ExecuNet White Paper: How to Make Your Resume Recruiter Ready

ExecuNet (a national business referral network with a private membership site) is offering job seekers a free report, "How to Make Your Resume Recruiter Ready" by ExecuNet Contributing Editor Marji McClure (presumably as a way to build up their opt-in e-mail list -- a great technique, by the way!). Thanks to Kathy Hansen of Quintessential Careers for bringing this to my attention in her Feb. 14 blog post on the subject.

The special report is an excerpt from a full-length article available only to paid subscribers of the ExecuNet service. While the special report is interesting, I will caution you about directing your clients to the special report, as it is focused on making the resume recruiter ready. Because the survey subjects were primarily recruiters (as opposed to hiring managers specifically or HR personnel), they often have special needs/requirements for the resume that other target audiences might not express as preferences... and, consequently, things you might not put into the resumes you write that aren't being sent to recruiters.

For example, "some recruiters" in the survey want candidates to include specific years of employment dates and college graduation dates -- and while there is some disagreement within the careers industry on this practice, certainly most resume writers will disagree with one expert quoted in the article who says that 30 percent of the resume should focus on the job seeker's work history from 10-20 years ago, and 10 percent on 20+ years ago. Conventional wisdom in the resume writing field is that the resume should include the work history for the past 10-15 years, unless there are compelling reasons to go back any further in time than that.

There is some good information that should be shared with job seekers in the report.
What can resume writers do with this report?

• Quote from it. I'm always looking for research that dispels the One-Page Resume Myth. I'd prefer the raw data to use to substantiate this, but you could cite this report as another example of one in which hiring experts feel that the resume length should correspond to the accomplishments of the job seeker.
• Use it as inspiration for conducting your own research and writing your own report. You could do a survey within a specific industry you specialize in (finance, for example) or within your geographic target area.

Resume Writer's Resource: Recruiters Connection

Looking for recruiters to recommend to your clients? Take a look at Recruiters Connection. It's a national directory of recruiting firms. You can search geographically, by industry, and by keyword.

They also offer what they call "Train and Gain" webinars. Many of these are free. Check it out!

Work-at-Home Opportunities (updated 2/2011)

On her  show last week, radio talk show host Kim Komando spoke with an Iraq veteran who was looking for work-at-home opportunities. She posted an updated list of opportunities her staff had researched on her "Picks of the Week" page, and I've linked to that article here. This is a great resource to share with your clients -- or to use yourself, if you're looking for additional income.

Several of the firms mentioned for work-at-home customer service jobs were the same ones I identified in a September 2010 blog post on the topic. One of the most consistent hirers is West (headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, my hometown.)

(If you are looking for additional income, consider subcontracting as a resume writer. There are many resume writers who work for other firms -- in addition to their own resume writing practice, or instead of it! by contracting as a resume writer.)

Day 3: Valentine's Day and Resume Writing!

Several years ago, I wrote a news release entitled, "Looking for a Job is a Lot Like Looking for Love." I wrote about it in a previous blog post (2007), but today's post is not specifically about getting publicity for your resume writing business. (If it was, I should have written this post two weeks ago, because tying your business to a special event through publicity requires a bit of lead time!)


Tying your resume writing business to a special event (or holiday, in this case), can be done in a couple of ways:

• Write a themed blog post. One of my favorite for Valentine's Day is Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter's story about how she and her husband met (on Match.com).
• Host a sale or special offer. This can be a one-day, one-week or month-long special -- a "We Love Our Customers" promotion, a gift with purchase, or if you sell information products, a bundle offer.
• Send cards to your customers. Several resume writers send out Christmas or holiday cards to their clients -- but how many of them send them for Valentine's Day? This type of keep-in-touch marketing can spur repeat business and referrals.

If you're planning on tying your resume writing business to a holiday, be sure to give it some thought a few weeks ahead of time, and get the word out in advance. (And consider creating a public relations campaign around your efforts too! You'll find some good resources in this previous blog post.)

This is the third in a series of blog posts as part of "The Jessica Swanson 50-Day Blog Post Challenge." Today's challenge is: "Relate your small business to a special event."


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