Stand Out by Defining Your Difference
— S.K., Stevens Point, WI
Helping clients shine with solutions that resonate with employers
In drawing on a strong career services background in addition to extensive experience in marketing and communications, I work with clients using a proven, straightforward approach to help them elevate the quality of their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, professional portfolios and other documents as well as to interview with greater confidence. Regarding resumes specifically, my goal is to enable each client to define and present a strong picture of value that is instantly evident to busy hiring managers and recruiters, who sometimes spend as little as 6 to 10 seconds initially reviewing a particular job applicant’s resume. In using this approach that is also well aligned with today’s sophisticated resume scanning technologies, it has allowed me to help numerous clients make persuasive, memorable presentations that have resulted in interviews and job offers.
Areas of focus
In helping people with their career needs, here are the main areas where I most often provide assistance:
Career beginnings. I assist individuals who are getting started in their careers (including those fresh out of college or younger) with creating resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles, as well as with other documents and services as needed. Related to this, I am experinced at helping early state career professionals leverage their experiences with
Career advancement. I help clients prepare compelling, well-crafted documents that clearly indicate career growth, demonstrate value and align with employer requirements. I am also experienced at helping clients show their ability to think creatively in solving problems or in finding innovative solutions to new challenges and opportunities – traits that employers continue to seek in building their workforces according to recent surveys.
Career changes. According to the latest research, people on average change careers as many as 5-7 times over their lives. Is there a career change or transition on your horizon? I have extensive experience helping clients pursue new career directions by reworking their resumes and LinkedIn profiles using fresh approaches so their value can be quickly understood and appreciated by employers in different industries.
Career re-engagement. Have you recently worked through a “flat period” of career investment and are now ready to re-engage? I would be delighted to help you by taking a fresh look at your skills and experience and looking at ways to convey the unique value that you have to offer.
Career challenges. As the saying goes, sometimes “bad things happen to good people.” Layoffs, terminations, healthcare challenges are just a few. When we encounter misfortune, the issue quickly moves from the fact that it happened to how are we going to respond. I am experienced at assisting clients in difficult career situations with new tools – such as a reworked resume or different resume versions for multiple career directions – to enable them to move forward.
New directions at retirement. Retiring after a full career is a tremendous milestone, but it can also be a doorway to yet another phase of life. Is there a new career, volunteer activity or other direction that you are contemplating but are unsure about how to proceed? I can help you sort out and organize your skills and experiences in a relevant and impactful way to increase your ability to connect with employers.
Career services overview
Regardless of the particular situation or challenge, I use proven strategies and techniques to help clients present the best version of themselves to potential employers. And, where appropriate or when requested, I am able to provide additional value by sharing experiences and insights on everything from resume-matching technologies to LinkedIn profile development to behavior-based interviewing. My services include the following:
Free initial phone consultation. Whether you are interested in updating your resume or LinkedIn profile, changing careers, or a related objective, I understand that questions can arise in the course of pursuing your goals. For this reason, I am happy to provide an initial, no-obligation consultation to learn about your needs as well as to outline my approach to see if there is a fit between us. In providing this information, I will work with you in a friendly, helpful, no-pressure manner so that you can make a decision that is right for you.
Career navigation assistance. I offer career consulting services to help individuals who have a general idea of their career direction but would like guidance with focusing on a more specific direction related to developing a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, personal statement or other tools. During a career consultation, I can assist you with more fully identifying and defining your strengths, signature accomplishments and goals.
Resumes. In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive job market, you have mere seconds to make a strong first impression with a potential employer. I can assist you with creating a high-impact resume written and designed using proven practices to help you better compete for the job you want. My resume capabilities and areas of expertise include:
Positioning or personal branding. I use strategic, carefully crafted branding or positioning statements to provide at-a-glance focus and clarity to your document and to reinforce the value that you have to offer.
Keywords. I insert keywords where appropriate throughout your resume to increase the likelihood of your document ranking higher in employer candidate evaluations which will in turn strengthen your ability to compete for the job you want.
Top-tier employers. I strive to carefully manage the presentation of soft skills and hard skills to increase your ability to make a strong impression, especially with top-tier employers who typically invest heavily in their cultures and are very selective when evaluating potential hires and assessing how these individuals will fit in their organizations.
Career change or transition resumes. If you are seeking to change careers or to undertake even a less substantial career shift, I create career change or transition resumes that will demonstrate your relevance to a potential employer in a different industry or employment sector. With these types of resumes, I will work with you to create a document that highlights your transferrable skills and shows value to potential employers.
Cover letters. An effective cover letter is a vital part of any job search, as cover letters in general continue to be valued by employers and demonstrate your professionalism and commitment as a job candidate. I create cover letters for responding to job postings as well as cold call or letters of introduction for making inroads with desired employers who may or may not have an opening at the moment but who nevertheless continually keep an eye out for talented candidates for future openings.
LinkedIn profiles. With 800+ million members and 50+ million registered organizations worldwide, LinkedIn has become an essential tool for job seekers and employers. I can assist you with creating a compelling, keyword-rich LinkedIn profile to help you increase your ability to be found by hiring managers and recruiters in addition to increasing your ability to found by and to network with other members. I also provide assistance with setting up LinkedIn profiles and with learning how to use the different tools and features that LinkedIn has to offer regarding such aspects as job searching and exploring groups or professional interests.
Personal statements and bios. I assist clients with creating personal statements for graduate school applications as well as bios for competitive bid proposals, websites and other needs.
Interviewing. I work with clients through one-on-one sessions to provide them with strategies and insights to increase their ability to interview effectively and attract job offers. During these sessions which focus on both in-person and video interviewing, I assist clients with approaches for responding to standard and behavioral questions and also on what types of questions to ask employers. In addition, I provide information on various best practices to enable clients to interview with greater confidence.
Interview follow-up letters. Submitting a letter following an interview is both a professional courtesy and a highly recommended tactic. In addition, sometimes it can be that one small but significant gesture that “pushes a candidate over the top” in the eyes of the employer in a very competitive candidate search. By submitting a follow-up letter, you can thank an employer for the opportunity to interview and to present additional relevant information to further differentiate yourself as a candidate. I can assist you with creating an effective follow-up letter that can emphasize any points that you did not get a chance to make during your interview or to revisit any points that you would like to reinforce or clarify.
Portfolios. For clients who wish to go beyond a resume and LinkedIn profile to further differentiate themselves and capture the full scope of their career achievements, portfolios can be an excellent tool. I can assist you with creating portfolios that include extended descriptions or lists of projects, publications, technical capabilities, presentations and volunteer experiences.
Seminars, workshops and instructional programs. I prepare and deliver seminars, workshops and instructional programs on subjects including resumes, LinkedIn profiles and interviewing for educational institutions and other organizations.
