Your Resume. How it’s made.

A week. It takes me a week to write a robust resume tailored to you. Every client project I take on takes 40 hours of my attention to complete. Let me tell you why…

What is taking so long?

Before we begin working together, I have my work cut out for me. Nobody knows you better than you, but I’m still learning about you. When we begin our work together, you are likely a complete stranger to me. My job is to know you better than you know yourself (professionally speaking) within a short time. I have a lot of research to get up-to-speed and find out who you are and what these documents need to say about you. Here is what I am doing behind the scenes:

…studying each file you’ve sent me. This can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours. I’m reading, but I’m also analyzing, mining for data to include in your documents and deciphering what information to include and what to exclude moving forward.

…researching your target industry, positions, company. To reach your target audience, you have to speak the same language. I work behind the scenes to ensure I understand what the employer wants. I research their web page, review and analyze the job poster(s), look up people in similar roles to understand the value they offer so as we begin our work together I’m fully prepared to present you to the market in the best possible way.

…reviewing and analyzing your current documents. Reading through your documents is one thing; understanding them is another thing altogether. What does the statement on your resume that reads “helped the team achieve a goal” really mean? My job is to help you translate what is in your head into digestible data aimed at your target employer. You might know what you mean, that doesn’t mean everyone else knows. I’m also researching you online to see what potential employers might find.

…identifying inconsistencies in your data. Sometimes its simply an oversight. The dates you worked for company ABC appear one way on your LinkedIn profile and another way on your resume. We need to catch that before you begin sending your resume out to potential employers. Things like this are easily missed, but can send a negative message to potential employers that you’re either a) not paying attention to the details or b) not telling the whole truth. Neither is the impression we want to leave with a prospective employer.

…waiting for more content from you. 

…interviewing you for about an hour. You have completed the strategic planner and there is new data, context added, and stories that need a little more information. I dig into the data to uncover what we can showcase to employers. Having spent the past 10+ years studying employers and writing resumes, I have a strong understanding of what employers seek.

Then, it’s time for me to get to work. I will spend the next week or so…

…designing the documents (resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, depending on the service package you have selected)

…thinking, strategically, about how to position you, in this market, for this position

….creating a custom, tailored value proposition that features your offering to the employer and makes you the stand-out candidate

…selecting the perfect word to begin each bullet point

…describing, in detail, the accomplishments (and relevance) of each of your accomplishments

…adding context to each position you have held

…organizing and re-organizing data to present it in the best possible way and capture the employer’s attention

…sifting through the data again-and-again mining for more data to feature

…write, re-write, edit, write, re-write, edit.

…think, think, think.

…write, re-write, tweak, edit.

…double-check. double-check.

…hesitate, check again.

…hit send

…swoosh…there it goes…

A professionally written resume is not for everyone. It’s for those who want to enhance their resume now so they feel ready to move to the next level. It’s for those willing to invest in their future. My colleague Daisy Wright said it best:

About The Author
Maureen McCann is an award-winning career coach, master resume writer, and master certified interview, employment, and career strategist whose clients include C-level executives, managers, and professionals in all industries including the Canadian banking, oil and gas, healthcare, IT, and government sectors.