Despite Competitive Job Market, Only a Fraction of Job Seekers Use Professionals to Help With Resume Writing
CareerBuilder Survey Also Finds That 38 Percent Misrepresent Qualifications
RESTON, Va., April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- For most job seekers, the all-
important resume -- still the primary ticket for landing new jobs -- is in
need of a major makeover, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. Only three
percent of job seekers say they use professionals to help with resume writing,
according to the Job Search 2002 survey of more than 2,500 U.S. workers.
"People will spend a couple days shopping for the perfect interview
attire, but they'll slap their resume together in a few hours," said Barry
Lawrence, a senior career advisor at CareerBuilder. "It's a smart investment
of time and money to get some one-on-one professional resume help. The resume
is often the difference between success and failure in this job market."
In crafting a resume, the resource most often used, according to workers:
* 35 percent create their own resumes.
* 25 percent use a resume template, an outline of major resume components.
* 9 percent use books on resume writing.
* 9 percent consult with family, friends or business associates.
* 9 percent use software guides.
* 8 percent use other people's resumes as guides.
* 3 percent use professionals to assist with the resume writing.
* 2 percent -- other.
"For even for the best wordsmiths, resume writing is difficult," Lawrence
noted. "It's advisable to get the most professional opinion possible,
preferably from an objective party who can help you define strengths and
structure your resume to stand out in this very crowded job market."
Job seekers don't have to look far for resume help -- they can link to
careerbuilder.com's Stellar Resume service (made available by CareerBuilder
and e-resume.net) to get one-on-one resume assistance, including personal
interviews to highlight achievements and talents. Within three days, Stellar
Resume will provide the first draft of a new resume. In addition,
CareerBuilder was named the best career site for its "breadth of premium
services such as professional resume writing," according to Kiplinger.com's
career columnist, Sacha Cohen.
Other CareerBuilder Resume Tips:
* Be truthful. Surprisingly, 38 percent of workers say they have intentionally misrepresented their qualifications. Don't do it. Background checks will uncover misstatements of fact.
* Be concise. One or two pages maximum.
* Be error-free. Most job seekers rely on their own editing skills. Get help.
* Pass the scan test. If scanned by an employer, make sure your resume echoes keywords and job functions included in each job description. Otherwise, a computer could eliminate your resume. Only 34 percent of job seekers say their resumes can pass the scan test. Most, 64 percent, said they weren't sure.
* Pass the achievement test. Not only list skills and job functions, but explain the results that skills and functions produced. Did you lower costs? Increase revenue? Win an award?
About the Job Search 2002 Survey
CareerBuilder's Job Search 2002 survey was conducted January 30, 2002,
through February 5, 2002. A total of 2,550 workers participated in the
survey. To collect data for The Survey, CareerBuilder commissioned SurveySite
to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite
Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to
participate in the online survey. The results of this survey are accurate
within +/- 1.9 percentage points.
About CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment
dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service
and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche
audiences, CareerBuilder makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most
qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support.
Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 300,000 continuously
updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in
virtually every industry, field and location. In partnership with Tribune
Company (NYSE: TRB) and Knight-Ridder Inc. (NYSE: KRI), CareerBuilder includes
the Web's top newspaper sites -- the most trusted employment sources in
recruiting. For more information About CareerBuilder products and services,
call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder at http://www.careerbuilder.com .
CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
