One Recruiter's (Warped) Take on Resume Screening

I can't tell if this recruiter is serious ... bitter ... or just unhappy because he's now unemployed, but I'm a bit disturbed by his take on the resume screening process. Not to mention that he's disparaging the entire resume writing industry.

As an example of his "take" --

Perhaps the most common service offered is professional resume writing. These services promise that, for anywhere between 400 and 800 dollars, a professional resume writer will not only critique your resume, but also work with you to create a resume guaranteed to “break through the clutter” by using better verbs to craft the “story of your career.” Corporate recruiters, apparently, have very strict guidelines for formatting on a resume, and a secret code known only to them and somehow cracked by the Professional Resume Writer’s Association. I must have missed that workshop at ERE, but I suppose so too did a lot of my colleagues, who I have seen commit such violations to code as cut and pasting resumes off of Monster into Word or forwarding horrifically misformatted LinkedIn profiles to hiring managers.

Recruiters who have this attitude -- which is somewhere between being bitter that resume writers get involved with their clients at all (?) and just downright cynical that a professional resume writer might be able to "add value" to a candidate's positioning -- aren't likely to be as successful as those who partner with resume writers to identify top-performing candidates.

Perhaps it's no surprise that Mr. Charney is currently unemployed? I can suggest a professional resume writer to help him...

Typepad Free Webinar Series

I first learned about the Typepad free webinar series when Kirsten Dixson Tweeted a reminder about it. I missed getting in on it by an hour, but found out that they are recorded. Listening to her session is on my to-do list for this weekend... and it should be on yours as well.

The series also has a number of other interesting topics for resume writers (small business owners). You can sign up in advance for upcoming topics (free) or listen to the archived webinars (also free).

I'm reading Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand at the moment and LOVING IT. I had purchased it a few years back at a resume writing conference and started it, but had set it aside and just picked it up again. Kirsten and her co-author, William Arruda offer fabulous advice for resume writers ... and their clients.

Timeless Advice for Handling Price Shoppers

I'm compiling an index of the first 10 years of Resume Writers' Digest and came across this timeless tip in the March/April 2000 issue. Reprinted with permission of Jan Melnik, CPRW, from her book, "How to Operate a Home-Based Resume Service" (now out of print):

"Over the recent years, I've used a variation of the phrase, "I didn't realize price was your only concern," when speaking with prospective clients who focus solely on price.

If the caller seems totally uninterested in any value-added service and is even grumbling about the price of a basic retype, you can add to the above comment, "In that case, you might try the quick-stop copy shop. They'll add no value to your resume, but they'll do it for a very low price, if that's your primary concern."

Nowadays, I get very few requests for resume retypes (most need at least an update or a rewrite), but the advice would be similar... "Well, if price is your only concern, you can find some resume mills online that will update your resume for as little as $29, but I can't guarantee their quality, of course."

10 Years of Resume Writers Digest (1999-2009)

I didn't want this month to pass without acknowledging the 10th anniversary of Resume Writers' Digest. Our first issue was published in July/August 1999.

Here's what I wrote in my inaugural "From the Editor" column in that issue:

I'm sure the first question that crossed your mind when you opened your mail today was, "What's this?"

"This" is Resume Writer's Digest -- a new bimonthly newsletter for resume writers.

Another newsletter?
No, it's not just another newsletter. It's a resource for you, the professional resume writer. Whether you are a part-time resume writer or you've made it your career, this publication is for you.

Why?
We provide news and information about employment-related issues. But we're also about the "people" of the resume writing profession. Most of the articles in other resume writing newsletters are written "editorial style," by experts. We want to be the "Living Section" of resume writers. In future issues, you'll see pictures of people -- ordinary and extraordinary -- serving resume clients in the U.S. and abroad.

In the September/October issue, we'll explore what it's like to be a resume writer in exotic and isolated places ... as well as in large and small towns across the country. You'll meet some of the most well-known resume writers ... and some you've never heard from before.

Add Us To What You're Already Doing
We're not a substitute for continuing education or association memberships (in fact, you'll find information about joining the Professional Association of Resume Writers, the National Resume Writers' Association, or the Association of Business Support Services International) on page 8.

Coming Soon...
Later this summer, we'll be launching our website, providing you with online links, archives of articles and interviews, and more information than we can cover in an eight-page, bimonthly newsletter.

Give Us a Try
If you like what you have to offer, subscribe.

Some things have changed over time, but we remain committed to our mission statement:
"Resume Writers' Digest ... (helps) resume writers keep on top of changes in the human resources field, new developments in technology, and trends in the resume writing field. Each issue provides information about what successful resume writers across the nation and around the world are doing, along with concise, timely information culled from a review of select periodicals."

Here's to the NEXT 10 years of Resume Writers' Digest!