Do you ever wonder why resume services post free resume samples on their sites for resume service clients to view? What do sample resumes provide? There is an ongoing argument among professional resume writers that posting sample resumes on websites is akin to giving away their work. True, some visitors to sites rip off the sample resumes they find there to use in their own job searches. Unfortunately for them, these individuals do not understand they are doing themselves a disservice.

If a site visitor likes a sample resume, it’s usually not the content that attracts them but rather the style of the writing, the approach to the content, and the strategy that lies behind the writing. Sample resumes are generally chosen by the professional resume writer as stellar examples of approach and strategy, not for the professions or background of the resume owner.

I had a client who sent an old resume to me as part of the process of developing his new resume. The first page was typically self-written but the second page diverged considerably – not only was the entire career background different (he went from a network specialist to a Lawson programmer), but the entire approach was different. When I asked him about it, he stated “oh, that was a sample resume that I found on a site. I can’t remember which one.” I noted that it was a completely different field than his and his reply was that he just liked the approach and style of the sample resume portion.

Without his realizing, he had “snatched” a portion of a sample resume that I had written several years earlier and was posted as a sample resume on Rezamaze.com. To avoid embarrassing him, I did not point it out but I thought it was a good illustration of the purpose of sample resumes. The purpose of a sample resume is to demonstrate how the professional resume writer can take a job seeker’s background and craft a document that grabs the attention, promotes the client’s qualifications, and projects a professional image that will get the interview.

Sample resumes are not only posted on websites, but there is a plethora of resume books on the market that show sample resumes from different professions and written by different professional writers. A great deal of our work here at GetInterviews.com is published as sample resumes in these books.

If you find a sample resume on our site that appeals to you, give us a call. We’d be happy to discuss how we can construct a professional resume for you that would promote your career so you can get the interview!