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Sample Resumes
Alesia Benedict, CPRW, JCTC
Do you ever wonder why resume services post free resume samples
on their sites for resume service clients to view? What do
sample resumes provide? There is an ongoing argument among
professional resume writers that posting sample resumes on
websites is akin to giving away their work. True, some visitors
to sites rip off the sample resumes they find there to use in
their own job searches. Unfortunately for them, these
individuals do not understand they are doing themselves a
disservice.
If a site visitor likes a sample resume, it's usually not the
content that attracts them but rather the style of the writing,
the approach to the content, and the strategy that lies behind
the writing. Sample resumes are generally chosen by the
professional resume writer as stellar examples of approach and
strategy, not for the professions or background of the resume
owner.
I had a client who sent an old resume to me as part of the
process of developing his new resume. The first page was
typically self-written but the second page diverged considerably
- not only was the entire career background different (he went
from a network specialist to a Lawson programmer), but the
entire approach was different. When I asked him about it, he
stated "oh, that was a sample resume that I found on a site. I
can't remember which one." I noted that it was a completely
different field than his and his reply was that he just liked
the approach and style of the sample resume portion.
Without his realizing, he had "snatched" a portion of a sample
resume that I had written several years earlier and was posted
as a sample resume on Rezamaze.com. To avoid embarrassing him, I
did not point it out but I thought it was a good illustration of
the purpose of sample resumes. The purpose of a sample resume is
to demonstrate how the professional resume writer can take a job
seeker's background and craft a document that grabs the
attention, promotes the client's qualifications, and projects a
professional image that will get the interview.
Sample resumes are not only posted on websites, but there is a
plethora of resume books on the market that show sample resumes
from different professions and written by different professional
writers. A great deal of our work here at GetInterviews.com is
published as sample resumes in these books.
If you find a sample resume on our site that appeals to you,
give us a call. We'd be happy to discuss how we can construct a
professional resume for you that would promote your career so
you can get the interview!
About the author:
Published in 25 career books, Alesia has been cited by Jist
Publications as one of the "best resume writers in North
America" and quoted as a Career Expert in the Wall Street
Journal. Serving as the Resume Expert for over 50+
organizations, she has numerous media appearances to her credit
and is a frequent keynote speaker. http://getinterviews.com
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