Recently, I spoke with a candidate whose resume looked .
. . (How shall I say this?) . . . cartoonish. Each level of his professional
experience was contained within a text bubble that had something
resembling an industry related emoticon in lieu of bullet points. His
accomplishments and education were separated from the main body, yet followed
the same disconcerting pattern. The background color was a blend of cobalt blue
and black, and the fonts varied wildly. None of these factors, garish as they
were, constituted the greatest crime of this resume. That indignity was
revealed to me when the candidate proudly proclaimed to me that he had
paid $800 to have it professionally rendered for him. He actually used the
word "rendered." (Insert shock-face emoticon here).
There are plenty of services that will charge you far
less than $800, with most being in the $80 to $200 range. However, I do not
necessarily recommend these services at any price. A quick search online will
produce more templates that you could ever sort through. Choose a simple
layout, and plug in your information. Then, get with a professional recruiter
(headhunter) who works in your industry. She or he sees untold numbers of
resumes all day long and will guide you through any necessary adjustments.
Additionally, a professional recruiter ("professional" being the
operative word) will do far more than simply pass your resume along to a
potential hiring manager or executive search committee. A recruiter who is
doing the hands on, in-the-trenches work of a professional will be on the phone
with the decision makers presenting you as the highly qualified candidate that
you are. Of course, if you really want to pay me $800 to create your resume . .
. just say the word!
Matthew Doss, Headhunter (I actually prefer that term :)
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
256.533.1444
mdoss@grnhuntsville.com
