Professional resume service?

[-lenny-]

With todays resume sorting software, and so many job seekers out there competing for every job, I am considering getting a professionally done resume. Google reveals this is a popular service, but I would like to use one that is familiar with the industry and knows how to sell skills and experience. Preferably in the Edmonton area. Any recommendations?

After high school, I took a driving job with an oilfield service company. Moved up to supervisor for a while, then was a coordinator. Worked there for 16 years, but as you all know this has been a tough pull and my first day back to work in 2016 I was relieved of my services as a cost saving measure. I don't take it personal, as I realize this is about the survival of the company. I have sent a few resumes out, but no luck so far. I know that whatever I end up finding will be a change in lifestyle: I've been coming home for lunch and sleeping in my own bed every night for almost 11 years. It has been an office job, most of my time spent on the phone, dealing with people.

I have been taking 4th class power engineering to pass the time, although I realize that is a well populated market. Just looking for a resume service that can talk to a guy and figure out what the strengths are, then word and format it appropriately to get to the interview stage. Thanks for any input.

 

[rzrgade]

My daughter is a freelance writer and does do a few resumes .... She is pretty in tune with it ...
if you wish I could pass her info along .
They need to be pretty unique these days .... Sadly !
Good luck ...

 

[-lenny-]

That would be appreciated, thank you.

Anyone else have anything to add?

 

[ferniesnow]

That would be appreciated, thank you.

Anyone else have anything to add?

A few years back, I was looking at relocating in the field of education. It was a tough market and I turned to a professional service.

Research the companies and find a good one. They can be great at what they do or they can be run of the mill. The concept that impressed me with the company that I decided to go with was the fact that they provided direction for the interview. They took me through a mock interview and pointed out the short comings in my answers.

All of them pretty much have the information/software for a resume but take it to the next level and you may end up above the crowd. Good luck.

 

[Bnorth]

I see a lot of resumes and most are utter garbage. I have been to a couple seminars and had some resume writing training and guidance. I highly recommend finding a good service and educating yourself on it. Unfortunately the day of generic resumes/CV's are over and you need to get past the filtering service with key words and then wow the recruiter with creativity so they pass it on to the hiring manager. The downside is it makes it tough to apply for many jobs as it takes so long to cater your Cover Letter and resume to each posting.

 

[gdhillon]

https://www.themuse.com/

Sign up to this site, its free. I've landed a couple neat interviews with their resume/cover letter tips.
My weak point is still interviews though, those behavioural interviews can be tough.

One thing they really harp on is catering your cover letter and resume to each individual job you apply for

 

[-lenny-]

For sure, a generic resume isn't going to do me any favours. Will have to do some research and ask lots of questions before handing over the cash.

In my last job I read lots of resumes and did job interviews, but they were all pretty much for entry level positions, IE driver/operator so they were pretty basic.

 

[scrfce]

I used these guys years ago. I believe it may have helped me stand out more than others. Was pricey but if it did in fact help in the early stages of landing my job the investment was more than worth it.

 

[Caper11]

I used toomis inc. the biggest thing they stressed was hitting the bullet points in the job posting. Most big companies use a computer to scan the resume.


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[FatGuy]

Just had to reapply for my job with a new company ( heavy equipment operator) The old company lost the contract. It was 16 years since I did up a resume.
I did some research on the new company and memorized their mission statement.
Throuout the interview I touched on as many things as I could about that mission statement.
Preached safety and was 100% myself.

Needless to say I got hired. And soon found out that I was picked out of many many applicants.

Pays to do a little research and be yourself. tough times right now. I feel extremely lucky to be working.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Gone are the days of getting a job with a beera nd a handshake.

 

[Bnorth]

Gone are the days of getting a job with a beera nd a handshake.

Still exists, it's called nepotism

 

[Rotax_Kid]

I do some hiring for office and site based jobs and see a fair number of resumes monthly. Few tips that might help you from what I’ve seen:

-Spelling – triple check your spelling and then please have someone else proof read your resume and cover letter for grammar and spelling issues. Do not assume that auto correct in Word will fix everything properly.
-Tailor your cover letter – if you are really interested in a job, the employer would assume that you would take the time to tailor the letter to the company and its attributes.
-Remember that the cover letter and resume is truly the employers first impression. I’ve unfortunately likely passed over a number of people who were very qualified, but I assume that they are putting their best foot forward insending me a resume and cover letter. If a poor quality document is as good as it gets, where do you go from there?
-I’m anal about this, but your resume and cover letter should be consistent – use the same fonts, spacing, etc. Tells me a lot about your attention to detail.
-Be clear and concise. Few employers would like a resume over 2 pages. I’ve had half pagers as well as 8+ pagers. I only need the high level summary which isn’t too much information, but enough detail to tell me generally what you’ve done in your career.
-Use a respectable email address if submitting via email
-Creativity in a resume is good, but don’t get overly creative or out there.

In the interview
-Be yourself
-Show up on time – if you are going to be late give as much notice as possible and do call no matter what the situation
-Ensure you greet the receptionist with a smile and are friendly to her. I typically ask her opinion.
-As with the resume, I assume that how you act,dress, mannerism, etc is as good as it is possibly going to get.
-I find interviews go a lot better when the potential employee ends up driving the interview a slight amount. One or two word answers doesn’t do much for your case. Show that you are interested, prepare and ask questions (must do), if you are on a tour, say hello or good morning/afternoon to others as you walk by or make eye contact, a positive, upbeat personality does wonders.
-Don’t swear – sounds simple, but you’d be surprised…
-Researching a company is great, but I wouldn’t recommend memorizing too much. It is easy to gauge when people have memorized information.
-Once the interview is complete, ensure you know who or how to follow up and what the timelines are. People who follow up from time to time, but not on a nonstop basis, are difficult to forget about and show that you are truly interested/invested.

Professional resume writers are relatively inexpensive and are a worthwhile investment in my opinion. Don’t let them stray too far from what you’ve written as you are still the one who has to go for the interview.

I hope this helps! Good Luck!

 

[whoDEANie]

Gone are the days of getting a job with a beera nd a handshake.

Lol, that's how I landed my current job. Never thought it would ever happen to me that way. ...made a phone call, threw a name at him, met for a beer after work, and negotiated salary/starting date first thing the next morning.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Hey lenny did you ever get the pro resume done? If so how did it work out? Been thinking about doing the same thing lately.

 

[arff]

First impressions are very important.

We are doing a hiring process for fire fighters for a 2017 class.

They come for a shadow shift of 5 hours.

They have the rules days before the shift. Dress code, shoes , hair, etc. Then we grade them on how the shift went.

Some don't follow any of it. And wonder why they don't get picked.

Resume details and first impressions are very important


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[fnDan]

A friend just spent $700 for a professional to write his resume. He said that was the mid-priced deal.
I hope it is worth it for him.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Would like to know if any have first hand experience

 

[-lenny-]

Hey lenny did you ever get the pro resume done? If so how did it work out? Been thinking about doing the same thing lately.

Interesting story. I managed to give myself a hernia later in June, and that kind of took me off the job search. When I found out the wait time for surgery in AB ( nearly a year) I decided to look at other options and ended up going to Toronto to have it repaired in late September. Anyway, I am almost back in shape to get out there and find a job. I got a resume done from Linda and team at Resumes with Results, Edmonton Resume Writing | Professional Resume Writing in Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta's only Premiere Resume Writing Service | Alberta professional resume writer They do all sorts of career related stuff, including mock interviews, salary negotiations, linkedin profiles, etc. I have the document now and I must say it is impressive. Just need to find the right outfit to send it to now!

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Interesting story. I managed to give myself a hernia later in June, and that kind of took me off the job search. When I found out the wait time for surgery in AB ( nearly a year) I decided to look at other options and ended up going to Toronto to have it repaired in late September. Anyway, I am almost back in shape to get out there and find a job. I got a resume done from Linda and team at Resumes with Results, Edmonton Resume Writing | Professional Resume Writing in Edmonton | Edmonton Alberta's only Premiere Resume Writing Service | Alberta professional resume writer They do all sorts of career related stuff, including mock interviews, salary negotiations, linkedin profiles, etc. I have the document now and I must say it is impressive. Just need to find the right outfit to send it to now!

What did she charge you?