Are Resume Builders and Resume Software Really Very Effective?
No.
A software program or computer can't have a half and hour phone interview with you first.
Do they advertise the fact that you will still be doing all the typing? Someone is looking to get rich off desperate job hunters instead of really helping them.
The giant flaw in these automated resume building programs is quality control, being original instead of generic, and there is simply no customization.
I try them out and they all are relying on the typist to do all the work.
Garbage in, garbage out is still true today.
Usually, there are all sorts of issues, flaws and folks just end up calling a professional resume writer right before the interview to fix everything.
Basically you get what you pay for in life.
Generic resumes are dead.
If you want to get hired your resume should be tailored to your targeted position and employer.
In case you don't know it, there are many errors which the spell check function cannot catch simply because it doesn't have the ability.
Some examples are: homonyms like there & their, or through, through & threw and two, too & to etc, misuse of words, all sorts of grammatical errors, word usage errors, mixing past tense and present tense, punctuation errors, proper name spelling errors, missing letters from a word that still makes another correctly spelled word but changes the whole meaning of the sentence.
Even simple over use of the same word is not caught.
One very common flaw in resumes and cover letters is poor/weak word choice and appearance problems how does a computer program fix that? Why should folks paying for resume services be required to do their own typing? Most quality resume writer's clients do no typing at all.
How does a resume builder know the right key words to use in your resume for your targeted career position if you are a pastry chef? At least half the population would not consider English an area strength.
Another half would not consider writing or typing a strength.
Finally there are a lot of folks that are not native English speakers.
Is it fair to them to get little value out of these automated assistants? Even if this software was free and was made with an unlimited budget one of the biggest weaknesses would be the data that is entered in to begin with.
In short, know how customizing, editing, proofreading and comprehension are mission critical missing links in these automated resume builders.
Most talented writers everywhere use editors and proofreaders including me.
Your resume and cover letter must be perfect as they are the only chance at a first impression you will ever get.
There are just two results sink or swim.
With the way these software programs are promoted you would think resume writers are expensive but we are not.
The average client pays $99-150.
So a price comparison is about equal to paying for a resume and cover letter builder with distribution services or preferred resume positioning.
Avoid adding new gaps in employment to your resume hire a great resume writer is what my surveyed clients say.
Many of whom tried these services merely extended their time without a job.
Besides being pedestrian, many had snafus and below average customer service.
It seems what many people hated was most the whole long tedious process of typing, formatting and thinking process so they got it over with as quickly as possible resulting in a weak resume.
This is one big reason ~90% of resumes end up being merely adequate or worse.
A word about cover letters: Again generic is bad! Lack of editing and proofreading is bad.
For further helpful free info on cover letters read: "How to Get Interviews: Use A Great Cover Letter" and "Free Dream Job Tryouts With A Cover Letter" Direct links to these are below.
Honestly, would you send the same cover letter to Rhode Island Hospital and the South Beach Center for Cosmetic Surgery if you were a nurse? Employers are looking for passionate loyal employees likely to stay for a while.
There is a great reason when you Google search the terms: resume writer and CV writer there are 45 million results for each.
Writers are always in demand, computers are helpless at editing, comprehending and proofreading English, Chinese, Japanese etc.
Language is human.
Today people still interview and hire people.
Marketing your talents is what a resume is all about, at this point this still seems to be a uniquely human skill as well.
Fortunately, today most professionals still demand good resume writer.
And every professional writer has an editor and proofreader.
I don't think this will change anytime soon.
Still I gave this software a try out thinking it might help me.
The bottom line is resume writing is hard work that requires lots of patience, know how and expertise.
Now that you have the rest of the story, make your own decision based on common sense.
But remember you will either be penalized or rewarded based on your decision.
I have listened to lots of feedback from clients over the years so I feel it is my duty to pass this truth on.
A software program or computer can't have a half and hour phone interview with you first.
Do they advertise the fact that you will still be doing all the typing? Someone is looking to get rich off desperate job hunters instead of really helping them.
The giant flaw in these automated resume building programs is quality control, being original instead of generic, and there is simply no customization.
I try them out and they all are relying on the typist to do all the work.
Garbage in, garbage out is still true today.
Usually, there are all sorts of issues, flaws and folks just end up calling a professional resume writer right before the interview to fix everything.
Basically you get what you pay for in life.
Generic resumes are dead.
If you want to get hired your resume should be tailored to your targeted position and employer.
In case you don't know it, there are many errors which the spell check function cannot catch simply because it doesn't have the ability.
Some examples are: homonyms like there & their, or through, through & threw and two, too & to etc, misuse of words, all sorts of grammatical errors, word usage errors, mixing past tense and present tense, punctuation errors, proper name spelling errors, missing letters from a word that still makes another correctly spelled word but changes the whole meaning of the sentence.
Even simple over use of the same word is not caught.
One very common flaw in resumes and cover letters is poor/weak word choice and appearance problems how does a computer program fix that? Why should folks paying for resume services be required to do their own typing? Most quality resume writer's clients do no typing at all.
How does a resume builder know the right key words to use in your resume for your targeted career position if you are a pastry chef? At least half the population would not consider English an area strength.
Another half would not consider writing or typing a strength.
Finally there are a lot of folks that are not native English speakers.
Is it fair to them to get little value out of these automated assistants? Even if this software was free and was made with an unlimited budget one of the biggest weaknesses would be the data that is entered in to begin with.
In short, know how customizing, editing, proofreading and comprehension are mission critical missing links in these automated resume builders.
Most talented writers everywhere use editors and proofreaders including me.
Your resume and cover letter must be perfect as they are the only chance at a first impression you will ever get.
There are just two results sink or swim.
With the way these software programs are promoted you would think resume writers are expensive but we are not.
The average client pays $99-150.
So a price comparison is about equal to paying for a resume and cover letter builder with distribution services or preferred resume positioning.
Avoid adding new gaps in employment to your resume hire a great resume writer is what my surveyed clients say.
Many of whom tried these services merely extended their time without a job.
Besides being pedestrian, many had snafus and below average customer service.
It seems what many people hated was most the whole long tedious process of typing, formatting and thinking process so they got it over with as quickly as possible resulting in a weak resume.
This is one big reason ~90% of resumes end up being merely adequate or worse.
A word about cover letters: Again generic is bad! Lack of editing and proofreading is bad.
For further helpful free info on cover letters read: "How to Get Interviews: Use A Great Cover Letter" and "Free Dream Job Tryouts With A Cover Letter" Direct links to these are below.
Honestly, would you send the same cover letter to Rhode Island Hospital and the South Beach Center for Cosmetic Surgery if you were a nurse? Employers are looking for passionate loyal employees likely to stay for a while.
There is a great reason when you Google search the terms: resume writer and CV writer there are 45 million results for each.
Writers are always in demand, computers are helpless at editing, comprehending and proofreading English, Chinese, Japanese etc.
Language is human.
Today people still interview and hire people.
Marketing your talents is what a resume is all about, at this point this still seems to be a uniquely human skill as well.
Fortunately, today most professionals still demand good resume writer.
And every professional writer has an editor and proofreader.
I don't think this will change anytime soon.
Still I gave this software a try out thinking it might help me.
The bottom line is resume writing is hard work that requires lots of patience, know how and expertise.
Now that you have the rest of the story, make your own decision based on common sense.
But remember you will either be penalized or rewarded based on your decision.
I have listened to lots of feedback from clients over the years so I feel it is my duty to pass this truth on.