Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer

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.

I can not rate this book highly enough. I bought this book in 2013, but I did not bother to read it until this summer.Her information is straightforward and her examples and templates are easy to follow. I took one of her templates and just added in the same information from my resume with a few tweaks, but that has made all of the difference. Since revising my resume this past summer, I have received three interviews and have been told numerous times that I have an impressive resume! And yet my credentials are the same - I've just arranged them in a coherent way.This book is best for experienced professionals who may not have worked on a resume in awhile and want to quickly update and improve their resumes and coverletters. I don't think it would be as effective for recent college graduates looking for a first position, although her information on the importance of selling yourself and thinking of your resume as an advertising document are good advice for anyone at any stage of their career.

Before I read this book, I really thought I had a decent resume even though I had been job searching for quite a while. My resume highlighted my skills and a few accomplishments; however, I did not realize how off the mark my resume actually was. Since I am changing careers, I really had no idea what I wanted to do exactly but this book helped me realize I needed a new and improved game plan and a new resume that could really show what I could do for a company. Using some of the ideas in the book, I really felt inspired to completely revamp my resume. Actually, I created a new resume from scratch using one of Whitcomb's templates. My new resume looks nothing like my old resume and it looks100x better and my skills just jump off of the page.I downloaded the Kindle edition to my iPad and I was able to zoom and magnify the charts and sample resumes with no problem. They were still clear and readable. My only gripe about the Kindle edition is that the headlines for each chart/resume/graph are on the following page (not on the same page as the actual chart). It got quite confusing at times. The author does offer templates of resumes included in the book on her website that you can download in Microsoft Word but make sure you are using a newer version of Word.Due to the wealth of information in this book, I wish I also had a hard copy since she would often have you jump to different pages of the book which can be quite a hassle to do electronically. One thing I would have liked to see was more of a variety of occupations represented in the book. Not everyone is a salesperson, high-level executive, or IT consultant. Even in spite of that, I was still able to walk away with a new and improved resume for my profession utilizing the steps Whitcomb outlined.I had also downloaded a copy of "Headhunter Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed...Forever" by Skip Freeman along with Whitcomb's book and I am now utilizing some of Freeman's strategies. I feel really confident at this point but "the proof is in the pudding" so only time will tell if I can finally land a new job.

Excellent assistance with content inclusion/exclusion for resumes as well as cover letters, and extremely helpful (step-by-step) assistance with layout and format (visual techniques and "artistry"). Essential explanations of resume "speak" (grammar & mechanics), various types of resumes, how to save & send electronically, function of ATS, and more. Well organized and easy to follow, but plan to spend some time with this guide to do your work justice. Plenty of excellent before & after examples. Probably the most helpful text of the three I worked with recently. This 4th edition is the latest, but is from 2010...hence only 4 stars. Still, an invaluable one-stop source for polishing-up a resume to professional standards, getting it ready for distribution, and how to start using some of the social media to circulate the finished product.

Resume Magic 4th Edition by Susan Britton Whitcomb is an invaluable resource for job seekers, resume writers, career coach. The book is brimming with insight, techniques, and examples that give you a competitive advantage in the job market. Those without the kind of resume writing training that this book provides can't begin to compete with those who do. They definitely better know someone who can hire them. A better alternative is to make Resume Magic 4th Edition part of your career coaching team so you can become a top contender or the standard by which others are measured...whether or not you know the hiring manager.

Book was in perfect condition

Good One!

This book is a comprehensive look at resumes, with lots of suggestions and examples to help guide you on the way. A good investment for anyone looking for the next job.

very helpful.

A good quality