Maureen Nelson is Manager of Adult Career Services at the Oakland Private Industry Council and co-Site Manager of the One Stop Career Center affiliated with it. She maintains a career coaching and resume writing business in Walnut Creek, CA. She has been presenting and writing on career topics for over 10 years, and was voted “Author with the Most Impact” by the National Career Development Association in 2008. Before becoming a career counselor, she spent 20 years in publishing as an editor and production manager. She is co-author of Getting Your Ideal Internship. For more detail on her background and to read comments from former clients, see her profile on Linked In.
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maureenpnelson
Resume writing ability, or lack of it, is not a good indication of a candidate’s suitability for most jobs. Their experience and accomplishments are a much better indication, and I agree that resume writers actually help employers judge candidates on those accomplishments, which otherwise might not be clearly conveyed on the resume. Besides, a resume is generally *not* written in first person, and I don’t know why any employer would even expect it to be necessarily the work of the candidate.
Cover letters, on the other hand, are written in the “I” voice and signed. That’s why in my own resume-writing practice I do not generally write the cover letter for the participant, although I may coach, teach, and edit. To hire someone to edit one’s cover letter just shows professionalism, as when an executive asks her assistant to polish up a report or letter.
Great rebuttal, Maureen!
Comment by Thea Kelley — November 14, 2010 @ 7:52 pm |