Resume Writing
Whether it's your first job search or your
tenth, I can help you. Below are common resume issues that clients have brought me. Are any of these keeping you from getting the interview?
- New
grad/No experience. No problem. I can help you maximize whatever
experience you do have, capitalize on your knowledge and convey your capabilities to an employer.
- "Overqualified"/"Too old." I can help you weed out the irrelevant and
convey only the information the employer most wants to hear. At the same time,
I will be careful not to "lose" any of your pertinent expertise -- no
matter how far in the past you acquired it. Your new resume will sell your
experience as a strength instead a
liability.
- Dull
resume with perfunctory duties. I can help you see
your true accomplishments and create a design that will make employers sit up
and take notice! Many of my clients say their new resumes restored their confidence and renewed their energy.
- Career
changer. Let me help you recast your resume in your
new field by identifying transferable skills and situations that will help
employers "connect the dots."
- Job
jumper/Too many gaps/Returning to workforce/Ex-offender. I
have created resumes for people with all these barriers. No career situation is
too challenging!
Why is resume writing so difficult? A resume is a very specialized document, combining these skills:
- Creative writing (biographical: telling the story of your career)
- Technical writing (documenting the facts of your work experience)
- Marketing writing (communicating your promise of value, your "brand")
- Graphic design (attractive and eye-catching but readable and memorable)
- Editing (ensuring only what's relevant gets included, each iteration customized)
The best resume writers are both artists and technicians: they will help you identify not just your duties but your accomplishments. They will help you "connect" with the hiring manager through a cover letter. They will help your personality come through — the unique gift you have to offer the employer. A resume is only part of your presence in the work world, though. A career coach can make sure your online presence supports your resume.This article, which appeared in Career Rocketeer in August 2011, might help you decide what to do:
What to Expect
Once
you book a resume, either I or one of my associates will send you a
questionnaire. I ask that you return the questionnaire along with a copy
of your current resume. If we haven't already spoken, you will receive a
call after we get the questionnaire. The writer also will likely
contact you as they're working on the resume to clarify details of your
background.
You
will receive your draft resume, cover letter and references within one
week. You may make one round of changes. Normally, final product will be
delivered to you within two days. I will provide final quality check for all products — cover letter, resume and supplementary documents, if any.
If you'd like a sample of my work, email me for a free resume review!
“Maureen applied an unusual
level of creativity and determination, as well as her vast array of experience,
to convert my resume from two full pages to one, without losing any substantial
content. This transformation was amazing; extremely insightful and intuitive.
The finished product looked substantially better: the content was tighter, the
message more persuasive, and, overall, it was much easier to read. It was truly
a work of art – for which I will be forever grateful.”
-- Steve Epstein, HR Consultant
