Here's
a business you can start for virtually nothing and build
into
a million pound enterprise in five years or less.
Many
established resume writing services in the large metropolitan
areas
are reporting annual incomes of $60,000 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 CV, and the
ability
to keep oneself up to date on refinements or new
approaches
to presenting resume material are about the only
pre-requisites
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 services.
Up
until the past couple of years, few if any people 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.
But
no more!
There
are fewer jobs and an increasing number of people applying
for
those jobs that are available.
A
little while ago, the Post Office advertised that applications
would
be accepted on two days only, for 600 upcoming vacancies.
Would
you believe that twenty thousand applicants showed up to
fill
out applications?
Can
you imagine the post office personnel people reviewing all
those
applications, and then interviewing all those people?
On
another day, word got out that there was going to be an opening
for
a forklift 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 even deeper into the age of
specialisation.
Employers
are demanding to know more about the applicant - his
work
record, natural talents and personality traits.
They
want more information upon which to base their interview
selections
than just 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 himself, 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 with your
Professional
CV 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 not adequately present the applicant's total
qualifications.
Everyone
- with or without 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 specialities 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 are 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 never
been
greater!
You'll
need a modern, professional typewriter, or preferably, a
word
processor or computer.
Setting
up and operating from your own home will be the most
economical
way to begin.
In
addition to your typewriter or computer, you should have a
typewriter
stand, typist's chair, adjustable long arm lamp, and a
file
cabinet.
To
prepare properly, invest in a good book on how to write job
winning
resumes.
Select
a book which discusses both the cover letter and the 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 interests
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 your book.
Resumes
of today are generally in this outline:
1. Name
2. Address
3. Date of Birth
4. Availability
5. Health
6. Phone Number
7. Type of job or position wanted
8. Goals and/or desires in life
9. Job history, starting with current or
last job held
10. Special courses, education or training
completed
11. Military History
12. Formal Education
13. Activities while attending school:
athletics, offices,
awards, etc
14. Hobbies and special interests
15. Notation that names of business and
personal
references will be
furnished on request
Once
you're organised with space and equipment, you're ready for
business.
All
that's necessary from this point on will be advertising,
client
interview, 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 most widely read newspaper and
arrange
to run a one-column by one inch ad every day for the next
six
to twelve months.
By
purchasing your ad space on a daily insertion basis, and over
at
least a 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
LOCAL CV SERVICE
Resumes - Letters -
Applications
... that result in jobs!
Phone 12345
Aside
from an ad in the newspaper, and perhaps a similar one in
your
local free papers, the only other advertising efforts you
should
worry about are those that don't cost money - free bulletin
board
announcements, radio talk shows, and low cost flyers,
circulars
or brochures that describe your services.
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 an A4 sheet.
It
should describe your services, emphasise your professionalism,
fast
service and reasonable cost.
It
would be best to have your brochure typeset and laid out in
three
columns down the width of the page. Most
print shops can
handle
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 counsellors, business colleges,
and
private employment agencies.
When
prospective clients call you, simply explain your services
and
prices, and set up an appointment for them to meet with you.
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.
Put
your resume format on a separate sheet of 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
note pad, 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 notepad 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 employees.
After
the interview, you need to interpret your notes and type the
information
into a resume.
This
should 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 public library.
The
important thing to remember is to write in a kind of
note-taking
report style:
'Hired
as an entry level shipping clerk.
Recognised need for
organisation
on the loading dock to eliminate congestion.
Suggested
designated spaces for incoming and outgoing shipments.
This
programme 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 organised 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 favourably impressed and ready to
go
with almost anything you suggest.
The
secret is in the quality of your work - a modern typewriter or
word
processor, with good clean type, clean paper and error free
copy.
So,
you explain to your client that his resume will make a more
favourable
impression on the prospective employer when it is
printed
on better quality paper.
Suggest
to him that you have it printed for him on coloured paper,
or
conqueror paper. Ivory, tan or blue
shades are desirable.
The
charge for your service should be about $15 per page, which
covers
the interview, original resume, and 50 copies on white bond
paper. For different papers, etc, check current
prices at your
local
copy shop. You should pass those costs
onto your client,
plus
a service charge of about $5.
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 they require.
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.
Remember
too that the image you project is the credibility rating
you'll
carry with your customers.
Shabby
surroundings, a disorganised office and a less than
professional
appearance will doom you to failure.
Be
impressive and you will succeed!
