DATE: Monday, September 15, 1997            TAG: 9709130623

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Service Q & A 

SOURCE: BY MELISSA GUNDEL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   71 lines

GETTING YOU A JOB IS RESUME WRITER'S JOB

Anne Kramer is not only a technical writer, but a certified professional resume writer. Her resume articles have appeared in ``Gallery of Best Resumes for Two-Year Degree Candidates'' and ``How To Open and Operate A Home-Based Resume Service.'' She opened Alpha Bits, a business consulting and resume service for job seekers, in 1983.

How did you prepare for this type of work?

I took business and computer courses at a variety of colleges including Newark University (now part of Rutgers University), Ithaca College, Cornell, and Tidewater Community College. While I worked at Cornell, students and faculty started coming to me for resumes. I opened my own resume service in Ithaca, N.Y., in the 1950's.

What are some of the mistakes people make in writing their own resumes?

People are not aware of what is involved in resume writing. They go out, buy books, and put together the resume. They are not aware who is going to read it or what the reader is looking for. Some people work on the job and don't know what is involved. For instance, I can look up a job in my career encyclopedia and find details to put into a resume that they are not aware of. People also try to fit as many words as they can onto a page. They don't realize the appearance is very important. My job is to create a resume that will get them an interview.

What is your biggest challenge?

Keeping up with the changes in the resume industry. The resume industry has changed so dramatically with the introduction of electronic resumes. You have to know the difference between read-only resumes, which use action verbs and electronic resumes. Electronic ones are scanned, and read by a computer programmed to read specific nouns and that's a big challenge because each company has their own specific requirements.

How do you keep up with the changes in employment?

I read resume books and I belong to two organizations that keep me up to date. Through the Professional Association of Resume Writers, I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer. The other is the National Resume Writer's Association and they send me information. I read the business section in newspapers to see what is going on and I have my own library.

How do you prefer to work with your clients?

It's easier if I sit with a client. The resume has to appear as if it was written by them. I have to use the client's vocabularly. If the client doesn't use fancy words, I won't. When you go to the dressmaker and you try on a dress, she alters it to fit you. She doesn't try on the dress. It's the same thing. I make sure the resume fits the client.

What advice would you offer?

In order to start a resume business, one needs to know about employee skills, abilities, knowledge and experience. They need to develop rapport with clients, take a personal interest in them and know how to market their skills. They also have to offer high quality services, customer satisfaction and fast turnaround.

How do you get the word out?

Business contacts and satisfied clients refer people to me. MEMO: We're looking for small businesses to share their experiences:

problems they've faced, successes they've achieved. Please fax your

suggestions to Melissa Gundel at 446-2531. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Anne Kramer

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