About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge here. Contender #6: Cliff Flamer is a certified resume writer, career counselor, job-search coach and the Executive Director of BrightSide Resumes. His goal is to help job candidates find the bright side of their work history while positioning themselves for successful and rewarding job searches."I see you're taking a different approach to career development. I agree the industry could use a breath of fresh air from the usual rigmarole that career experts spew. I take the same perspective. I like helping people be successful and be themselves at the same time." The Process: My initial contact with Cliff had him stating that he likes to 'help people be successful and be themselves at the same time.' As someone who doesn't like to play games or put up phony … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 6 of 7
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Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 5 of 7
About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge here. Contender #5: David O'Neal is considering launching a resume-writer-for-hire service, charging a lower rate than other writers. His full-time job is outside the realm of career services. The Process: David worked independently. I sent my resume, and received his edited version several weeks later."I found your resume to be largely an effective representation of your career progress, with the obvious caveat that I know nothing else about you... I did not make substantial changes, but did reorder some elements and did a bit of general clean up work. Unless there are glaring issues, I generally try to keep the author's work intact to the degree possible when I do (currently pro bono) resume edits."The final version can be downloaded or viewed … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 5 of 7
Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 4 of 7
About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge here. Contender #4: Rachel Kokosenski, M.Ed. is a Career Counselor/Coach with over eight years of experience. She has written thousands of resumes, coached hundreds of job applicants, and provided thousands of hours of training to job applicants of all levels of education and skill sets. The Process: Rachel worked independently. The process was quick and painless. I sent my resume, and she sent me back the new version. Case closed.Along with the revision, Rachel said the following:"I would also like to suggest that you put the 'select career highlights' information into your cover letter, rather than your resume."The final version can be downloaded or viewed below. Opinions: ANDREW G.R.: Nice touch moving the blogs to the top … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 4 of 7
Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 3 of 7
About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge here. Contender #3: Miriam Salpeter owns Keppie Careers and has been helping clients with their resumes and job hunts for over 10 years as a speaker, blog author and coach. She earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University where she trained in career advising and counseling. The Process: Miriam was the only resume writer who wanted to see my resume before committing to enter the challenge. This instantly gave her some credibility. She also suggested that my career experience would lend itself well to an online resume created at visualcv.com. (I've attempted to set up a page several times, but I find their interface quite cumbersome).After reviewing my resume, Miriam asked me to send her several job … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 3 of 7
Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 2 of 7
About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge here. Contender #2: Teena Rose is a certified 9-year resume-writing veteran who owns Resume to Referral. Her favorite clients to work with are those who control their careers through education, by embracing new techniques and those who strive to outperform, outdo, and outwit. The Process: Teena proved to be a real trooper, dealing with delays caused by Hurricane Ike and then a nasty case of the flu.I received eight questions from Teena after she reviewed my original resume. These included clarifications on my ideal positions and industries, a request for more details on my current company and a request for me to expand on my skills.A second e-mail included an additional 11 questions pertaining to my current job.A third e-mail asked eight … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 2 of 7
Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 1 of 7
About: 12 resume writers accepted the challenge of rewriting my resume. Who will win? Leave a comment with your thoughts and try to sway our panel of Jobacle judges. Read more about the inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge. Contender #1: Michelle Penn is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and experienced job search consultant who founded Resume Results in 2007. The company services clients ranging from recent grads to top-level executives. The Process: Michelle was very sensitive to the fact that I was dealing with so many resume writers at once, a clear indicator that she understands the time that goes into the process. She floated the idea of a phone consultation or to handle things via e-mail; I opted for the latter.I had to fill out a 12-page 'Resume Results Questionnaire' comprised of multiple choice and text box questions. (I've been asked not to post it here, as it contains proprietary information). Some of the requested info … [Read more...] about Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge – 1 of 7
The State of Jobacle
I am back at work after five solid days away. I'd like to tell you that my feet were kicked up and I was sipping gin and tonics on some remote island. The reality is, I just spend hour upon hour cleaning up other people's filth and unpacking an endless sea of cardboard boxes. So far, all the home-owner cliches are coming true. I can't say I wasn't warned.As fate would have it, every time I have less time for Jobacle, traffic trends upwards. Go figure. I expect to settle back into a normal routine over the coming weeks, and that means a minimum of one new post every weekday. For now, here's an update on what's up in Jobacle Land... The inaugural Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge is over. Our crack staff are currently mulling over the final products and we will share that information sometime next week. Am I the only one who finds the adjustment of returning to work after several consecutive days off difficult? So much so, that I … [Read more...] about The State of Jobacle
Financial Fiasco: 6 Career Safeguards
"The market plummeted yesterday, the Dow is down at the opening today, and the blah blah company is merging with the ump-de-ump bank. Major layoffs are expected...". Corporate greed or media screed? Too bad for us, but we've got an unhealthy dose of both. Headlines and talking points that I'm sure we're all equally sick of hearing and reading about. And, as the media vigorously stirs this pot with a vengeance, greatly contributing to the climate of uncertainty, they-no surprise-end up as the real winners. 'Cause the more they hype and exploit every situation, the more their listenership expands and their readership increases. You don't need a CPA to tell you that the media reaps a financial windfall, and a power bonanza, each and every time they scare us.So we all begin to worry, to wonder if our jobs are really as secure as we thought they were, just a few short weeks ago. More to the point, however, is the confidence level of the companies that we work for. Sure, we all expect … [Read more...] about Financial Fiasco: 6 Career Safeguards
Need Extra Cash? Join the Part-Timers Club
Part-time work has become increasingly popular for a multitude of reasons: using it for additional income during school, stay-at-home moms and dads have started to corner this market for a work-life balance, and now it is being used as supplemental income. Yup, 40 hours a week is no longer cutting it. The paychecks are stagnant, the stocks (and subsequently our retirement accounts) are falling, and many in the workforce are taking decisive action. There are legitimate part-time opportunities available, but there are just as many part-time work-from-home scams. Tread lightly if you are looking to get into part-time work and be wary of companies that ask you to invest money to begin. Here are some examples of genuine part-time work opportunities: Newspaper delivery Freelance work (writing, photography, website design, etc.) Retail or other seasonal work Online teaching Do any of you do part-time work either as your career or to supplement your career? If so, what do you do/suggest? … [Read more...] about Need Extra Cash? Join the Part-Timers Club
What Your Office Walls REALLY Reveal About You
Thanks very much to Lauren for her very interesting perspective on comparing/contrasting where the POTUS labors in the Oval Office, to the rather humble work abodes that the rest of us get to inhabit for some eight hours a day. That's about 225 days a year, or, if you prefer, 7,875 hours, but hey-who's counting?When we think about going from the very apex of office couture to the more utilitarian stuff that we're all used to, the way we decorate our spaces does say a helluva lot about us. And, while our wall space does indeed send a message, this, of course, isn't necessarily good, either for our images or for our future career.It's like the very short, typically Napoleonic boss who insists on having office furniture that's either too small (to make him appear taller), or very large (so that we're impressed with the 'grandeur' of the setting). More interesting, I think, is the way in which each of us chooses to decorate our workspace.It's ironic, if you think about it, how easily … [Read more...] about What Your Office Walls REALLY Reveal About You