Five Free Ways to Make Your Resume Better

As anyone who's ever conducted a job search knows, there are a lot of hidden costs associated with the process. You've probably piled up a bigger tab than you realize by the time you pop for new clothes, association memberships, extra gas in your car for traveling, and that great leather portfolio for holding resumes and notes. And all that's not including the sneakier hidden costs like those days off you had to take to get to interviews.

By the time it's all said and done, you might need a new job just to keep up with the costs. No wonder a lot of people forgo getting the professional assistance they really should get for their resume. But fear not. Here are some great ways to add more power to your resume without sapping more bucks from your pocket.

Free resume templates
A quick search online can yield loads of free resume templates. These are a great way to start. Using them can give you a huge shortcut to getting the kind of resume that looks truly professional and raises you to a more polished presentation.

Advice from recruiters
Recruiters sift through hundreds of resumes a week, and they have to pick the best bets for selling a particular candidate to the companies they work for. In other words, their livelihood is largely based on their ability to guess what clients want to see in a resume. So it can really pay to work with a recruiter in your field. Even if they aren't in a position to get you a job, there's a very good chance they can offer valuable advice on your resume.

Your local library
There are mountains of great books on resume writing. But, at fifteen bucks or more apiece, they can quickly add up into a substantial investment. So do your pocketbook a favor and stop by that all-too-often forgotten resource, your local library.