The Resume Store's GET-A-JOB Blog

Cover Letters that get results address the real reasons with which employers make hiring decisions

ARNIE SHERR, PRESIDENT AND CEO - THE RESUME STORE DECEMBER 25, 2011

From About.com

Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences (remember, relevance is determined by the employer's self-interest). They should express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position. READ MORE

6. Identify your most relevant skills and experiences. Don't just duplicate your resume. Rather, include the skills that most match the job. READ MORE

From eHow.com/money

Each cover letter must be written for a specific employer. You can recycle some of the text for cover letters within the same industry, but each letter should contain a reference to a specific detail about the employer or company. You should research important business or technological trends within your industry, significant recent transactions, hiring trends and popular terms, phrases and subject matter.

Learn all you can about the history of any company to which you apply. Identify its major clients, review any important recent transactions, and study its hiring trends and employment needs. The more you know about an industry and a particular company, the more effective your cover letter will be. READ MORE

Above are two of many misguided answers to what message cover letters should tell!

The facts are abundantly clear; employers do not make hiring decisions based on resume content. From them they make only interview decisions. Albeit there are rigorous rules and guidelines for writing resumes, rules that although content is important are restricted to formatting and relevance. However important is resume content, the word relevance is paramount.

To be succinct, resumes are brag sheets. Perhaps that is why it is challenging to write one’s own resume. Most people own varying degrees of humility; therefore, telling others how great they are may be an uncomfortable position. Most fear being though of as arrogant or egotistical, two disparaging human characteristics, at best. Since employers have no viable way of discerning how well applicants perform that to which is written to resumes, they look to identify other means of determining those attributes and characteristics that by there very nature, resumes fail in exhibit. Such attributes and characteristics provide insight into personal credibility, integrity, believability, competence, confidence and more. Such characteristics and attributes become apparent from the manners in which candidates participate within the interview process.

An example may be the interview performance of a candidate vying for a sales management position. To understand the following, it is important to know that of the best salespersons, in order to make sales, the single most important attribute is the ability to control the sales process. That said; the best way to reinforce this single most important resume declaration is to take control of the interview process. If such candidates successfully demonstrate this important selling attribute through their actions at interviews, it makes sense that interviewers tend to believe that all or most other resume declarations are credible and accurate. Such demonstrations solidify other such resume ‘bragging’ points in addition to ‘control’ and succeeds remarkably in increasing job offer probabilities which, brings me back to the original purpose of this writing, “the real reasons with which employers make hiring decisions and how that relates to cover letters.”

The two excerpts about cover letters from About.com and eHow.com/money above, exemplify that which most, if not all, job seekers send along with their resumes to demonstrate interest in respective job postings. It is akin to every applicant showing up for interviews following identical cover letters and resumes as well as wearing the exact same outfits, color and all. Essentially, there is nothing to raise one above the other. How challenging a hiring decision is this to make? WOW, which of these five identical candidates’ best meets our needs? Perhaps we may toss a coin!

In advertising, a media in which the objective is to promote one thing over another, there are two objectives proved most effective as memory inducers, unique and obnoxious. Certainly, it is agreed that obnoxious in the job search is counterproductive; however, unique works as well in the job search as it has historically in advertising. Who among us does not recall, “Where the Beef” or “This Bud’s for You?” Considering the aforementioned, what within your cover letter depicts you as unique and clever, a step or so above the competition, so to suggest? Certainly expounding upon resume content, no matter how relevant to the posting, places you not ahead of the pack, but well within its mediocrity.

What has proved successful for The Resume Store’s customers are cover letters that allude to those attributes and characteristics that interviewers dig deep to ascertain. The kinds of information with which they may consider as demonstrated evidence that particular candidates are, with a high degree of certainty, more qualified than others interviewed; that indeed, their ‘brag’ sheets are true to a fault.

Just as in the advertising arena, cover letters, which are synonymous to print, radio, TV, or internet ads, must create a call to action. Just as, it is hoped, that print, radio, TV, or internet ads induce calls of inquiry or better yet, visits to the advertiser’s place of business to properly investigate the subject of the ad, cover letters must also create a call to action. For cover letters, such calls to action begin with directing them to accompanying resumes after which they engage respective applicants in phone interviews, or invite them to attend mutually convenient in-person interviews. I am beleaguered to understand how repeating or expounding upon "resume content" does anything more than accentuate boasting or bragging. Furthermore, it is redundant.

The following are excerpts of actual cover letters that have proved effective in successfully genererating interviews :

Please note: Passion, a vigorous kind of enthusiasm felt deep within, is not easy to explain or define. For me it is an indefinable phenomenon; one that propels in directions that seem motivated by forces beyond my control. Many support my assertion that passion drives faster and farther than simply knowledge and experience. Merge all three and success is inevitable.

Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I offer remarkably unique attributes, the kind of attributes that grow and reinforce self-ruling passion driven achievement beyond personal expectations.    

_______________________________

Please note: Florence Nightingale said, “I stand at the altar of the murdered men, and, while I live, I fight their cause.”

Few career choices offer employment potential and security as does nursing. With the onset of the baby boomers, the demand for qualified nurses is certain to limit nursing resources needed to serve the US Military at home and abroad. As a career-nursing professional, I am enthusiastic at the prospect of providing exemplary healthcare to DOD (Department of Defense) beneficiaries at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Feeling strongly about serving Americas’ military, I too continue, as a dedicated nurse professional, “to fight their cause.”

____________________________________

The quote that headlines this Cover Letter

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile”
ROGER STAUBACH

Please note: Peter Drucker (1909-2005) who known as the father of modern management said, “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it; it is what the client or customer gets out of it.”

I think what I have come to love about retail is how easily customers can be satisfied. Yet, many leave feeling mistreated or neglected by retail staff that fail to grasp the importance of excellent customer service, regardless of how focused or unfocused management is with respect to training store staff on ensuring positive shopping experiences for Gap Customers.  As a Gap, Inc. retail troubleshooter, many of the challenges I face emanate from issues related to customer service. Working with management teams, we come together to set forth strategies that remove perceived traffic jams and detours, etc. Since April 2004, I along with many Gap managers have proven that going that extra mile provides avenues to growth, prosperity and advancement.

Ask others to read your cover letter. Does it create an emotion response? Does it create a call to action? If not, then others whose cover letters do are passing you by.

In order for The Resume Store’s experienced writers to create highly motivating cover letters, a 45-minute to 1- hour consultation is required. Our in-person, by Webcam or over the phone consults, allow us to derive that which we need to know to put our creative juices to work writing cover letters that create a call to action.

Of course, there are those that disagree with our methods. Among them are, surprisingly, a minority of human resource personnel.  That said; when our cover letters come before their eyes, they driven as are most others, to action.

If you are happy with your present resume, we are available to discuss your cover letter independently. You may contact us via our website: www.TheResumeStore.info

Posted by The Resume Store at 12/25/2011 6:36 AM
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: COVER LETTERS

Cover Letters that get results address the real reasons with which employers make hiring decisions

ARNIE SHERR, PRESIDENT AND CEO - THE RESUME STORE DECEMBER 22, 2011

From About.com

Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences (remember, relevance is determined by the employer's self-interest). They should express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position. READ MORE

6. Identify your most relevant skills and experiences. Don't just duplicate your resume. Rather, include the skills that most match the job. READ MORE

From eHow.com/money

Each cover letter must be written for a specific employer. You can recycle some of the text for cover letters within the same industry, but each letter should contain a reference to a specific detail about the employer or company. You should research important business or technological trends within your industry, significant recent transactions, hiring trends and popular terms, phrases and subject matter.

Learn all you can about the history of any company to which you apply. Identify its major clients, review any important recent transactions, and study its hiring trends and employment needs. The more you know about an industry and a particular company, the more effective your cover letter will be. READ MORE

Above are two of many misguided answers to what message cover letters should tell!

The facts are abundantly clear; employers do not make hiring decisions based on resume content. From them they make only interview decisions. Albeit there are rigorous rules and guidelines for writing resumes, rules that although content is important are restricted to formatting and relevance. However important is resume content, the word relevance is paramount.

To be succinct, resumes are brag sheets. Perhaps that is why it is challenging to write one’s own resume. Most people own varying degrees of humility; therefore, telling others how great they are may be an uncomfortable position. Most fear being thought of as arrogant or egotistical, two disparaging human characteristics, at best. Since employers have, no viable way of discerning how well applicants perform that to which is written to resumes, they look to identify other means of determining those attributes and characteristics that by there very nature, resumes fail in exhibit. Such attributes and characteristics provide insight into personal credibility, integrity, believability, competence, confidence and more. Such characteristics and attributes become apparent from the manners in which candidates participate within the interview process.

An example may be the interview performance of a candidate vying for a sales management position. To understand the following, it is important to know that of the best salespersons, in order to make sales, the single most important attribute is the ability to control the sales process. That said; the best way to reinforce this single most important resume declaration is to take control of the interview process. If such candidates successfully demonstrate this important selling attribute through their actions at interviews, it makes sense that interviewers tend to believe that all or most other resume declarations are credible and accurate. Such demonstrations solidify other such resume ‘bragging’ points in addition to ‘control’ and succeeds remarkably in increasing job offer probabilities which, brings me back to the original purpose of this writing, “the real reasons with which employers make hiring decisions and how that relates to cover letters.”

The two excerpts about cover letters from About.com and eHow.com/money above, exemplify that which most, if not all, job seekers send along with their resumes to demonstrate interest in respective job postings. It is akin to every applicant showing up for interviews following identical cover letters and resumes as well as wearing the exact same outfits, color and all. Essentially, there is nothing to raise one above the other. How challenging a hiring decision is this to make? WOW, which of these five identical candidates’ best meets our needs? Perhaps we may toss a coin!

In advertising, a media in which the objective is to promote one thing over another, there are two objectives proved most effective as memory inducers, unique and obnoxious. Certainly, it is agreed that obnoxious in the job search is counterproductive; however, unique works as well in the job search as it has historically in advertising. Who among us does not recall, “Where the Beef” or “This Bud’s for You?” Considering the aforementioned, what within your cover letter depicts you as unique and clever, a step or so above the competition, so to suggest? Certainly expounding upon resume content, no matter how relevant to the posting, places you not ahead of the pack, but well within its mediocrity.

What has proved successful for The Resume Store’s customers are cover letters that allude to those attributes and characteristics that interviewers dig deep to ascertain. The kinds of information with which they may consider as demonstrated evidence that particular candidates are, with a high degree of certainty, more qualified than others interviewed; that indeed, their ‘brag’ sheets are true to a fault.

Just as in the advertising arena, cover letters, which are synonymous to print, radio, TV, or internet ads, must create a call to action. Just as, it is hoped, that print, radio, TV, or internet ads induce calls of inquiry or better yet, visits to the advertiser’s place of business to properly investigate the subject of the ad, cover letters must also create a call to action. For cover letters, such calls to action begin with directing them to accompanying resumes after which they engage respective applicants in phone interviews, or invite them to attend mutually convenient in-person interviews. I am beleaguered to understand how repeating or expounding upon "resume content" does anything more than accentuate boasting or bragging. Furthermore, it is redundant.

The following are excerpts of actual cover letters that have proved effective in successfully genererating interviews :

Please note: Passion, a vigorous kind of enthusiasm felt deep within, is not easy to explain or define. For me it is an indefinable phenomenon; one that propels in directions that seem motivated by forces beyond my control. Many support my assertion that passion drives faster and farther than simply knowledge and experience. Merge all three and success is inevitable.

Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I offer remarkably unique attributes, the kind of attributes that grow and reinforce self-ruling passion driven achievement beyond personal expectations.    

_______________________________

Please note: Florence Nightingale said, “I stand at the altar of the murdered men, and, while I live, I fight their cause.”

Few career choices offer employment potential and security as does nursing. With the onset of the baby boomers, the demand for qualified nurses is certain to limit nursing resources needed to serve the US Military at home and abroad. As a career-nursing professional, I am enthusiastic at the prospect of providing exemplary healthcare to DOD (Department of Defense) beneficiaries at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Feeling strongly about serving Americas’ military, I too continue, as a dedicated nurse professional, “to fight their cause.”

____________________________________

The quote that headlines this Cover Letter

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile”
ROGER STAUBACH

Please note: Peter Drucker (1909-2005) who known as the father of modern management said, “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it; it is what the client or customer gets out of it.”

I think what I have come to love about retail is how easily customers can be satisfied. Yet, many leave feeling mistreated or neglected by retail staff that fail to grasp the importance of excellent customer service, regardless of how focused or unfocused management is with respect to training store staff on ensuring positive shopping experiences for Gap Customers.  As a Gap, Inc. retail troubleshooter, many of the challenges I face emanate from issues related to customer service. Working with management teams, we come together to set forth strategies that remove perceived traffic jams and detours, etc. Since April 2004, I along with many Gap managers have proven that going that extra mile provides avenues to growth, prosperity and advancement.

Ask others to read your cover letter. Does it create an emotion response? Does it create a call to action? If not, then others whose cover letters do are passing you by.

In order for The Resume Store’s experienced writers to create highly motivating cover letters, a 45-minute to 1- hour consultation is required. Our in-person, by Webcam or over the phone consults, allow us to derive that which we need to know to put our creative juices to work writing cover letters that create a call to action.

Of course, there are those that disagree with our methods. Among them are, surprisingly, a minority of human resource personnel.  That said; when our cover letters come before their eyes, they are driven as are most others, to action.

If you are happy with your present resume, we are available to discuss your cover letter independently. You may contact us via our website: www.TheResumeStore.info

Jobs, and the Law of Averages

Quantum Mechanics

First published Wed Nov 29, 2000; substantive revision Tue Sep 1, 2009

Quantum mechanics is, at least at first glance and at least in part, a mathematical machine for predicting the behaviors of microscopic particles — or, at least, of the measuring instruments used to explore those behaviors — and in that capacity, it is spectacularly successful: in terms of power and precision, Quantum Mechanics is head-and-shoulders above any previous theory. Mathematically, QM is easy to understand. We know its parts, how they are put together, and why, in the mechanical sense (i.e., such as the number of wins the house will get at a roulette wheel), the whole thing performs the way it does, how the information that gets fed in at one end is converted into what comes out the other. READ MORE

For scientists, the question of what kind of a world it describes is, however, controversial.  But of a person's chances for employment, it seems as though QM is an accurate predictor of probability.

I am certain, after reading the above, your inclination is to reread it or discard it as poppycock. However, if you will cut me some slack, I will try to explain the relationship between the probabilities of Quantum Mechanics and the probabilities of getting a new job.

By now you must be thinking, “This dude is nuts.” Well, if so please humor me by reading on.

Slipping past all of the technical mumbo-jumbo, the essence of QM has much to do with the probabilities we deal with day to day. Such probabilities are inherent of State lotteries. Using the theory of QM, States calculate with surprising accuracy the number and amounts paid out to winners. They calculate these on daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. The science is so defined they can actually measure each game incorporating historical data. In fact, all forms of gambling are calculable with precision using QM. Its theory explains why bookies (bookmakers) tend to make more than they loose, casinos always yield profits and even neighborhood church bingo-nights earn predictable yields.

The roulette wheel, for example, has a 1 in 29-win probability for the player. For the house, the win probability is 29 to 1. Imagine 12 players placing bets on 12 different numbers. Should one player win, the house picks up the other 11 losses. It is surprising that using QM they may calculate with pinpoint accuracy how much revenue each game, each minute of everyday, week, month and year they will take in from gambling. It gets down to simple math and “The law of large numbers / "The law of averages."

Perhaps now you are ready to call-out the men in the white coats! Hold on now, read on; it is soon to make sense.

If the probability of throwing a double-6 with two dice is 1/36, then the more times we throw the dice, the closer, in proportion, will be the number of double-6s thrown of the total number of throws. That, of course, increases the probability or chances of a win. Well, the job search is theoretically similar.

The more resumes you send the better your chances of getting interviews. If you add to that an active networking agenda the chances increase significantly. It you add aggressive follow-ups and making cold calls to area businesses; well, by now you know the answer to that scenario too.

Ahh, but is it really, quite that simple? Let us travel back to the casino for a bit…

Mr. Trump, after gathering his expert’s scientific calculations realizes his nearest competitor, Bally’s Hotel and Casino, is stealing his thunder. He realizes he must do something to rekindle his revenue from gambling. According to QM, the probability factor is what it is. Therefore, his options are to do things that bring more patronage to his Trump Plaza Casino. Without examining particulars, Mr. Trump will set forth promotions and strategies designed to take business back from Bally’s and other area casinos. Although the law of averages remains in tact, revenue increases due to additional players. The magic wand here is in the value and consumer appeal of the promotions he implements.  And, after all is said and done, his competition will respond in-kind.     

So then, what has this to do with your job search? Consider that the law of averages attained from your efforts is a constant per your present activities, you too have competition; therefore, how can you steal their thunder? Like “The Don,” you may improve your advertising materials – your cover letter and resume. You might increase or improve upon your job search strategy by consulting professional coaches and advisors (Trump’s Marketing Team). If you are getting interviews, but are not getting offers, a bit of interview coaching may be in order.

My point is this; the Law of Averages when all things said and done are equal, is a scientific reality. However, there are no limits to what and how you may increase your own numbers (not probability). Remember, whether 1 of 20, 20 of 400 or 50 of 1000 and so on, the law of averages remains constant. The only manner in which you may increase interviews is by increasing either the “to” number or bettering the quality of your job seeking documents. Do both, and your numbers, not your odds,  increase exponentially.

 

Quality Resumes from $79 to $199 from the Tampa Bay Area's Premier Resume Service

The Resume Store

FULL SERVICE COVER LETTER AND RESUME COMPANY

• The Resume Store's full service segment comprises the following...
• Fully researched career designated resume content to be part of a back and forth collaboration with our clients and customers
• Cover Letters that create a call-to-action
• Two FREE Cover Letter and Resume modifications (tweaking towards related job postings)
• Documents provided in Word (unprotected versions) and Pdf
• Cover Letters in Customizable and generic formats
• One no-charge resume update upon starting a new job or self-employment adventure
• All docs and customer invoices are burned to a Package CD fro safe preservation
• In addition to the FREE Consult, customers make take advantage of one free hour of interview coaching at a time of their choosing
• FREE copies of Arnie Sherr's e-Book, The GET-A-JOB Manual and The GET-A-JOB Handbook

OTHER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

• Develop/write interview presentations
• Write KSAs for Government Jobs Application
• Design and Print Professional Marketing Brochures
• Design and print Thank you notes, letters and cards
• Design and Print Networking Cards (Business Cards size for networking and general distribution)
• Design and host on-line Web-Folios (See "Getting Noticed" Page)
• Interview coaching sessions (1st hour Complimentary)

NON-DISCRIMINATORY PRICE POLICY

The Resume Store does not price-discriminate with respect to one's job title or chosen profession. We embrace a one-price all policy. For resumes that by necessity and industry expectations exceed the two-page rule, we impose a 'per additional page' charge.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESUME WRITERS (PARW)
Membership in the Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW) is evidence of The Resume Store's exemplary reputation within the resume services industry. Our almost exclusive “A” rating at the Better Business Bureau and large numbers of reviews say it best, "we exist to make a difference in the professional lives of Florida's economically challenged population by doing our part in reducing the nation's unemployment situation; and we do it one person at a time.

There is no better time to promote professional career seeking services. There are, of course, other resume writing services; however, most of them concentrate on writing only cover letters and resumes. Most times, they do so without the necessary knowledge of those very clients who trust them to write documents that attract interview invitations. The Resume Store's "written" commitment to its customers is a 100 percent guarantee of satisfaction. In order to stand behind our guarantee we insist that every customer participate in a minimum one-hour FREE consultation.

Irrespective of that, resume services that guarantee interviews and/or jobs are making false promises. The truthful and only guarantee The Resume Store makes, in writing, is to continue working on cover letters and resumes until our customers are 100 percent satisfied.

The Resume Store

2463 Gulf to Bay Blvd (By Appointment Only) ▪ Clearwater, Florida 33765

727.796.0802

E-mail: info@mywtan.info

Website: http://TheResumeStore.info

“Looking for the right Resume Service?”

By Arnie Sherr, CEO and President of The Resume Store

Ninety-five percent of those that contact The Resume Store for information regarding resumes are in search of new or better jobs. They are, for the most part, un, under or unhappily employed.

In preparation for this writing, I perused the Internet, reading the instructions of a multitude of “so called” experts. Most deliver excellent advice when describing best ways to write letters and resumes. However, it is ironic how so many of these “so called” experts lose the respect of their readers after demonstrating inferior writing skills, poor grammar, punctuation, choice of words and sentence structure. It seems logical that if I am trying to advise others, promote myself and my company with the written word, that the task of “writing” something, anything at all, must be done with proper grammar, punctuation and the use of and the correct spelling of words and phrases. A stark demonstration of such an irony might be that within this essay I speled a feu wrods wrung.

I hope that which has taken up the first two paragraphs, emphasizes how important it is that every word, every sentence, every thought, every comma, quotation mark, period, etc.; and the dotting every “i” be by the proverbial “book.”

Even the least skilled of “writers” notices easily the mistakes of others. I.e., a word does not look right or this sentence makes no sense – better reread it; “you know what I mean.” Therefore, you tell me, when casually coming across such mistakes when reading the writings of another, does the content loose credibility. Do you question the author’s knowledge or advice, as the case may be? Imagine for just a millisecond, what must the person reading your cover letter and resume be thinking about your credibility should just one word be misspelled? Let us not forget that most, if not all resumes include this declaration, “excellent written and verbal communication skills.” Is this not a “contradiction in terms”? This single “contradiction in terms” or mistake is all it takes to derail your hopes, dreams and aspirations.

If you are sitting by the phone hour after hour tolerating the interminable silence of the ring-tone, might you be thinking that your resume has not reached the eyes of hiring authorities. Or perhaps, you feel the silence is because no one is hiring in your position or that these confounded Internet jobs sites are frauds. Perhaps, just perhaps the reasons for your telephone’s paralysis may have more to do with the quality of your cover letter and resume than other rationalizations. Is that possible; I had ten friends read and reread my cover and resume, they found no mistakes. Or, I hired a resume service; I took it for granted they knew what they were doing 

I am not suggesting your documents have spelling errors, etc.; however, there are many other cover letter and resume characteristics to consider such as formatting, content and more.

It is important to ask the right questions, consult in-person and do so with more than one resume service. Check with the BBB; ask if they are members of professional resume associations and if so, check with those organizations. Are they full time businesses dedicated only to products and services inherent of resume services?  What is the owner’s educational background and especially of the writers assigned to your documents, if applicable. In what industries or career designations do particular resume services specialize? Most important, inquire as to the methodology applied and why it earns interviews.

These are important questions because the people that write resume are in essence ghostwriters. As such, you are the expert. Although it is wise to heed the advice of experienced resume writers, the resume in the end must represent or “be” you. It is extremely important that when you arrive at the interview, it is you they expect and not someone else.

To summarize, only you can determine whether you are comfortable with the content of both your new cover letter and resume. It is the resume writer’s responsibility to accomplish that objective.

With respect to price, paying $1.00 for an inferior cover letter and resume is a dollar wasted if the cover letter and resume purchased fails to achieve expectations. It is synonymous to an employer hiring an unqualified applicant simply because they are willing to work for less.

Although price is an important consideration with respect to affordability, results supersede the amount of the investment. First, choose a resume service you feel will meet your expectations and then take whatever steps you must to meet the required investment. In the end, “you get only that for which you are willing what you pay.”           

 

Birth of the $49 Dollar Résumé

By Arnie Sherr, President and CEO of “The Résumé Store”

It is once again a pity to know that among the millions that wake very morning without somewhere productive to go must be confronted with fraudulent attempts to get into their wallets and pocketbooks for what appears as offers to good to refuse.  

I have been in the résumé services industry for more than sixteen years and only recently have I witnessed the emergence of the under $50 résumé. Many have broken legitimate price barriers; however, they remained at monetary levels that made some modicum sense with respect to the time required to produce a quality document. Having declared that unfortunate fact, there is an appreciable number among the millions of unemployed that are simply strapped. They believe a résumé any cost is a kind of blessing. Certainly, all that have experienced the rigors of being without jobs understands how such interpretations become reality. 

I venture to say, that some whose struggles or unscrupulous desires for money may give birth to leveraging what they feel is adequate writing skills by promoting the inexpensive or $49 dollar, or thereabouts, résumé. However, my well-founded concern is that at the end of the day, “that which is received for a pittance is worth little more that its meager fee.” and produces meager of any result at all. Ergo, that which we intended as an investment has transformed into a wasted expense filled with thwarted hopes and dreams.

However important is the résumé, the current path to employment involves so much more. In the advertising world, cover letters and résumés are tools that if properly designed serve to develop an emotional response among its targeted audience. Synonyms for the word “advertise” are promote, publicize, market and present. Do not these words of action properly describe the purpose of a résumé? Is not the résumé’s job to promote, publicize, market and present you as a viable prospect for a desired career posting? If writing résumés in anyway other than with a strong knowledge of the basic principles of advertising, then I submit respectfully, that those who purport themselves résumé writing professionals may want to re-examine their qualifications. Expert formatting and knowledge of keywords are in themselves not sufficient to incite of résumé readers a strong desire to meet the applicant so adeptly promoted, publicized, marketed and presented.

Certainly, proper formatting and keywords create “hits” when inserting résumés within document scanners and/or when implementing 5 to 10 second visual scans. However, in both scenarios human eyes hope to feel that emotional sensation that creates the desired call-to-action (the job seekers ultimate goal), an invitation to interview.   

Then there are the “frills.”

In my interpretation, there is a major distinction between a résumé writer and a résumé service or servitor.

Service is “work done for the customers of a store, restaurant, hotel, or similar establishment, often with regard to whether it pleases them or not.”  

Servitor is “a person who serves another; servant or attendant”

Concerning the definition of “service,” the entities to which it refers involve a variety of consumer expectations; how customers are treated, condition of items inherent (rooms in a hotel, etc.), environment, and other amenities.  

The “servitor” is the individual who performs whatever is necessary to deliver adequate and/or promised levels of “service.” In other words, service is so much more than anticipated quality or effectiveness of a product. In essence, “service” at proper levels is what brings customers, clients, patients and such back; repeat business.

The Resume Store is a “resume service,” because its business plan involves are vast scope of products and services related to the job search. In addition to cover letters and resumes, we design Professional Marking Presentation folders and brochures (Our PMP brand), networking cards, thank you cards and letters, and professional bios; Web-folios (Internet Resumes – websites), KSAs for government employment, bios for professional networking sites like LinkedIn, interview coaching, delivery of all written products on a professionally designed and packaged CD for safekeeping. In addition, we accommodate a variety of miscellaneous and special requests.   

When examining, so called, $49 or thereabout résumé sites, they have one thing in common; they offer no services other than to write a résumé the quality of which, without proper evidence of reputation and credibility I, and I hope all are skeptical.  

The Internet is a valued and wonderful phenomenon, yet among its wonders are dangers; traps that opportune identity thieves, tools that for the young offer avenues with which to ruin reputations forever, unobstructed opportunity view and engage in illegal and unhealthy practices and so much more. It offers the greedy and immoral routes to defraud the unsuspecting, naive and vulnerable. Such propensities are highlighted over-and-over by news pundits and Internet experts. Written to books and preached by teachers and clergy, large numbers continue being victims of such deceptive and fraudulent traps.         

Moreover, “if something appears too good to be true, it probably is.”

I do not suggest every great offering or perceived value is illegitimate. I simply suggest that treading lightly and investigating are prudent habits to foster. Do not fall victim to vulnerabilities and temptation; unveil your strengths and put them to work.    

How to write a resume if you absolutely do not want a job

From the Huffington Post's HuffPost Comedy Section April 27, 2011

So, you wanted to be a Leader; now what?

By Arnie Sherr, “The Resume Store” and host of The GET-A-JOB Hour

“You know, I’ve been in this same job since I can’t remember when. I’d sure like to move up to manager, director, or VP depending on which is the next level where I work.”

Let me make a distinction about leadership titles. All three - manager, director, and VP – may be equal in authority and status depending on whether a company is privately owned or public. Many times a company’s size has a great deal of influence on executive structure and titles. In fact, managers and directors at smaller privately owned companies may have the same or more authority and responsibility as do Vice Presidents of larger publically owned entities. Additionally, in smaller privately owned companies owners are seldom titled as CEOs. Many times they may, if not using the title “owner,” adopt the title of President because they have formed corporations in which such titles are customary (The owner’s son or junior partner is titled as Executive Vice President; Office Comptroller, the Treasurer or CFO; Operations Manager, Director of Operations or COO and etc.).

I mention the above to illustrate and remove any hesitation associated with prejudging whether or not job seekers or employees looking to move up should apply for posted manager upgrades and ignore Vice President and Director Jobs believing they qualify for one and not the others. 

To vary just a tad, I’d like to investigate further to concept of prejudging.

To begin with, the process of judging anything without all the facts is and has been taught by the most authoritative sources as a destructive behavioral manifestation; one that is usually inaccurate and impairing. However, in spite of everything most of us realize about “prejudging,” we do it anyway almost automatically and without forethought. I’ve had others tell me they are good judges of character. I’d love to know the actual statistics of those claims; but, who’s keepin’ score?

The facts are in; prejudging anything produces only poor results. (Prejudging the winning numbers at Roulette tables is statistically inaccurate)

Where job postings are concerned there is but one avenue to ensure compatibility for whatever posting peeks interest.  Tailor both cover letters and resumes to address and relate experience and KSA’s appropriately.

Titles – well, it “may” be true you are not up to some; however, prejudging and refraining from applying will guarantee you are right. “Tell yourself you can’t and you’ll be right every time.”  Take the time, invest the resources and adapt your cover letter and resume to the posted requirements (do not fabricate or invent) and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be given the opportunity to make your case in-person.  

The Resume Store's new GET-A-JOB Talk Radio Show on WTAN TanTalk 1340 AM - Tampa Bay, Florida

Why choose The Resume Store as your trusted resume service

When shopping for a reliable quality resume service it seems logical the first question is "how much?" However, before answering let me tell you about all we do and give when trusted to write effective cover letters and resumes.

You can purchase a resume only or our cover letter/resume package.

• In both cases your documents are provided in both Microsoft Word (Microsoft Works Word Processor if you haven't upgraded to Word) and in Adobe Acrobat Pdf formats.
• We do not under any circumstances password protect your Word or Works cover letters and resumes as do many of our competitors. Password protecting your documents makes it necessary for you to pay your resume service to make desired changes or adjustments. For instance, updating them when you get your new job. We do that at no charge routinely for everyone.
• Your cover letter is provided in two formats - one you may custom address to a specific recipient/employer and a second in generic form so you may print it out with your resume to be handed out at job fairs and the like.
• Your cover letter and resume along with a copy of your invoice (income tax deductible) are uploaded to a professional custom designed and packaged CD.
  
• As a Life Coach specializing in employment, The Resume Store provides one FREE hour of interview coaching to be used at your discretion.
  
• As a new client we add your e-mail address to The Resume Store's GET-A-JOB newsletters (No Charge). We constantly provide important information about the job search, interviewing and at times we tell about new and interesting job opportunities. (You may opt-out at any time)
  
• As payment we accept cash, personal checks, money orders and credit cards (credit cards payments are processed through the very trusted, safe and secure PayPal system. If you don't already have an account setting one up takes only minutes)

Yes, we provide a great deal of personal service to our customers and clients. After reading the above long list of "included in our price" items you may be thinking you can not afford our services. To be pleasantly surprised we invite you to call us with your questions. We will tell you our prices and explain more thoroughly the great value we give to all of our customers and clients.

To find out what others say about The Resume Store  - CLICK HERE then search for The Resume Store in Clearwater, Florida 33765 and read our reviews.