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Real Market Pain
This month’s already been a rough one.
One client, upon receipt of her resume, wanted to forgo the revision process, wanted a partial refund, and asked to “end this relationship” with no further explanation. Wow.
Another resume client refused to do career counseling despite her being completely at a loss for where to go next.
One job-seeker sent us a list of demands and concerns a mile long, and hadn’t even placed an order yet!
A valued former client threatened to stop making referrals if we didn’t get her in our already tight project queue.
Sheesh.
It’s enough to make a business owner want to throw in the towel and go pick Pink Lady apples for a living. What’s going on? Let me make sure we’re doing our job right, here.
Is it our product?
We’ve put together the most talented resume team out there; Seriously, our writers are word wizards; they’ve won awards; they’re nationally certified, even multi-credentialed with certifications, degrees, and relevant career paths. More than that, they take the whole client into account to design a personalized document that addresses every single stated challenge and concern. People would be amazed at how much thought we put into a 1-3 page document.
Is it our process?
We have the most comprehensive information gathering process I’ve seen, comprised of an hour of coaching/consulting and a very well crafted questionnaire to both help clients generate resume content and prepare them for their interview process.
What about customer service?
We’re responsive as all get-out. When I can’t answer the phone personally, our administrative manager certainly does, if only to get back to customers with a real live voice to say “we’re super busy, how can I help”.
Maybe we’re slacking on followup?
Our infrastructure is technologically rich, making it possible to track projects through every step and get back to existing clients immediately to address their needs. At any given time, 3 people are paying attention to a single client.
Am I ranting?
That’s not the goal here (well, not the primary goal). The point is we’re doing all we can to keep customers happy. We’re staying relatively small, offering a high-touch service, and bringing clients into the process all along the way. Put another way, we’ve set up a system to control our extensive resume development process so that nothing and nobody gets overlooked or under-serviced.
But I guess there is one thing that we can’t control:
The economy.
In following up with all of the aforementioned aggrieved clients, this what they had to say
“Things are tight right now.”
“I was really counting on this resume to change everything.”
“I just don’t have the money.”
“It’s hard to justify paying for anything.”
“I need help now, not in a month.”
“No one will hire me no matter what I do.”
The pain is real and it flows amongst anyone involved in the job search process, directly or indirectly. I suppose I need to buck up with my self-absorbed complaints of “difficult months” and instead relish the fact that I’m employed and in a position to help. And although my intentions with BrightSide are honest, simply offering or even successfully delivering, such help may not be enough to make the pain disappear.
Only getting a job can do that.
If I’m truly open to criticism (which I try to be), it hurts a little. And I suppose we’re all hurting at least a little in this economy. If it’s not us, someone we know is out of work and not getting the recognition they deserve–sometimes for no other reason than there are just too many applicants for each job available.
After several months of non-response, anyone–even the most seasoned, well-established career professional–will get discouraged. It’s a lonely, frustrating feeling and it seems to be inextricably linked to looking for work.
At the base of the issue, it just hurts.
And I guess one way to offer support to anyone in this position is to hurt a little bit with them.
Resume Tips For Overcoming Recession-Related Challenges
Give employers the real scoop, not just your work history.
Recessions tend to push hardworking people into two groups. On the one hand is the layoff survivor handling the load of multiple former employees. On the other is the hyperqualified job seeker who nevertheless remains overlooked. Both types of people often need to write a new résumé, and neither can afford to do it the same way they might have in the previous millennium. Continue reading this entry »
The Golden List of Interview Do’s and Don’ts
Here’s some inside advice to help you prepare for your interview.
Interview Do’s
1) Visit the company’s website to get a sense of its products, services, and marketplace.
2) Spend at least an hour reviewing your portfolio, especially the pieces the hiring manager has asked you to bring (see above). Remind yourself of your contributions to the projects so that you can discuss them confidently.
Also, ensure that your work contains no Continue reading this entry »
Impressing Your Colleagues On Your First Day
We all hustle to prepare for job interviews, but how many of us take the time to prepare for the first day. Your new colleagues want to see what you’re made of? They want you to succeed and they’re curious how you’ll contribute. It’s no wonder we’re all a bit nervous.
Here’s a great article with 5 tips to calm your nerves and make sure your first day sets the right tone.
What Are Resume Writers Really Offering?
It never ceases to amaze me how many people argue against hiring a resume writer.
I’m one myself–the world’s best in fact–and though I know my resumes are well worth the $1,000 people pay for them, I understand that my services are not for everyone. Continue reading this entry »
Video Resumes: Yea or Nay?
This question was posed on LinkedIn, receiving unanimous “no way in web 2.0 hell” replies from recruiters and HR people. Among the top arguments against video resumes were viewing time, discrimination issues, downloadability, and storage, but I think there’s a much more important and insurmountable factor to consider. Continue reading this entry »
Brazen Careerist’s Compelling Argument for Hiring a Professional Resume Writer
It’s often hard to justify spending money on a resume writing when you’re already out of work. Isn’t money supposed to be flowing the other way?
The Brazen Careerist makes a compelling argument for hiring a pro, using the analogy of a haircut to drive her point home. Continue reading this entry »
Cliff Flamer, Owner of BrightSide Resumes, Named “World’s Best Resume Writer” After Winning Contest
Press Release: Cliff Flamer, seasoned résumé writer and owner of BrightSide Résumés, wins #1 public vote for crafting the world’s best résumé.
San Francisco, CA — Cliff Flamer, résumé expert and career counselor, was just deemed The World’s Best Résumé Writer” after winning the public vote for the first-ever worldwide résumé-writing contest sponsored by Career Director’s International (CDI).
So what makes his résumés the world’s best? Continue reading this entry »
Answers To Popular Resume Questions From Recent Grads
Here’s an interview I did for MadGrad blogger and recent graduate, Ashley Mittman, asking me some popular resume questions on behalf of her fellow Millenials. Continue reading this entry »
Mature Workers And The Fountain of Youth
As a seasoned professional, you have much to offer but remember to make room for new experiences as well.
An effective résumé for will balance your strengths (i.e. what you can teach) with your areas for growth (i.e. what you can learn). In regards to the latter, I’m certainly not suggesting you claim ignorance. Rather, consider showing a recently developed interest in a new industry or field.
This is best done by illustrating how you’ve already Continue reading this entry »
Are “Job Gaps” A Good Thing?
Recently, a resume client of mine forwarded a newsletter article from job board discussing ways to overcome “job gaps” of 3-6 months.
Here’s a snippet from the article, and my subsequent retort as to why we should redefine the criteria for a job gap: Continue reading this entry »
Gen Y’ers Create New “Happy” Unemployment Group
The CBS news covered an interesting story on a support group that promotes the positive side of being unemployed. Recent generation-Y layoff victims claim liberation and relief from their jobs. With their new-found freedom they’re joining a different kind of support group Continue reading this entry »
Let the Government Pay For Your Career Expenses
One of the best kept secrets in job-hunting: The government has offered to pay part of your expenses!
You read correctly: Career expenses, including fees incurred for Continue reading this entry »
Headhunter Reveals The Ladders scam
Looking for $100K+ Jobs? You might want to look somewhere other than TheLadders. According to this in-depth exposé by Nick Corcodilos, one of the industry’s most trusted voices of recruiting, TheLadders is making promises they’re not even coming close to keeping.
More and more career professionals and job seekers are making complaints about The Ladder’s resume-critique and job-posting services, often claiming this household name in job boards to be a scam.
As you’ll see, his article evokes equally frank reviews and experiences from resume-writers, career counselors, coaches, recruiters, and regretful clients of TheLadders. The message is clear: TheLadders came up with a concept on which they can’t deliver.
How To Work A Room
Networking doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Here are a few pieces of advice to keep the conversations interesting:
Don’t lead with your job title.
Good public speakers never lead with their name or credentials. Similarly a savvy job-seeker should never lead with her job title. Continue reading this entry »
3 Steps to Make Your Online Resume A Winner
* Voted “Best Answer” in LinkedIn Discussion: Is Applying for Jobs Online a Waste of Time?
I agree with the overwhelming response of careerists to spend time networking and doing company research as a job seeker, instead of posting resumes. The facts are there: online job applications account fro 2-5% of job offers.
That said, if you find a suitable company through your networking and research, chances are they are going to ask you to apply online, even if you claim an inside contact. So you’re stuck being just one more needle in the hiring person’s haystack. Here are some quick tips to make your online resume stand out from the rest of the chaff: Continue reading this entry »
Gift Ideas for the Unemployed
It’d be great if you could go out and buy a job at Walmart for someone you love but, unless you know something I don’t, retailers aren’t stocking their shelves with job requisitions (yet).
The closest you can come to giving someone a job, is giving them someone that can give them a job. Continue reading this entry »
BrightSide places 2nd in Jobacle’s Resume-Writing Challenge
Jobacle, an innovative career development portal led by Journalist/Writer/Podcaster/Blogger Andrew G. R., invited resume writers to compete in creating a resume for his job-search arsenal.
Although we didn’t take home the gold, instead placing second, a case could be made that BrightSide got the most positive and enthusiastic commentsfor from both the staff at Jobacle and the general public, including a podcast declaration from Andrew himself that he’ll definitely be using his new BrightSide resume if and when his search for work commences.
Check out all of the entrants in this one-of-a-kind contest to read about the diverse range of resume writers’ processes, qualifications, and perspectives. This is perfect cross-section of our industry, a rare insight indeed, into how we work and why we do what we do.
Stay on the BrightSide.
“Is A Cover Letter Really Necessary?”
Truth be told, some hiring managers will never read your cover letter.
According to a 2008 focus group of 150 senior recruiters*:
- only 23% said a cover letter was absolutely mandatory;
- 63% said they could go either way; and
- 14% gave an emphatic “nay” to this age-old document.
These findings are right in line with my conversations with hiring professionals.
I know screeners who delete the cover letter immediately, some who forward it on to others but never read it themselves, and others who print it out only to staple it behind the resume.
But you know what else they tell me? Continue reading this entry »
3 Ways A More Expensive Resume Writer Will Save You Money
Three job seekers (just in the past two days) have complained to me about their experiences with other resume writers:
“This resume doesn’t say anything about me.”
“They left out the most important part.”
“They just didn’t get me.”
The common thread? Each of these three people paid $150 or less for their resume. They went the inexpensive route, a seemingly smart maneuver when money’s tight. Continue reading this entry »
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