Resume Help…

My husband is applying for a position at a local government agency. His current position in construction is unstable and he’s trying to be proactive.

The poor guy has never had to look for a job before – his reputation as a hard worker has always earned him employment without even an application. Writing a resume is difficult.

I’m trying to help him but I realize that what I want to write, ‘Good looking, hard working, smart, sweet man’ probably won’t land him the position… and it might be hard to fill a 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper with 7 words. Sure I could add more like, ‘beautiful olive skin that tans in the sunshine, huggable arms, and a perfect husband’ but somehow, I don’t think that’s the ‘more’ his resume needs.

Unfortunately we’re under a time crunch (the resume is due tomorrow) but for those seeking employment and need resume help, DON’T PAY SOMEONE TO WRITE YOUR RESUME FOR YOU! If you attend college, seek the advice of a job counselor. For those not in college, check the offerings of your local community. Nearly every city in San Diego County offers job and resume assistance free of charge. Not only can these organizations help you with your resume, they often have a good idea of where jobs in your field may be opening.

Posted by Beks on June 16, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, Good Info, Living Frugal, work | 14 Comments »
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Wren responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Hey Beks – You know, you can turn all those lovely things you said about your husband into info for his resume, depending on the kind of work he’s doing. Good looking = Ability to mix well, sweet = very pleasant working companion, huggable arms = open and willing to do what it takes, beautiful olive skin = an excellent ability to fit into whatever situation comes along. It’s all in how you phrase it. Adds some words, too.

Best of luck

W
Beth responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Good advice! I hope things go well for your husband.
brooklynchick responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 8:13 am
I’ve found that About.com has a great job seeking section – very concrete advice on resumes, cover letters, networking. I work in recruiting, and I almost always agree with their tips – and its FREE!!
Cynthia responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Good luck with the job application! Free is always good – especially when it’s free help from professionals!
Terri responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Good looking – appealing public relations
sweet -easy to work with
huggable arms – sympathetic to outer chaos while maintaining inner reserve
beautiful olive skin – see “good looking”
!!

Variety of work experience
Willing to step up and accomplish the job at hand
etc,etc
Corporate Barbarian responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 11:10 am
I would focus on his accomplishments. If he can present them in a bulleted format, it will be easier for the reviewer to scan through. Tailor the accomplishments to the responsibilities of the new job. Good luck!
Shawna responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
As a professional resume writer, I’d like to say that many of the free services that are out there are free for a reason. If you want your resume to look like every other resume out there, by all means, get a freebie. However, if you want your resume to stand out from the crowd, it is worth it to have it professionally written. Most resume writers charge between $50 and $200, depending on the level of position for which you are applying, and you can claim this amount on your taxes under “expenses related to job search”.

Clearly, I have a biased opinion on this matter, but I really believe that sometimes it is best to invest this money in a resume (and cover letter! Don’t forget the cover letter!) in order to get a better job.

A word of caution: If you do decide to make this investment, make sure that the writer you choose does not use templates. In fact, don’t use templates when you are writing your own resume. Employers can spot them a mile away, and it just shows a complete lack of creativity.
L responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I don’t think writing a resume is so difficult – my biggest problem would be recalling my job history and info lol. But I’m sure the one you have done is nice enough. If people have learned ANYTHING, they should be looking for info reflecting a good employee, not design reflecting a good resume writer!
HisHersMoney responded:
Posted: June 16th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Good luck to him! Make sure to use the key words in the job description. Have someone who looks at candidate resumes on a regular basis look at it for a free critique.
Stephanie PTY responded:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 1:23 am
If it helps at all, I gathered up a list of the best free resume and cover letter writing resources I could find: http://poorerthanyou.com/2009/03/10/how-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter-and-find-a-job/
Nicole responded:
Posted: June 17th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Good luck to your husband! I pray he gets the job:)
mapgirl responded:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I disagree. I am not a professional resume writer. I am a good friend who is great at writing and revising resumes. My payment is a nice dinner when my friend lands a new job with the awesome resume I have helped them create and I tell my friends so upfront.

Yes, I agree, you *can do it yourself*. But if you are stuck, get some help. I expect my friends to say thank you for sitting with them for *an hour or two* and hashing out their resume in detail and *preparing them for an interview*. It sounds like a joke, but I am very serious about this. Usually they are ending up with a 5-10K raise over their last job because of the resume I’ve helped them write. I think a $30 dinner in barter is an excellent value for that kind of raise. Wouldn’t you agree?

I have never paid to get my resume reviewed. I learned all I needed to from my college job placement office, books from the library, websites, friends. You can do it yourself for free. I totally agree with that. But I also think that if you ask someone to help you, professional or not, you should acknowledge that assistance.

Good luck to your husband!
frugalscholar responded:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I don’t know…I am the cheapest of the cheap. But my colleagues who teach professional writing can probably fix up a resume in an hour or two. Why not try to find someone like that?

I just helped one of my son’s friends with his med school essay. I did it pro bono, because he’s like my child, but, given the sorry state of his first draft, it would have been well worth shelling out some cash for editing.
Beks responded:
Posted: June 18th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Wren – I love it!