HOW TO START YOUR OWN
HIGHLY PROFITABLE RESUME WRITING SERVICE
Here's a business you can start for virtually nothing and parlay into a big money
enterprise in five years or less. Many established resume writing services in the large
metropolitan areas are reporting large annual incomes. Operations in towns as small as
15,000 are experiencing an equally big demand for their services. How can you become a
part of this personal service for the 90's? This report will bring you the latest tips and
hints for establishing your own resume writing service.
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 an ability to keep
oneself uptodate with current formats or new approaches to presenting resume
material are about the only prerequisites to successfully operate a resume writing
service. The most exciting aspects of this business idea are the low investment
requirement and minimal risk involved. Coupled with the growing demand for proper resume
preparation, this is one of the hottest small business opportunities of the decade.
The demand for expertly prepared resumes continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. It
does not matter whether the economy is thriving or is depressed. The demand for resumes
will be great in either case. When economic times are tough and people are looking for
jobs, the competition is extremely tight and a topnotch resume will benefit the job
seeker. During periods of economic growth, new jobs are being created and the competition
demands that each job applicant present the best possible picture of his experience and
qualifications. This is particularly true among "white collar" workers. As our
society becomes more technologically proficient, demand will increase for "white
collar" employees whose education and experience are critical factors in job
placement. These people need professionally written resumes to present their
qualifications in the best light to prospective employers.
As a greater number of companies come to rely on resumes for the background necessary
to review a large pool of job applicants, the strength of the resume is becoming more
vital. Employers are demanding increased knowledge of prospective applicants, including
work record, educational background, natural talents, hobbies, 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 own 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.
Thus, applicants must be able to place themselves in an increasingly positive light,
magnifying their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses in the eyes of subordinate
personnel in order to get an appointment with the manager.
Because a larger percentage of people who are searching for jobs don't have a resume,
your service will be able to meet the need of an increasing number of jobseekers. Of
the twenty percent of job hunters who do have resumes, many of these resumes are
ineffective and do not adequately present the applicant's total qualifications. A
professionally written resume can, by its eyecatching layout, proper outlining, and
the use of key phrases and terms, highlight those qualities that employers are seeking in
prospective workers.
The resume is the primary tool in getting a job interview. It's proper preparation
should be the first priority of any jobhunter. However, because the
underemployed or unemployed person is wound up in his own concerns and problems, he
or she doesn't know how or simply doesn't have the time to spend in resume preparation.
Thus, he's willing to pay you to put it all together for him, just as you're willing to
pay a doctor, dentist, or investment broker to apply their special skills and abilities on
your behalf. A large market exists in every city and town in this country, and the demand
for this service is growing daily. Your opportunity for success in a wellpaying,
rewarding career has never been greater.
Your primary tool will be a personal computer and a high quality laser printer. The
computer word processor has replaced the typewriter for resume preparation, making the
layout, printing, and editing easier, quicker, and of higher quality. While it is still
acceptable to have a professional typist compose a resume on a typewriter, the majority of
typists use word processors for the same reasons we recommend that you do. Prices for this
equipment have never been lower. You can even lease these vital tools for a lot less than
you think. Check the yellow pages of your city and call several computer leasing agents.
Let them know what you're doing, and ask them for a suggestion. They'll be glad to help.
If you're looking to buy a system, talk with the salesmen at the dealerships in town.
Listen to their opinions. Before making any purchase, speak with people who currently use
computers and who will have hints and tips based on their experience. Find someone you
know who works in a local office that uses desktop computers. A secretary, word processor,
college student majoring in computers or business any of these will most likely be
able to recommend a computer and laser printer to you. They will also have suggestions
about software, the programs that allow you to type up the resume, edit it, print the
desired number of copies, and safely store the document for later retrieval.
Today there are essentially two choices in the personal computer world: IBM¬ computers
or compatibles (known as PCs), and Apple-Macintosh systems (called Macs). Both can operate
a wide assortment of word processing programs that will meet your needs. As you do you
background study before buying, you'll hear the pros and cons of the various programs.
Take some time to sit down at the dealerships that sell computers and experiment with the
various programs. The dealers will be glad to show you how they want to sell you
one. So go ahead and "test drive" several programs until you find the one that's
right for you.
PCs are generally less expensive than Macs, but the Macintosh computer line is easier
for a novice to operate. Do some investigation before you make your final choice. Both
computer systems will allow you to print out on a variety of printers. Under no
circumstances buy a dot matrix printer. Although much less expensive, even the best is no
match for a letterquality daisy wheel or a laser printer. We recommend a laser
printer for its clarity, capability to include any needed graphics into a resume, and the
large number of fonts (typefaces) with which it can print. The ultimate decision is
yours alone.
Setting up and operating from your own home will be the most economical way to begin.
In addition to your computer and printer, you should have a small desk or table, a
typist's chair, an adjustable longarm lamp, and a file cabinet. However, you can get
by for starters with a kitchen chair at your dining room table, and expand your operation
as you are able.
To prepare yourself properly, invest in a good book on how to write and lay out a
professional resume. Select a book that discusses both the cover letter and the format of
the resume body. Read through one or more before you begin. This will give you a clear
idea of how to prepare an eyecatching document. There are several word processing
programs designed especially for resume preparation. They include templates of
onepage and multipage resumes. You simply fill in the appropriate information,
delete what's unnecessary, make any additions, and print out. What could be easier?
In general, the resume body needs to include the following information. If any do not
apply to your client, simply omit them.
Name
Address
City, state, zip
Telephone number
Type of job or position desired
Specific abilities that make you a desirable employee for the position
Educational background and special training in field
Military record (if any)
Employment history (beginning with current or last job held)
Published Works (articles, books, etc.)
Awards
Professional Memberships (organizations, fraternities, unions, civic groups)
Personal Data (birthday, spouse, children, etc.)
Hobbies and special interests
Business or Personal References (or a notation that business and personal
references will be furnished on request)
Once you're organized with space and equipment, you're ready for business. All that's
necessary from this point will be advertising, client interview, and production of the
final document. Your advertising, in comparison with many other businesses, should not
cost you an exorbitant amount of money. It should, however, be consistent and
eyecatching. Contact your area's most widely read newspaper. Arrange to run a
onecolumn 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 lower than the rate charged for shorter contracts. Though this will require
some investment on your part, there is no substitution for proper advertising. Ask that
your ad be placed in the one of the sections that readers needing your service are most
likely to look: the classifieds, sports, business.
Your newspaper ad might read something like this: MIDWEST RESUME SERVICE Complete,
Professional Preparation of Resumes-Letters-Portfolios that result in jobs!Call Judy at
1234567
Besides the city newspaper, run a similar ad in your area's shoppers' guides. The cost
will be much less and you will reach a large number of people who read these free weekly
tabloids. 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.
You may think that radio and television talk show interviews are difficult to obtain,
but this is not necessarily the case. Call the broadcast stations in your area and get the
names of the producers of these talk shows. Write them a letter explaining your services
and how you believe an appearance on their program could be educational and beneficial to
their audiences. Include a brochure describing your services with your letter. A couple of
days after you're sure they've received your letter, give them a call on the phone and ask
them to consider an interview with you.
Another area to explore for free publicity is as a guest speaker for your civic clubs.
Simply write out a speech emphasizing the need for a resume and the way to write one that
will result in a job. Explain the growing trend of employers to use the resume as a
screening device, and the fact that a wellwritten resume can get a better job for
someone when there are seemingly no openings. Don't be afraid to explain what goes into a
professionally written resume. Many of the people listening to you, if you sell them on
the idea of a resume, will come to you to have it written. Developing the reputation of an
expert after having spoken before a group will go a long way. People will refer you to
friends and family members they know who are looking for a job. Because modern society
creates a large number of responsibilities for most people, folks feel that there is no
longer time to spend in the preparation of their own resume if they know how to
prepare one at all. Once you spread the word that you're in the business of preparing
resumes for people looking for work or wanting better jobs, you+ll have no trouble at all
keeping busy!
Your advertising brochure can be as simple as a Zfolded 8 1/2" by 11"
sheet of paper. It should describe your services, emphasize your professionalism, and
point out your fast service and reasonable cost. You can easily type the text yourself on
your computer, and lay it out in three columns down the width of a page. If your computer
cannot do this or you are beginning work with a simple typewriter, most quick print shops
can typeset this for you at a moderate cost. Once you've had your brochures printed, leave
a supply with your area high school and college counselors, vocational and trade school
placement directors, and with as many private employment agencies as possible.
When prospective clients call you, simply explain your services and prices, and set up
an appointment for them to meet with you. In the beginning, prepare a script for your
phone call so that you will be sure to relate all the necessary information. The
conversation might go like this:
You: (Answering the phone) "Good morning! Midwest Resume Service. May I help
you?"
Client: "Yes. I'm calling about your ad in the paper."
You: "Oh, yes. Thank you for calling. Let me explain our services. We're
professional resume writers. We interview jobseekers such as yourself to identify the
important features of your background that will help us to write a resume that will land
you the job you're wanting. We assemble all this information into a winning presentation,
print it on a laser printer, give you the original and fifty copies, plus five copies of a
cover letter addressed to the businesses of your choice for submission with your resume.
We can of course prepare additional letters for a small fee. Your cost is only $75, and
usually we can have everything ready for you within three days. Now, does that sound like
what 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 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: "Bob Jones, 221 Maple Way. 1324657."
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 his resume. Be sure you+re prepared with a questionnaire to guide
you in asking the right questions.
Prepare your resume questions on a separate sheet of paper, numbering each question or
subject you want to cover in the same sequence in which they will be compiled into the
body of the resume. Make enough copies of this questionnaire so that you will have one
available for each interview you conduct. For the interview, have one of these guides and
an ordinary yellow writing tablet at the table where the interview will be conducted. If
working out of your home, you may prefer to meet in the living room. Start asking
questions. If preparing a brief resume, you may be able to write all the information on
your question guide. If not, simply identify each page of notes with a number
corresponding to those on the question sheet, writing the client's name at the top of each
page.
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 closely to what the
client tells you. Listen for an hidden messages in his answers, hinting at information he
doesn't directly reveal. Ask about anything that seems unclear. Make sure you have the
correct dates of all past jobs, dates of graduation, etc. If you are uncertain about the
spelling of any name, city, or company stated by the client, ask to make sure you have it
correct. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to find out all there is to know about
your client in twenty minutes or less.
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 review your notes and type the information into the
resume. This should be easy because you've gathered the details in sequence with your
resume format. Familiarity with your format and basic style makes the task of putting
everything into finished form quite simple. Because most employers will not want to spend
a lot of time reading resumes, you will be preparing for the majority onepage
summaries of the client's experience. You must be as brief and succinct as possible. Use
direct statements rather than full sentences for describing former job duties. Summaries
of specific abilities that make your client a desirable employee for the position can be
made briefer by using powerful words such as "outgoing," "cheerful,"
"enthusiastic," "dedicated," "organized,"
"taskoriented," and "focused." The resume should cover the high
points of the client's ability, not detail his every move over the past ten to twenty
years.
Don't put a limit on the amount of time you devote to each client, but once you're
organized and established, the time spent between the beginning of the interview through
the printing of the finished resume shouldn't take more than two hours.
After you have the resume typed, call the client in to check over the text and to make
corrections to any errors in fact or skills. In almost every case, he'll be very favorably
impressed and ready to go with anything you suggest. The key to success is the high
quality of the printed page and the immediate impression the resume will grant your client
in the eyes of an employer. The use of two or more appropriate fonts (type faces),
boldfaced texts, and italicized words will help the various sections of the resume stand
out to the reader. Don't try to fill the page with too much text. Leave a blank space of
several lines between sections, and use appropriately large tab spaces to separate dates,
job titles, and job duties from one another.
Explain to your client that his resume will make a more favorable impression on the
prospective employer if it is printed better quality paper. Suggest to him that you have
it printed on lightcolored, slightly heavier paper rather than ordinary bond. Ivory,
tan, or light blue shades are desirable. You will need to charge a higher cost for better
grades of paper. Make sure you use a brand that will work well with your laser printer.
Your paper supplier can provide you with samples of various styles and grades from which
to choose.
The charge for your service should be about $75 for the interview, fifty copies of his
resume, plus five copies of a cover letter. Charge slightly more for colored offset paper.
If the customer wishes you to prepare any additional cover letters beyond the five offered
with the basic service, you will need to charge a small fee for these. Explain to your
client that you can update or add to his resume whenever the need arises. The
standard charge for this service is $10 for two copies of the new resume, plus the cost of
printing any additional copies he requires.
The cover letter is probably the most important part of a resume submitted for job
consideration. This letter states the specific job for which the applicant is applying,
explains why he believes he is the best applicant for the position, and seeks to convince
the reader to invite him for an interview. 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 will send them unsolicited to potential employers. According to his stated plan,
you simply use one of the two general forms printed at the end of this report for cover
letters. Make the necessary changes in job titles, background, etc. Your word processor
will easily allow you to change the names and addresses of recipients of each copy of the
letter without having to retype all the information in the letter body. Simply print off
the copies that your client needs, addressed to the appropriate person.
That's the basic information you need for starting your own highly profitable resume
service. Always bear in mind that your success will be directly related to the quality of
your finished product. Learn to do it right in the shortest possible time and at the
lowest possible cost. Strive for perfection with every job you undertake. While your
advertising plan will bring in the basic accounts to make your business work, there is no
beating the free advertising that comes by word of mouth passed on by satisfied customers.
If you satisfy the customer with the best possible product, he will sing your praises to
everyone he knows who needs similar services.
Remember, too, that the image you project is the credibility rating you'll carry with
your customers. 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 location as soon as you can. Finally, when you are well established and running
smoothly, hire other people to do the work. The object of a business of your own is not to
provide steady employment for you, but to develop the financial security and independence
to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Plan your business, nurture its growth, and then hire
other people to work while you guide, supervise, and make those big bank deposits!
COVER LETTER #1
Can be sent with a resume seeking an advertised position
Applicant Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Telephone Number
Personnel Manager Name
Company Name
Address City,
State, Zip
Date
Dear Mr./Ms. _______________:
The recent advertisement placed by your company in the Computer Business News has come
to my attention. Your company's reputation as a leader in the development and marketing of
computer graphic software impresses me, and I would like to discuss with you my
qualifications to become a part of your sales and marketing team.
I am currently a topproducing salesman with my company, but feel that I could
better utilize my marketing skills with a company receptive to innovative ideas and
energetic people such as myself. I believe my personal interests in computer animation and
experience in procuring state government contracts would make me a valuable member of your
company's marketing force.
I am available to come and meet with you to discuss the job opening at your
convenience, and could begin work immediately. A copy of my resume is enclosed.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. A call from you will be most
welcomed and appreciated.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Name
COVER LETTER #2
Can be sent with a resume seeking an unadvertised position
Applicant Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Telephone Number
Personnel Manager Name
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Dear Mr./Ms. _______________:
As a topranked salesman with my company, I am always seeking ways to better my
ability and performance. Your company's reputation as a leader in the development and
marketing of computer graphic software impresses me, and I would like to explore the
possibilities of becoming an integral part of your sales team.
I currently hold a senior sales position with my company, but feel stymied in my desire
to expand my ability and explore new methods of reaching additional clients. I feel that a
young company such as yours will be more receptive to innovative marketing concepts
coupled with energetic labor and a sense of dedication.
Could we get together and discuss the possibilities of my joining your organization in
a capacity that would benefit your company while at the same time utilize my abilities to
a greater extent? I will be happy to talk with you and arrange an appropriate time. Please
call me at (791) 4321567 so that we may set a date.
I am excited about the possibilities such an arrangement presents and look forward to
hearing from you soon. Enclosed is a copy of my resume to give you a better idea of my
abilities.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Name
