Chris came to me with a résumé that he felt wasn’t performing. When I reviewed it, I could understand why. He obviously was a talented professional, but his résumé wasn’t demonstrating his value.
I often say, if we were comparing a résumé to geometric principles, we would say the cover letter and qualifications profile are the theorem and the content of the résumé is the proof. In a cover letter, I endeavor to articulate a client’s special gifts and talents. In the résumé, I make sure that we prove what we say with substantial résumé content. In this way we intrigue a prospective employer with a real-world story and with what I call the reoccurring theme of a résumé.
Just as the reoccurring melody of a song impels us to buy the music, I believe that my clients have talents that play out in recurring work themes in their professional lives. Discovering, highlighting, and accentuating these recurring themes or “melodies” convinces our reader that this is not just a “hole in one” or a lucky shot. Rather, these are gifts that my clients has used successfully again and again.
Chris and I worked together in a telephone interview and created what I call snapshots of his best professional accomplishments. And sure enough his gift for developing and translating statistical measurement tools into actionable and highly successful continuous improvement plans was clearly evident. He wanted to change industries and was reticent about being “locked in” by a history within one field. So we turned the jets on and focused on what he did rather than the industry he did it in, and sure enough, Chris got the result he wanted.
With his kind permission, I have included his picture and the letter he sent me below.
Nadine,
I want to thank you for taking the time in the résumé rewrite process to really get to know me and what direction I was trying to go. What you delivered to me was awesome and really told the story of who I am as a professional Operations Manager along with what I have accomplished.
Within a day of posting my new résumé from you my searches and reviews online increased dramatically. I was immediately getting hits and requests for interviews. I interviewed with the President of a company 2 days later who had my old résumé. After we finished the interview, I left him with my freshly re-tooled resume that you crafted for me. Within 5 hours I had the Director of Operations emailing me with an offer! I negotiated a 15% raise from my previous job and also a yearly bonus based on performance.
Thank you very much! It was great to work with you. The only regret I have is not contacting you sooner to rewrite my résumé!
Chris K., Savage, MN
Of course letters like this are a source of much career gratification to me. To help my clients get the positions they really want is truly the “payoff pitch” for me. They pay me well for what I do, and of course, that’s an excellent incentive, but the best “pay” I can have is to see a client enjoy the success they truly deserve, and to secure the positions they really want.
