My transistion from Active Duty National Guard to civilian employment is in it's infancy. Part of my journey will require me to have a solid resume which will translate my military and civilian education for civilian employment.
Are there any reliable and good resume writing sites or firms that will write my resume?
Answers
Rolande, check out theresumecenter.com they have reasonable prices and they do LinkedIn profiles as well for a fee. Also, there are no complaints lodged against them on complaint boards. Good luck
Most states have a Service called Career Link, which will help veterans with entire employment process. An example of the service is here in Pa. where I live, and has a website www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us. I would think if you substitute the state initials for the state you are looking, you may even be able to link into their site.
Some idea for resume preparations,Your resume is not an autobiography. Most Human Resource people or managers looking for employees go through a screening process to eliminate those they do not believe are qualified to handle the position. The key is to avoid mistakes, inconsistencies and highlight your accomplishments along with anything else that distinguishes you from other potential candidates. Obviously, it is important that you avoid pitfalls that place you in that category. Spelling and grammatical errors disqualify applicants, so make sure words are spelled properly and sentences are grammatically correct. It is imperative that you sell yourself. Education, experience and family circumstances are all key areas that should be addressed. To sell and distinguish yourself, after your personal information, start selling by listing the qualities, characteristics, education, accomplishments or experience that you feel is your primary asset. Cut down on job duties, avoid repeating yourself, edit unnecessary words and customize your resume for the job you are applying for.
Hope this was of help. If I can help in any other way, email me at mfconvey@gmail.com.
Mike Convey
If you haven't found help yet....you can send your resume to me and I will take a look. Send it in Word format to: tomlinsonjk@aol.com I do not charge for my services...it is a privilege to help.
Eric,
I've heard mixed reviews at best regarding many military/DOD or VA supplied resume-writing and career-transition services.
I've heard many people recommend the use of expert and professional, and often paid, resume writers.
I also recommend that veterans utilize their college's career planning centers as a primary resource in regards to career planning and job search. I also recommend that veterans request advice, mentoring and assistance on sites that include acp-advisornet.org and the "Veteran Mentor Network" and "Military-Civilian Career Coaching Connection (MC4)", both on LinkedIn.
I know the Navy offers resume writing assistance at all our Fleet and Family Support Centers and it's also included in the required transition counseling class (Transition Assistance Program) priot to separation.
As a Navy Career Counselor I send many separating Sailors to this each month. Even as a veteran, in most cases, you are eligible to take advantage of this assistance.
If you have available to you a military career counselor, any branch, contact them for more information. or simply google "fleet and family support center" for a Navy location near you.
Use your VMET and Smart Transcript to help write your resume.
EDIT: I just noticed you are still in.... don't you have a career counselor / career advisor / careere planner at your command?
Donna,
In your opinion, what specifically are the most useful resources ACAP offers, and can you provide links to those resources?
Make sure you take advantage of all that ACAP can offer. I would also consider getting your resume professionally done by a reputable company. So while you are trying to figure what end is up you have a start point when it comes to your resume. Google VWISE. Lots of resources.
Rolande - Great question. I recently heard good things from an ACP protege about the resume writing firm careerperfect.com. It offers a satisfaction guarantee and is partnered with military.com and monster.com (military.com's owner) ("Satisfaction guarantee
We guarantee you will be completely satisfied......or we will rewrite your resume for free! We confidently offer this guarantee based upon 30+ years' leading the industry."
Be sure to perform your own due-diligence.
http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/resume-service/careerperfectcom-in-bellingham-wa-22309096
I used "the resume place". Ask for Lex Levin. Practice, practice, practice those interview questions. Hope that helps.
Best site I've seen for coaching on how to successfully highlight your achievements is here:
http://sandiego.jobing.com/blog_post.asp?post=3387
Do yourself a favor and complete the exercise at the end. Then sleep on it and complete it again.
I like most of Mike's advice above, but I disagree with his assertion that family circumstances are key areas to be addressed. YMMV, but my recommendation is to follow the rest of his advice - avoid mistakes, highlight accomplishments, lead with your strengths, and avoid simply reciting job duties.
You're welcome to send me what you've got and I'll take a look and provide a little feedback while you find a dedicated resource. adlewis@nym.hush.com
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