What you will be doing.  Before you reach the employer’s office for a job interview, they receive your resume.  A resume tells all about you and your previous work experience.  The employer can begin to form a mental picture before they meet you.   

With a resume service, those looking for a job or wanting to keep their work history updated turn to you for a professional looking product.  They provide the information so that you can turn it into a finished product that will impress any employer.  Resumes don’t have to conform to a standard as long as they provide the information an employer needs to see in an easy to read format. 

How to start.  Resume services use their writing skills and creativity.  Choosing sample formats will give you something to show your clients in the initial meeting.  Resume services offer a variety of fonts, styles, and paper options so each client’s resume has a unique look.  

Starting costs.  Samples can be composed on your computer and printed out for the portfolio.  Until clients decide what they want as a paper background, there is no reason to purchase these items.  Pick up some stationery store catalogs for clients to see.   

Your home office will be complete with a computer, telephone, fax machine, laser printer, and copier.  Along with advertising costs, the initial outlay of money should be no more than $2,000.  If you already own this office equipment, the cost will decrease. 

Skills needed.   Creativity and attention to detail are important.  Information on a resume is a factual representation of the person applying for the job.  Dates, places, and job descriptions need to be accurate.    

Resume services work closely with clients to be sure that the final format is acceptable.  If you plan on offering hard copies on a CD-ROM you will have to know how to burn a CD.  Organizational skills keep each client’s information separate and filed properly. 

Marketing.  A computer allows access to the Internet to run your business website.  Use affiliate programs to advertise on their sites and vice versa.  Flyers posted at colleges and high schools are perfect for contacting younger adults. 

Ads in the classifieds, the Yellow Pages, newspapers, and business magazines will attract job seekers who have already been in the workplace.  Another way to advertise your services is through seminars on interview preparation and other job finding skills.  Give out business cards at the end of the presentations so guests can easily contact you to learn more. 

Resumes are an important part of the job search.  Resume services offer initial resume preparation and updating by professionals who want their clients to get the job.