First impressions are everything! Are you using a Microsoft Word résumé template to stand out?
If so, you probably just look like the rest of the résumés a hiring manager or recruiter sees day-in and day-out. At Written by a Pro, we have one design rule: No cookie-cutter résumés that lack originality or distinction. A certified professional résumé writer will support you in developing your résumés (yes, I said résumés – plural). A one-size-fits-all résumé will not generate interviews. It must be tailored to the job opportunity and the targeted company. Make sure your resume is uniquely you! A personalized résumé may include some of the following elements:
Get a custom-designed, color résumé tailored to your specific needs and the needs of your prospective employer. We will work together to implement the right combination of these tools so that your résumé will make a positive first impression! All new résumé packages are backed by a 60-day interview guarantee. If your résumé doesn't generate interviews in the first 60 days, we'll rewrite it for free (see terms of service for details about keeping a copy of all job postings and a résumé submissions log). Questions? Schedule a free, 15-minute consultation at www.calendly.com/writtenbyapro to discuss your career goals. I am often asked questions from job seekers searching for ways to differentiate themselves:
As a professional résumé writer, I will help you articulate the value you offer an employer. By asking targeted questions, I will create a personalized résumé for your dream job that incorporates the strengths that separate you from your strongest competitors. Together we will be able to determine the ROI you will provide a new employer, and answer these important questions:
These questions will help us create the perfect résumé for your dream job, so it’s clear why you are the most qualified candidate. Remember: An unfocused or generic resume is not beneficial to an employer or recruiter. It does not provide any unique value to answer why you are the perfect candidate. Schedule your free, 15-minute consultation today at www.calendly.com/writtenbyapro. Recruiters report receiving more than 200 applicants within 24 hours of a job being posted online. Within a week, that number can rise significantly.
How do you stand out in a sea of applicants? It’s tough these days. So many talented people are entering the job market, looking for many of the same positions at companies who are hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a certified professional résumé writer, I know what hiring managers are looking for and how they process applicants through the company's applicant tracking system (ATS). We will work to give you that competitive edge through personalized materials and a one-of-a-kind approach. We will write and design your résumé so you can shine above the rest! How do we do that? First, we will create custom documents that highlight your strengths. You'll get:
Your résumé will read smarter, look sharper, provide value, and show a ROI to an employer or recruiter. Schedule your free, 15-minute consultation at www.calendly.com/writtenbyapro. Ask about our 60-day interview guarantee! If you are one of the 38.6 Million who Have Filed For Unemployment Since March, you know the stress and challenges that come with navigating a job search during a pandemic.
Who is hiring? How do I make my resume stand out and get recognized? How do I address gaps in employment? As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), these are concerns I hear firsthand from executives and mid-career professionals who haven't conducted a job search in a long time. Or maybe, you’re a pro at writing but don’t know how to handle the gaps, furloughs, or layoffs that the COVID-19 economy has brought you. Click here to schedule an appointment for a free consultation to discuss how to:
Whatever your unique circumstances, now more than ever, having a certified professional help you create your résumé and coach you through your job search will set you up for success! A cartoon caption read, “My resume is just a list of things I never want to do again!”
I laughed, but it gave me cause for concern. If your resume is a list of the things you never want to do again in your lifetime, how do you expect to land a job doing the things you love? Your resume is a vehicle to take you to your dream job, located at the intersection of the employer’s needs and the work you are passionate about doing. Interview-generating resumes have seven common characteristics—what I call the 7 C’s of high-performing resumes. 1. Contemporary resume design Create visual appeal with a crisp, clean resume design, conservative use of color, and classy fonts to grab the reader’s attention upon first glance. 2. Clear focus Target your resume for the next step in your career path. Increase your resume’s performance by customizing each resume to a specific professional role. Laser-focused resumes outperform vague, generic resumes by as much as 10X. 3. Consideration of the employer’s needs Use the prospective employer’s requirements to form the framework for your resume. 4. Captivating hook with a unique professional brand Develop a value proposition statement that connects with the company’s mission and specific needs. 5. Correlation between your professional strengths and the job the employer needs to be done Write a concise work history that proves you can do the job based upon successful past performance. 6. Concrete examples of key initiatives and results Show the size/scope of projects you have led and the quantifiable benefits to the company in terms of revenue generated, dollars saved, or productivity gained. 7. Coherent writing that is well organized and error-free Review the overall organization and progression of ideas. Condense lengthy content into the most relevant and engaging talking points. Delete redundant wording. Edit judiciously for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Banish boring resumes filled with tasks you hate to do. Use these seven steps to write a high-impact resume that positions you as the best candidate for that once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. Do you like the ideas contained in this blog post, but don’t have the time or energy to implement them? Put Written by a Pro’s writing/editing team to work for you. Would you like to learn a secret that professional resume writers use to save time and create compelling resumes? They use a ladder strategy, rather than a parachute approach. Before I explain, let’s take a moment to review the basic anatomy of a resume: The assertions section makes specific claims that you are capable of doing the job while the evidence section provides a record of your accomplishments. The assertions section includes the headline, tagline, and professional profile statement. Place your assertions in the top one-third to one-half of the first page. The evidence section includes your education, certification, professional associations and, of course, your employment history with performance highlights written in bullet points using the PSR format showing the:
To write your resume like a pro, start from the bottom of your resume and work to the top, saving the headline, tagline, and professional profile for last. Think of it as starting from the bottom rung of your career ladder and climbing up. This is much more effective than taking a parachute approach and writing from the top down for two reasons: The ladder strategy gives you an easier starting point and an overall view of your employment history. Here’s a step-by-step plan for writing your first draft using the ladder strategy: 1. List memberships in professional organizations along with dates of membership and any leadership roles you held. Save your document and scroll up. 2. Above professional organizations, type in your education, certification, and any professional development courses. Save and scroll up. 3. Next, list your professional experience. Start with your oldest job (typically your first job out of college). Why? With the passage of time, you have gained a better perspective of your contributions to the company.
5. List your top 9-12 professional skills in a three-column table in the top 1/3 of your resume or create a functional listing of specific skills under each job description, or both.
6. Next, create a professional profile statement. Remember, your profile should be future-focused and position you for the next rung on your career ladder.
8. For the tagline, write your unique selling proposition, core value proposition statement, or competitive differentiation statement (similar concepts with differing terminology). Answer this question: How do you make a difference in the workplace?
9. Create your letterhead with your contact information and your headers for subsequent pages of your resume. Make sure your page breaks fall at appropriate places. Save your document and print. 10. Google the top 20 worst words to use in a resume. Now, scan your resume to see if you have used any of the overly used words and delete them wherever possible.
11. Proofread thoroughly.
Job Seeker, knowing these 12 tips and tricks from the pros will take the mystery out of writing your resume. However, if you find that writing about yourself is mind boggling, we’re here to help you strike the right balance between assertions and evidence and take the guesswork out of writing your career story. Starting with an in-depth interview and fit/gap analysis, we’ll create an authentic, purpose-driven, and focused resume that paints a positive yet realistic portrait of who you are and the value you bring to your next employer. Our mission is to help you land your dream job fast. Call us today at 912-656-6857. © 2016, Sharla Taylor, Written by a Pro. All rights reserved. ![]()
Breaking News:
Today, the Punctuation Police issued an all-points bulletin that reads, “Be on the lookout for a serial comma killer who goes by the initials A.P. Here’s what we know: The suspect has severed all ties with the Style Guide Gang, is estranged from his college buddies A.P.A. and M.L.A., and has disassociated from his colleagues Chicago and Gregg. We have uncovered evidence that A.P. has repeatedly erased commas falling before the word ‘and’ in a series of three or more items.” Mission Possible spoke with another officer who told us, “In the beginning of his crime spree, A.P. was acting alone, armed with an eraser that was lethal to serial commas written in pen and pencil.” A.P.’s mother cried, “I'm afraid that A.P. has lost all comma sense.” The police officer added, “We believe A.P. has recruited the help of the backspace and delete keys on your computer keyboard. This is serious cause for concern.” In light of this new development, we encourage job seekers to examine every list of three or more items found in their career correspondence to ensure no further loss of comma life. In a statement to the media, the remaining members of the Style Guide Gang made this heartfelt plea to citizens, authors, and journalists: “Serial commas provide clarity and consistency in writing. They deserve to be protected in contemporary American usage.” I’m Sharla Taylor, reporting live from Mission Possible Headquarters. We’re dedicated to keeping you informed of the latest happenings in the written world. Read more at “Punctuated with Humor.” Copyright 2016 by Sharla Taylor. All rights reserved. ![]() Today we're issuing an alert to all job seekers … accuracy is key. Be certain that your LinkedIn profile and resume are consistent in every detail, especially regarding company names, job titles, and exact dates of employment. There should be no discrepancies. Why? It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. - John Wooden, Head Basketball Coach at UCLA from 1948 -1975 who guided the Bruins to win 10 NCAA titles in his last 12 seasons before he retired. If you want to win interviews and land a great job, be meticulous in reporting the details of your employment. Companies will verify your employment history, and inaccuracies could raise unwarranted red flags that may knock you out of consideration. Don’t be sidelined for lack of attention to detail. Take time to gather the appropriate information.
The bottom line is that no one knows your employment history better than you do. Verify all personal information contained in your career documents. Ultimately, you are the last line of defense when it comes to accuracy on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Make sure all of your data is correct and consistent, both in print and online. Your attention to detail will impress decision makers at your new place of employment. Cheering you on to score a great job with the compensation you deserve! The Mission Possible Team |
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Sharla Taylor is a multi-certified career coach, executive resume writer, and published author. Through her company, Written by a Pro, Sharla has been helping executives and mid-career professionals land great jobs with better compensation for more than 20 years. She approaches her business from a Christian perspective. Her favorite Scripture is Matthew 19:26 "with God all things are possible" and this Bible verse is the inspiration for the Mission Possible Career Coaching Program. Click here to explore some free resources for mid-career and executive job seekers and book your free, 20-minute consultation with Sharla Taylor. WRITTEN BY A PRO
912-656-6857 Mon. - Thurs. by appt. only Graphic Artist
Austin Farmer, graphic artist, is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design where he majored in Industrial Design and minored in Architecture. Austin creates marketing materials for businesses and uses his artistic and musical talents to enhance the worship service at Compassion Church. He also draws exquisite portraits! Austin's favorite Scripture passage is Isaiah 12:2. |