This morning I was informed by a job seeker that he had paid a handsome sum for a resume writer to convert his resume to a format that could be posted online. I will make it clear that I do not advocate posting your resume online in any way, shape or form (The pitfalls of posting your resume online), but if you insist on doing so, don’t throw away your money by having someone do it (and convince you it is “difficult” to do). It’s just another in the long line of scams out there to upsell services beyond resume creation.
This type of resume is commonly called a text resume, or referred to as ASCII, and is intended for website posting. Simply open your resume in Word, then simply complete the following:
1. Click Edit → Select All
2. Click Edit → Copy
3. Click Start → Programs → Accessories → Notepad (this opens the Notepad program)
4. Click Edit → Paste
5. Turn on the “Word-wrap” feature in the “Format” drop-down menu
6. Save the resume as “yourname.txt” (for example, “JohnGill.txt”).
You have now saved your resume in .txt format, and it is ready to post. Let me reiterate; there are many more productive ways to conduct your job search (Does Your Job Search Strategy Follow the Numbers?), and posting your resume online is not one I recommend.
In fact, let me go beyond overpaying for someone to complete something that takes a minute to do on your own. I would advise you to be cautious of the majority of “add-ons” being touted in addition to a resume. Let me compare it to an experience I has this morning. I had to get the oil changed in my car, happened to drive by such an establishment, and noticed there were two docks empty. So I turned in, and got the oil changed. I am there for one thing – to change the oil. However, it becomes an opportunity for them to “sell” me on about 20 other things. Suddenly I am being barraged with “needs” to replace a barely touched air filter, windshield wipers, etc. It’s even being suggested that they should wash out the inside of my headlights, and rotate my tires, which by the way I just had rotated about 200 miles ago and keep up on it regularly since I paid for lifetime rotations and balances when I bought the tires! Get the picture? They attempted to sell me on anything and everything they could, even when it was unnecessary. The bottom line: they are in business to make money.
I have people all the time tell me how they paid hundreds and hundreds of dollars for customized cover letters for every single position (and they are encouraged to apply A LOT), LinkedIn profiles, bios, Thank You letters, follow up letters electronic resumes, scannable resumes. I haven’t even mentioned the companies that charge anywhere from $19.95 to $750 to spam your resume to “hundreds of recruiters,” and that may take the cake as the biggest scam of all. What starts as a simple need for a resume turns into hundreds to upwards of a thousand or more in “necessities” you didn’t even know you needed. And truth be told, 90% of them you don’t. Kind of like when I went to change the oil in my car.
I am going to be addressing some of the specifics in upcoming posts (and there are many). For now, just be aware of the actual return on money spent before opening your wallet for these types of services. If you still have money burning a hole in your pocket that you are intent on using, try some of these instead:
- Spend it to join a professional association or two (or more), and attend the meetings
- Take 10 people in your network to lunch, or 25 to coffee
- Invest in courses or certifications that will progress your career
Network, network, and network some more. Use LinkedIn, and increase your visibility (for free). Do yourself a favor, and don’t waste money on ineffective and useless products and services.
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