PLEASANTON, CA--January, 2004 There is positive news for job seekers recently. The Commerce Department reported economic growth at an annualized rate of 8.2 percent, the fastest pace in 20 years, and the Labor Department reported an increased number of new jobs with a decline in the unemployment rate. As the first signs of an economic recovery appear, job seekers who want to advance their careers in 2004 need to begin updating their resumes, targeting companies, and preparing for their next job search. Individual Software has just released two new software titles that help job seekers compete for the top jobs in 2004: ResumeMaker® Professional 11.0 and Professional Resumes Quick & Easy.

"January, February and March are typically the most competitive months for job seekers. We're pleased to release new, 2004 versions of our best-selling resume-writing and career software in time to help job seekers gain a competitive advantage." said Matt Hendrickson, Senior Director of Product Management.

ResumeMaker Professional 11.0 Features, Enhancements, and Benefits

• Improved Job Finder -- Job seekers can now search millions of job openings through all the top Web sites from one location - faster than ever! An exclusive new feature searches up to 4 million jobs and narrows the job search by career category or within a 50-mile radius.
• Improved Resume Caster™ -- Broadcasts a candidate's resume to every major career Web site instantly. Resumes are automatically posted to over 100 career Web sites including Monster.com, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, America's Job Bank, and more through one simple form that takes just minutes to complete. This feature saves 60 hours of research and data entry time and helps job seekers be seen by up to 1.5 million employers and recruiters daily.
• New Resume Wizards -- The new Resume Interviewer™ provides a personalized resume based on specific career situations for better results. And, Resume Express™ helps the career-savvy professional that already knows what kind of resume they need breeze through the resume-writing process.
• Real Examples -- ResumeMaker's career experts work hard to keep up with the latest trends in resume writing. These writers have included 750 of the most impressive, genuine resumes each written by professionally-certified writers that have helped real job seekers achieve success.
• New Tools for A Job Search -- For the first time ever, ResumeMaker includes new career tools help job seekers create a List of References and a Resume Addendum for promoting additional projects, training, skills, or papers and articles that would not normally fit on a traditional resume.
• E-mail Resumes in Perfect Format™ -- ResumeMaker ensures that resumes keep their original, professional-style and format - regardless of hardware, software, or e-mail systems. Hiring employers are impressed by properly formatted resumes they receive without attachments.
• Professional Resume Reviewer™ -- With only one chance to make a good first impression, ResumeMaker helps candidates review their resumes and cover letters before sending them to employers. Over 50 checks ensure that documents avoid common mistakes and achieve professional results.
• Updated Salary Finder -- Salary Finder gives business professionals a negotiating advantage with up-to-date salary figures for careers in each geographic location. A printed, personalized salary report puts them in a better position to negotiate salary based on the facts.