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.

The Layoff Announcements Just Keep Coming -- GoodResume.com Is Here to Help

It seems that more layoffs are announced everyday. Big companies. Small companies. New companies. Old companies. It seems that layoffs are occurring in every type of company, in every job sector.

AOL, Target, IBM, Starbucks, Best Buy, Boeing, Caterpillar, Pfizer -- the list seems endless (and these are just the companies who announced layoffs in the past week).

Although I am a writing consultant and professional resume writer now, I have felt the burn of layoffs in the past. Having previously worked in the banking and computer software industries, I have experienced layoffs from executive, managerial, and general staff perspectives. In other words, I have both been laid off and have laid people off. Neither is ever fun.

Through firsthand experience, I know the pressures that job hunters face. Therefore, rather than contributing to the daily headaches associated with recent unemployment, we at The Writer's Block - GoodResume.com try to make you as comfortable as possible when you engage us to write your professional resume. We work with your schedule (including scheduling phone interview appointments on nights and weekends), and we make every effort to have a first draft of your resume to you within 2-3 days.

Additionally, we will review your current resume for free, and we will NEVER tell you your resume needs to be updated when it is fine as is. In fact, just two days ago, a banking professional recently laid off from JP Morgan Chase, sent me her resume. After thorough review, I concluded that the resume was quite good. I spent about 10 minutes correcting some grammar and spelling mistakes and about another 5 minutes making some suggestions and notes. I returned the marked up resume to her and explained that she could proceed on her own with making the minor fixes. Here's the kicker: I charged her nothing for the resume help.

You gain nothing in this world by scamming people.

We at GoodResume.com are hear to provide you with quality resume writing help and expert resume writing service. If you want a good job, get a good resume. Contact GoodResume.com.

For Many, New Year's Resolution Is Finding a New Job

The end of December allows us to reflect on the past year and plan for the new one. For many, part of the planning is resolving to find a new job.

Many people have been affected by the economic downturn and have consequently lost their jobs, but others are just not happy in their current jobs. Whatever the case, a lot of job searches begin with the new year.

Quick web searching provides job hunting statistics indicating that job searches can last mere weeks, or they can drag on for more than a year. With increased competition for available jobs, it is now more important than ever to have a high-quality resume that will increase your chances of at least getting an interview for the job you are applying for.

As a professional resume writer and former executive in the software industry and, I have been on both sides of the job search fence. I have written close to 1,000 resumes for clients, but I have also interviewed and hired dozens of applicants during my software career. I have worked closely with human resources departments, professional recruiters and "headhunters", and employment agencies, so I know what employers look for in candidates. Likewise, I know which types of resumes get moved to the top of the pile, which resumes get trashed, and which resumes lead to interviews.

Therefore, as you make your new year's resolution to find a new job, be aware that your resume will be one of the keys to your success. Rather than wasting valuable time attempting to write your own resume, contact GoodResume.com. We can build you a top-quality resume to help with your job search.

Automated Resume Writing Tools Don't Live Up to the Hype

I just read an article about a resume writing company that released a new automated resume writing tool that enables paid users to upload their content in order to create a professional resume. I couldn't help but laugh. How is that tool helping someone create a professional resume?

In most cases, formatting the resume is not the problem. Instead, crafting the resume content is the issue most novice resume writers face.

GoodResume.com staff members interview every resume writing service client in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the clients' past jobs, duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Then, the professional resume writers actually write -- from scratch -- the content for the resumes.

Don't be fooled. The real value in hiring a resume writing service to create your resume is the custom creation of the content. If a resume service merely offers some spell-checking and reformatting, you are wasting your money.