With the economy rapidly tanking and many losing their jobs and/or homes, money is very tight. Many job-seekers really need a new or updated resume, but just cannot afford one, even one done by a low-cost but excellent resume-writing company. While we believe that it's best to hire a resume writer or resume-writing company, it is possible for you to write your own. Here are 15 pointers for writing your own resume:

1. If your library has resume books, look them over and borrow one. If you have a choice, pick the most recent one.
2. Be as accurate and complete as possible in describing the jobs you have held.
3. Make sure that you write a competitive, compelling resume, one that captures the attention of your prospective employer.
4. List each of your job-related skills. A skills-rich resume is never overlooked.
5. Make sure your resume is targeted to the job that you want, and shows that you can and will do the work required.
6. Be sure to list all employment dates, job titles, employers, and duties that you performed. If you are new to the job market, list any internships, certificates, awards, associations (including offices held, if any), and volunteer work (including offices held, if any).
7. Always tell the truth, even if it is unfavorable. Often you can explain the circumstances in your cover letter, stating what you learned as a result of the experience, et al.
8. Resumes can be sent via "snail" mail, email, or fax, but snail mail or email are preferred over fax.
9. If there are gaps in your employment history, be prepared to disclose them if you are granted an interview. They can also be explained in your cover letter; and every resume should be accompanied by a cover letter! 10. Find out what type of resume characteristics are preferred by your prospective employer, then fashion your resume according to that preference if you can.
11. Always limit your resume to two pages, unless you are applying for a job in academia, where a curriculum vitae is usually required. If you have been in the job market for less than 10 years, limit your resume to one page.
12. Resume readers spend an average of 30 to 90 seconds on each resume, so it is extremely necessary to be concise and informative. Of course, it is essential that grammar and spelling be correct.
13. The first reader of many resumes is a computer. Look at the description of the job to which you are applying, taking notice of action verbs, nouns, and adjectives used. If some of these "buzz" words are not included in appropriate places, they cannot be picked up by the computer, and your resume may be filed in the "round file," discarded before it is ever seen by a live reader.
14. Be sure to include all information about your education, including major(s), minor(s), and degree(s), if any, name(s) of institution(s), city/cities, state(s), and date(s) of graduation or attendance. If you have no post-secondary education, list your high school diploma, major (if applicable), name of school, city, state, and year of graduation.; if you did not graduate from high school, list the name of the last school you attended, the city and state, and the years of attendance.
15. Be sure to include any professional organizations to which you belong, including offices held, if applicable; the same goes for any additional training, certifications, licenses, etc., awards, certificates, and volunteer activities.

Of course, you want to be sure that your resume really shows who you are, your unique talents, and what you will bring to your new job. Whether you hire a resume writer or not, the issues enumerated above will need to be answered. Get started!

Carmen Buford-Paige, Ph.D., is the Editor for www.Affordable-Resumes.com. With With over 20 years of management, supervisory and administrative experience, she has read hundreds of resumes, and knows what employers are looking for when they read a candidate's resume and cover letter. A co-founder of Affordable-Resumes.com, she uses her expertise, as well as her editing skills, to assure that each resume is letter-perfect. Her English teaching experience, from middle school through university-level, enables her to also make sure that the right word or phrase is always used at the most appropriate place in the resume or letter. This small New England business has been successfully drafting resumes and cover letters for job seekers throughout the United States and Canada for seven years. and is a member of the Better Business Bureau, from which it received the coveted Torch Award in 2008.