Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Make the Most of Your Video Interviews

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Make the Most of Your Video Interviews I recently attended an HR conference where the group was asked if they used video interviewing. Nearly all raised their hands. I found this a bit frightening because to date I have not seen a single article on how to do an effective video interview. Given that video interviewing is not the same as phone or in-person interviewing, I decided to offer some guidance. Make the best possible impression Because it’s possible to do video interviews at home in your pajamas, you might be tempted to think this is an acceptable. It’s not. Remember, the candidate is evaluating you as much as you are evaluating her. Dress as you would in the office, make sure you are well-lit with a professional, non-distracting background, and prevent interruptions from frolicking children and animals. If you are using cloud technology like Google Hangout, check your connection and set-up ahead of time to ensure there are no snafus during the interview. Tell candidates what to expect Video interviewing is new to some candidates, especially those who have been in the workforce a while and haven’t job searched recently. Send along instructions regarding how to operate the necessary technology. Suggest that candidates test it first and access the interview 10 minutes early. You should also forward an agenda that spells out who they will be meeting, how long the interview will be, and how it will generally proceed. If there will be an opportunity for candidates to visually display qualifications during the interview (Powerpoint, websites, video, etc.), let them know in advance so they can take full advantage. Plan what to ask Prepare several open-ended questions in which candidates can describe their work history and problem-solving ability, and can communicate why they want to work with your organization and what excites them about the position. And your industry is not as big as you think, so avoid asking the same questions for years on end (even if you think they are especially clever). For the rest of the best practices, check out the SilkRoad blog.

10 Best Resume Writing Services in St. Louis, MO

10 Best Resume Writing Services in St. Louis, MO A quick online search for “resume writing services St Louis” will bring up a slew of results. So much so, that your head may end up spinning.We don’t blame you.In a market that’s saturated with resume generalists and unclear services, it’s tempting to shut the computer off and move on with your job search as planned.Don’t make that mistake.We did the heavy lifting so you didn’t have to, and the result is a top 10 St. Louis resume writing services list that will save you time and energy.Every time you apply for a job, you should be putting your best foot forward. Without a professionally-crafted resume, your best foot is more like an okay foot.Be better than okay.Check out our list of the top St. Louis resume writersand be well on your way towards the gateway to career success.Best Resume Services in St. LouisIf you are in a hurry and don't want to read our detailed reviews below, here is a list of the Best Resume Writers in St. Louis:Find My Profession (that's us!) Note worthy Resume Career Services Advantage Resumes Ryno Resumes RJL Resume Writers Career Consultants Resume Winning Affordable Quality Writing Activ:8 Careers Success is Sweet RockIt Career Consultation ServicesAnd now for the detailed reviews...1. Find My ProfessionFind My Profession is not just a top-notch resume service available in St. Louis. We are a global company headquartered in the US on a mission to master effective, ATS compatible resumes that convert into offers.A major perk of Find My Profession is that we are not a one-person shop.Collectively, our team of elite resume writers has experience in 85+ unique industries/professions. This allows us to assign you a professional writer (in the United States) based on your unique background and experience.We are also not a resume factory. We will never use “ghostwriters”. You will have your resume writer’s name, email, and phone number for direct communication.With 100+ 5-star reviews and a 60-day interview guarantee tha tspeaks for itself, you can sleep easy knowing that your satisfaction is our #1 priority.Pros:Find My Profession commits to working with each client until they are completely satisfied. Don’t worry about having a limited number of edits, or a set amount of time with your writer.Cons:Find My Profession is a virtual/online company. While we provide services in your city, we don’t have a physical office.Also, with a focus on more senior positions, our entry-level resume service may be a bit pricey for recent graduates.Turnaround: 3-5 business days. Can expedite to 2 business days.Cost: $395-$895Phone: (831) 888-0967Don't take our word for it, check out some of our 5-star reviews.Trustpilot2. Noteworthy Resume Career ServicesNoteworthy Resume Career Services offers resume writing, career coaching, and even job search services. Basically, when utilizing the entirety of their services, getting a job will become almost automated. If you need a multifaceted approach to career developm ent, this St. Louis resume writing service is one worth considering.Pros: Noteworthy Resume Career Services has excellent customer reviews, which is always a reassuring sign for potential clients.Cons: Although Noteworthy Resume Career Services has a whole blurb on their website explaining what job seekers should expect to pay for resume writing services from companies other than themselves, they don’t explicitly say what their own pricing is.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: Not stated.Phone: (314) 594-82223. Advantage ResumesAdvantage Resumes of St. Louis prides themselves in crafting resumes that help you shine like the professional star that you are. Sally, the brains behind Advantage Resumes, has been in the game for years. Advantage Resumes works with executives and C-suite professionals, which not all services on this list do. Additionally, there are sample resumes right on the website, so you can get an idea of what you’d be working with.Pros: Sally provides value-added con tent for potential clients, customers, and job seekers. She has helpful blog posts on her website, and she also publishes a quarterly newsletter.Cons: Advantage Resumes has a long turnaround time, with the potential for your resume to take 15 business days. This is by far the longest lead time of St. Louis resume writing services on our list. Not to mention, the 1-star review on Yelp may cause second thoughts.Turnaround: 10-15 business daysCost: $300-$780Phone number: (314) 993-54004. Ryno ResumesRyno Resumes aims to “supercharge your resume.” That’s exactly what they’ve seemed to have done over the years, thanks to customer after customer who rave about Ryno Resumes’ services. Ryno Resume is one of the services on this list with some of the most customer reviews. They average 5 stars on both Google and Yelp â€"â€" which is no easy feat.Pros: If you don’t want to pay or wait for a professional resume writing service â€"â€" or you think your resume is in decent shape â€"â €" Ryno Resumes has an online resume builder that allows you to plug in your information, then viola!Cons: With a turnaround time as long as 2 weeks, there are competitors on this list with shorter lead times if you’re in need of a new resume ASAP.Turnaround: 1-2 weeksCost: $375-$575Phone number: (314) 814-63235. RJL Resume Writers Career ConsultantsRJL Resume Writers Career Consultants are a team of St. Louis resume writers with a reputation for getting folks hired. With moderately priced offerings, this middle-of-the-road STL resume writing service has secured the #5 spot on our list.Pros: Past clients sing RJL Resume Writers’ praises, instilling future clients with the confidence that their resume will be in good hands as well.Cons: RJL Resume Writers Career Consultants has a rather long turnaround time. 10 business days can easily fall into 3 calendar weeks, making this an unappealing St. Louis resume writing service if you’re crunched for time.Turnaround: 10 business d aysCost: $299-$475+Phone number: (314) 779â€"19646. Resume WinningResume Winning provides professionally-branded resume services; there are no resume templates used when working with them. This St. Louis resume writing service specializes in resumes for HR, training and development, finance and accounting, IT, sales, marketing, military/veteran, manufacturing, retail, leisure, hospitality, graphic design, education, photography, and healthcare. If that sounds like a mouthful, that’s because it is. Writer Erika Overhoff has written and reviewed over 1,000 resumes for professionals across the aforementioned industries.Pros: Resume Winning has lightning fast turnaround times.Cons: Since the cost of Resume Winning’s services isn’t explicitly listed on the website, you’ll have to reach out for more information.Turnaround: 24 hours (or less if needed)Cost: Not stated.Phone number: (636) 778-06097. Affordable Quality WritingAffordable Quality Writing lives up to its name of creatin g affordable, quality writing. Dr. Bruce. A. Johnson has been a Chief Academic Officer, a dean, and has taught at the collegiate level. When working with Affordable Quality Writing, you’re sure to work hand-in-hand with a seasoned intellectual.Pros: True to his business’ name, Dr. Johnson offers resume writing at reasonable prices.Cons: Without many published reviews online from past customers, potential clients only have a teeny bit of insight to go off of.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $220-$275+Phone number: (636) 795-41378. Activ:8 CareersActiv:8 Careers is an innovative St. Louis resume writing service. As if their unique name wasn’t already an indication, Activ:8 stands out from the crowd in more ways that one. They offer career development and career transition services, including professional assessments to help you advance in your career more strategically.Pros: Activ:8 provides fun takes on professional bonding like their escape room, which is specifically tailored for workplace bonding and career development. From a job searching perspective, if you’re looking to practice your interview skills, Activ:8 even has a flash card game that you can purchase to sharpen up.Cons: Without clear information on cost and turnaround time, you’ll have to contact them directly for the answers to basic questions.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: Not stated.Phone number: (314) 966-38889. Success is SweetSuccess is Sweet, isn’t it? That’s the motto of this St. Louis resume writer. Tracey Ryan Smith, the wordsmith behind Success is Sweet, makes it simple, streamlined, and easy. “Place your order, provide details about your unique background, and receive a draft of your job-winning documents in 2 days.”Pros: Success is Sweet has incredibly affordable resume writing with incredibly quick turnarounds. That’s a win/win situation.Cons: Without an official website, Success is Sweet seems more like a fledgling side hustle as opposed to a full-fledged St. Louis res ume writing service. However, given Smith’s great reviews, her service is definitely worth considering.Turnaround: 2 daysCost: $20Phone number: (314) 332-658210. RockIt Career Consultation ServicesRockIt Career Consultation Services comes in at number ten on our list of the top 10 St. Louis resume writing services, but there’s nothing “last” about this 5-star firm. In addition to resume writing, RockIt Career Consultation offers career consulting, video resumes, and various workshop series.Pros: Under their coaching, not only will you receive a crash course in skills like interviewing, but you’ll also learn salary negotiation strategies and techniques as well. Possibly best of all is that this company offers cutting edge video resumes!Cons: RockIt Career Consultation Services offers resume writing services within their packages, as well as one-off resume writing. However, no price is stated.Turnaround: 3-5 business days after receiving the necessary documentation.Cost: $20 0 - 400 (resume only)$500 - $800 (packages)Phone number: (636) 778-2419This List Serves The Following Areas Near St. Louis, Missouri:Chesterfield, St. Charles, Ferguson, Florissant, O’Fallon, Wentzville, Warrenton, High Hill, New Florence, Columbia, Jefferson City, Hermann, Sullivan, Rolla, Chester, Belleville, Bowling Green, Springfield, Farmington, LebanonBest Resume Services In AmericaNot worried about finding a local company? Want to work with the best of the best? Check out the Best Executive Resume Services.Best Resume Writing ServicesBy Major CityBelow you will find a handful of lists on all of the top-rated resume writing services we could find.Whether you are looking for a local resume writer to meet in person or you just want to work with a resume writer in a particular location, this list should help you find what you are looking for.Allentown Hartford Portland Atlanta Houston Providence Austin Indianapolis Richmond Boston Jacksonville Sacramento Bri dgeport Kansas City Salt Lake City Buffalo Las Vegas San Antonio Charleston Los Angeles San Diego Charlotte Memphis San Francisco Chicago Miami San Jose Colorado Springs Milwaukee Seattle Columbus Minneapolis Silicon Valley Dallas Nashville St. Louis Denver New Orleans Tampa Detroit New York Tucson El Paso Orlando Ventura Fort Worth Philadelphia Virginia Beach Grand Rapids Phoenix Washington D.C.

How Hobbies And Health Go Hand In Hand

How Hobbies And Health Go Hand In Hand We all want to be healthy and look svelte. Or at least look like we take care of ourselves. When it comes to weight, for instance, losing it isn’t easy, but keeping weight off is even harder, and studies show that most exercise plans and diets fail because they are unsustainable short-term measures. Lifestyle changes are the name of the game when it comes to long-term health, and that means habitsand hobbies. One way to stay healthyand perhaps shed a few poundsis to incorporate some simple, healthy hobbies into your daily or weekly routine.   Heres our tips on combining hobbies and health. Stick with it The healthiest hobby is the healthy hobby you stick with! There are all sorts of active hobbies and habits that can help you shed pounds and build muscle. Comparing and contrasting them is only helpful to a point. Remember, the whole idea here is that you want to choose an activity you’ll stick withso choosing a hobby based on its health benefits alone, without accounting for your own interest, is a losing proposition. Group activities With that said, we certainly have some suggestions. For instance, if you’re a gamer looking for more action outside of your virtual life, you may want to try your hands at martial arts or boxing, say trainers at The Arena, a combat sports gym. You don’t necessarily have to become an MMA fighter to adopt these hobbies, of course: lessons and individual practice are also fun and good for you. Going it alone If you are more solo kind of person, an individual sport like rock climbing would be a better choice. Rock gyms make it easy to learn and practice in all seasons and weather. And when the sun appears outside, you can, too! Sports like thisalong with hiking, cycling, running, and simply walkingare great ways to get fresh air and sunlight. Since many of us have hobbies that are indoor activities, getting out and about might be a wise move. Adapt your current routine You could also try to make your existing hobbies a bit more active. Are you in a band? Simply standing while you play guitar is healthier than sitting, and the moving around you’ll do as a band memberboth on stage and when you’re lugging your instrument to practicehelp make the activity a little less calorie-neutral. There are even ways to exercise when playing video games. Every little bit helps! Meeting your goals will mean changing your lifestyle, and that means sustainable habits and hobbies. So try out a few and follow your passions while using your willpower to make a habit of eating well and workout out. Good luck! “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn

Personal Branding Interview Caroline Ceniza-Levine - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Caroline Ceniza-Levine - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Caroline Ceniza-Levine, who is a career coach, writer, speaker, Gen-Y expert and co-founder of SixFigureStart.   In this interview, Caroline talks to us about how executives are googled before interviews, what executives can do after a layoff, and much more. Caroline, is it true that executives will be googled before a job interview? Yes, executives will be googled and not just executives. College admissions offices look at online profiles as part of student applications, so even pre-career your branding matters. For executives, recruiters and prospective employers will absolutely look at online profiles and will also be using online sites such as LinkedIn to find candidates in the first place. Remember: All networking contacts may look, not just prospective employers. So if you are trying to get even an informational interview, it helps to have an engaging profile. People have limited time so they will check you out before consenting to even an informational meeting. Google yourself to see what’s out there. Place a Google Alert on your name (and your company’s name if you have a business) so you can keep abreast of what is being written about you. If an executive gets laid off, what are their next steps to recover? That’s a long question. We do entire workshops on how to handle a layoff and move forward. In a nutshell, take stock of your cash position â€" you need to know how long you have for your search, or if you will need to be looking for a short-term money solution (temp work, consulting) while you conduct a search for that long-term job. You want to launch your search as quickly as possible so that you have time for a thoughtful, proactive search. Too many people take time off and then start their search once they’ve already used up a significant portion of savings and/or severance, putting undue time pressure on themselves. Do you think all executives should blog? Why or why not? Blogging is a great way to establish your expertise. I have often recommended to my career changing clients especially that they blog about their target industry and functional area. This way they have a venue to showcase their credibility and have samples of their ideas. Blogging also forces the jobseeker to follow that subject and stay on the cutting edge of it. That said, a public blog is public for all. So you need to be careful about what you write â€" that it is in a voice that is professional, that the content is intelligent, that you are not revealing confidential information. Can you name an executive with a strong brand name and what makes them unique? The well-branded executives that people will have heard of are the business leaders/ CEOs who have published and/ or travel the lecture circuit. So, Jack Welch has a strong leadership brand and has written a book and conducted speeches related to that. Danny Meyer is famous for hospitality and similarly has a book and lectures about hospitality/ service. When I was a recruiter, I also saw more junior professionals brand themselves with good resumes, online profiles, conference keynotes, published reports or white papers, and mentions in the press. A great way to get on a recruiter’s radar is to publish, speak or be quoted as an expert. How have you built your personal brand over time? My brand has evolved over time and is associated with the career changes I have made: from classical pianist to management consultant to retained recruiter to actor to corporate HR to entrepreneur. My current firm SixFigureStart focuses on Gen-Y, so my branding via writing and speaking is targeted to that population and its constituents (schools, parents, etc). The career change piece and Gen-Y focus are not mutually exclusive, as evidenced in my career blog for Vault.com, which focuses on nontraditional search tactics for the student jobseeker (my own eclectic background provides a firsthand starting point for the atypical search tactics). In this way, I try to maintain a consistent message while still using all of my unique and varied experiences. I give the same advice to my clients â€" to be authentic and accepting of all the different aspects of your background. - Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a career coach, writer, speaker, Gen-Y expert and co-founder of SixFigureStart, and has 16 years of experience in professional services as a management consultant and executive and corporate recruiter. Most recently, Caroline was Head of University Relations for Time Inc. She has also recruited for Disney ABC, TV Guide, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, Pfizer and Citigroup. Caroline is a career columnist for CNBC.com, Conde Nasts Portfolio.com, Vault.com, Wetfeet.com and The GlassHammer and teaches Professional Development at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. Caroline is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University.

7 non-awkward ways to improve your relationship with your manager

7 non-awkward ways to improve your relationship with your manager Is your relationship with your manager okay? Could it be better than okay? It can be difficult to figure out how to improve such an important work relationship without being an obvious sycophant (thats a fancy word for butt-kissing, vocab enthusiasts). Butt-kissing aside for one second, we at Debut think youre better than that. There are better ways to use your talents than making a coffee for your manager when they come in every morning. Here are some ways to better your relationship that arent cringeworthy. Communicate about your workload This might shock you, but you dont have to do exactly what your boss asks you to do word-for-word. Communication is key, be sure what your manager wants done and when they want it done by. If youre not sure, dont be afraid to ask. Your manager will appreciate you being clear about what you can and cant do, as opposed to you taking too much on and not completing tasks. Set up a regular one-on-one If youre working in a large company, it can be really difficult to nail down your manager for a meeting. If this applies to you, try and take the initiative. Regular meetings dont have to happen everyday, they can be every other day, weekly or fortnightly, even monthly. As long as you make the effort to become more visible to your manager, theyll appreciate you for it and youll be able to better conceptualise what you need to do to move forward. Find common ground You both work in the same place, so thats a start. That could also mean that your manager and you are passionate about the same things. Try and find some common ground on your favourite parts of the job even things outside work are fair game. Connecting with them on your favourite music and TV shows will make for a genuine connection that isnt work-based and a much easy relationship. Be trustworthy One crucially important thing that will ingratiate your boss to you is if they can trust you. This isnt something you can build overnight, rather its done by consistently doing things you say youre going to do. You dont have to be successful all the time, but succeeding in small ways many times in a row will make you the go-to person when your manager needs something done. Ask for honest feedback Dont let pride get the best of you. Dont assume youre doing a good job just because your manager hasnt said anything. Talk frequently and ask them to give feedback at your one-to-one meetings. Your manager has the benefit of an outside perspective and will be able to best assess how the work youve done measures up compared to your key performance indicators. Give them honest feedback Kissing up to your manager and assuming they look after you perfectly will cause problems for your relationship down the line. If you dont like the way youre being managed, the best thing to do is be honest about it. Your manager will be seeking to improve just like you are and the best managers take feedback from above and below them. Caring about yours and their development will definitely improve your relationship. Dont fear them, empathise with them Your manager is a human being just like you. Theyre going to make mistakes, they have fears about their job, and they have insecurities. Its important to have patience with them. Nine times out of ten, they go home thinking about the little wrinkles in their performance rather than yours. Communication will lead to a better understanding, which in turn will mean a better time for both of you. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Why are managers so afraid to show some happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Why are managers so afraid to show some happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Billionaire Ingvar Kamprad hard at work That day, the IKEA store in Gentofte, Denmark is a hive of activity. Not only is there a European executive meeting taking place, but the company founder, Ingvar Kamprad himself, is in the house. That?ll make most employees straighten up and put in a little extra effort. The execs wrap up at 6 in the evening, and Ingvar takes a stroll through the store as if this was the most natural thing in the world, kindly greeting each and every employee. He encounters two female employees talking to each other and approaches them with a smile and the words: ?And what are too such lovely ladies talking about?? ? following up with huge hugs for both of them. Ingvar Kamprad is not merely a multi-billionaire and the top guy of company employing well above 100,000 people worldwide ? he?s is also a happy person, and he?s not afraid to show it. The same goes for many other top executives like Tony Hsieh of Zappos, Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, J?rgen Vig Knudstorp of LEGO and BrinPage of Google. Richard Branson of Virgin is perhaps the most famous example of a top exec who isn?t afraid of being happy, enthusiastic and funloving. Would you dare to? Can people tell that you?re happy from looking at you? Are you walking the halls of your company with a smile on your face, a cheerful outlook and an unflagging faith in the future? Or have you, like so many other managers, bound yourself to an identity that requires a professional, cold, serious, disparaging and businesslike appearance? Happiness pays off. Happiness at work is catching ? and when the boss is happy, it?s downright infectious. If you, the person in charge, seem unhappy, you dampen the mood of everyone else in the company. This leads to more sick days, more stress, higher staff turnover and lower efficiency. On the other hand: When you radiate energy, curiosity and enthusiasm, you inevitably pass on your attitude to your employees. They grow happier and more creative, and they?ll ultimately end up providing better service to your customers. Happy managers also gain a natural rapport with their employees, and people are much more eager to go the extra mile for a happy manager than for an unhappy one. However, there?s one downside to being happy that you should be aware of: You may be regarded as less competent. In an exciting psychological study, participants were asked to read an article and subsequently assess the smartness of its author. Half the participants got an article with a negative, critical attitude towards a certain topic ? the other half got an article on the exact same topic, but worded in a much more positive way. The study showed that the author of the negative article was perceived as the more intelligent of the two. That?s frankly strange, because loads of studies prove that happy people do a much better job. But apparently, many people also think that happy people aren?t all that serious. They?re seen as kind of happy-go-lucky and maybe a bit gullible too. On the whole, however, there?s no doubt that the advantages to being a happy manager far outstrip the disadvantages. So what can you do to bring some more happiness into your management style? Here are three concrete and dead simple suggestions. 1: Smile. Look happy when you?re at work. Smiles are infectious and build good relationships. Dont be fake, though. It has to be a genuine smile. 2: Look at the bright spots. Many managers spend all their time on problems and all the stuff that doesn?t work. Change tack and spend much more of your time praising good work and finding and cherishing the heroes of your organization. 3: Cultivate optimism. Some managers believe that a permanent atmosphere of impending crisis leads to good results, and they work hard to point out threats in order to create a burning platform. That?s a mistake. If you convey calm, optimism and faith in the future, you create a much more efficient and adaptable organization. Optimism is not an excuse to sit around doing nothing ? it?s the most important driver of change there is. The upshot Studies show that managers on average are happier at work than employees but you wouldnt usually think so to look at them, since many believe that leaders should be serious rather than happy. They forget that its possible to be both. Smiling and being happy is no substitute for being good at your job of course. You still need to be professionally competent, efficient and a good manager. But the collective experience of some of the most capable and successful managers in the world shows that being happy makes you a better boss. That is, if you?re not afraid to show it! Your take Are you a leader? If so, are you happy and not afraid to show it? Or do you adopt a more professional facade? As an employee, have you tried working for happy boss? Or a very unhappy one? What was that like? Related posts How Richard Branson celebrates his employees. Happiness at work at Southwest Airlines. Happiness at work at Zappos. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Benefits of Using Professional Resume Writing Templates

The Benefits of Using Professional Resume Writing TemplatesIf you are having a hard time writing your own resume, why not consider getting professional resume writing templates? These templates can help you avoid some of the common mistakes that students make when they write their own resumes.One of the biggest mistakes that students make is making the resume look as though it was written by a person. You should be able to see the correct spelling of names and title tags as well as titles of paragraphs. Make sure that the information on the resume is clear and well-written.If you are unsure about what kind of information you should include in your professional resume template, you can always hire a professional writer to help you out. For the type of experience that you have, this will likely be needed for you to fill in the right information. Professional writers can also write the resume for you if you cannot write it yourself. This can be helpful for those that have some type of d isability.When you first start writing your resume, it is important to know what needs to be included. This will help you determine what should be left out or what can be included. The more details you include, the better your chances are of getting hired. By making this decision early on, you will be able to be confident that the information will be included on your resume.Some professional resume writing templates do have spaces that should be left blank. Make sure that you follow the template in regards to the number of spaces that you leave empty. Not filling them in is a common mistake that most people make when writing their own resumes. Filling in these blank spaces with your personal information is acceptable but you should also leave enough information for the employer to know what skills you have.Some professional resume templates allow for some sort of summary. Although you can write your summary later, it is very helpful to start writing a summary as soon as possible. A summary can provide an overview of the skills that you possess so that the employer can have an idea of what type of work experience they will need.One of the best things about professional resume templates is that they will take all of the worry out of preparing your resume. Many templates allow you to put your information in the proper format and that means that you will not have to worry about making mistakes when you are writing your resume. This is one way that you can save a lot of time and money that you would otherwise spend on hiring a professional writer.Whether you are preparing for a job interview or are just wanting to create a resume for yourself, professional resume templates can be used. Many students often write their own resumes and once they start, they often get stuck. Creating a professional resume takes a little practice but it is well worth it in the end.