ultimate resumes – This is not your usual resume service.

One of the services I offer is cover letter writing. Many clients contact me and ask me to write both a resume and cover letter. I always tell them the same thing: I am happy to write a resume but let's wait until you are applying for a specific job or to a specific company to write that cover letter. Part of the reason for that is that the way I write cover letters is very customized. I need to learn about the person I am writing the cover letter for before I can create a really top notch document.

A good friend and former co-worker of mine recently asked me to be one of his references for a CEO position for which he is being considered. Naturally I said yes. I know him well and can extol his virtues with ease so I didn’t give a second thought to what kinds of things I might say about him when asked. But then my friend amazed me. He sent me detailed notes about his potential employer, the position, short and long term goals for the company and the position, and the specific reasons that he is being considered for the job. Wow, was I impressed.

It‘s not news that many people around the U.S. have been laid off and many more are concerned about job security. I was talking to my friend Scott Ingram about this situation the other day and Scott mentioned a great piece of advice that he gives to folks who have lost jobs: when you aren’t actively job searching use the time you used to spend working to volunteer for a cause that is meaningful to you.

Every once in awhile someone tells me what they want done with their resume and I just shake my head in wonder. I am referring to folks who think that with a little sleight of hand they can fool recruiters into thinking that their work experience, employers, or education are something other than what their resume says it is. The truth? You are nuts if you think you can really fool recruiters.

Here are some examples:

Example A

I am always amazed at the animosity that many job seekers have toward recruiters. In some cases it’s justified because there are some slimy recruiters out there simply because there are no certifications or specialized education required to become a recruiter. Anyone can call themselves a recruiter and some of the folks who do are not particularly talented or professional.