Lauren Settembrino 
Get ahead of your competition.
We often think of the job search with two people in mind: you, the job seeker, and the employer. But there's another group of people that plays just as big a role: your competition. On average, a corporate job posting receives 250 applications ‒‒ that's 249 people you need to outshine if you want to land a new role. With the odds stacked against you, it means that your application needs to be above and beyond those of your competition. But how?
It all starts with the first impression: your resume. If you can catch an employer's attention right off the bat, you'll be on their short list when it comes time to select interviewees. Plus, whenever they reference your resume to recall your qualifications, they'll continue to be impressed by what they see.
With so much riding on your resume, you can't afford to settle. That is to say, a good resume won't cut it; most of your competition will have good resumes. If you want to take your candidacy to the next level, you need a document with professional polish and powerful language ‒‒ something that can be achieved by seasoned experts, like trained resume writers. Here are three ways a professionally written resume can give you the edge you need to rise above your competition.
You'll pass through the ATS
Did you know your resume may not even reach the eyes of a hiring manager? That will certainly diminish your chances of landing a job. This is because of applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are a kind of software that scans resumes and eliminates the candidates it deems least qualified ‒‒ only those that remain are considered by real humans.
Getting past the ATS is a science; your resume needs to be written and formatted to fulfill its complex requirements. Luckily, this science is one that professional resume writers have studied and mastered. They can ensure that your resume is ATS-friendly, meaning it will get through the scanning software to reach more employers for consideration. While your competition is getting stuck at the ATS, your name will be on the recruiter's desk time and time again, greatly increasing your chances of landing a job.
Proper formatting will emphasize your value
Formatting is one of the biggest question marks when it comes to resume writing, and though the appearance of your resume may seem like an extraneous detail, it can actually make or break your application. Above all, poor formatting can mean that important information in your resume gets lost, and a busy employer will not want to spend their time searching. Suddenly, all of your valuable experience and skills have been cast aside.
All to often, DIY resume layouts sabotage perfectly qualified job seekers. A professionally written resume, on the other hand, will utilize strategic formatting to guide an employer's eyes to your key selling points. It will go the extra mile, formatted to not only meet industry standards but also emphasize the qualities that impress recruiters most.
You'll strengthen other components of your job search
A job search doesn't consist of just your resume ‒‒ there are cover letters, phone screens, and interviews to consider as well, not to mention supplemental elements like informational interviews, networking events, and building up your online presence, if you can find the time. It's certainly true that searching for a job is a full-time job.
A professionally written resume gives you more than a document that sets you up for success. It also gives you something invaluable: time. By sending your resume to the pros, you'll free up the hours that you would have otherwise spent at your computer screen struggling in Microsoft Word. Then, you can invest that time in enhancing your job search: expanding your network, practicing for your interview or working with an interview coach, and meeting with connections that could refer you to appropriate openings. Those supplemental elements go from if only to the reason you landed a new job, and all the while, your competition was still at home writing their resumes.
There's no escaping it: The job search is competitive. With so many applicants vying for a single opening, your only option is to stand out, and by enlisting the help of a professional resume writer, you'll do just that. Learn more about TopResume's professional resume writing services to reap the benefits that will put you ahead of your competition. We'll see you at the finish line!