Résumés are NOT employment histories and yet, many individuals treat them as such including page after page after page of employment experience and including great detail about the various duties, responsibilities, and achievements at each job.

Sorry,  but too much work history becomes boring.

The solution is simple:  Include enough information to show any reader what you did as an employee, what you accomplished (increased sales by XX% or cut costs by YY%) and you will get the attention of any reader.  Too much information and you will put any reader to sleep or, at best, encourage those assigned to ‘screen’ résumés to move on the next (and hopefully shorter) résumé.

Visit 90% of the websites of firms (aka factories) promoting résumés and their samples will almost always show the use of an “Objective” and while it may be called something like a “career objective” o r”Professional Objective,” even just an “Objective,” the inclusion of such words are inappropriate.

If you think about it for a minute, you will recognize that the applicant (you) has one objective:  ”get a job with a descent wage, adequate benefits, and with some opportunity for growth” while the company (them) has one objective:  ”hire the best qualified applicant possible, someone that will hit the ground running and make us a profit from the first day – and – hire that applicant at the lowest possible cost to the company.

Frequently, these “objectives” are often in conflict and that is why the ‘best of the best’ have not used an “objective” by any name for more than 10 years now.  One Human Resource Professional was even quoted as saying “Objective:  That’s those 1-2 lines of pulp fiction we don’t read anyway,”  so don’t waste your time and energy trying to write an objective, especially if your intention is to simply tell everyone about your strengths – the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, being more powerful than a locomotive, and being faster than a speeding bullet.

#1: KNOWLEDGE: There is not a single person who couldn’t learn something new, something valuable, while attending a conference.

#2: UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION. Those with the sharpest tools always win – a conference or workshop will keep you on the cutting edge.

#3: COLLEAGUE-TO-COLLEAGUE DISCUSSIONS AT THE END OF EACH CONFERENCE DAY. Getting to know others in your industry is wise – they may have an idea you can “borrow.”

#4: NEW BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. You will be able to meet and get to know the exhibitors, all of whom offer products, services and technologies designed specifically for your industry.

#5: PIONEERING INDUSTRY RESEARCH. The speakers generally offer leading edge research results, tips, and statistics on a series of issues affecting your industry.

#6: LEARNING WHAT IS NEW. We live in turbulent times and ideas, approaches, and solutions change rapidly.

#7: COMMITMENT TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Investing in yourself is one of the most valuable investments that you’ll ever make.

#8: CAMARADERIE OF THE COMMUNITY. Whether you’re new to a particular industry or have been around for a while, you’ll find that the collegial atmosphere of conferences one of the best ways in the world to meet and greet the real “players.”

There has been a long running debate within the résumé writing community over whether it is best to interview clients face-to-face or over the telephone and there is really no right answer.

Dr. Jerry used to meet his clients only face-to-face at his offices in Colorado Springs, Colorado and he was very reluctant to move into the modern era and start working with clients across the planet.

However, he has concluded that when he talks with clients over the telephone he does not make decisions based on physical appearance – and that the purpose of a résumé is to attract the attention of a reader BEFORE an actual face-to-face interview happens.

Dr. Jerry firmly believes that interviews are not conducted essentially to determine if the applicant is qualified, for the résumé should make that fact certain.  Instead, most interviews are simply personality contests, where the interviewer(s) try to decide which candidate (typically only 5 candidates are every interviewed) is the best liked.

So, if you are the type of person that likes to be 100% ‘hands-on’ when it comes to your résumé, then it could be in your best personal interest to seek out a writer from within your immediate area. On the other hand, if you are seeking a writer with a great deal of real life experiences, then such a writer is likely to be one that does not meet clients face-to-face.

One of the most common questions received from individuals is “Do I need something special to apply for a Civil Service position?”

The simple answer is no!

But the fact is you need more than a cookie-cutter type of résumé.  Not one of the old SF-171 or OF-612 type of documents but a carefully written 1-page document that tells the reader you are qualified and interested.

If any professional résumé writer tells you that you need to pay double for such a résumé, then tell them to take a long walk off a short pier.  The cost for most well written civil service résumés should be about $199 (Service #3 offered by Dr. Jerry) and only if the position is very high up on the chain should you ever expect to pay anything more.

Most Professional Résumé Writers had done thousands of Civil Service résumés – but be certain that you ask him or her just to be certain you are not the first.

If you are the type that expects your résumé writer to be just a typist, doing what you want, word for word, instead of doing what the professional thinks, in your best interest, should be done to enhance how you are looked at by the minions within the civil service system, then it may be in your own selfish interest to find someone local that will do what you want without discussion.

When Dr. Jerry writes résumés, he individually tailors every résumé specifically for the client in such a manner so that their qualifications and credentials are presented aggressively and effectively.

Does Dr. Jerry write résumés for Civil Service positions?  Yes, but he is not a typist and does not write résumés for individuals who want him to prepare a résumé exactly like a friends’ résumé that was prepared over a year ago for a civil service opportunity.  Times have changed and those with the sharpest tools are the ones that will survive.

There are some really great résumé writing services and tons of really poor ones  - you should be careful and check for these elements:

1.  If you can’t tell who your resume writer is going to be by name, then you are working with a factory.  Résumés are a unique form of communication, you need to be able to talk with your writer about everything.

2.  Look at their website – if you can understand their website it is likely that your new résumé will be easy to read and understand.

3. Credentials:  The most important is CPRW but there are people with that designation that have not been in business very long.

4. Length of time in business: The résumé business is highly competitive and only the good writers tend to stick around.

5.  Samples:  There are good samples and bad samples – the choice of what style will work best for you is generally best left to the professional.  Certain occupations lend themselves to certain styles – choose the wrong style and you have shot yourself in the foot.

6.  Understand about skills and accomplishments as these can be critical – not for everyone, but for most.

7.  Get a free evaluation of your current résumé and if the writer calls you and starts to pressure you into buying quickly exit.  If you get a form response then it is likely your résumé wasn’t actually reviewed.

8.  Type of interview:  Some firms use questionnaires and that may be OK if the client is outside of the US but the best method is a telephone interview where dialog flows both ways.

9. Guarantee:  No good résumé writer will ever offer you a full “money back” refund – but a good résumé writer will always agree to work with you, without charge, if the new résumé is not producing interviews.

10. Price: High prices do not translate into high value – nor do low prices mean inferior products.  When the cost is reasonable and if you go to work even one day earlier, when the result will be a profit. No résumé is worth more than $300 and those costing less than $100 are probably cookie-cutter form resumes that don’t present you and your skills, knowledge, and abilities correctly.

To ask an specific question, click on the “Live Chat” icon above – top left corner – and Dr. Jerry will answer your question.

There are some people that are better served when they can meet, face-to-face, with their résumé writer and there are some people better served when they do not meet with their résumé writer.

For the first 15 years of his business Dr. Jerry Bills insisted that meeting with clients, face-to-face, was critical to developing a great end product (of course he owned a commercial building that housed his office and was somewhat biased).  However, some 10+ years ago now he sold his building and tried to work exclusively using the telephone and emails.

The result?  His product, in his opinion, improved because he was forced to become a better listener and didn’t ever make a single value judgment based on appearance.

Today, most (certainly not all) of the great professional résumé writers do not meet with their clients.  So, if you are statistical type of person, the odds are greater that your résumé writer will not meet with you face-to-face.

What is CRITICAL, however, is that you know exactly who is going to write your success story and that you are not going to be assigned to some independent contractor who may, or may not, be reachable in the future.

Job seeking is never a breeze and it is especially difficult if the seeker has been around for a while.  How do you emphasize skills without disclosing your age? It requires effort, energy, determination, and right now, sheer expertise. It’s difficult enough trying to find your first job without previous experience. But what if lack of experience isn’t your problem? You probably have too much experience in fact.

A scarier option is the fact that it has been literally years since you have had to search for, apply, and interview for a new position. If you have been at the same organization or company for a large chunk of your career, you will be out of your comfort zone with as a job seeker.

You competition will be younger and far more energetic. They may be more internet savvy also – and this is a skill that helps enormously in modern day recruitment. You might be feeling a little bit rusty, but there is good news if you are a mature job seeker.

Your experience and knowledge that you bring to any great opportunity, if presented correctly, can outweigh the exuberant energy of youth. The more experienced or ‘specialist’ you are, the smaller the job pool of qualified applicants.

While certain employers are beginning to recognize the value of the mature worker more and more; the competition is still stiff for every goo job.

If you recognize, know, and accept where your talents and skills are and present them correctly, these skills have significant market value. The trick is to present your ‘value’ to a new organization –  and deliver that message on your résumé, the application, or in an interview. In the current market, experience and knowledge are vital to companies who may be struggling through these tougher times.

Don’t forget that all skills are transferable.