The “What” and “Why” of Certified Professional Resume Writing – June 29, 2020
At Resume Professors, we know that every client has a unique story to tell. What makes us different is that we take the time to listen and learn from you in the effort to craft resumes and cover letters that reveal the things that set you apart. And yet, there are two parts to it: on one hand, we think of the resume as more of a description of “what” you did; while on the other, we believe the cover letter provides a chance to describe “why” you did it.
Intellectually, any quality resume will list dates, facts, and figures. However, to get an actual person to care about your submission requires making an emotional connection. We believe one that’s best made through story. What follows is a brief synopsis of how one of our certified professional resume writers (CPRWs) first came to find his lifelong passion, but it also serves as an example of the “why” we try to bring out in our resume writing services.
“Right out of college. A proud graduate with a bachelor’s degree in general communications, the recipient of a new-used, brushed-gold 1978 Pontiac Firebird, and a first-time Discover Card holder with an opening balance of $5,000.
Life was good.
It was 1990.
No job offers, but life was good. A single guy and, also, a semi-professional musician talented enough to string together enough gigs per week to make the bills just about balance out. I’d been casually pursuing opportunities in public relations, thinking that my work as an undergraduate instructor of public speaking at the University of Toledo, my three-month internship at Fox-36, and a few bylines earned by writing concert reviews at the school paper were ample qualifications for my first “real” job.
Then, seemingly overnight.
It was 1992.
I felt lost. The music, friends, late nights, and even later mornings were great, but being completely honest with myself, I knew at the time I wasn’t good enough to make a career out of playing the guitar. At least not one that would enable to pay off my credit card debts in full. Or, cover the costs for the blown engine in the Firebird. The crossroads were plain and clear, but nobody was showing up to make me a deal.
That summer, I learned of a copywriting internship at Toledo Edison in the advertising department. I applied and was chosen for the position. Not-so-ironically, not more than 20 minutes into my first day, a for-real lightbulb went off in my brain. This was something I could do. Writing marketing and advertising copy. And, it was something I enjoyed and came to love as much as playing music at ear-splitting volume.
A star wasn’t necessarily born. But it was found.”
Bringing your story to life
Naturally, a resume isn’t structured to read like a novel, but it should have a crystal-clear beginning, middle, and end. Our founder, Edward McGoldrick, specializes in crafting content for the job search. On the resume side, he understands what HR looks for in a resume and in new hires. So, from the very first strategy call when he speaks directly with clients over the phone, he listens for the small details that make a big difference.
Like our writer’s example above, much of what he learns doesn’t go straight into a resume verbatim, but it does crystalize in what does appear later in resume form. If you’ve got a defining passion or talent, it will be there. Great stories add-up to compelling reasons to continue the conversation at the interview stage. It’s all part of why we’re confident in backing our resume work with a 90-day interview, guarantee.
Enter…stage right: applicant tracking systems (ATS)
Edward understands how an ATS works. That’s why he invested in his very own ATS system. Resume Professors runs every resume we write through it to optimize keywords and increase relevancy of every submission. This is the same system used by 95% of today’s Fortune 500 companies to determine which resumes—out of potentially hundreds—actually get read by a live person.
That’s really where the story begins.
Standard practice is to have each customer complete a career-oriented questionnaire which digs deep for those details that define competitive advantage. Your story may not have the same kind of watershed moment as that of our writer’s example, but it’s likely that time, experience, challenge, and achievement have built-up a compelling story in favor of what you do, why you do it, and how you can be successful on behalf of your next employer.
Your first step to your next step
That’s our tagline, but it embodies an approach that’s very story-like. To help you get where you want to go, we need to know what’s brought you this far. When you sign-up with Resume Professors, you work directly with Edward from the first input meeting to the final draft.
That’s powerful.
Make it your story.
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