What 
It Takes – Insights from a Professional Resume Writer
With graduation season in full swing, I’m fielding an influx of resume inquiries.
I started writing and redesigning resumes 15 years ago, hoping to ditch a dead-end job and find something (read: anything) better suited to my talents and personality. What I wound up with was 15 versions of my own Resume-cum-Bio-cum-Curriculum Vitae. And, while a lot’s changed since then, one thing hasn’t.
People desperate to ditch their own cubicle-laden pasts keep calling.
Having written and revised 300+ resumes, I assure you that this area of writing is thriving. That said, it’s not exactly a freelance writer’s dream. For one thing, resume clients can be bossy (“I need it now!”), cash-strapped (“How ’bout $50?”) and clueless (“My cousin suggested ‘three pages.’”).
On the upside, clients who plan ahead reward for-hire writers with the freedom and cash to do what they do best: Turn a disorganized jumble of info into a well-written masterpiece that’s concise, compelling and—in its own way—creative. These clients get it: Great resumes take time and effort.
Is resume writing right for you? Consider these five insights and decide for yourself.
The Logical Song
If logic isn’t one of your strengths, you’ll wind up singing the blues—no matter how much a client plunks down for a resume. Professional resume writing requires a logical approach to gathering, organizing and presenting facts, data and images. If you prefer unstructured work, pass on this genre.
Method Acting
Resume writing done right also requires you to step outside yourself and inhabit the world of the client, their target industry and potential employers. The methods I use to tap their collective consciousness vary. Suffice it to say you need to embrace an Anne Hathaway or Ed Harris approach.
Armchair Career Coach
Know someone who’s stingy with details? Imagine that person times infinity. Resume clients find it hard to articulate, acknowledge and accept that their strengths, experiences and more hold value for anyone but their mothers. You must tease that info out of them, in ways which bolster their confidence. If you have little patience for anyone who downplays their greatness, just say “No.”
Slash, Burn, Synthesize
What goes? What stays? What’s missing? A resume writer cuts, pastes, curates and synthesizes data from disparate sources (i.e., prior resumes, target job descriptions, social media profiles). It’s this slash-and-burn agriculture of words that yields an enticing picture of the person wielding it.
Layout of the Land
Logic, critical thinking, coaxing and cutthroat editing will get you far, but a clutch of layout and design skills is critical when producing resumes clients can—and will—put to good use. In The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Robin Williams shares her secrets for design. (I prefer the 2nd edition.)
Fast-tracking a career in resume writing may be unrealistic, but …
You could always: Take a formulaic approach, work from templates and accept low-pay gigs ($35-$75). The downside? Neither you nor your clients will be wowed by the outcome. If you’re truly serious about mastering the art of resume writing, call me!