PREPARING RESUMES: BETTER JOBS FOR YOU AND OTHERS

Here's a business you can start for virtually nothing, and parlay into a million dollar enterprise in five years of less. Many established resume writing services in the large metropolitan areas are reporting annual incomes of $250,000 or more. Even the smaller operations, in towns as small as 15,000 are experiencing sales of $50,000 or more.

No special knowledge, education or experience are required for total success in this business. An awareness of the general format of the "modern resume," and the ability to keep oneself up-to-date on refinements or new approaches to presenting resume material are about the only prerequisites to successfully operate a resume writing service.

Probably the most exciting and motivational aspects of this business idea are the low investment and risk factors involved, and the growing demand for resume service. Up until the past couple of years few if any Americans really had to look for jobs. People in general have either forgotten how to look for a new job, or never knew how in the first place.

Since the start of World War II, back in 1941, the American worker has been spoiled by an affluent society and an ideal market for the job seeker. Usually, all he had to do whenever he lost a job or wanted to change jobs was to report in to the local branch of his local employment service office, check in at his union office, look at the want ads in the Sunday paper, or call a few friends and ask about job openings.

But no more! Times have changed! There are fewer jobs and an increasing number of people applying for those jobs that are available. Just recently, the post office department in a large west coast city advertise that applications would be accepted on two days only, for 600 upcoming openings. Would you believe that twenty thousand applicants showed up to fill out applications! Can you imagine the post office personnel people reviewing all those applications, and then interviewing all those people, according to the fair employment practices act?

On another day, word got out that there was going to be an opening for a forklift driver at a local warehouse. Fifteen hundred men and women showed up even before the job was advertised!

Times are tough, and we're moving ever deeper into the age of specialization. Employers are demanding to know more about the applicant - his work record, natural talents and personality traits. They want more information upon which to base their interview selections than just the cold facts on the application form. Personnel managers are placing a higher premium on their time, and delegating to others the job of "weeding out" the unqualified applicants from those whose backgrounds and goals come closest to fitting the needs of the company.

To get in to see the person doing the hiring nowadays, the job applicant has to "sell the short-stopper," and that calls for a professionally written resume. More and more firms are demanding resumes. Industry estimates are that by the year 2000, most of the jobs worth having will require a written resume before even an initial interview is granted. And that's where you can fit into the picture with your Professional Resume Writing Service. Probably 80 percent of the people searching for jobs don't have a resume. Of the 20 percent who do have resumes, many are ineffective; they simply do not adequately present the applicants total qualifications.

Everyone - with or without a resume - is looking for this key: A professionally written resume, a sales presentation of their qualifications and experience that will get the job for them - the job they want. The job hunters are wound up in their won specialties and problems. They don't know how, and they don't have the time - AND they are willing to pay you to put it all together for they. Just as you are willing to pay a doctor, dentist or investment broker, those who need a resume are willing to pay you for this service. The market exists in every city and town in this country, and the demand for this service is growing daily. Your opportunity for success beyond your fondest dreams has never been greater! The brass ring is here! Grab it, and hold on!

You will need a modern, professional quality typewriter. You can begin, and perhaps get by for a month or so, with a top quality portable, but do yourself and your business a favor: Arrange to rent, lease or buy on monthly payments if necessary, the best machine for the quality of work that will command top dollars for you.

Setting up and operating from your own home will be the most economical way to begin. In addition to your typewriter, you should have a typewriter stand, typist's chair, adjustable long-arm lamp, and a file cabinet. However, just as you can make do with a portable typewriter for a month or so, you can get by for starters with a kitchen chair at your dining room table.

To prepare yourself properly, invest in a good book on how to write "job-winning" resumes. Select a book which discusses both the cover letter and the format of the body of the resume.

The most important part of any resume package is the cover letter the applicant sends as part of the resume. This letter states the specific job the applicant is applying for, explains why be believes he is qualified, and pointedly asks for an interview. In most cases, you'll be able to provide an "all-purpose form letter" which your client can adapt to any position that interests him. More later about actual writing of the resume and the cover letter.

The format and style of the body of the resume are the items you want to learn from your book. Resumes of today generally follow this outline:


Name

Address

City, state, zip

Phone Number

Type of job or position wanted

Goals and/or desires in life

Job history, starting with current or last job held

Special courses, education or training completed.

Military History

Formal Education

Activities while attending school: athletics, offices awards

Hobbies and special interests

Notation that names of business and personal references will be furnished on request.

Availability

Health
Once you are organized with space and equipment, you are ready for business. All that is necessary from this point on will be advertising, client review, and producing the final product.

Your advertising needs, in comparison with many other businesses need not cost you an exorbitant amount of money. It should, however, be consistent and eye-catching.

You should contact your area's most widely read newspaper and arrange to run a one-column by one inch ad every day for the next six to twelve months. By purchasing your ad space on a daily insertion basis, and over at least a six month period, your rate will be much mower than the rate charged for shorter contracts.

Your newspaper ad might read something like this:A Complete, Professional Service MIDWEST RESUME SERVICEResumes -- Letters -- Portfoliosthat result in jobs!Phone 123-4567Aside from an ad in the newspaper, and perhaps a similar one in your area shoppers' papers, the only other advertising efforts you should worry about are those that don't cost money -- free bulletin board announcements, radio and television talk show interviews, and low cost flyers, circulars or brochures that describe your services.

One method of gaining business exposure which is most often overlooked is the radio and television talk show interview. Call the broadcast stations in your area and get the names of the producers of these talk shows. Then write them a letter explaining your services, and how you believe an appearance on their program could be educaed on better quality paper. you had in mind?

CLIENT: Yes! That's just what I had in mind. When can we get together and start the ball rolling?

YOU: How about this afternoon at 3:15, or would tomorrow morning at say 9:45 be better for you? We're located at 600 North Main Street. Are you familiar with the area?

CLIENT: Yes, I know the area, no problem. This afternoon at 3:15 will be fine. YOU: Good! Now, let me have your name and phone number please.

CLIENT: Gives you his name and phone number.

YOU: All right, Bob, we'll look forward to seeing you this afternoon at 3:15. You now have a client, and an appointment to interview him for background information in order to put together a resume that can result in a job for him. Be sure you are prepared with a "researcher's questionnaire," to guide you in the questions to ask.

Type your resume format on a separate sheet of paper, numbering each question you want an answer to, or subject you want to cover. This of course serves as a "master" which you duplicate and use as the researcher's questionnaire guide.

For each interview, take one of these "interview guides" and an ordinary yellow legal tablet, and start asking questions. Identify each page of notes with a number or subject matter from the resume format, and use a separate page of the tablet for each subject and each job the client may have had.

The interview should be relaxed, with the client doing most of the talking. However, you should control the interview and take notes as the client gives you the information you need. Be confident, but friendly. Maintain your confidence and ask leading questions that elicit complete, revealing responses. Take your time, and "listen" to what the client isn't telling you as well as what he is telling you. With a bit of practice, you will be able to find out all there is to know about your client in twenty minutes or less.

Look ahead to the day when you have employees working for you. Develop your interviewing techniques to a state of maximum efficiency for your business, and then record three or four interviews for use in training your employees. You should also reproduce several examples of completed resumes and put them into an instruction book for study by new employees.

After the interview, you need to interpret your notes and type the information into a resume. This should be easy because you have gathered the details in sequence with your resume format. Familiarity with format writing style makes the task of putting everything into finished form quite simple.

At the very least, a quick course in resume writing will be necessary. Check out a book on the subject from your public library. The important thing to remember is to drop the "I's" and write in a kind of note taking reportorial style:

"Hired as an entry level shipping clerk. Recognized need for organization on the loading dock to eliminate congestion. Suggested designated spaces for incoming and outgoing shipments. This program was adopted and immediately eliminated congestions of trucks and decreased overtime requirement, with an estimated savings of $700 per week for the company. Promoted to Line Expeditor after six months."

Don't put a time limit on the amount of time your devote to each client, but once you are organized and established, the interview through the finished resume should not take more than an hour or two.

After you have the resume typed, call the client in to check it over and approve it. In almost every case, he will be very favorable impressed and ready to go with anything you suggest. The secret is in the quality of your work -- a modern typewriter with good type, clean paper and error-free copy.

So, you explain to your client that his resume will make a more favorable impression on the prospective employer when it is printed on better quality paper. Suggest to him that you have it printed for him on colored "offset" paper instead of ordinary bond. Ivory, tan or blue shades are desirable. For the really expensive-looking resume, suggest that it be printed on 11 x 17 paper, and then folded in half to make a kind of "book" about the client.

The charges for your service should be about $50 for the interview, original resume, 50 copies on white bond paper, and a universal cover letter. For colored offset paper, or for 11 x 17 sized sheets, check current prices at your print shop. You should pass those costs on to your client, plus a nominal service charge of $5 or so. Also explain to your client that you can up-date or add to his resume whenever the need arises, and for this service you charge $10, plus the cost of printing as many copies as he requires.

Now for the cover letter -- probably the most important part of any resume submitted for job consideration. The first thing you ask your client regarding the cover letter is if he intends to submit his resumes in answer to advertised positions, or if he intends to "shot gun" them out to possible employers. According to his stated plan, you simply use one of the two general forms for cover letters.

And that's it -- the basics you need for starting your own highly profitable resume service. A couple of thing to always bear in mind: Your success will be directly related to the quality of the finished product you put out. Learn to do it right, and then strive for perfection with every job you complete for the client.

Remember too that the image you project is the credibility rating you will carry with your customer. Shabby surroundings, a disorganized office and a less than professional appearance will doom you to failure. Be impressive! Keep your eyes open, and move into an office among professional people as soon as you can.

Finally, put some real planning into starting your business; get it well established and running smoothly; then hire other people to do the work. The object of a business of your own is not steady employment for you, but financial security and independence -- to achieve and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Plan your business, nurture its growth and then hire other people to do the work while you guide, supervise and make bank deposits.