Out of Work Professionals Say No to Unemployment

Resume Writing? Professionals are taking an Unlikely Move to Starting Resume-Writing Businesses rather tha
Facing Unemployment

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Even a recession doesn't tamper our never-ending drive to succeed, does it? Rather than face unemployment or under-employment, we are taking our existing skills and reapplying them towards starting businesses.

The mad rush to find even a mediocre job is being replaced by a thirst for finding viable, recession-proof businesses.

The proposition of helping jobseekers is what originally drew Dan Harper to the idea of resume writing as a business after leaving the U.S. Army in 1996. A resident of Madison, Wisconsin, Dan was recently let go from Fiserv, after a second round of layoffs. "When I asked my son what I could do if I wasn't working in information technology, he said I should be a resume writer," said Dan. Resume writing, he admits, took a back seat while he continued searching for project management jobs. He only started to take the idea to fruition once he learned an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 people were also competing for the same project management jobs as he -- hence his business, The Uber Group, was born.

Dan isn't the only one shifting career focus.

Recruiters whose industry has been bruised and battered are shifting job roles as well, adding job search and career services in order to avoid being a jobseeker themselves. Amy Castoro, a staffing and recruiting professional who has worked for major companies such as Walt Disney, Adecco and Right Management, started offering interview training, resume writing, and coaching as the recruitment industry declined. "The recruiting industry was hit hard by the balancing of the economy. My ability to translate my skill as a recruiter into my own business has been the sole reaso
I am generating income," says Amy.

Resume writing does take certain skill and therefore not everyone is cut out for it, advises Teena Rose, author of "Start Your Resume-Writing Business: The Ultimate Resource to Building a $100,000 Business." She offers three nuggets of advice to those weighing this type of business:

• First, factor the salary differences between a job and a business. Unlike a job, a new business can start strong or start weak, and financial instability can be difficult for some to accept. If you don't have cash reserves to supplement your family's income during start-up, consider a job that will provide enough income to keep you afloat until your business kicks off.

• Second, know your personal traits and what motivates you. Some people work better individually, while others need a team to stay motivated and on task. Make sure you have what it takes to successfully juggle the demands of business start-up, working alone on projects if necessary, while concurrently managing all other areas too; i.e. sales, accounting, advertising, marketing, customer service, and so on.

• Third, be prepared for continuous personal and professional growth to remain profitable and competitive. The hiring landscape is continuously changing. So like any other specialist, you'll need to keep up-to-date on resume trends and new techniques to further benefit your clients. Resume writing can be difficult and more complex than it looks.

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