Lately I’ve been noticing that several websites are popping up that offer templates and wizards for creating resumes by plugging in certain pieces of information and selecting a pre-fabricated design format. So now your resume can look just like everyone else’s. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Resumes are about standing out in the pack, not blending in. They communicate unique stories of success that only you can take credit for. You don’t create a winning resume by picking a word from column A and a word from column B. Strong resumes are the culmination of hours of introspection about yourself and your value proposition and in-depth research on your target market. You have to put in the work to create a quality product. Whether you do this on your own or partner with a professional writer is up to you. But you owe it to yourself to showcase the best possible representation of your skills and you owe a potential employer a document that is not “off the rack.”