is Not Enough
Hiring a professional is important, but in many cases, you will need to make adjustments to some of the resumes that you send out. For instance, you might want to omit a skill or add a skill depending on the job posting. You will need to update your cover letter and customize it to include the name of the hiring manager, and possibly change a few lines here and there to better fit the job posting.

13. Keep Things Consistent
If you decide not to use resume writing services and create your own resume, be sure that you keep the style and format consistent throughout your resume. Use the same fonts and typefaces for each section and list your work experience and education in reverse chronological order. Your resume should be crisp, clean and easy-to-read, and, typically, one page in length.

14. Consider Applicant-Tracking Software
These days, it can be smart to have two resumes although the actual content will be about the same. While a hiring manger appreciate a bit of artistry in the style of your resume, applicant-tracking software only understands very basic formatting and language. If you have a clever design, save this as the resume you present directly to a hiring manager.

If you email or upload a resume, this need to feature a plain design and include specific keywords, typically words you’ll find in the job description. This includes skills and certifications you need, as well as work experiences and educational levels. Software does not understand words such as “guru” or “expert.” Do not call yourself an IT guru if a job posting says “IT Manager.” The software is designed only to search for words such as “IT” and “Manager,” not something clever or quirky.

Before The Interview

15. Update Your Look
These days, many offices have a laid-back vibe, at least as far as apparel goes. That said, this vibe does not extend to the interview process. Even if the hiring manager is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, you should still be dressed in business apparel. Get your hair trimmed and wear freshly-pressed clothing. This simply shows that you take yourself and the interview seriously, and that you want to make a good first impression.

16. Set Your Alarm
A single spelling error on a resume can kill your chances of gaining an interview. Likewise, showing up late to interview also can kill your chances of attaining a job. It’s best to get there super early and perhaps wait in a nearby coffee shop than to be even two minutes late. Show up five minutes early in professional attire and bring along a briefcase with a pad of paper, a pen and copies of your resume.

17. Practice Your Interview Skills
Ask a friend or family member to act as the hiring manager and have them ask you some typical interview questions. If you have some problem areas, perhaps you were fired from your last position, you should devote extra time to explaining these issues in the most positive way possible.

18. Write Some Questions
Hiring managers like it when you show some interest and ask some questions. Research the company so that you can ask thoughtful questions. You can ask about expectations and responsibilities, but the first interview is not the time to ask about salary and benefits, that comes later down the line.

During The Interview

19. Turn Off Your Phone
Don’t leave it on vibrate. Don’t just silence it. Turn it off or leave it in your car. Enough said.

20. Listen & Take Notes
When the hiring manager speaks, be sure to listen. Sometimes we get nervous and just work in auto mode and don’t really interact. If you ask a question, listen to the answer and take some notes so that you can ask follow up questions or just gain a deeper understanding about the job position at hand.

21. Make Eye Contact & Sit Up
Sit up straight and look the hiring manager in the eyes from time to time. You don’t want to simply stare at them the whole time, but you also don’t want to stare at the floor or your notepad. This can be a great aspect to practice when you are going through general interview practice sessions with a friend or family member.

After The Interview

22. Send A Thank-You Note
As you leave an interview, it’s obvious that you will want to thank the hiring manager for their time. However, it’s smart to follow up with a thoughtful email or handwritten note, again expressing your thanks and reminding them that you are happy to answer further questions at any time.

Top Ten Resume Writing Services Tips

The experience of hunting for a new job can be daunting to say the least, but if you follow our top ten resume writing service tips, the process can be much easier. We’ve collected these top ten resume writing services tips from some of the best professional resume writers in the business, and they’ve crafted thousands of successful resumes that attract the attention of hiring managers.

1. Hire A Professional
Number one on our list of top ten resume writing services tips is hiring a professional to create your resume and cover letter. Not only will a professional provide you with an error-free resume, they also know they type of language that attracts hiring managers. These managers only have a few seconds to skim each resume they receive, so yours needs to stand out and a stand-out resume is exactly what a professional can provide.

2. Double-Check Your Contact Information
While a professional resume writer can ensure that there are no spelling or grammar errors or style errors on a resume, they can’t ensure that your contact information is correct. If you provide the wrong phone number or email address, it’s pretty tough for a hiring manager to contact you about an interview.

3. Practice Your Listening Skills
Often, people are so nervous during interviews (or busy formulating answers in their head) that they forget to simply stop and listen to what a hiring manager says. Bring along a notebook and jot down some key points that the hiring manager mentions during the interview. This information might help you formulate thoughtful questions or provide you with valuable information about job requirements, the company culture and other important details.

4. Know Who You Are Contacting
Many people will simply send out resumes to dozens of companies without really understanding the job position or the company. If you see a job posting that looks promising, read the post carefully and then learn a little bit about the company to ensure that this is the right fit for you. Job hunting is not just about scoring a job; it’s about finding the best employment fit for you.

5. Gain Some Knowledge
Along the same lines as the last tip, before you head out on an interview, study up on the company and, if possible, some of the key players in the organization. Understand the company goals and mission and think about how your skills can benefit the company. Think about how your strengths and experience complement these company goals or needs and highlight this information during the interview.

6. Design A Resume For Robots & Humans
These days, many companies use applicant tracking software to weed out potential employees from those that aren’t a good fit. This software will look for specific keywords and you need to make sure that these keywords are found in your resume. However, it’s a balance as you also want a resume that doesn’t simply look like a page of target keywords, as this will fail to impress a hiring manager and simply looks awkward. This is another reason why we recommend using professional resume writers as they can strike a balance between appealing to a human hiring manager and to the tracking software.

7. Change Up Your Resume
While a professional resume writer will provide you with a top-notch resume, you may need to tweak this document a bit when sending it out. While the original document might be perfect for some companies, you might need to add or omit some information for other companies. Tailor your resume to fit each job posting and company before you send it out.

8. Show Some Personality (But Not Too Much)
Imagine the following scenario. Two candidates interview for the same job. Both look and sound professional, answering questions with all the proper responses. One candidate is polite and ticks all the right boxes, but doesn’t really show any personality, while the other candidate has a bit more enthusiasm and vivacity. Hiring managers are definitely looking for people who have the qualifications they need, but they also are searching for people that fit well into the company culture and they are trying to gauge this during your interview. So, show some enthusiasm for the job and the company, but not too much. If you come off as too loud or obnoxious, this also sets the wrong tone.

9. Don’t Be Too Aggressive
There’s nothing from with showing initiative, in fact employers love to see people with creativity and enthusiasm. However, they don’t want someone who calls again and again after an interview. They also don’t want someone asking if they’ve got the job immediately after the interview. Nor do hiring managers want someone who walks into an interview and states, “this is why you need to hire me.” You want to come off as confident, but not pushy and arrogant.

10. Be Sure To Say Thank You
The final tidbit from our top ten resume writing services tips is to be sure to follow up and send a thank you note after the interview. Your note should be short, but thoughtful and perhaps could include any follow-up information you might have forgotten to mention during your interview. If you aren’t quite sure what to write, many professional resume writing services can write thank you notes for you, in addition to all of their other resume-related services.

Aside from offering you these top ten resume writing services tips, we also can recommend some of the top professional resume writers. Check out our list and select one of our top choices to ensure that you send out the highest quality resumes and cover letters.

4 Resume Writing Services You Absolutely Need

As we study various resume writing services, we find that more and more of them are offering some helpful extra services in addition to resume writing. While the resume might be the most vital component you purchase from a resume writing service, the following add-ons are worth a look as well.

1. Cover Letter Writing
We truly believe that resume writing is an art. Not everyone can gather up all of your information and transform it into a resume that truly catches the attention of multiple hiring managers. When it comes to cover letters, the same philosophy applies. Creating an amazing cover letter is not an easy task, which is why it just makes sense to let a pro handle the task.

2. Social Media Analysis
These days, absolutely every boss on the face of the planet is going to review your social media profile before they hire you and often before they call you in for an interview. They will do an internet search for your name, and check out sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If your profile looks like you would be a great cast member in a reboot of “Animal House,” or you are the type of person that likes to spend copious amounts of time online complaining about your current boss, your co-workers or even your family, these are red flags for potential employers. Additionally, the type of posts your friends tag you in also can affect how you appear to potential employers.

Many resume writing services will provide you with a comprehensive social media analysis, showcasing any areas of concern. The resume experts will provide you with some suggestions for improvement as well as some tips to ensure that your privacy settings are as tight as they can be.

3. Professional Bios/LinkedIn Profiles
Everyone needs a professional biography, and these can be placed on your own website, as well as websites such as LinkedIn. Many resume writing services, can create a professional bio for you and help you build up a great LinkedIn page. Many recruiters use LinkedIn to find potential job candidates and it’s an excellent source for networking, so consider adding on these services when you order your resume.

4. Job Hunting Services
If you a great resume, but are having trouble finding suitable job openings, look and see if your resume writing service offers any type of job hunting service. Often, for an extra fee, they will research companies for you and come up with a list of 25 or 30 companies that are potentially likely to review your resume and contact you for an interview. In addition, some resume writing services also will fax or email your resume to hundreds or thousands of employers in a specific region.

At Top 5 Resume Writers, we don’t provide resume writing services, but we can point you in the direction of the best possible online resume writing service. We have reviewed hundreds of sites, and found the companies that provide the most consistent services at the highest possible level of quality. If you are searching for a resume writing service, don’t select a company until you have studied our top picks.

Resume Writing Services Tips: 7 Ways To Become A Happier Employee

We spend so much of our time at work, so it just makes sense that we want to be as happy as possible during our workdays. However, to a certain extent, happiness is a choice that we make each day. If you are struggling a bit with your positive attitude, our resume writing services team has come up with a few tips that will help you become a happier employee.

1. Select The Right Job For You

Too often, we focus on simply getting the job and not enough on the actual workplace experience that follows. While gaining employment obviously is important, it is also important to find a job where you will be doing work that you enjoy and in an environment that you enjoy.

At Top 5 Resume Writers, we review resume writing sites and have noted that some of the best resume writing services offer career coaching in addition to their writing tasks. A session with a career counselor can be a great way to identify your strengths as a potential employee and narrow down a list of specific jobs where you would excel. Of course, this also provides you with an opportunity to brush up on your interview skills, so opting for this career coaching service can be an excellent idea.

2. Research The Company

Before you send out resumes and go out on interviews, be sure to do some research about the companies where you apply. Learn a little bit about company history and culture as well as the goals of the company. If the philosophy and goals seem to match your own, this might be a good fit.

3. Listen During Your Interviews

During an interview, our tendency is simply to spill out answers to questions while just trying to seem composed and professional. However, there is usually a period of time during an interview where you will be invited to ask questions. Craft some thoughtful questions that will allow you to understand the company and the job position. Be sure to listen thoughtfully to the answers that you are given, as the hiring manager is supplying you with important information. Take notes when the hiring manager is answering the questions as these will be a good reference for you after the interview. If you opt for career counseling from your resume writing services, then you can discuss some good ideas for questions during that time.

4. Make A Good First Impression

Once you have landed the job, your first goal will be to acclimate into the workplace flow as seamlessly as possible. During these first few weeks, you will truly be setting the tone regarding your personality and work habits. Dress professionally, keep your work area organized, take notes whenever you are taught something new and make it a point to learn the names of your co-workers. Not only will your co-workers appreciate your effort, you will feel more confident, and it will be easier for you to assimilate into the workplace.

5. Socialize, But Avoid Office Politics

Socializing with co-workers is an important part of any workplace, so don’t be shy about striking up a friendly conversation with your fellow workers. Consider heading out to lunch occasionally with your co-workers or attending an after-work event. You will be a happier employee if you get to know your co-workers and learn about them on a more human level than just as another cog in the company machine.

On the flip side, sometimes socializing ends up being nothing more than a gossip session. Gossiping about fellow co-workers or your superiors is always a bad idea. Be sure to avoid office politics as much as possible, especially in your first few months at a new job when you really don’t have a handle on how the office functions. Besides, the gossipy co-worker tends to be dysfunctional, usually complaining about work issues or co-workers. This can dampen your morale, so if you want to stay positive, hang around the positive co-worker and don’t let the gossips drag you down.

6. Create Opportunities Out Of Problems

Problems are just a part of life, so when a work problem comes along, rather than see the negative side of it, view it as a challenge. For instance, perhaps your department has gone over budget. Rather than focusing on the negative, challenge yourself to find creative ways to cut costs while still maintaining quality. The ability to adapt and improvise when challenges occur is one of the best skills a worker can possess, and you definitely will be happier once you successfully navigate through a problem and come up with a good solution.

7. Make Time For Gratitude

Every job has its negative aspects, and that is just reality. However, you certainly don’t have to dwell on the negative aspects. You can choose to be grateful and focus on the positive. Every day before you step into the office, focus your mind on a positive thought. For instance, maybe you are grateful that you have nice co-workers or maybe you are grateful for a good salary. When it comes to the negatives, look for positive ways to deal with the negative aspects of the job. In some cases, you can’t change the negative aspects of a job, so learn to go with the flow and accept that which you cannot change.

While we can’t help you with your happiness factor, we can point you in the direction of fantastic resume writing services. Our top-ranked resume writers can create a dynamic, personalized resume that grabs attention and helps you gain interviews. When you have a great resume and excellent interviewing skills, you are much more likely to be able to find a quality job where you will be happy.

Additional Options From Resume Writing Services

While it might be obvious that professional resume services can create a resume for you, many of these companies also provide many other helpful services. Here are just a few extras that might be a good option for job seekers to consider.

1. Cover Letter Writing

This can be an excellent addition to your resume, and most resume writing services can provide you with this service. A cover letter can be as difficult to write as a resume and using a professional is often a strong option. Not all hiring teams expect a cover letter, but for those that do, a resume writing service can help make yours stand out from the rest.

2. Thank You Notes

After the big interview, it is wise to send a thank you note to the hiring manager or hiring team to show your appreciation for calling you in for an interview. Many people forget this extra step, and it can be a good way to remind the hiring team about your interview and your unique qualifications. Again, these can be tricky to write, so you might consider using resume writing services for this task.

3. Interview & Career Coaching

A great resume is an important first step in the job hunting process, but you also need to be able to nail the interview. Interviewing, much like writing, isn’t necessarily something that comes naturally to many of us. It’s easy to become tongue-tied or nervous during an interview, but preparing in advance can really lessen your anxiety. Many professional resume services also provide either interview coaching or general career coaching to help make this part of the hiring process a bit easier.

For interview coaching or preparation, a professional resume services firm might offer a telephone session with one of their career coaches and perhaps a guide to interviewing strategies and techniques. If you are at the beginning of the job hunting process, some firms also can help you with general career coaching. This includes assessing your skills, goals, training and education to come up with career options that are best suited to you.

4. Posting Your Resume

While you probably planned to submit your resume via mail, email or in person, an additional service to consider might be allowing the company that provides professional resume services to post your new resume online. Internet resume posting makes it easy to really get your resume out there on the web via a variety of platforms such as social media and on various employment websites as well uploading to companies where you wish to apply for employment.

5. Professional Biographies

You will find that many companies post professional bios of their officers or key employees, and while this might not yet be you, a professional bio is a handy thing to possess. Professional resume services might include the creation of a bio that you can post to sites such as LinkedIn or for use on other websites or your own website or blog. In some cases, you can include your professional bio along with your resume to give you a bit of an edge over the competition.

6. Analyzing Your Social Media Presence

While a few people have managed to avoid the lure of social media and stay fairly anonymous, most of us have some presence either on the internet in general or on social media. As a side offering, some professional resume services will take a thorough look at how you appear online. They can take a look at your Twitter or Facebook or Instagram posts and do Google searches and more to see if there are trouble spots out there that might make you look less valuable to a potential employer. Whether you like it or not, employers do use your social media to gauge whether or not you would make a good employee. If your posts come off as immature or inappropriate, this can keep you from getting a job.

These are just a few of the extra services you might want to consider purchasing from professional resume services. Of course, scoring an amazing resume is probably at the top of your wish list so before you order a resume, take a look at our rankings. We have studied a wide variety of professional resume services and can lead you to the best resume writers on the web.