Writing job applications is a nerve-wracking experience for just about everyone.
It’s complicated. You’ve done a lot of different things in your life and career, and now you’ve got to try to narrow it down to one to two pages that will convince someone to interview you.
It’s fussy. Making something as formatting-heavy as a resume look pretty in Word isn’t easy, especially if you aren’t as familiar with the software.
It’s emotionally challenging. A job application asks us to put ourselves out there for judgment, and it’s hard to do that with excitement and joy.
It’s no wonder getting the resume right is both what you spend most of your time on and have the hardest time feeling good about.
That’s why I offer two services to help job seekers create materials confidently and effectively: the Master Resume and the Targeted Application.
Master Resume Package
A master resume is a comprehensive document that includes every job you’ve ever held, every time you’ve volunteered, and every odd-ball, one-off experience you can think of.
Every resume tells a story, and every career can be told in different, equally accurate stories, depending on what duties, accomplishments, and experiences are included.
When you have everything gathered in one place, you can easily craft a persuasive resume for nearly any job you would be interested in – because you can eliminate everything that’s irrelevant and shape the rest to tell the story you want to tell.
That’s the point of the master resume.
But one of the challenges of writing resumes is not seeing our own accomplishments and skills as things that “count.” That’s where I come in. I help you gather all the details in one place, and I ask questions that help us identify accomplishments and skill, rather than duties.
In this service, we work together to:
- Gather all of your professional and some of your personal history in one place so you can select the most relevant arguments for particular applications.
- Highlight your accomplishments and skills rather than listing your duties.
- Identify the skills you discount because they’re so easy for you that you assume they’re easy for everyone.
- Identify the primary skills you’re offering the workplace.
Many of my clients have felt more confident and able after we’ve worked together on the master resume, because they have a renewed sense of just how much they have to offer.
Targeted Application Package
Job applications have one goal: to move you to the next stage of the game, which is usually an interview.
To do that, they have to do three things:
- Demonstrate your qualifications in terms of this company’s language and expectations.
- Demonstrate reasonable fit with the company’s culture and way of being.
- Make an argument for why your qualifications will serve their needs.
Those three things get accomplished in ways both obvious and subtle.
This service begins with the master resume process. Once we have a strong master resume, I examine the job ad, the company website, and any other materials I can dig up to create a targeted resume and cover letter that make a persuasive, cohesive case for why you’re a great candidate for this particular job.
Why work with me?
I have a lot of experience with job applications.
I spent nearly a decade teaching undergraduates how to write resumes and cover letters – and let me assure you, you have far more experience than they did.
I’ve switched careers twice, both times landing a new job by framing my existing experience in a new way.
In several of my jobs I’ve been responsible for reviewing job applications and hiring people into the company, which means I’ve also seen all the ways an application can go horribly awry.
Best of all, writing resumes is one of my superpowers. I know, it’s horribly geeky, but there it is. I love writing resumes and over the years I’ve helped hundreds of people improve their job applications.
What you get
For those of you who are graphically inclined, here’s what each package includes.
Both services come with discounted coaching in the event that you want additional support and guidance in finding jobs (or careers!) to apply to, untangling fears and doubts that have you stuck, or navigating the broader job search process (networking, interviewing, etc.). You’re welcome to sign up for email coaching with me for only $125 a month instead of $150.
| Master Resume Package | Resume and Cover Letter Package | |
| Master Resume | X | X |
| One-hour phone conversation | X | X |
| A resume and cover letter targeted for one job / career | X | |
| Discounted coaching | X | X |
| $199 | $249
(additional career packages $49 each) |
So how does this work, anyway?
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll get a handy-dandy email with a link to the all important first form – which is all about you, your experiences, your skills, and your accomplishments.
Once you fill that out and send it to me, you’ll get a link to my on-line scheduling system, with which you will then schedule an hour phone conversation. I’ll come to that conversation having worked on your Master Resume and full of additional questions that will help us get everything on the page.
When I’m done with the draft of the Master Resume, I’ll send it to you for the all-important accuracy check – because despite my superpowers, I’m not actually able to read your mind. (You’re probably grateful for this.)
Once I’ve received your edits, voila, we have a Master Resume.
If you’ve signed up for the Targeted Application Package, I’ll send you an additional form with the final draft of the Master Resume. This form is all about the career you’d like to apply for – and once I get that form back, I’ll craft draft resumes and cover letters for you to respond to.
At every stage of the process, I check in with you to 1) make sure I got everything right; and 2) make sure you’re comfortable with how I’m framing things. After all, these documents are coming from you, not me, so you have to believe that they’re reflecting you.
Okay, I’m in!
Excellent! I’m really excited to be working with you.
To sign up for either service, just click the appropriate button below. If you’re signing up for additional Resume and Cover Letter sets, let me know in the comment section of the purchase, and I’ll send you a separate invoice for those.
| Master Resume Package | Resume and Cover Letter Package | |
| Master Resume | X | X |
| One-hour phone conversation | X | X |
| A resume and cover letter targeted for one job / career | X | |
| Discounted coaching | X | X |
| $199 | $249 | |
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I’ve still got some questions
If you’d like to check in about the service before clicking the button, no problem! Just fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
If you've got questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you! Just fill out the form below and hit submit and I'll get back to you within 48 hours.