This blog post is generously provided by www.JibberJobber.com. JibberJobber was designed by Jason Alba during his first real job search beginning January 2006. After having a successful career in IT and business strategy, Jason found himself in the job market, which was supposedly a "job seeker's market." He quickly found that a job seeker's market does not mean the job search will be easy or short. Frustrated by the lack of real tools for job seekers, he decided to move forward on a tool that allowed a job seeker to manage and organize a job search. This has shifted its focus from a tool just to be used during one job search into a tool to be used to manage job transitions during your entire career. Thanks, Jason, for such a great post:
I frequently think about how we think of our job transitions - we are supposed to have lots of them during our career. I’m completely intrigued by the people who have forgotten what a forced transition is like, or by those that feel totally secure in their job (or their ability to find a new job) - and their reactions to a “job search.”
Before I get to some differences that I have brainstormed, I have to admit one of my personal characteristics. As a trained computer programmer I tend to try and figure out how to create a process that can be duplicated. So, if I’m going to change jobs “nine more times” what can I do that I can reuse during any of those nine job changes? (yes, JibberJobber is based on this idea, that’s why I call it a “career toolset” and not a “job search tool.”) … so with that introduction, I share my thoughts on the job search vs. career management:
Job Search: I will start to look when I need to (unemployed, completely fed up, can see the writing on the wall, etc.)
Career Management: I am always in career management mode - I regularly do things that I need to in order to navigate quickly (and be in control of) future job transitions.
Job Search: I network to find immediate job opportunities, and hope that my network isn’t too stale (or… “what network??”).
Career Management: I have a very strong set of relationships and continually strive to add value to people that are in different circles than I am in.
Job Search: I find networking to be frustrating and non-beneficial to my search (and it takes too much time).
Career Management: As I nurture various relationships I find great satisfaction in watching my contacts succeed, congratulating them when I can and offering to help as appropriate.
Job Search: I don’t have time to volunteer - I’m too busy looking for a job.
Career Management: I actively volunteer in areas where I can contribute considerably to an organization and where I will meet other professionals that I want to get to know better.
Job Search: I have spent considerable time on my resumes and have “the perfect resume.” I hope I don’t have to do this again any time soon because it took a long time to tweak it just right.
Career Management: I keep a Job Diary (see Liz Handlin’s post on what a Job Diary is).
Job Search: I share my personal brand through my resume, interviews and my business cards I just got “for free” from VistaPrint (um, its not exactly free).
Career Management: I know what my value proposition is and I find ways to share this in various mediums. I have various elevator pitches (for different events), I know what a Google search on my name will produce, I have (or will have) some kind of strong presence online (I’m buying a URL with my name, I will start a blog once I figure it out, etc.).
Job Search: I don’t have time to read one more article or book on the job search - because its time to find a job and I need to apply, apply, apply.
Career Management: I have a list of books (and other resources) that I read to help me understand my own career options including job search stuff (interviewing, resumes, etc.), personal branding, etc. I am not hurried through these books and mix in my own favorite reading, but make it a point to keep abreast on career issues.
Job Search: I hope my next job is at least as good as the last one (or way better).
Career Management: Each job change I have will (should) be a stepping-stone to my ultimate career goals.
Job Search: I need something NOW (you know, mortgate, bills, mouths-to-feed, etc.) and am prepared to sacrifice what I really want to get what I need for now.
Career Management: My career is planned out - with flexibility. I won’t have control over everything but I know that my career is mine to own, and I’m making sure that I do everything I can to work towards my end goals.
Job Search: I hate recruiters - why don’t they ever call me back??
Career Management: I have a handful of recruiters that regularly contact me. I’m interested in hearing what they have to say and have no problem selectively opening my network to them.
Job Search: I can’t wait until this is over so I don’t have to do this stuff anymore!
Career Management: My career management is never over - its a part of what I do.
________________________________
Pathfinder Writing and Careers comment:
Jason's post is so 'to the point' that I couldn't have said it any better. Taking an active role in managing your career direction means looking forward and being visionary... to your own future. Be your own career advocate!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Top Five Things That Can Kill a Résumé
The résumé is a strategic document. There's a reason behind the way that it is structured and what is included so you can effectively convey your value to prospective employers. However, there are several things that can absolutely torpedo your résumé if you aren't aware of them. Here are some pitfalls to avoid:
1) Accidentally revealing your age.
You need to neutralize your resume so you don't tip your hand on how old you are... both new entrants to the workplace and more mature workers struggle with this issue, and plenty of employers out there have misconceptions about what each generation of workers are capable of doing/not doing. Your goal is to make your career document as neutral as possible. Get into this mindset: If it isn't on there, it can' be discriminated against.
Key areas to evaluate are the following:
a. Your email address - does it say anything about what year you graduated, your interests, your age? Safe bet: use your name and if you have a common name, include a couple of random numbers with your name in your email address.
b. What year you graduated - unless you are going into an educational or technical field, leave it off. Human resource managers can do the math, and that can reveal your age!
c. How long is your work history - the 'sweet' spot is no more than 15-20 years of work history. Anything more screams your age, and usually, after 15-20 years, you have already eclipsed what you did long ago either in accomplishments or career levels, so you'll have to do some editing. Think of it this way: we don't do business the way we did over 20 years ago, so what you accomplished back then is now obsolete!
2) Producing an error-filled résumé.
You'd be surprised at how many people, including top C+ level executives, are marching around with résumés riddled with errors. Check everything- including consistency of use, spelling, punctuation, grammar and formatting. Remember, this is supposed to be your best foot forward, and if you can't even get that right, that tells a prospective employer that you won't be doing a much better job if you were to become their employee.
3) Lack of focus/one-size-fits-all approach.
The truth of the matter is that résumés have to be highly targeted, laser-precise documents now, given that many employers are using applicant tracking software to scan for relevant keywords. Even if a company isn't using this filter, you still need to immediately capture their attention and prove your relevancy towards the position opening.
So it is even more critical that you create 'thematic' résumés that play up your career strengths. Anyone who has spent time in the workforce likely has several different cards to play out of their deck when it comes to the types of jobs they are targeting. As an example, I am a résumé writer, an instructor, have been a television producer, a meeting planner, tourism development manager, and also been in sales and marketing. Each one of those fields would be highlighted in a different résumé, and unless my experience directly relates to the document theme, I leave it off. Think relevancy. That brings clarity to the document, and helps you determine the correct keyword cloud to associate with that particular theme. That alone can improve your keyword hits or really hit home to someone reading your résumé that you are a match to their position opening.
4) Lack of a cover letter.
Believe it or not, human resource managers will say that cover letters, while maybe not immediately grabbing their attention, are important components of the résumé. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich- you need to have both to make the magic combination; they simply go together! The résumé are the facts, and the cover letter is the compelling reason of how you are going to help the target company, and why they should hire you. These documents cannot stand alone independent of each other.
5) Leaving yourself open to bias in the résumé review stage.
It's an uncomfortable fact that in that back room, where the human resource person is sifting through résumés, that personal bias comes into play. It's difficult to prove, and employers deny it, but the reality is that it DOES happen. Use some critical thought about what you are putting down under your affiliations and involvement section of your résumé. The reasons that someone might toss your résumé out are truly mind-boggling. No matter how innocuous your experience might be, someone else on the other end might misconstrue it.
As a very good example: I worked on client's résumé last year and included under his "Involvement" section that he had volunteered with Friends of Trees, which plants trees in the parking strip between the street and the sidewalk. Generally, this group is perceived as a positive entity by increasing neighborhood livability, the overall canopy, and aesthetics of homes. However, he got an interview with a company (he's in a conservative field) and the boss came in, threw down the résumé, and said, "Well, I see we have a real tree-hugger here, now don't we?" How's that for the first comment in an interview? We ended up revising the client résumé statement to indicate that he was involved in his neighborhood association instead. But this is a dramatic example of how much people can take your personal activities out of context and make their own interpretations based on their own bias.
Areas to avoid listing: (unless it directly applies to your target position)
Political activities/affiliations/experience - do you really know what the leanings are of your target audience? You could be on one end of the spectrum and the reader on the other, and they could pass over you because it was clear that before they even met you that there were fundamental disagreements on viewpoints.
Religous activities involvement - if you are heavily involved in your faith, and have listed extensive roles in this arena (including missionary work)- an objection that a human resource manager might come up with is that you might try to proselytize fellow co-workers, which would cause problems in the workplace.
Specific (particularly health) organizational involvement- Many people are involved in noble causes such as Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong Foundation, Race for the Cure and the like. However, if you list extensive involvement in those types of health areas, it might give an employer cause to wonder: Does this candidate have cancer or do they have a serious illness? Your generous donation of time and energy to these organizations is great, but it can be taken out of context- so be careful how many you might list! One is fine, but any more than that could set off alarm bells in the mind of the human resource person, unless of course you are applying for a job in a related company.
Gender/racial/ethnic-specific organizational involvement: These areas are hot potatoes as they can serve as lightning rods for prejudice. However, the flip side is that by providing a hint about your background, it can also attract companies who are interested in building a more diverse workforce. The key is to know your audience and determine what they are receptive to before listing these types of affiliation or involvement.
Being aware of these pitfalls can help you be more savvy in developing your résumé, and remove obstacles that could be holding you back.
1) Accidentally revealing your age.
You need to neutralize your resume so you don't tip your hand on how old you are... both new entrants to the workplace and more mature workers struggle with this issue, and plenty of employers out there have misconceptions about what each generation of workers are capable of doing/not doing. Your goal is to make your career document as neutral as possible. Get into this mindset: If it isn't on there, it can' be discriminated against.
Key areas to evaluate are the following:
a. Your email address - does it say anything about what year you graduated, your interests, your age? Safe bet: use your name and if you have a common name, include a couple of random numbers with your name in your email address.
b. What year you graduated - unless you are going into an educational or technical field, leave it off. Human resource managers can do the math, and that can reveal your age!
c. How long is your work history - the 'sweet' spot is no more than 15-20 years of work history. Anything more screams your age, and usually, after 15-20 years, you have already eclipsed what you did long ago either in accomplishments or career levels, so you'll have to do some editing. Think of it this way: we don't do business the way we did over 20 years ago, so what you accomplished back then is now obsolete!
2) Producing an error-filled résumé.
You'd be surprised at how many people, including top C+ level executives, are marching around with résumés riddled with errors. Check everything- including consistency of use, spelling, punctuation, grammar and formatting. Remember, this is supposed to be your best foot forward, and if you can't even get that right, that tells a prospective employer that you won't be doing a much better job if you were to become their employee.
3) Lack of focus/one-size-fits-all approach.
The truth of the matter is that résumés have to be highly targeted, laser-precise documents now, given that many employers are using applicant tracking software to scan for relevant keywords. Even if a company isn't using this filter, you still need to immediately capture their attention and prove your relevancy towards the position opening.
So it is even more critical that you create 'thematic' résumés that play up your career strengths. Anyone who has spent time in the workforce likely has several different cards to play out of their deck when it comes to the types of jobs they are targeting. As an example, I am a résumé writer, an instructor, have been a television producer, a meeting planner, tourism development manager, and also been in sales and marketing. Each one of those fields would be highlighted in a different résumé, and unless my experience directly relates to the document theme, I leave it off. Think relevancy. That brings clarity to the document, and helps you determine the correct keyword cloud to associate with that particular theme. That alone can improve your keyword hits or really hit home to someone reading your résumé that you are a match to their position opening.
4) Lack of a cover letter.
Believe it or not, human resource managers will say that cover letters, while maybe not immediately grabbing their attention, are important components of the résumé. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich- you need to have both to make the magic combination; they simply go together! The résumé are the facts, and the cover letter is the compelling reason of how you are going to help the target company, and why they should hire you. These documents cannot stand alone independent of each other.
5) Leaving yourself open to bias in the résumé review stage.
It's an uncomfortable fact that in that back room, where the human resource person is sifting through résumés, that personal bias comes into play. It's difficult to prove, and employers deny it, but the reality is that it DOES happen. Use some critical thought about what you are putting down under your affiliations and involvement section of your résumé. The reasons that someone might toss your résumé out are truly mind-boggling. No matter how innocuous your experience might be, someone else on the other end might misconstrue it.
As a very good example: I worked on client's résumé last year and included under his "Involvement" section that he had volunteered with Friends of Trees, which plants trees in the parking strip between the street and the sidewalk. Generally, this group is perceived as a positive entity by increasing neighborhood livability, the overall canopy, and aesthetics of homes. However, he got an interview with a company (he's in a conservative field) and the boss came in, threw down the résumé, and said, "Well, I see we have a real tree-hugger here, now don't we?" How's that for the first comment in an interview? We ended up revising the client résumé statement to indicate that he was involved in his neighborhood association instead. But this is a dramatic example of how much people can take your personal activities out of context and make their own interpretations based on their own bias.
Areas to avoid listing: (unless it directly applies to your target position)
Political activities/affiliations/experience - do you really know what the leanings are of your target audience? You could be on one end of the spectrum and the reader on the other, and they could pass over you because it was clear that before they even met you that there were fundamental disagreements on viewpoints.
Religous activities involvement - if you are heavily involved in your faith, and have listed extensive roles in this arena (including missionary work)- an objection that a human resource manager might come up with is that you might try to proselytize fellow co-workers, which would cause problems in the workplace.
Specific (particularly health) organizational involvement- Many people are involved in noble causes such as Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong Foundation, Race for the Cure and the like. However, if you list extensive involvement in those types of health areas, it might give an employer cause to wonder: Does this candidate have cancer or do they have a serious illness? Your generous donation of time and energy to these organizations is great, but it can be taken out of context- so be careful how many you might list! One is fine, but any more than that could set off alarm bells in the mind of the human resource person, unless of course you are applying for a job in a related company.
Gender/racial/ethnic-specific organizational involvement: These areas are hot potatoes as they can serve as lightning rods for prejudice. However, the flip side is that by providing a hint about your background, it can also attract companies who are interested in building a more diverse workforce. The key is to know your audience and determine what they are receptive to before listing these types of affiliation or involvement.
Being aware of these pitfalls can help you be more savvy in developing your résumé, and remove obstacles that could be holding you back.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Properly Listing Education on a Résumé
Oftentimes, I see some awkward management of how people list their education on their résumé. Here are some tips and tricks to help effectively convey your investment into your educational career to prospective employers:
1) Understand what constitutes education. The EDUCATION section of a resume actually is composed of two parts: your formal schooling (with an accredited institution), and then everything else, which should be listed under a separate subheader (not 'training', 'coursework' or 'classes') called "Professional Development." "Professional Development" constitutes any kind of educational coursework that you've taken that enhances/updates your knowledge, hones your skills, and helps you do your job better. This can include workshops, trainings, classes, CEUs, industry certifications, conventions, conferences and the like. Many people can have a lot of listings under this area from years of being at conferences/workshops. Two dimensions that you want to use to cull this down to a shorter list include relevancy towards the job target you are pursuing, and going back no more than 5-7 years. Anything more than that is going to be fairly obsolete - we simply don't do business now the way we did 10 years ago, and you definitely don't want to look like an ancient dinosaur who hasn't keep their knowledge up-to-date!
2) Don't be afraid to list degrees that weren't completed. Many people hesitate when told it is okay to list educational degrees that they started but didn't finish. "It makes me look like I can't finish something," is a common concern. Look at it this way: ANY type of learning beyond the high school/GED level shows initiative and an interest in bettering oneself. Give yourself credit for the time, effort and money you've invested!
3) Beware the most common educational deception - a 'perceived' graduation date. Did you know that the EASIEST thing to check on backgrounds is education? Many people don't realize this. Several clients of mine have come to me with résumés that, when in our consultation, turn out to be listing a school attended rather than a degree earned. "Bachelor of Science", the document reads. When I probe a little further, the person clears their throat uncomfortably, and says, "Well... I didn't REALLY graduate...." If you are playing this game, thinking you are smart, you need to stop. Human resource people are all over this little tactic. Either you graduated or you took program coursework. It's just that black or white. And believe me, you'd rather hear it in this blog than not to hear that you didn't get the job for 'fibbing' or inaccurately portraying your credentials.
4) Don't fall into the educational credibility trap. Unless you are seeking employment in an educational or highly technical field which requires constant educational commitments, avoid needlessly listing scholarships, honors, GPAs and for pete's sake, what year you graduated. The harsh reality, unless you are pursuing the above-mentioned fields, is that employers only care about this: Did you graduate? Yes/No. They don't care about the other details. And by listing a lot of irrelevant information, you appear desperate to justify yourself. Sure, if you graduated Magna cum laude or similar, you can list this, but the rest of the info just isn't going to make or break you for the most part!
5) List EDUCATION later in your résumé. Résumé writers and school career centers have a running battle going on about where to list EDUCATION on a résumé, believe it or not. Schools (including colleges, universities and institutes) tell students to put EDUCATION right near the top of their résumé. But again, most employers put more weight on experience versus education. Professional résumé writers advocate listing this section later in the document because you need to address the employer's priorities first. My own humble opinion is that the school career centers are rather self-serving in that respect- OF COURSE they want the school front and center on that résumé! But is that what the employer really cares about? Not really- experience first, education second (except for educational/technical fields, of course).
6) To include or not to include unrelated educational experience? Good question. The key is to know your audience. If the target company culture values education and adult learning, listing unrelated educational background might make sense. Other times, job seekers are shifting fields, and their formal educational field is incongrous from their new career direction. It's acceptable to list just the degree (i.e. Bachelor of Science) only if the emphasis going to distract employers.
7) Spell it out! There's an alphabet soup out there of degree names, and you can't assume that your intended audience is fluent in the language of academia. Spell out (not abbreviate) every degree.
8) How MUCH education to list? Again, knowing your audience is important. There are lots of articles online that talk about 'dumbing' down your résumé, but the truth is, many employers are on a talent shopping spree. They are able to afford top industry talent they couldn't have just five years ago. Sure, there's the risk that you'll jump ship as soon as the economy improves, but if they can hire you now at the top of your game, they stand to benefit. So at least do some research on what the corporate culture is like to find out how you should approach listing your educational background.
1) Understand what constitutes education. The EDUCATION section of a resume actually is composed of two parts: your formal schooling (with an accredited institution), and then everything else, which should be listed under a separate subheader (not 'training', 'coursework' or 'classes') called "Professional Development." "Professional Development" constitutes any kind of educational coursework that you've taken that enhances/updates your knowledge, hones your skills, and helps you do your job better. This can include workshops, trainings, classes, CEUs, industry certifications, conventions, conferences and the like. Many people can have a lot of listings under this area from years of being at conferences/workshops. Two dimensions that you want to use to cull this down to a shorter list include relevancy towards the job target you are pursuing, and going back no more than 5-7 years. Anything more than that is going to be fairly obsolete - we simply don't do business now the way we did 10 years ago, and you definitely don't want to look like an ancient dinosaur who hasn't keep their knowledge up-to-date!
2) Don't be afraid to list degrees that weren't completed. Many people hesitate when told it is okay to list educational degrees that they started but didn't finish. "It makes me look like I can't finish something," is a common concern. Look at it this way: ANY type of learning beyond the high school/GED level shows initiative and an interest in bettering oneself. Give yourself credit for the time, effort and money you've invested!
3) Beware the most common educational deception - a 'perceived' graduation date. Did you know that the EASIEST thing to check on backgrounds is education? Many people don't realize this. Several clients of mine have come to me with résumés that, when in our consultation, turn out to be listing a school attended rather than a degree earned. "Bachelor of Science", the document reads. When I probe a little further, the person clears their throat uncomfortably, and says, "Well... I didn't REALLY graduate...." If you are playing this game, thinking you are smart, you need to stop. Human resource people are all over this little tactic. Either you graduated or you took program coursework. It's just that black or white. And believe me, you'd rather hear it in this blog than not to hear that you didn't get the job for 'fibbing' or inaccurately portraying your credentials.
4) Don't fall into the educational credibility trap. Unless you are seeking employment in an educational or highly technical field which requires constant educational commitments, avoid needlessly listing scholarships, honors, GPAs and for pete's sake, what year you graduated. The harsh reality, unless you are pursuing the above-mentioned fields, is that employers only care about this: Did you graduate? Yes/No. They don't care about the other details. And by listing a lot of irrelevant information, you appear desperate to justify yourself. Sure, if you graduated Magna cum laude or similar, you can list this, but the rest of the info just isn't going to make or break you for the most part!
5) List EDUCATION later in your résumé. Résumé writers and school career centers have a running battle going on about where to list EDUCATION on a résumé, believe it or not. Schools (including colleges, universities and institutes) tell students to put EDUCATION right near the top of their résumé. But again, most employers put more weight on experience versus education. Professional résumé writers advocate listing this section later in the document because you need to address the employer's priorities first. My own humble opinion is that the school career centers are rather self-serving in that respect- OF COURSE they want the school front and center on that résumé! But is that what the employer really cares about? Not really- experience first, education second (except for educational/technical fields, of course).
6) To include or not to include unrelated educational experience? Good question. The key is to know your audience. If the target company culture values education and adult learning, listing unrelated educational background might make sense. Other times, job seekers are shifting fields, and their formal educational field is incongrous from their new career direction. It's acceptable to list just the degree (i.e. Bachelor of Science) only if the emphasis going to distract employers.
7) Spell it out! There's an alphabet soup out there of degree names, and you can't assume that your intended audience is fluent in the language of academia. Spell out (not abbreviate) every degree.
8) How MUCH education to list? Again, knowing your audience is important. There are lots of articles online that talk about 'dumbing' down your résumé, but the truth is, many employers are on a talent shopping spree. They are able to afford top industry talent they couldn't have just five years ago. Sure, there's the risk that you'll jump ship as soon as the economy improves, but if they can hire you now at the top of your game, they stand to benefit. So at least do some research on what the corporate culture is like to find out how you should approach listing your educational background.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Are Professional Résumé Writers Worth the Expense?
This is an oft-asked question in many online forums, and as a professional résumé writer, I thought I would weigh in as objectively as possible on such a hot topic. (And hopefully avoid being ‘salesy’ at the same time!)
In my opinion, the main reason to hire a résumé writer is to ask for help in writing this career document. Plain and simple.
There’s a myriad of reasons as to why someone would want to hire a résumé writer, including the candidate having:
· Trouble getting the proper voice and ‘résumé lingo’ down
· Difficulty trying to figure out which accomplishments to highlight and how
· Formatting issues- not knowing how to strategically use white space and design elements to create a résumé that ‘pops’
· Limited time to spend on the document (or no desire to do it themselves)
· A need for a third party to objectively plow through the job seeker’s background and clarify/define top value and accomplishments
· Little idea on how to build an effective marketing strategy to position themselves competitively
· Fear or insecurity in writing the résumé themselves, including lack of understanding about the strategy behind the document
· Poor writing skills/abilities
Before anyone decides to hire a professional résumé writer, it is important to define the career direction that is being pursued, in order to be able to articulate it clearly on paper.
Many times, people come to me expecting a career coaching session as part of this process. I am not a career coach (although many résumé writers are also career coaches); my job is to put the career direction down on paper and build the compelling fact-based case on why someone would want to hire you based on that direction. In short, I am a marketing strategist for a person’s career background. It’s my job to delve in, find the nuggets and bring them to the forefront to make the candidate shine. That’s where the real value comes from when hiring a writer – we are taught, as a society, not to brag or crow about our accomplishments, but the résumé is designed to do exactly that. A writer’s job is to couch it in terms that show your value to prospective employer, and there is a definite art to doing this.
However, some of the complaints I’ve seen online include concerns about how productive a professionally written résumé actually is for generating interviews.
That, to be fair, is a good point.
I’m the first one to point out that there are a lot of opportunistic ‘résumé writers’ out there (you see them on Craigslist with offers to write a résumé for $35) who really don’t do a good job; they do a tremendous disservice to the hard-core nitpicking perfectionist professional writers that have worked hard to build their clientele and business profile. I know; I have had to fix these ‘fly-by-nighter’ mistakes before, and really empathize with those clients who thought they were getting a such great deal with their limited funds.
My suggestion: check out the writer and make sure that they have taken the step to make YOU feel comfortable about their level of professionalism. It’s about you, remember? Did the writer join a professional résumé writing organization, and are they involved in their community? Those are telling signs as to whether this is someone you want to do business with, and also what you might expect if you book their services.
But the flip side to the ‘how productive is a professionally written résumé’ equation is also this:
Once a new résumé leaves the writer’s hands – how much does the candidate change it afterwards? Are they making mistakes in those changes, or not following the document theme or strategy? Is the job seeker sending the document to the right people or to the right jobs? Those are all things that are out of the writer’s control, and the precise reason why I can’t, in good faith, provide a ‘guarantee’ for interviews… I have no idea where the résumé is being sent. It could be that I wrote a résumé positioning a rocket scientist with a specific skill set in that field, when, in fact, the job seeker has gotten desperate and is now sending it to retail clerk job openings. There has to be a culture shift in the résumé to accurately reflect the relevant skills, abilities, experience and keywords to match different types of jobs being pursued. If that doesn’t happen, it’s certain death for that particular résumé’s viability with employers.
When it boils down to it, hiring a professional résumé writer really divides people into two groups. Some people see it as a ‘cost’ (or expense) versus those who see it as an investment. The cost people see it as not as much as what is being given to them, but instead, what is being taken from them - money. They already don’t see the value of having someone else help them.
Conversely, the investment perspective creates a means to an end. One résumé writer recently gave a perfect example illustrating this: A) Invest $200 with a professional writer and get hired in two months –OR- B) Write your own, get hired in six months and spend $5,000 of your savings in the process.
I take this investment perspective approach with potential customers- it’s your choice: either you make the investment in yourself or you do it on your own. Either way, I advocate that a résumé takes much more than a few minutes of typing in additional details to update it.
This document has to be a well-thought out and deeply strategized marketing piece that tells a prospective employer your story and provides a compelling reason to hire you. Résumé writers do this day in and day out, and have a solid handle on how to approach building this document’s strategy and incorporate the appropriate lingo and positioning. This process is never a one-way street. Résumé writers absolutely rely on their clients to provide important feedback to help shape the direction and add to the value of the résumé. It’s a partnership… and the ‘cost’ folks don’t understand this aspect either.
Truth be told: No matter how you update or create a résumé (either on your own or by hiring someone), it is important (actually paramount) that at the end of the process, you feel empowered yourself to take this document and modify it as needed. Your résumé has to be comfortable under your own skin and be an accurate mirror of who you are and what you can do. This alone can build confidence in your value with your current company, or to a prospective employer. Therein is the value of having a competitive document. If you feel that you can do this on your own or use one of the many free resources out there to help you take this step- that’s great. But there’s a whole field of résumé writers out there who also want to help, and can also infuse you with a deeper understanding of the strategy behind it to make you stand out as the great candidate that you are!
In my opinion, the main reason to hire a résumé writer is to ask for help in writing this career document. Plain and simple.
There’s a myriad of reasons as to why someone would want to hire a résumé writer, including the candidate having:
· Trouble getting the proper voice and ‘résumé lingo’ down
· Difficulty trying to figure out which accomplishments to highlight and how
· Formatting issues- not knowing how to strategically use white space and design elements to create a résumé that ‘pops’
· Limited time to spend on the document (or no desire to do it themselves)
· A need for a third party to objectively plow through the job seeker’s background and clarify/define top value and accomplishments
· Little idea on how to build an effective marketing strategy to position themselves competitively
· Fear or insecurity in writing the résumé themselves, including lack of understanding about the strategy behind the document
· Poor writing skills/abilities
Before anyone decides to hire a professional résumé writer, it is important to define the career direction that is being pursued, in order to be able to articulate it clearly on paper.
Many times, people come to me expecting a career coaching session as part of this process. I am not a career coach (although many résumé writers are also career coaches); my job is to put the career direction down on paper and build the compelling fact-based case on why someone would want to hire you based on that direction. In short, I am a marketing strategist for a person’s career background. It’s my job to delve in, find the nuggets and bring them to the forefront to make the candidate shine. That’s where the real value comes from when hiring a writer – we are taught, as a society, not to brag or crow about our accomplishments, but the résumé is designed to do exactly that. A writer’s job is to couch it in terms that show your value to prospective employer, and there is a definite art to doing this.
However, some of the complaints I’ve seen online include concerns about how productive a professionally written résumé actually is for generating interviews.
That, to be fair, is a good point.
I’m the first one to point out that there are a lot of opportunistic ‘résumé writers’ out there (you see them on Craigslist with offers to write a résumé for $35) who really don’t do a good job; they do a tremendous disservice to the hard-core nitpicking perfectionist professional writers that have worked hard to build their clientele and business profile. I know; I have had to fix these ‘fly-by-nighter’ mistakes before, and really empathize with those clients who thought they were getting a such great deal with their limited funds.
My suggestion: check out the writer and make sure that they have taken the step to make YOU feel comfortable about their level of professionalism. It’s about you, remember? Did the writer join a professional résumé writing organization, and are they involved in their community? Those are telling signs as to whether this is someone you want to do business with, and also what you might expect if you book their services.
But the flip side to the ‘how productive is a professionally written résumé’ equation is also this:
Once a new résumé leaves the writer’s hands – how much does the candidate change it afterwards? Are they making mistakes in those changes, or not following the document theme or strategy? Is the job seeker sending the document to the right people or to the right jobs? Those are all things that are out of the writer’s control, and the precise reason why I can’t, in good faith, provide a ‘guarantee’ for interviews… I have no idea where the résumé is being sent. It could be that I wrote a résumé positioning a rocket scientist with a specific skill set in that field, when, in fact, the job seeker has gotten desperate and is now sending it to retail clerk job openings. There has to be a culture shift in the résumé to accurately reflect the relevant skills, abilities, experience and keywords to match different types of jobs being pursued. If that doesn’t happen, it’s certain death for that particular résumé’s viability with employers.
When it boils down to it, hiring a professional résumé writer really divides people into two groups. Some people see it as a ‘cost’ (or expense) versus those who see it as an investment. The cost people see it as not as much as what is being given to them, but instead, what is being taken from them - money. They already don’t see the value of having someone else help them.
Conversely, the investment perspective creates a means to an end. One résumé writer recently gave a perfect example illustrating this: A) Invest $200 with a professional writer and get hired in two months –OR- B) Write your own, get hired in six months and spend $5,000 of your savings in the process.
I take this investment perspective approach with potential customers- it’s your choice: either you make the investment in yourself or you do it on your own. Either way, I advocate that a résumé takes much more than a few minutes of typing in additional details to update it.
This document has to be a well-thought out and deeply strategized marketing piece that tells a prospective employer your story and provides a compelling reason to hire you. Résumé writers do this day in and day out, and have a solid handle on how to approach building this document’s strategy and incorporate the appropriate lingo and positioning. This process is never a one-way street. Résumé writers absolutely rely on their clients to provide important feedback to help shape the direction and add to the value of the résumé. It’s a partnership… and the ‘cost’ folks don’t understand this aspect either.
Truth be told: No matter how you update or create a résumé (either on your own or by hiring someone), it is important (actually paramount) that at the end of the process, you feel empowered yourself to take this document and modify it as needed. Your résumé has to be comfortable under your own skin and be an accurate mirror of who you are and what you can do. This alone can build confidence in your value with your current company, or to a prospective employer. Therein is the value of having a competitive document. If you feel that you can do this on your own or use one of the many free resources out there to help you take this step- that’s great. But there’s a whole field of résumé writers out there who also want to help, and can also infuse you with a deeper understanding of the strategy behind it to make you stand out as the great candidate that you are!
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