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, its 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...