IRVINE, Calif. - The nation's unemployment rate dipped to 8.6 percent in November, the lowest point in two-and-a-half years.
Still, some analysts believe the number of jobless fell because many of the unemployed are discouraged about being able to rejoin the workforce.
The CEO of one California company believes he can help some of those people get back to work by teaching them how to improve their resumes.
Steven Tartaglini is the chairman and chief executive of the Irvine-based Charles M. Edwards Company and he's begun a website to help people with their resumes.
In an open letter he has written to the unemployed, he wrote, "Now I cannot offer you a job, but as a 39-year industry veteran CEO engaged in a diverse range of environments from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies to the White House, I can offer you my expertise."
Tartaglini went on to offer to review anyone's resume for $5 and has set up a website and a company where job seekers can submit their resumes for analysis.
"To be clear, I am not providing a resume writing service," he wrote, " so please do not expect me to rewrite your resume."
What he did promise was to read the resumes that are submitted and offer honest information on what needs to be changed to improve a job seeker's chances of getting their resume read.
"This is something I've learned," he said, adding "it's a gift so if I can help someone then that makes me feel good."
Among the job seekers seeking Tartaglini's help were Stephanie Holland, a paralegal, who has rewritten her resume three times in the last three years and Pierrette Rizco, who was laid off from her customer service job Thursday.
"I'm very dependable," Rizco said.
Now, she's hoping that her resume reflects this and gets her foot in the door.
Tartaglini advises people not to attach any photo to their resume, not to use all caps or too much text.
Another job seeker, Robert Striffler, takes those words to heart.
"It's like a puzzle and you have to put the pieces in the right place and if the timing is right, you'll survive," he said.
Tartaglini advises people to consider their resumes as their first impression and make sure it is spot on.
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