Writing a Resume: 4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Write Your Own

While the Internet is a great resource to find templates of resumes and to view other individual examples, it does not necessary help you create an effective resume for yourself. Reviewing these examples help you determine what structure and order is best to use with your own resume, but it will not help you effectively develop the most critical core elements necessary to showcase your professional experiences and passions – the content and brand that differentiates you from other candidates.

There is a reason why professionally written resumes produce greater results than one written on your own. Professional resume writers know the ins and outs to what works well in today’s challenging environment. They have written and seen hundreds of resumes and know the best practices to make you stand out. They also know the various tools and technologies that employers are using to screen candidates. In short, they know how to create a resume that will help differentiate you from others.

Here we discuss some of the top reasons why it is beneficial to work with a professional resume writer.

1. You need to create a personal brand.
For your resume to stand out, you need to know how to create a value proposition or personal brand. This opening of the resume is particularly challenging because you only have a few lines to answer the big question: “Why should I hire you?”

Good professional resume writers have the experience and strategies to help narrow down what needs to be highlighted on your resume to create your brand. These experts know what employers and hiring managers are looking for and how to make you stand out.

2. It is hard to write about yourself.
A resume is not meant to tell your entire life history. It simply calls out key highlights of your experiences that are relevant to an employer. It also tells them how you have achieved success in specific areas of importance to the employer. This can be a difficult task to complete on your own. Even when you think you have established a master resume, a third party may interpret the references differently. Don’t be misled by the fact that you have had first-hand involvement in it.

On the other hand, a professional resume writer gives you an accurate assessment of how the employer would view your background. A professional resume writer knows what questions to ask to secure the necessary answers from you in order to produce an effective resume. If you can find a professional resume writer with experience in your particular field, it is similar to having direct access to feedback from the hiring manager of the employer you apply to. He knows if your resume can stand up against other top applicants vying for the same position and he can help you strengthen your competitive position.

3. You need to get through the ATS resume machine.
The majority of employers are now using ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems which scan your resume for keywords and rank you accordingly. If you do not get a high ranking here, chances are a human will not see your resume. A professional resume writer is skilled in making sure your resume has the right mix and density of the appropriate keywords to achieve a high ranking.

4. You need to impress the hiring manager.
Once you have gotten past the ATS, you need to impress the hiring manager so your resume must be visually attractive and content-rich. Where the ATS software looks for roles and responsibilities, the hiring manager looks for skills and accomplishments that support your brand.

We have written over 20,000 resumes for people and the best most people can generally expect when they write their resume is to score 5 or 6 on a 10-scale. In this market, that is just not good enough. Your resume is the most important document in your career so it makes senses to spend the money and use a good professional resume writer. That being said, there are a lot of scams and bad services on the web so see our Free 10-Point Checklist on How to Choose a Professional Resume Writing Service at .