A Note About Unrealistic Expectations

Don’t get me wrong - I think stretch goals are a good thing … but unattainable goals are just going to make you feel depressed for no reason.

Louise Fletcher wrote that statement in a blog post titled, “Keeping it Real” a few weeks ago and I agree completely. I would also like to write a little bit about the subject.

Professional resume writers spend a lot of time answering questions from potential clients about resume writing services. One of the questions we get most often is about how many responses one should expect after their resume is professionally written.

How many calls for interviews will I get?

Well, that is impossible to predict. The economy is unstable right now and many industries are cutting back, so immediate success might not be reasonable in certain professions. Some jobseekers can have the best resume in the world and still not know how to use it. For example, they may be applying for jobs they are not qualified for or they aren’t following the directions in the job announcement.

Jobseekers sometimes believe their results should be immediate because they have spent time on other websites that promise this. There are various “job finding” types of services on the internet that promise you the world and a job too. They claim to know some secrets about the “hidden job market” and they will take $5,000 (or more) of your hard earned cash and offer very little results. Check it out for yourself here or here before you do business with these kinds of companies. You can also search the Better Business Bureau website.

Can you guarantee I will get a job with a new resume?

That is another frequently asked question we receive from potential clients. The correct answer is “no”. The purpose of a resume is to get you the interview. From there, it’s up to you to shine. No one can really guarantee that they will get you a job unless they have mastered walking on water or distant psychic influence (psychic persuasion some call it).

In all seriousness, no one can guarantee you will get a job because it will ultimately be the hiring manager’s decision. I would be leery of a website filled with promises and guarantees that sound a little too good to be true. It’s just marketing hype to get you to dig in your pockets and make someone else rich.

So, what do professional resume writers do?

We write targeted resumes that will market a jobseeker’s skills effectively and increase his/her calls for interviews.

We consider ourselves partners. We want to see a jobseeker succeed and we take on a great responsibility knowing that what we write could ultimately change someone’s life.

I have worked with many people who have been unemployed for months and they are feeling the pinch from the mortgage, the car payment, etc. If they had only written me sooner! The results could be noticeable even to the lazy jobseeker and the results would be amazing for the jobseeker that is being proactive and not reactive. These are realistic outcomes and it’s important to be realistic with your career goals or you will feel let down.