Make sure your writing is direct and simple. It is difficult to explain what constitutes a good writing style. You might sense your writing isn’t good but can’t seem to fix it, just as someone who isn’t a dancer knows "this dancer is better then that one" but often can’t explain why. If you're motivated to improve your writing, Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and William Zinsser's On Writing Well, are good places to start. Otherwise, have your résumé read by someone who knows about writing.

> If you are at all unsure about your writing, consider hiring a professional to re-write your cover letter and résumé. Look for editorial services in the yellow pages, on bulletin boards at universities, or in weekly community papers. You can also try asking someone on the newsgroup misc.writing. Tell them you want your résumé and cover letter re-written and edited. You can have this done for between ten and forty dollars. Don’t confuse editing services with résumé-writing services which interview you to create your package for you. Such services might ask as much as $250 to write your résumé. There are a lot of bad editors who are only trying to make a quick buck and couldn’t care less about the finished product, so watch out. Ask for references and check up on them. A good editor will have many satisfied customers.

You can also ask a friend to help you with your writing. Sometimes it is better to have someone else write about you. He or she will bring a new perspective to your résumé. But make sure you like what the person is writing because it is your résumé after all.

Use of one of the three magic words described in the next section to make your résumé and cover letter even more powerful. After discovering which magic word fits you best, look at the list of words which can add personality and spice to your résumé package.