If you ever studied any probability theory in high school or college, you probably remember the marbles.

Most introductory probability books talk about drawing different colored marbles out of a bag. What's the probability of getting a particular color?

Let's say the bag has 20 marbles, 15 red and 5 blue. The probability of drawing a red one is 15/20, or 3 out of 4. The probability of drawing a blue one is 5/20, or 1 out of four 4.

The principle should be obvious. Given a certain total number of marbles, the probability of drawing a particlar color goes up as the number of marbles of that color goes up.

Simple right?

Yes, but almost every job seeker forgets that simple rule when it comes to free resume examples.

You want your resume to stand out. So you copy a free resume example you consider "unique." Imagine lots of other people copy the same one. Does yours stand out anymore?

Nope. And that's what lots of people did with the three or so templates that came with Microsoft(R) Word. It became almost a running joke for headhunters and recruiters. Only it wasn't funny.

Free resume examples, and templates, are fine tools to use. In fact, I'll bet in your career you've used examples to get started on most projects. It's always helpful to get new ideas when you're brainstorming.

The problem is, most people think an example or a template is a form to fill in.

That's lazy, and the results are likely to be far from what you're hoping for.

I recommend you use free resumes examples. I also recommend you follow a simple rule of thumb. Use a LOT of free resume examples. The more the better.

What you're doing here is picking and choosing the styles, formats, phrases, words and techniques that will present YOU best. You're not the person the example fit at one time. You're you.

Remember those marbles? Imagine there is a resume example out there that fits you perfectly, so that you could in fact copy it, change the personal information at the top, and turn it in. What are your odds of finding it? I don't know, but I do know they go way up the more marbles (or free resume examples) you have to choose from.

Now, finding that "perfect match" free resume example is an extremely remote possibility. I'd say the probability is zero. But that's not what you're looking for.

You're looking for close-to-perfect pieces and parts that you can adapt to create your best possible customized resume. Fortunately, the same probability principle applies. The more pieces and parts you have to choose from, the greater your odds of finding what you're looking for. More pieces and parts come from having more free resume examples in the bag.

Maximize your odds of success by looking at LOTS of free resume examples. I'd start with 10, then do a second round of 15 more.

It's some work, but the result might be that "dream job" you've been looking for.

A little work can pay off big.

(c) Copyright 2005 by Roy Miller