Your Brand

Resume Writing
YOUR BRAND

Do you have a brand? Do you solicit it? Do you use it to promote your goods/services? Or are you not really sure what your brand is at all? Don’t worry, if the latter is your answer, you are not alone.

Creating a brand for yourself is a fantastic way to ensure you always leave a lasting impression to whomever you are communicating with. It points out very quickly what you specialize in, what your niche is, and what you are “known” for.

Take “Campbell’s” brand soup for example. “Mmm Mmm Good!” Does it bring back childhood warm and fuzzies? Daydreaming of tomato soup and grill cheese sandwiches? Well, then. The marketing team’s job is done. You know the brand, can hear the jingle, and it elicits an emotional response from you.

Don’t worry that your brand has to elicit an emotional response from your reader, but consider having a tagline in your resume that will help you stand out and keep you fresh in the reader’s mind. For example, if you are a Senior Executive of an IT company and want to keep your focus on what you know best– Business Development– than THAT could be your brand and what you could add to your tagline. Something like: John Smith::: Business Development & Channel Management Executive, IT INDUSTRY… that could be a possible tagline to showcase your brand.

Think about what you are known for at work, what you excel at, what people depend on you for and make that your brand.

Top 10 "Green" Jobs

Career & WorkplaceJob Search
TOP 10 “GREEN” JOBS

A big shout of ‘THANKS’ to Laura DeCarlo of Career Directors International (www.careerdirectors.com) for posting this link from GreenCollarHiring.com.

Does the Sun Effect Your Productivity?

Erin's Musings
SOAK UP THE SUN

As I was loudly singing in my car to the Sheryl Crow song, “Soak up the Sun”– much to the dismay of my 5 1/2 year old who was rolling his eyes in the back seat (what is THAT all about??), I was thinking what a beautiful, sunny day it was here today in Michigan. Everyone seemed happier, nicer. I’ve read that there is a direct link between lack of sun and depression. A disorder that affects more than 35 million Americans is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This can affect moods, eating and sleeping patterns, and no doubt, job search enthusiasm.

I know that I am much more productive on sunny days. And on the days when the clouds cover up the sun, I blast on every light I can find in my office to keep myself productive. Otherwise, I tend to feel… sleepy.

If you are feeling the effects of too little sun and too much winter, you might want to turn on a few more lights in your house or office, and listen to Sheryl Crow. I guarantee you will feel more productive and will get the zip back in your job search.

What do you do when suffering from too little sun? Talk to me…

Should you Hire a Resume Writing Service?

Resume Writing
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT HIRE A

RESUME WRITING SERVICE

If you live in Michigan, or anywhere else in our country, let’s face it. The economy stinks. People are getting laid off and companies are closing down or outsourcing to other countries practically on a daily basis. So, what good would hiring a professional resume service do for you? EVERYTHING.



It’s understandable to be cautious about hiring a resume writer, especially online where you can’t visually shake a hand or see an office full of certificates, awards, books, or anything else that might prove credibility. Here are a few reasons you SHOULD hire a professional resume writer:

1- PROFESSIONALISM – A professional resume writer knows what he/she is doing. I’ve had clients tell me over and over that having it professionally written got them the job. They had sent in the old one previously, and at my urging, resent the new one and got the job!

Make sure whomever you hire is CERTIFIED. If you are unsure whether or not your writer is certified, go to www.parw.com and type in their name. If they are certified, it will come up as such. A certified writer has gone through extensive training and was tested on it, ensuring their work meets the standards of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. If you are going to spend the money, you want the best.

2- BRANDING/PR – A professional resume writer acts as your personal cheerleader, your brander, your public relations firm. You want someone who knows how to present your qualifications in your best light. They will gather the relevant information (career goals, experience, training, etc.) to create a professional image for you. Something you will be proud to hand out to a hiring manager.

3-GHOSTWRITERS- A professional resume writer knows how to craft content that gets people interested. They create a resume that sounds and feels like YOU. A professional resume writer constantly updates their skills and abilities by keeping up with the latest in career news, and attending webinars, teleseminars and conferences.

4- FORMAT – How bored are you when you see a resume that is bullet after bullet of a position description? Would you call that person back? Neither will the hiring person. Professional resume writers are TRAINED in creating unique documents with appealing fonts, borders and styling that is all YOU.

5- RESOURCE CENTER – Your professional resume writer is a career one-stop-shop! Chances are they have a wide range of resources to offer during your job search. Many are also Certified Career Coaches and remain well informed of career events and other services helpful to their clients. Many times employers will contact resume writers for suitable candidates.

Reasons NOT TO HIRE a professional resume writer:

1- They offer you a resume package for $19.95. Most likely this company is a printing or secretarial service that will rewrite everything you gave them, or dump your info into a pre-written template.

2- They tell you they are certified, but you check on the PARW site and they are not. WRONG. Turn around and go back. They are misrepresenting the truth and God knows what they will do with your money.

3- They offer a 30-day guarantee if you don’t get an interview. I know this is a touchy one, because many of my colleagues do it, but here is my beef with that: with each client, I put my heart and soul into the resume. I am already writing a resume that I think will knock the socks off any reader. So how can I possibly offer a rewrite on that? I already wrote a killer resume and I stand behind it. I would rather sit down with the client and go over job search because I guarantee that is where the problems lie.

So, to sum it up, it’s important to find a solid and reputable resume service. Check for memberships to professional career organizations with writers that are certified.

A professionally written resume is a good investment and is worth it’s weight in gold, not to mention it will get you noticed immediately.

Have you hired a resume writing service? What was your experience? I’m interested to know what you thought. Talk to me…