1. Could you please introduce yourself in a couple of words?

My name is Joe Marinaccio and I am the co-founder of ResumeScholar.com with Dina Ghanbarzadeh. The business started as a hobby and has developed into a full-time business.

2. What is your level of education and qualifications and how long did you work in this sphere?

I achieved a bachelor’s degree in psychology and another in business studies. Immediately after college, I began work as a recruiter. After some time, I became the team leader for the East Coast and had a team of recruiters in 7 states working with me on my team. In that role I’d seen thousands of resumes; some great, some good, and some terrible. I also have over 5 years experience as the final decision maker in regards to hiring for a couple of very large organizations. The success of ResumeScholar.com stems from the fact that my team and I know what people responsible for hiring want to see from a candidate’s resume.

3. This question has been asked on numerous occasions: what is more important “the resume” or “the cover letter”?

The resume is absolutely more important. The resume IS the advertisement. As a candidate, you want your resume to be seen and noticed whether a cover-letter is attached or not. The resume gets the interview, not the cover-letter. Many staffing professionals that I know do not even want to present cover letters to their clients when trying to place someone because, many times, it does more harm than good. I personally can think of many specific occasions when I didn’t even read the applicant’s resume because of how flawed the cover letter was.

4. What do we have to pay attention to when we seek the services of a professional resume writer?

Service, it is that simple. Make sure the company is legitimate, can be contacted through multiple communication channels, and is willing to work with you until you are satisfied and confident with the work that was completed.

5. Some services cost a couple of dollars others reach several hundred dollars. Will you agree that more expensive services amount to better quality?

In some cases yes, but in some cases no. Our philosophy is that it should not cost more than $150 for a quality, unique resume for a candidate at any level. We also don’t believe in firms that make ridiculous guarantees like one hour turnaround time or guaranteed interviews. How can a firm make these guarantees and still claim legitimacy?

6. If all jobs seekers take advantage of the services of professional resume writers, doesn’t this turn into a competition among the writers themselves?

Professional resume writing services are not for everyone. Not everyone needs it. There are, however, many, many people who do in fact need it. If it happened that everyone was using professional writers, it would be very competitive and the quality would improve for people based on market conditions. If everyone used professional writers, the playing field would be leveled. Right now, those who use professional services have an edge, and if everyone used one, they would be judged more on credentials rather than how their resume presents them. That may be a good thing. There are many well qualified people out there that do not get interviews based on the appearance of their resume alone.

7. What do you usually keep on your desk while you write a cover letter?

Several pads, pens, sticky notes, and my computer.

8. Could you suggest any useful books, sites, and programs that will facilitate the job seeking process?

We suggest reading any and all resume writing and job seeking literature to stay up to date with trends and market conditions. There is no Holy Grail. There are many styles and approaches that are successfully executed by professionals. It comes down to personal preference and what makes the candidate confident when approaching the job search.

9. Would you like to tell anything to the people who are about to start the difficult job seekers` path?

A successful job search is more than a full-time job. Be prepared to spend 40 to 50 hours a week posting resumes and preparing for interviews. The good news is the harder you work, the more likely it is that you will find rewarding employment.

10. Could you share a favorite thought or a quote of yours?

Life is a game of inches.