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Rating: 
Summary: Stand Out From the Crowd!
Review: As a career transition specialist with a Los Angeles One-Stop, I see dozens of displaced professionals in the course of a week. The greatest challenge for this population is learning how to put into words the tremendous wealth of skills, knowledege and experience they bring to any employer. This book, more than any other, addresses this challenge. It shows clearly the difference between stating your background in the old tried word sequences and stating what you do in ways that convey value at every step. It shows how to communicate information through stories and value-driven feature/benefit strategies, and how every piece of paper that leaves the job-seeker's hand can and should be a marketing tool. It has made the difference between unsuccessful job hunting and highly effective career development for many of my clients.
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Summary: One of the best books on the subject!
Review: As a Certified Professional Resume Writer myself, I feel well qualified to offer my recommendation of "Resume Magic" to anyone who is looking for a source to use as a guideline in writing their own powerful resume. Susan Britton Whitcomb gives readers an insiders perspective on the tools that the best of the "pros" use in composing work for their clients.In as easy to follow format, she covers all the basics as well as some of the intracacies that will allow the reader to compose personal marketing tools and launch their job search with confidence. Unlike many books on this topic, she provides expert guidance on subjects ranging from integrating advertising principles and graphic art pointers to rules covering proper grammar and punctuation. Her before and after examples demonstrate the points she makes. Additionally, she provides valuable information from a hiring managers perspective on what they do and don't like to see on resumes. This information was compiled by a very well conceived survey she conducted among some of America's top companies.
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Summary: Great book!
Review: I don't give five stars to just any book. They must richly deserve it. Like this one. This is unqualifyingly the best how-to-write-a-resume book out there and I've seen dozens of them. Ms. Whitcomb has a get-to-the-point writing style and offers hundreds of tips, suggestions and examples. Her book is very well organized and she writes with amazing clarity.
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Summary: 600 pages for a book on writing a resume, impossible?
Review: I said, "How can resume-writing be this complicated?" before carrying this 600-page 8.5" x 11" book home. Susan Whitcomb did a good job of compiling tips and advice and presenting them at the right time. There are tips on left vs. right justification, including personal information, and picking fonts, and long discussions on CVs vs. resumes, on functional vs. chronological, on printed vs. scannable vs. ASCII, and on grammar and mechanics. She's obviously a great copyriter and page designer. Because, indeed, a resume now must look good enough so it will be read. One chapter did nothing but help you choose which sections and section titles fit your situation. I found that weird, until I began the next chapter, which read, "Even experienced writers can feel some fear and trepidation when facing the start of a new project. You already have a good outline in which to work (chapter 4), which puts you beyond the 'blank sheet of paper' stage." Inside the "tweaking" section, she even gives the keystrokes you'll use for both Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect. You'll also find 250 "impact-mining questions" to ask yourself to come up with powerful accomplishment statements. Is that a lot? Well, no, but it gives you a good start! When you expect a resume-writing book to have a list of action verbs, Susan diligently wrote a impressive example for each verb. I do not agree with her treatment of ASCII resumes, though. Of course, her discussion on online promotion and online resume submittal has grown stale; her ideas on "keyword resumes" is as outdated as advice on META TAGS on web pages. Bulky... comprehensive... a great workbook.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable time saving reference and tutorial
Review: I started a job hunt recently, and hadn't written a resume in the last 6 years or so. I had a good idea of how I wanted to present and market myself, but I didn't have all of the fine details filled in. This book is extensive, but well labeled. Start reading at the beginning, and every subject points you to the chapter with more information on that subject. Kind of like hyperlinks. That way you can look through at the major headings and pick and choose what you don't already know. I took a prioritized approach, because I was in a little bit of a hurry. I took the resume section, picked a format based on my experience, then wrote a draft. From there, I went back and picked through the writing sections to make sure that I was on the right track. If you've read the examples, and the "before and after" sections, you'll probably have a good idea already what the big picture is. From then I went on to the section on cover letters and online job searching. There are sections on virtually every subject of resume and cover letter writing, gathering references, job searching and interview preparation. Everything that you really need to get started, or just touch up on what you already know is well organized and labeled so that you can use it immediately. It's just what I was looking for, so that I wouldn't have to waste time reading the "full story" on each subject. After following the advice in this book and sending out about 20 copies of my resume online, I had about 10 replies in the first week, and about 6 requests for interviews already.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable time saving reference and tutorial
Review: I started a job hunt recently, and hadn't written a resume in the last 6 years or so. I had a good idea of how I wanted to present and market myself, but I didn't have all of the fine details filled in. This book is extensive, but well labeled. Start reading at the beginning, and every subject points you to the chapter with more information on that subject. Kind of like hyperlinks. That way you can look through at the major headings and pick and choose what you don't already know. I took a prioritized approach, because I was in a little bit of a hurry. I took the resume section, picked a format based on my experience, then wrote a draft. From there, I went back and picked through the writing sections to make sure that I was on the right track. If you've read the examples, and the "before and after" sections, you'll probably have a good idea already what the big picture is. From then I went on to the section on cover letters and online job searching. There are sections on virtually every subject of resume and cover letter writing, gathering references, job searching and interview preparation. Everything that you really need to get started, or just touch up on what you already know is well organized and labeled so that you can use it immediately. It's just what I was looking for, so that I wouldn't have to waste time reading the "full story" on each subject. After following the advice in this book and sending out about 20 copies of my resume online, I had about 10 replies in the first week, and about 6 requests for interviews already.
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Summary: I was overwhelmed
Review: I was overwhelmed, This book is more of a resource book than a clear guide on how to quickly write a great resume. I found the volume of information overwhelming and it only served to frustrate me in that I did not know where to begin. Trying to read the book from start to finish was a daunting task as it doesn't follow a logical series of steps to produce a great resume; it makes a great reference book but not a hand-holding guide. I returned the book and purchased Robin Ryan's "Winning Resumes" (0471263656). This is an excellent, short book/instruction manual. Actually, I purchased both of her books; her cover letter book is "Winning Cover Letters" (047126348) I purchased Ryan's books after I had sent 20 resume and cover letters and received nothing back except one rejection letter. After reading the books and following her step by step instructions I produced a much better set of material. I have sent ten Cover letters and resumes since adopting her ideas and I've had three responses in just two weeks!!! I've had an interview with two of the companies and the third is still taking apps and will "get back with me". Good luck in your search...
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Summary: The VERY BEST resume resource
Review: I was skeptical of this book since I've read several other books of this type that turned out to not be of much help. I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised - this book covers just about everything and does it in a way that's easy to digest. It's a thick book - 600 pages - but it reads much faster than that due to the large number of resume before/after examples.
To follow the strategies in this book will take some work on your part, but if you work at it, you'll end up with a great looking resume that gets noticed. Read the entire book before you start writing your resume - it makes a big difference.
Rating:
Summary: Money Well Spent
Review: This 596-page book is an excellent buy for the jobseeker and serious-minded resume writer. I own several resume-writing "how-to" books. RESUME MAGIC, by far, is my favorite...the one I reach for most often...my bible. Susan Britton Whitcomb teaches the reader how to catalog their background, write great copy, choose a flattering format, and design a visually artistic resume. She leaves no how-to stone unturned: JIST cards, reference lists, action verbs, sample phrases, electronic resumes, cover letters, you name it! [It's] a small price to pay considering the hundreds of samples, suggestions, and strategies Susan offers. Money well-spent indeed! Kerry
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This book may be long, but it is easy to get through. I loved it! I absolutely recommend it for resume writing. It took me only a week or two to read and come up with a resume I am proud of. I am also receiving compliments from prospective employers (one said it was "unique" and not boring like all the other resumes she sees).
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