Online resumes versus a face to face service

I am constantly bemused by the number of resume writing services that have absolutely no real human image, only clip art photos of models to create atmosphere. By that I mean you cannot see on their website who you are dealing with, nor even where they are located. In fact if they wanted to disappear, they could do so and the chances of a client finding them to make contact would be close to zero.

These services, in many cases, quote very high prices for services that basically require an online form to be filled in or an old resume to be emailed. They require payment in advance and then the client waits for a completed document to be emailed to them. Our clients are thinking people and would no more do that than donate to an investment bankers retirement fund! They want to see who they are dealing with and sit face to face with the person who will create their document. They want to tell their story and they want to be heard by someone who cares.

Now while we do work with overseas and remotely located clients too, we still go through a rigorous interview process with them by phone or Skype. We create the next best thing to a face to face environment.

Our business is founded on a strong care factor and has grown solidly while observing our Code of Ethics http://www.successfulresumes.com.au/prwa_ethics.html We pride ourselves on providing a genuinely accessible service that can help all levels in our community. Values, culture fit and character are important to us in running our business, just as they are to employers when they are recruiting for staff.

We have a large number of locations where we see our clients, more than 20 across Australia at the time of writing this blog. Every single client of ours can read a personal profile on the writer of their choice, and in most cases see their photograph. They will not only see who they are going to be dealing with, but probably will get to know them quite well during the process.

Anonymous businesses with no perceived leaders or personnel should be approached cautiously. Otherwise why would they be anonymous? What are they hiding or from whom? Online business and networking may be the way things are being done today, but those operators who are not prepared to reveal themselves do not deserve to be trusted.

Loved this quote:

‘He or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best, but the one who knows the most about how to get hired’ by Richard Lathrop from his book Who’s hiring who

How to get hired is an art that we assist our clients at Successful Resumes Australia to understand. As part of this understanding, we now provide a free tool kit to all our clients which will help them to navigate some of the hurdles involved in the Job Hunt process. These tools include our exclusive 'Job Hunt Road Map' as well as advise on how to prepare for and get through the interview process.

We are always seeking to add value.

Knowledge Management is at the core of professional resume writing

At Successful Resumes Australia we produce some hundreds of résumés a month. We also write cover letters and position selection criteria (those horrible written exercises set by government bureaucrats so they can make decisions about your skills and experience without ever having to meet you!!). Makes you wonder about other decision making in government doesn’t it?

Because we actually talk with a great many of our clients on a face-to-face consultancy basis, except those overseas or those not in our local vicinity whom we spend time with via phone or Skype, we are able to get to know them well.

We learn not only about their skills, experience and achievements, but also about heir people skills, values and motives, their cultural fit, potential, personality, cognitive abilities, reliability and character. All key issues for recruiters these days.

As a result our knowledge collection and management has enabled us to build a very high quality database of information. This comes from tens of thousands of clients, over 16 years, across a vast range of people type, career sector skills needs and opportunities, as well as recruiter/employer practices and requirements from job seekers.

We are, in short, managing a vast bank of knowledge and a mountain range of information, while protecting confidentiality and preventing privacy slippage. We then utilise our knowledge in the preparation of résumés/CVs, letters and position criteria for our next clients, further building our knowledge resource.

So size does matter when it comes to acquiring knowledge and the management of it for the benefit of our future clients. We have a truly national business in Australia and an operating base in London. Later this year we will be expanding in to Asia. This can only be achieved by organisations of our size, capacity and experience.

However we will continue with our business model which ensures we spend time with each client on a one to one basis, providing a highly personalised service in order to effectively market our clients to employers and recruiters.

After the resume or CV what comes next?...the interview

Hopefully the interview. And this can be a major challenge for graduates, so here are a list of commonly asked questions and some guidance around possible answers
Top Questions and Answers for Graduates (courtesy of Collegegrad.com)
Mental fear of the unknown is often what produces the physical symptoms of nervousness. In addition to preparing yourself physically, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the “standards” when it comes to interviewing questions.

The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface—such as “Tell me about yourself”—but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.

Others are classic interview questions, such as “What is your greatest weakness?” Questions most people answer improperly. In this case, the standard textbook answer for the “greatest weakness” question is to provide a veiled positive such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. Either you are lying or, worse yet, you are telling the truth, in which case you define working too much as a weakness and really do not want to work much at all.

The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are provided for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show that clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best _____ for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Don’t disappoint them!

Tell me about yourself?
It seems like an easy interview question. It’s open ended. I can talk about whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?
Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-minute snapshot of who you are and why you’re the best candidate for this position.
So as you answer this question, talk about what you’ve done to prepare yourself to be the very best candidate for the position. Use an example or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like more details. If they do, keep giving them example after example of your background and experience. Always point back to an example when you have the opportunity.
“Tell me about yourself” does not mean tell me everything. Just tell me what makes you the best.

Why should I hire you?
The easy answer is that you are the best person for the job. And don’t be afraid to say so. But then back it up with what specifically differentiates you.
For example: “You should hire me because I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job--my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example . . .”
Are you the best person for the job? Show it by your passionate examples.

What is your long range objective?
The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.
For example: “Within five years, I would like to become the very best accountant your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I’ll be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term. For example, here is what I’m presently doing to prepare myself . . .”
Then go on to show by your examples what you are doing to reach your goals and objectives.

How has your education prepared you for your career?
This is a broad question and you need to focus on the behavioral examples in your educational background which specifically align to the required competencies for the career.
An example: “My education has focused on not only the learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned within those classes. For example, I played a lead role in a class project where we gathered and analyzed best practice data from this industry. Let me tell you more about the results . . .”
Focus on behavioural examples supporting the key competencies for the career. Then ask if they would like to hear more examples.

Are you a team player?
Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is not just a yes/no question. You need to provide behavioural examples to back up your answer.
A sample answer: “Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my work, school and athletics to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .”
Emphasize teamwork behavioural examples and focus on your openness to diversity of backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team above the individual. And note that this question may be used as a lead in to questions around how you handle conflict within a team, so be prepared.

Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a conflict. The key is how you behaviourally reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.
For example: “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example . . .”
Focus your answer on the behavioural process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively.

What is your greatest weakness?
Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.
You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .” then show them your planner and how you are using it.
Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.

If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
This is a threat of reference check question. Do not wait for the interview to know the answer. Ask any prior bosses or professors in advance. And if they’re willing to provide a positive reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation.
Then you can answer the question like this:
“I believe she would say I'm a very energetic person, that I’m results oriented and one of the best people she has ever worked with. Actually, I know she would say that, because those are her very words. May I show you her letter of recommendation?”
So be prepared in advance with your letters of recommendation.

What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
Focus on two words: leadership and vision.
Here is a sample of how to respond: “The key quality in a successful manager should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader . . .”
Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.

If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.
For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then
Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.
In reviewing these responses, please remember that they are only to be viewed samples. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.

Expansion of career focused services

Most resume writing businesses whether they are one person operations or large groups such as ours, generally only do one or two things ie resumes and cover letters, some also assist their clients in addressing selection criteria statements (often known differently in other countries) the Australian public sector's complex and demanding way of levelling the playing field for job applicants.

We at Successful Resumes Australia and Successful CVs UK offer all that of course, but in Australia particularly, and London later, we are going much further for our clients.

In recent times we have established alliances with professional Interview Coaches and have direct links to them on our site, making it easier for our clients to access these services.

We have also established a mutually beneficial link with a large job site called myspider.com.au - it contains thousands of jobs by category. These are collected from other major sites and collated for easy access in one convenient location. This can be accessed direct from every page on our website.

Now, in much more recent times, one of our own members, Lois Hewitt who also is also a resume writer in our group operating on Sydney's North Shore, has qualified as a Careers Counsellor, and this service will be now available to our clients too, accessible direct from every page on our website.

We will continue to expand our direct service offering as we can, and also offer services from our partners and allies. Our goal is to be simply the most customer focused resume organisation in Australia. And now with London branch open for business and other parts of the world on our radar for 2009, we are fast becoming the worlds first multi-national resume/CV company.

Watch out for Our Community page coming to our website imminently.

Personal Branding, now a necessity not a choice

Personal branding advice to use now

Courtesy of Sydney Morning Herald, first published September 3rd 2007

Brand management has come of age. No longer is it solely a marketing discipline, confined to managing the promotion of products. Today, brand management is also a masterstroke of self-promotion. People don't just want to leave their reputation to chance - they want to proactively differentiate themselves from their competition.

It's no wonder then that brand management is stepping up to deliver significant benefits and opportunities to job seekers. The career savvy are now thinking of themselves as products and devising personal brands that get them noticed.

“Personal branding is popular right now,” says director of Shine Communications Sue Currie. “Job seekers want the competitive edge that comes from establishing yourself as an expert in your chosen field.”

Job seekers also want to inspire loyalty and respect in their core audiences, making personal branding even more appealing.

“No matter what level of career success people attain, they still need to communicate what they stand for and the benefits they offer in order to stay ahead of competitors,” says Currie. “Personal branding is the perfect solution.”

But before you position yourself as a niche market guru, it's important to do your research first. Because personal branding relies on strength and consistency, it’s vital to be clear about who you are.

“You need to do a personal audit to determine your personal brand before you can create it,” says Currie. “Consider your personality, appearance, competencies, and differentiation, and what will best communicate your unique message. Some people find this particularly challenging.”

A solution, Currie suggests, is to think about what sets you apart from your peers, colleagues and competitors. This will not only give you a clearer understanding of who you are but, with a bit of vocational soul-searching, give you a confidence boost as well.

When it comes to maintaining your personal brand, trends to watch out for include personality profiling, colour analysis, and image consultancy. These clever tools give you a clearer understanding of who you are, but can also be used to determine how you’re perceived by others, and what your needs are.

“These tools are particularly good for people in career transition or forging an entrepreneurial path, because they provide that much needed extra insight,” Currie says.

Finally, in terms of evolving your personal brand, all strong brands need to remain relevant to their target audience. Strive to stand out from the crowd by regularly assessing your strategy.

“Your personal brand should be an accurate reflection of who you are, so integrate it with your unique style and personality,” suggests Currie. “This not only increases your perceived value in the marketplace, but helps you live your personal brand and deliver on its promise.”

Secrets of the job hunt

We have just come across a really interesting website, which is the embryo of a Social Networking site for job seekers, recruiters, employers and resume/CV writers.
Well worth a look. And membership, as you would expect is both easy and free.
http://www.secretsofthejobhunt.com/