I Hate Writing Resumes

I hate writing resumes. It’s a pain. There is nothing fun about it. It takes a large amount of time, mental and psychological commitment, and frankly, it’s hard to produce a quality product.

So why do I do it?

Because it matters.

Seriously, it matters.  If you’re a former client, or a soon to be client, or just someone who found this blog online, it doesn’t make a difference – I know you’ve gone through the frustration of writing a resume.  All of us have (including that hiring manager you’re waiting to hear back from).

It’s hard to write a resume. Not just because it’s difficult to write with clarity. Or persuasively. Or concisely. Or because you’ve done so much you don’t want to leave anything out. Or because you feel you’ve done so little that you have nothing worthwhile to say. Those are all true and relevant, but none are the real reason for why writing a resume is so difficult.

It’s because it matters.

A resume is your introduction. Your first hello. It is the one and only time where you have complete control over how another person views you. Up until you get an interview, you’re not a person, just a resume. And that’s a heckuva  scary thought. Especially when you are in an active job search and it’s a bad economy.

That same fear you go through when you first email out your resume to a prospective hiring manager, I go through when I send you a copy of the first draft.  You, the client, are my hiring manager.  I want to make sure the product I produce meets your standard. Because when it goes out there, it is your name on it.

I take every resume I write so seriously because I know how essential the resume will be to my client’s job search. I bleed, sweat and toil (well, maybe not sweat) over resumes because I know how deeply they can matter.  But that’s what makes it worth it. When I, or a Freedom Resumes team member, or anyone at all, writes a resume that they can be proud of they’ve accomplished something significant. And all the pain will have been worth it.

So, yes, I hate writing resumes. But it is always worth the pain.

Agree? Disagree? Post a comment below.

Sean