When you decide to hire a professional résumé writer, you’re not only investing your time and money, but you’re also entrusting me to articulate your personal brand and shape how you’ll position yourself in your job search. I take this responsibility very seriously and am providing these 10 tips to help ensure we have a successful, positive collaboration!
1. Communicate Clearly. I promise to keep you informed about what I need from you — and, at the same time, I expect you to be responsive to my requests. I use the information you give me to create your résumé, so the better the information I get from you, the better your new résumé will be! Also, please be honest with me in all the details of your career that you share with me. I will not knowingly put false information on your résumé, and you shouldn’t either.
2. Be Clear On Your Career Goal. Having a specific job target will help me write a more effective résumé to showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments. If you ask me to write a “general résumé,” it will not be as successful as a résumé that is written for a specific job target. Related to this: If I write you a résumé for a sales position, don’t use that résumé to apply for a different type of job. (Or at least discuss it with me before you do.)
3. Meet Your Deadlines. If I give you action items to work on—with a timeframe to return them to me—please meet that deadline. If your timeline for needing your résumé changes—for example, if there is a specific opportunity you want to respond to—please let me know, but there will likely be a fee associated with rush requests. And let’s close out your project on a timely basis. The sooner we finalize your project, the sooner you can use your new documents!
4. Invest In Yourself. Your new résumé is just one tool in your job search toolbox. If I recommend additional services to complement your résumé, consider the request carefully. Your income is your number one asset, and as the saying goes, “sometimes you need to spend money to make money.” Spending 1-3% of your annual income on improving your career prospects is a wise investment.
5. Trust Me, I’m Your Résumé Writer. Please don’t solicit opinions about your résumé from your friends or family members. You hired me for my expertise. So, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. Related to this: Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. For every article about how your résumé should be one page, there are more that say it should be two pages. (For the record, there is no hard-and-fast rule about résumé length: It should be as long as it needs to be, and no longer.)
6. Remember, Your Résumé is a Marketing Document, Not an Obituary. I’m not going to include every detail about your life and work history on your résumé, especially if you have certain jobs that aren’t relevant to your career target. These details are important to who you are, but they are not necessarily important in this résumé for this job target. I will be selective in what information I include because your résumé tells a story about who you are and what you can do.
7. Don’t “Lend” Your Résumé to Anyone Else. Your new résumé is a customized document developed just for you. Allowing someone else to use your résumé (format, design, and/or wording) may even dilute its effectiveness for you — especially if you “lend it” to a co-worker or colleague. If someone admires your résumé, send him or her my way, and I will create an equally awesome document customized for their job search!
8. If You’re Not Getting Results, Let’s Talk. We might need to make some changes to make your résumé more effective, or I might be able to share some strategies to help you increase the number of interviews and job offers you receive. Tell me if you’re unhappy — but tell your friends if you loved working with me. I love your testimonials, LinkedIn Recommendations, and referrals. Most of my new clients are referred to me by happy, satisfied former clients!
9. Let Me Know How You’re Doing. Sometimes I don’t hear from clients until they need an update to their résumé when it’s time to look for a new job. But I want to hear from you when you get a job offer. We’ll celebrate together!
10. Keep Your Résumé Updated. Speaking of your new job, once you land a new position (and you’re sure you’re going to stay — usually, after the first 90 days, you know), get back in touch with me to add your new position. Keep an accomplishments journal to track your achievements in your new role, making it easier to respond to new opportunities.
