What is Working with a Resume Writer Like?
Worried about working with a resume writer? Don’t be! Our very own Matt Dupee, Certified Professional Resume Writer, speaks here about how his process works, how he’ll take away your nerves, and how he can help you land your dream job.
By: Matt Dupee | Resume Writer for Let’s Eat, Grandma
Working with a resume writer is something many people understandably feel apprehensive about.
However, as a Certified Professional Resume Writer working with Let’s Eat, Grandma, I’ve worked with plenty of clients from nearly every industry and experience level, and I can tell you this: it’s actually a blast! It’s low-stress, collaborative, and all about your success.
Here’s what the process is like and how you can make it work best for you, straight from the horse’s mouth:
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Overcoming Fear
The biggest challenge after deciding to work with a resume writer is overcoming fear. There’s fear of the unknown, fear of being vulnerable with a complete stranger, and believe it or not, fear of success.
Yes, you read that right. Even after we’re done with the process, many of my clients are worried about what happens when they get that job offer…
“Should I quit my job?”
“What if I don’t like the new role?”
“Am I ready for more responsibility?”
…the questions keep coming, but you get the point!
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
To land your dream job, you’re going to have dig deep and get uncomfortable.
You’re going to have to tell a complete stranger about a time you got fired, laid off, or had to quit. My best advice is to rip the Band-Aid off – just grit your teeth and blurt it out in the quickest, ugliest way possible!
As resume writers, we have seen and heard it all – from terminations and layoffs to folks getting fired because “they didn’t fit the culture of the company.” (a classic move – meaning their boss didn’t like them and couldn’t find the guts to tell them!)
Think of us as your job search therapists. When we call you for the interview, you can sit back, relax and spill everything. We don’t judge; we really only want to see you succeed. Having all the information you can give also makes our lives easier, so do us a solid! 😉
Build a Bond
“Think of your resume writer as your job search therapist.”
When I call you for the first time, I’m actually more nervous than you are – and I do this for a living! My goal is to immediately build a bond with you so that we can both relax and have a positive experience.
Part of the reason I love writing resumes is that I love hearing about your life and your line of work. Every time I write a resume, I learn something new – from Agile and Scrum, to investigating crime in Australia, to how you found a way to make money from 90 truckloads of manure (true story).
Get the Facts
To do my best work, I need all the facts I can get about your history, because numbers speak volumes in a resume. I want to know the impact your efforts had on the business.
The best thing you can do to prepare for our interview is to collect 3-4 solid, metrics-based accomplishments from each of your jobs. This is crucial and something everyone struggles with – which is why I’m here to help with it!
Here’s how you need to think:
How did I add value to the company and how was it measured? Answer that 3 times for each role you’ve had.
Make a Plan, Build a Strategy
I’m happy to offer some personal job search strategies — but you still need your own plan.
How are you going to find a new job? Are you going to use LinkedIn and online platforms like Indeed? Are you going straight to recruiters? Leveraging your connections and friends? Or maybe all of the above? (That’s what we’d recommend.)
You’ll need a plan for each of those routes — especially because if you want to primarily use online platforms, we’ll need an ATS-compatible document. (Don’t worry, we’ll definitely talk more about that.)
Regardless of which route you choose, though, we need to plan ahead.
Don’t Feel Bad About Giving Feedback
You might not like everything in my first draft. That’s okay!
I bet everyone thinks I’m crazy for saying this, but it’s true. I always tell my clients that I take their voice out of their resume, and they will want to add it back in during the revision period.
Let’s be honest here. We call the stage after my first draft a revision period for a reason – we always need to revise. You are our customer, so if you don’t like something, SCREAM IT OUT!
(…in a nice way, though. We do have feelings.)
But seriously, we expect you to roll up your sleeves and dig into my draft, because this is the most important document of your life. It’s your ticket to a house, a car, food, that sweet CrossFit membership — everything.
A document this important needs some love. We need to pass it back and forth until we both love the results. That’s the process.
Live Your Life
At the end of the day, I exist in your life for about two weeks. My job is to get you the tools you need to get in front of a hiring manager.
So once we’re done and you have a killer resume, take a break. Relax. Do what you do. Binge a little Netflix…
Believe in the process, and just give it some time. You’re going to get that dream job, and you can trust me on that — I’m a professional.
Ready to get started working with a professional resume writer like Matt? Schedule a complimentary call with us here.
Still on the fence? That’s cool, too. Create a free account to submit your resume for a free Career Score and find out how your resume stacks up.
You can also find one of Matt’s resumes featured in the 2019 version of Resumes for Dummies!
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