HOW TO START YOUR OWN HIGHLY PROFITABLE RESUME WRITING
SERVICE
Here's a business you can start for virtually nothing, and parlay
into a million dollar enterprise in five years or less. Many
established resume writing services in the large metropolitan
areas are reporting annual incomes of $250,000 or more. Even the
smaller operations, in towns as small as 15,000 are experiencing
sales of $50,000 or more.
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 the ability to keep material
are about the only prerequisites to successfully operate a resume
writing service.
Probably the most exciting and motivational aspects of this
business idea are the low investment and risk factors involved,
and the growing demand for resume service. Up until the past
couple of years, few in any Americans really had to look for
jobs. People in general have either forgotten how to look for a
new job, or never knew how in the first place.
Since the start of the World War II, back in 1941, the American
worker has been spoiled by an affluent society and an ideal
market for the job seeker. Usually, all he had to do whenever he
lost a job or wanted to change jobs was to report in to local
branch of his local employment service office, check in at his
union office, look at the want ads in the Sunday paper, or call a
few friends and ask about job openings.
But no more! Times have changed! There are fewer jobs and an
increasing number of people applying for those jobs that are
available. Just recently, the post office department in a large
west coast city advertised that applications would be accepted on
two days only, 600 up coming openings. Would you believe that
twenty thousand applicants showed up to fill out applications?
Can you image the post office personnel people reviewing all
those applications, and then interviewing all those people,
according to the fair employment practices act?
On another day, word got out that there was going to be an
opening for a fork lift driver at a local warehouse. Fifteen
hundred men and women showed up even before the job was
advertised!
Times are tough, and we're moving deeper into the age of
specialization. Employers are demanding to know more about the
applicant--his work record, natural talents and personality
traits. They want the cold facts on the application form.
Personnel managers are placing a higher premium on their 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.
To get in to see the person doing the hiring nowadays, the job
applicant has to "sell the short-stopper," and that calls for a
professionally written resume. More and more firms are demanding
resumes. Industry estimates are that by the year 2000, most of
the jobs worth having will require a written resume before even
an initial interview is granted.
And that's where you can fit into the picture your Professional
Resume Writing Service. Probably 80 percent of the people
searching for jobs don't have a resume. Of the 20 percent who do
have resumes, many are ineffective; they simply do adequately
present the applicant's total qualifications.
Everyone--with or without a resume--is looking for this key: A
professionally written resume, a sales presentation of their
qualifications and experience that will get the job for them--the
job they want. The job hunters are wound up in their own
specialties and problems. They don't know how, and they don't
have the time---AND they're willing to pay you to put it all
together for them. Just as you're willing to pay a doctor,
dentist or investment broker, those who need a resume are willing
to pay you for this service. The market exists in every city and
town in this country, and the demand for this service is growing
daily. Your opportunity for success beyond your fondest dreams
has been greater! The brass ring is here! Grab it, and hold on!
You'll need a modern, professional quality typewriter. You can
begin, and perhaps get by for a month or so, with a top quality
portable, but do yourself and your business a favor: Arrange to
rent, lease or buy monthly payments if necessary, the best
machine for the quality of work that will command top dollars for
you.
Setting up and operating from your home will be the most
economical way to begin. In addition to your typewriter, you
should have a typewriter stand, typist chair, adjustable long-arm
lamp, and a file cabinet. However, just as you can make do with a
portable typewriter for a month or so, you can get by for
starters with a kitchen table at your dining room table.
To prepare yourself properly, invest in a good book on how to
write "job winning" resumes. Select a book which discusses both
the cover letter and format of the body of the resume.
The most important part of any resume package is the cover letter
the applicant sends as part of the resume. This letter states the
specific job the applicant is applying for, explains why he
believes he is qualified, and pointedly asks for an interview. In
most cases, you'll be able to provide an "all purpose form
letter" which your client can adapt to any position that interest
him. More later about actual writing of the resume and the cover
letter.
The format and style of the body of the resume are the items you
want to learn from this book. Resumes of today generally follow
this outline:
1. Name
2. Address
3. City, State, zip
4. Phone number
5. Type of job or position wanted
6. Goals and/or desires in life.
7. Job history, starting with current or last job held
8. Special courses, education or training completed
9. Military History
10. Formal Education
11. Activities while attending school: athletics, offices, awards
12. Hobbies and special interest
13. Notation that names business and personal references will be
furnished on request.
14 Availability
15. Health
Once you've organized with space and equipment, you're ready for
business. All that's necessary from this point on will be
advertising, client interviewing, and producing the final
product.
Your advertising needs, in comparison with many other businesses,
need not cost you an exorbitant amount of money. It should,
however, be consistent and eye-catching.
You should contact your area's widely read newspaper and arrange
to run a one-column by one inch ad every day for the next six
months to twelve months. By purchasing your ad space on a daily
insertion basis, and over at least six month period, your rate
will be much lower than the rate charged for shorter contracts.
Your newspaper ad might read something like this:
A complete, Professional Service
MIDWEST RESUME SERVICE
Resumes--Letters--Portfolios
...that results in jobs!
Phone 123-4567
Aside from an ad in the newspaper, and perhaps a similar one in
your area shoppers' papers, 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.
One method of gaining business exposure which is most often
overlooked is the radio and television talk show interview. Call
the broadcast stations in your area and get the names of the
producers of these talk shows. Then 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 with 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 a guest speaker for
your civic clubs. For these, simply write out a speech
emphasizing the need for a resume and the proper way to write one
that will result in a job for the job seeker. Explain the growing
trend of employers to use the resume as a screening device, and
the fact that a well written 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 they don't have
the time or know-how, and because you'll have the reputation of
an "expert" after having spoken before their club. Basically,
people are lazy in this respect, and would rather pay someone
else to do something than to take the time to learn how and do it
themselves. 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 brochure can be as simple as a Z-folded 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of
paper. It should describe your services, emphasize your
professionalism, fast service and reasonable cost. It would be
best to have your story typeset and laid out in three columns
down the width of the paper.
Most quick print shops can handle all this for you, at a nominal
cost. Once you've had your brochures printed, leave off a supply
with your area high school and college counselors, vocational and
trade school placement directors, and with as many private
employment agencies as will take them.
When a prospective clients call you, simply explain your services
and prices, and set up an appointment for them to meet with you.
For this it's best to prepare a script, which might read 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, and thank you for calling. Let me explain our
services. We're professional resume writers--we interview job
seekers such as yourself--learn the important features of their
backgrounds as those features apply in helping us to write a
resume that will land them the job they're looking for. Then we
assemble all this information into a winning presentation, type
it out, give you the original plus 50 copies and a cover letter
(which you can modify as necessary on your home typewriter and
have copied each time you submit a resume). Your cost is only
$50, and usually we can have everything ready for you within
three or four 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 say 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: Gives his name and phone number.
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 a resume that can
result in a job for him. Be sure you're prepared with a
"researcher's questionnaire," to guide you in the questions to
ask.
Type your resume format on a separate sheet paper, numbering each
question you want an answer to, or subject you want to cover.
This of course serves as a "master" which you duplicate and use
as the researcher's questionnaire guide.
For each interview, take one of these "interview guides" and an
ordinary yellow legal tablet, and start asking questions.
Identify each page of notes with a number or subject matter from
the resume format, and use a separate page of the tablet for each
subject and each job the client may have had.
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" to what the client ISN'T telling you as well
as what he IS telling you. 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.
Look ahead to the day when you have employees working for you.
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 interpret your notes and type
the information into a resume. This would be easy because you've
gathered the details in sequence with your resume format.
Familiarity with format writing style makes the task of putting
everything into finished form quite simple.
At the very least, a quick course in resume writing will be
necessary. Check out a book on the subject from your local
library. The important thing to remember is to drop the "I's" and
write in a kind of note taking reportorial style:
"Hired as entry level shipping clerk. Recognized need for
organization on the loading dock to eliminate congestion.
Suggested designated spaces for incoming and outgoing shipments.
This program was adopted and immediately eliminated congestion of
trucks and decreased overtime requirements, with an estimated
savings of $700 per week for the company. Promoted to Line
Expeditor after six months.."
Don't put a time limit on the amount of time you devote to each
client, but once you're organized and established, the interview
through the finished resume shouldn't take more than an hour or
two.
After you have the resume typed, call the client in to check it
over and approve it. In almost every case, he'll be very
favorably impressed and ready to go with anything you suggest.
The secret is in the quality of your work--a modern typewriter
with good type, clean paper and error free copy.
So, you explain to your client that his resume will make more
favorable impression on the prospective employer when it is
printed on better quality paper. Suggest to him that you have it
printed for him on colored "offset" paper instead of ordinary
bond. Ivory, tan or blue shades are desirable. For the really
expensive-looking resume, suggest that it be printed on 11x17
paper, and then folded in half to make a kind of "book" about the
client.
The charges for your service should be about $50 for the
interview, original resume, 50 copies on white bond paper, and an
universal cover letter. For colored offset paper, or 11x17 sized
sheets, check current rent prices at your print shop. You should
pass those costs onto your client, plus a nominal service charge
of $5 or so. Also explain to your client that you can up date or
add to his resume whenever the need arises, and for this service
you charge $10, plus the cost of printing as many copies as he
requires.
Now for the cover letter---probably the most important part of
any resume submitted for job consideration. The first thing to
ask your client regarding the cover letter is if he intends to
submit his resumes in answer to advertised positions, or if he
intends to "shot-gun" them out to possible employers. According
to his stated plan, you simply use one of the two general forms
for cover letters.
And that's it---the basics you need for starting your own highly
profitable resume service. A couple of things always to bear in
mind: Your success will be directly related to the quality of the
finished product you put out. Learn to do it right, and then
strive for perfection with every job you complete for a client.
Remember too that image you project is the credibility rating
you'll carry with your customers. Shabby surroundings, a
disorganized office and an less than personal appearance will
doom you to failure. Be impressive! keep your eyes open, and move
into an office among professional people as soon as you can.
Finally, put some real planning into starting your business; get
it well established and running smoothly; then hire other people
to do some of the work. The object of a business of your own is
not steady employment for you, but financial security and
independence--to achieve and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Plan
your business, nurture its growth and then hire people to do the
work while you guide, supervise and make bank deposits.
|
