Just In Time for the Holidays, Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition is Now Available!

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting provides practical tips, tactics, and hunting locations for hunting various species in Delaware and the surrounding region.

WILMINGTON, DE — November 18, 2010 — Released today, the second edition of Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting, provides an updated and in-depth look at hunting in Delaware and the surrounding region. Author and Delaware native Steven M. Kendus uses his hunting wisdom, experience, and research to preserve Delaware’s hunting legacy by sharing history, tactics, locations, tips, and tricks associated with Delaware hunting.

The updated edition of Hunting The First State provides further insight, updated statistics, reader-submitted photos, and more first-hand accounts of hunting in Delaware. Hunting The First State discusses common game species such as white-tailed deer, Canada geese, and ducks, but it also offers insight into coyotes, wild turkeys, red foxes, woodcocks, quail, snow geese, crows, rabbits, and more.

Author Steven M. Kendus comments, “Since the release of the first edition of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting in 2007, I have received a great deal of feedback. Hunters and non-hunters alike have been pleasantly surprised with the depth of information presented in the book. This new edition – released just in time for the holidays – makes a great gift for novice and seasoned hunters alike.”

Hunting The First State includes more than thirty-five photos of wildlife harvested in Delaware and the surrounding areas and includes techniques, locations, tactics, and folklore from Kendus and some of Delaware’s most successful hunters. Hunting The First State is available immediately in print and digital formats from www.HuntingTheFirstState.com and select Delaware booksellers and hunting supply stores. It will be available from major booksellers within four weeks.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition; Steven M. Kendus; Paperback; 217 pages; ISBN 978-0-557-78728-9; 6“ x 9“; $19.99; Publication Date: November 2010. Visit www.HuntingTheFirstState.com for additional details.

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About Steven M. Kendus

Steven M. Kendus is a lifelong Delaware resident and avid outdoorsman dedicated to preserving hunting opportunities, lands, and traditions. He is a professional author, columnist, technical writer, and marketer, and has had various books and articles published. He is an active member of multiple hunting, shooting, and conservation organizations, including the National Rifle Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club International, Brandywine Hundred Rod and Gun Club, and Delaware State Sportmen’s Association.

Mr. Kendus is frequently consulted as an authority on Delaware hunting. He has been a speaker at hunting-related community events, a guest on Sirius XM Patriot’s Cam & Company, and a guest host for Versus, where he interviewed hunting legends Tred Barta and David Morris.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in English – Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware and is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication.


Contact:
Steven M. Kendus
skendus@HuntingTheFirstState.com
For more information on Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting.:
http://www.HuntingTheFirstState.com

How Much is a Good Resume Worth? - Part 1

I recently spoke with someone who just paid more than $500 for a 'professionally written' resume. During our conversation, she asked me if I felt $500 was a good price and how much I thought a good resume was worth. There are two very different answers to her questions. I will address her first question today and will follow up with an additional article to address her second question.

First, I guess $500 is not a terrible price to pay for a good, professionally written resume (although we at GoodResume.com only charge $185 - $275, depending upon the length of the finished resume). However, in my mind, the value and price of a professionally written resume is dependent upon the quality of the finished product.

I looked over the resume that was written by a competing company, and I was not impressed. Truly, I couldn't understand how someone could pass that resume off as one that was 'professionally written.' Apparently, there are a lack of standards for defining a professionally written resume.

In my case (and in the cases of any other writer I use), I am a true writing professional. I have a BA in English with a concentration in Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware. I have written thousands of pages of technical documentation, including manuals, guides, technical specifications, online help systems, and more. Additionally, I am a published author and a newspaper columnist. What's more, I have been writing resumes professionally since 1993!  In case those credentials are not enough, I have also held executive management positions for multiple firms, where I have interviewed and hired many people. In addition to knowing how to structure a resume and word things in a professional, concise, and attention-grabbing manner, I also know what potential employers, human resource departments, and recruiters are looking for.

My advice regarding cost for a professionally written resume is to make sure that the person actually writing the resume is a true professional before you agree to pay anything. Expect to pay between $175 and $400 for a good resume.

The Economy is Calling: People Need Professional Resumes

It has been a long time since I posted to the GoodResume.com blog. To be honest, I have been too focused on writing other things! However, I received an email today from someone in need of a professional resume, and she asked me why I haven't been updating my blog.

Since there is definite interest, I will make a concerted effort to supply each of you with relevant information about resumes and resume writing. For starters, here's some information to bring you up to date about the status of The Writer's Block - GoodResume.com.

I have written a multitude of resumes over the past year. It feels good to do my part to help stimulate the economy. Most GoodResume.com resume clients have found jobs using their resumes written by me. In addition to writing my resumes, I have kept my writing skills sharp through other means. I write a column for The News Journal, Delaware's largest newspaper, and I have written a ton of technical documentation for various clients. I also keep my creative side in tune by working on marketing collateral pieces, web sites, and graphic design pieces for clients. In case that isn't enough, I am working on a new editing of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting and several ebooks.

See, when you choose GoodResume.com as your professional resume writing services, you actually get the assistance of a professional writer.

Thanks for the support.

SMK

Technical Writing, Online Help Design AND Resumes

In addition to writing resumes, we at The Writer's Block - www.goodresume.com also offer professional technical writing solutions. In fact, we are one of the "go-to" technical writing shops in the Delaware Valley (although we serve clients nationwide), and we specialize in creating online help systems for software applications.

Beyond online help systems, our technical writing expertise also includes creation of:

• software manuals
• training guides
  
• web sites
• marketing collateral
• print, web, and email marketing campaigns
• print-on-demand and self-published books (ghost writing, editing, page layout, cover design, etc.)
  
• Search Engine Optimization
• and more

We can also help you with recruting skilled technical writers for your long-term and short-term writing projects.

Technical Writing, Marketing Collateral Preparation, Graphics Work, and Good Resumes

What good is a blog about resume writing if you don't post to it? (I ask myself this question every time I realize that I have forgotten to post to this blog.) Argh.

To summarize the past six weeks in one word, I would just say "busy." We have been pleasantly swamped here at The Writer's Block - GoodResume.com. We have written a ton of professional resumes for all types of jobs, including software designers, electrical engineers, maintenance mechanics, retail managers, sales executives, and more.

Additionally, we have spent time writing technical documentation, system testing documentation, marketing collateral, and web content for a Pennsylvania-based software firm. We are working on an animated software demo for another software company. We are making annual modifications to the Frightland web site (which is one of my favorites). And, on top of all that, we just finished a web site for Antonio's Lawn and Landscape in New Castle, Delaware.

Whew. Needless to say, we are staying busy here.

The economy is showing some signs of turning around, but we are still receiving a lot of resume writing requests. We strive to help people find that perfect job, so remember, if you want a good job, get a good resume at www.GoodResume.com. We are one of the leading resume writing companies on the web.

GoodResume.com Consulted for Article on Hiring a Professional Resume Writer

I was interviewed by Andrew Hudson back in January for an article about hiring a professional resume writer. Some excerpts from the article that appeared in the Denver Jobs Examiner, are listed below.

Click here to read the full article.

Your most critical marketing tool as a job seeker is your resume. A poorly written resume is a sure way to sabotage your chances to getting an interview. Think of it this way: looking for a job requires a level of expertise that most job seekers simply don’t possess and a resume is your first step – your calling card – to job seeking success.

A professional resume writer understands which top skills, experiences and talents are essential to highlight in order to grab a recruiter’s attention. In addition, many resumes are today scanned through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Companies are inundated with resumes and in order to create an efficient sorting and screening system, corporate recruiters program an ATS to identify specific key words or key phrases in resumes. If these key words are not found in the resume, the resume will most likely not be considered.

“There are several benefits to using a professional resume writer” says Steve Kendus, the owner and executive writing consultant for GoodResume.com. “Assuming you are using a reputable, qualified, and skilled resume writer, you are trusting an expert's skills and command of English grammar to prepare a meaningful, succinct, and grammatically correct resume. Potential employers typically won't even call you in for an interview if your resume is poorly worded, unclear, and full of spelling and grammar mistakes.”

Steven Kendus of GoodResume.com agrees. “Professional resume writers know how to summarize your diverse skills, duties, and accomplishments into hard-hitting, powerful bullet points. Through experience, they are skilled at taking long, detailed job descriptions and summarizing key points and using key phrases that will present you in the best light to potential employers.”

Andrew Hudson did a fine job in presenting the benefits of hiring a professional resume writer. Be sure to read his entire article New Year's resolution #2: hire a professional resume writer.

Debunking the 1-Page Resume Myth

If I had a dollar for every time someone said, "I thought I was supposed to keep my resume to one page," my retirement fund would look a lot better!

For some reason, many people have this 1-page resume edict in their heads, though few know why. To put it bluntly, THERE IS NO REASON TO FORCE YOUR RESUME TO FIT ON ONE PAGE!. There. I said it. Now here's why.

I have worked on both sides of the employment wall. I have held executive and senior management positions with large firms where I was responsible for interviewing and hiring technical writers, software developers, customer service representatives, graphic artists, accountants, and more. In these roles, I worked closely with human resources personnel who were responsible for screening applicants. I have also written hundreds of resumes for job seekers, including resumes for myself.

I have never (yes, I said never) excluded an applicant, nor have any of my colleagues excluded an applicant, because his or her resume was more than one page. In fact, I, and most of my colleagues, believe it is difficult to get an adequate understanding of an applicant's qualifications from a brief, non-detailed resume.

Granted, some job seekers have career experiences and accomplishments that warrant a one-page resume, but the one-page resume is applicable because of circumstance -- not because of the the crazy 'one-page resume rule.' Rather than attempting to force your resume to any pre-determined length, I believe resumes should use as many pages as needed to present an adequate and appealing view of your career experiences and accomplishments. As your personal marketing tool, your resume's purpose is to get you a job interview. When compared with other resumes that potential employers receive, yours needs to stand out from the crowd. Therefore, use as much space as needed to do so.

Keep in mind that resume writing is an art (which is why GoodResume.com is in business). It is difficult to paint an adequate picture without being verbose. The majority of resumes we write at GoodResume.com are 2 or 3 pages. However, my personal resume is 4 pages, and we have written some resumes (usually for doctors, C-level executives, and scientists) that are more than 4 pages.

So, forget about the 1-page resume rule. It is nonsense.