Let’s start off with something that almost always comes up in my conversations with prospective clients… “the keyword thing,” also known as ATS (click here for more information on ATS), which stands for applicant tracking system (software) or one of many other variations. More important than the actual acronym is what you should know about it. Simply put, there is NO silver bullet. So, any person or company that tries to convince you otherwise is misleading you (either intentionally to take your money, or because they just don’t know how the process works. Many people don’t).
What you need to know is that attempting to trick ATS is about as effective of a strategy as showing up to an interview in nothing but your underwear. Seriously! Why? Because what do you think you will be asked about if you make it to the interview process? The answer is… the content from your resume, which is often limited at best.
So, what actually works? Getting it done right. Meaning there are no effective shortcuts. Regurgitating verbiage from job descriptions that interest you only helps to reinforce the value of concrete examples that should be included within your materials. The goal is to map your relevant skills to specific experiences, supporting a personalized narrative that makes you stand out. Sounds easy, right?
The hint of playful sarcasm in that question is intended to address the other elephant in the room… What should you expect to pay for a quality service (ideally, not just a product)? The answer is, you will typically get what you pay for. More specifically, when a great resume writer is just getting a business started, you may get lucky by paying as low as a few hundred dollars, but more likely, pricing will start higher and go up from there. Understandably, this might come as a shocker to many professionals reading this because companies can try to claim many things ranging from the truth to a facade.
Know this: reputable personal branding specialists will take their time to do the work the right way, which will most likely not be overnight unless they have either limited or no clients (which should be a blatant red flag). Specialists who are in high demand value their time, thus have a higher price tag.
If you’re wondering what a “personal brand” has to do with your resume, the answer is, your resume should be an extension of your personal brand.
Also, don’t be fooled by the fancy (and in my opinion, often cheesy) resume templates that some providers use. The fancier it looks, the less likely it is to perform (courtesy of resume parsing—click here for more information on resume parsing). Focus on the content, because that alone will drive the performance of your resume. There’s a reason for the expression, “content is king.” Thinking otherwise is simply wrong.
Whether you want to work with us or someone else, understand that you aren’t hiring someone to make up your experience, and you DON’T necessarily need an expert in your industry, but rather a service provider that can effectively articulate your expertise with the story you want it to tell. The best approach is to collaborate with a specialist/firm that takes the time to understand your story, and more importantly, knows how to look at your personal brand as a whole, developing your content to present a connected and consistent narrative across your channels.
