Make it easy to work with you

Let’s say that you want to make some side cash off of your talents or expertise. Maybe you want to start a freelancing side-hustle or set yourself up as a coach or consultant.

There are two steps to making this happen.

1. You need to be visible to the people you want to get in front of.
2. Those people must desire to work with you.

A great way to be visible is to become a teacher. Write posts and articles that make your industry better. Teach them ways to tackle some of the bigger problem areas within the space.

Then, make it easy to work with you. Better yet, make it easy to make a decision about working with you.

You could make the assumption that if someone wants to work with you, they’ll just reach out to ask about your services.

Alternatively, you could share a list of your services and the expected outcomes of those services. Then put the purchase button or link to your calendar in an easy-to-access place.

Here’s the thing:

A person can love your posts. They can love the value that you bring through your teachings.

But they will never desire to work with you unless your services exist for them to desire.

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What are you here to teach?

Let’s say you want to work on special projects with the movers and shakers of your industry. Or you want to be considered for a coveted promotion at your company. Or, maybe, you’re just thinking about what a higher salary could mean for your life.

The inevitable, inescapable first step to making this happen? You must feel comfortable standing out from the crowd.

The brilliant, sought-after professionals who work at the cutting edge of their industries didn’t get there just because they were hard-working or talented.

They took deliberate steps to make sure that they were visible. They set themselves up so that their contributions would be recognized and their ideas would be heard.

They understood the importance of being value-adding and being in service to their industry. And then they took it one step further.

They made themselves the solution for some of the biggest problem areas within their space.

You could do the same thing. And, not only that, you could start down this path today.

Grab pen and paper, and jot down responses to the following questions:

• What were some of the big fires across your career that you were called upon to put out?

• What problems or concerns do your colleagues regularly seek you out for?

• What are you here to teach? What could you teach your industry today?

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I’m writing a book

It’s surprising, even to me. And I’m the one that’s going to be writing the thing. ;)

I’ve done a number of interviews this past month with people who self-identify as career changers. Across each interview, I wanted to know:

• Why the person made the career change?

• What were the challenges that they had to overcome?

• What were the lessons learned along the way?

From these interviews, I heard stories of loneliness and grief leading up to the decision to change careers. For one person, the driver was curiosity. For another person, the driver was destiny.

But for each person I interviewed, the end result was always a sense of triumph. I detected a deep-seated pride in their accomplishment of joining a new profession or pursuing a new path in life.

I think that however this book ends up being shaped, I want that to be the final message.

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Reflecting on the journey

Becoming a resume writer began with a strong fascination with entrepreneurship. The idea of being your own boss was deeply attractive to me.

I didn’t originally envision fulfilling this dream through resume writing. The very first sketches had me as a copywriter for life coaches. I also thought about becoming a ghostwriter for authors in the self-help world.

I fell into resume writing gradually. It started with me helping colleagues with their resumes. Then, I turned the work into a side-hustle and supplemented my income with occasional client work.

There came a point in the journey where I felt ready to leave my 9-to-5, so that’s what I did. I kept up with resume writing because it both paid the bills and allowed me to pursue a freer, less hectic lifestyle.

I support myself through the LinkedIn platform and through occasional projects on Fiverr Pro. I write content on a regular basis, and, as a result, potential clients message me here to see if I’m available for new work. This, combined with kind referrals from happy clients, is how I’m able to keep going.

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Thank you

These past couple of weeks, I’ve been interviewing the most incredible professionals about their career journey. If you were someone that I had an opportunity to speak to, I just want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

You’re helping to shape the future of my tiny company by sharing your challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned as you’ve navigated your careers. You’re helping me decide the direction of future research and ways that I can better serve my job seekers.

All of you are so talented and brilliant and inspiring. I want you to know that I’ll always be your cheerleader and I’ll always be here to root for you and your continued success.

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Did you change careers?

I'm working on a pretty exciting project - I'm looking at professionals who had successful career changes within the past couple of years.

I want to learn more about how they achieved their transition - what they did, what challenges they had to overcome, and what lessons they learned along the way.

Did you change careers in the past two years? Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to talk with you about your experience. :)

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Exciting times are on their way

Exciting times are on their way. ;) I'm getting ready for a transition. I'm slowly going into full-time professional branding - helping the most incredible professionals build their presence within their industry.

I'll always be here to help my job seekers with their resumes and LinkedIn profiles. But this new path is more aligned with the real value I bring to my clients - getting them on the path to building their platforms and showcasing their talents, skills, and expertise.

If you bring tremendous value to your organizations, and if you want to make a showstopping impression that continuously impresses your industry - I'm the person to call. ;)

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Optimize your resume for trust

Optimize your resume for trust.

I don’t need an endless sea of awards, titles, and accomplishments documented on your resume. I don’t need you to be the superhero of your organization.

What I need is to feel like you know what you’re doing. What I need is assurance that you could do the job well.

I need to get the sense that you’re steady, reliable, and sure of yourself when I read your resume.

This is how you create the foundation for trust.

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The Great Resignation

I wrote in a previous email that there would be an interesting power dynamic that would unfold between the employer and the employees that refuse to go back into the office.

I’m slowly beginning to see it take place.

LinkedIn is calling it the “Great Resignation.” The community is writing about it with gusto. I’m watching hiring managers openly talk about how they would fight back if they were called to go back into the office.

It makes me want to go back to my notes and older posts on promotions for remote workers.

Remote employees have a much tougher time landing promotions of any kind, (even, surprisingly, performance-based promotions).

And, when given the choice, we have evidence that remote-based employees will return to the workplace to stay positioned for promotion opportunities.

It makes me wonder - what’s going to happen in a few years when those refusing to go back into the office start getting that itch to move up the corporate ladder?

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Leaders go first

I was reminded today that leaders go first.

We go scared. We go unsure. There will be times when we go boldly, especially when our confidence just isn’t there.

But we go first. We ask the questions first. We explore the unknown, and we come back with our report of the experience.

It’s just one of the many, many things we sign up for when we decide to pursue leadership.

"People can become leaders through the process of teaching, learning, and observation. Leadership is a set of skills that can be learned by training, perception, practice, and experience over time." ⏤ Brigette Hyacinth

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“It feels like I’m bragging”

“I know we’re supposed to put accomplishments on our resume, but it feels like I’m bragging. How can I write my resume and still be humble?”

When writing your accomplishments, think about them through the lens of trust-building.

You want to give your hiring manager a reason to call you for an interview. The trouble is, you have an important obstacle to overcome: trust.

Your hiring manager likely doesn’t know who you are. They don’t know all the ways that you’ve brought value to your organizations. They’re trying to gauge if it’s worthwhile to give you a call based on what they’re reading off of a piece of paper.

Accomplishments can play a few roles on a resume. They can be a demonstration of your character. (Did the company trust you to manage some of their bigger accounts?) They can also show off your work ethic and attention to detail. (Maybe you consistently bring in a >95% OTD metric each month.)

Your resume is meant to help the hiring manager feel like they’re in safe hands. They can feel good about giving you a call because you left each of your teams in better shape than when you first arrived.

You’re showing how you’ve served your organizations. And you’re giving the hiring manager a glimpse into how you could serve their organization in the future.

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The way we think about careers today is wrong

It’s wrong because it’s outdated. It’s based on an understanding of a working world that no longer exists in 2021.

The foundation, systems, and understood “rules” within those systems have been crumbling away across a century, if not for several centuries, depending on where we choose to place our starting point for what we call the modern career.

In its place, a new foundation with new systems and rules has been seeping into the cracks. Actually, as I type this, I wonder if it’s even more complex than this visual represents.

What if our understanding of careers was always destined to change? What if the “career” was always meant to undergo an evolution?

Rather than thinking about “old” versus “new,” modern careers were always meant to undergo a continuous, gradual development with no endpoint?

Why this matters

Look at the questions we ask ourselves:

Did I choose the right career? Did I make a mistake in pursuing this career path? Am I ruining my career?

We suffer tremendously when we ask these questions. And yet, the “career” we’re visualizing no longer exists. The form in our heads is what the previous generations experienced in the prime working years of their lives.

The main difference is the structure: a career is no longer a path with a destination in mind, where the person who works hard is rewarded for time, efficiency, and loyalty along an understood trajectory.

Today, a career has no destination. The person who is the most visible, brings the “right” expertise, and can answer the “What’s in it for me?” question asked by leadership is the one who is rewarded.

My invitation: Challenge me on this

I invite you to challenge me on anything that you’re reading here. Give me a reason to think that any part of this is wrong. What am I missing? What is fuzzy/gray?

I’m committed to understanding this topic as deeply and as thoroughly as possible.

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Doing things inefficiently

James Clear’s email this morning is on my mind. He wrote:

”More effort is wasted doing things that don’t matter than is wasted doing things inefficiently.

Elimination is the highest form of optimization.”

I’m working on a new email/article that I’m pretty excited about. The concept: if I were a brand new job seeker, and if I was interested in landing a specific position, what would I do? What steps would I take?

It’s going to be another ambitious piece of writing. But my “How to become a resume writer” email/article was also ambitious, and it’s received surprisingly high engagement for the subject. I’ve also gotten a number of kind responses to it.

Maybe I ought to start putting more effort into these bigger writing pieces. ;)

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How to get in front of recruiters

1.) Have what recruiters want, and then make it visible on LinkedIn. Remove any filters or restrictions to viewing your profile. Keep in mind that recruiters use search engines by funneling for both broad and specific keywords. (I.e. project manager, construction, commercial development, Baltimore, Washington D.C.)

2.) Make your recruiter look good for “discovering” you. Include relevant accomplishments on your profile that your recruiter can easily copy/paste into an email to their supervisor or hiring manager. Back up your accomplishments with numbers, dollars, percentages, and data.

3.) Focus on getting that first recruiter to view your profile. Get them to engage with you (sending you a message, following you, or sending a connection request). The LinkedIn algorithm will see that a recruiter is visiting your page and trying to get ahold of you. It will push other recruiters to view your page.

Quick Q&A:

Q.) Should I put my resume on my LinkedIn profile? A.) It doesn’t hurt. The recruiters I’ve spoken to are roughly split on the “resume on the profile” question. Some like easy access to it. Others are more interested in funneling you into their questionnaire, where you’ll be asked to submit your resume.

Q.) Do recruiters use bots to collect information on LinkedIn? A.) It’s against LinkedIn’s policies to do this. But yes, recruiters use third-party bots/automation software to collect information on potential hires. Interseller is one example, and it’s popular because it “acts” like a human that’s casually browsing LinkedIn.

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How to become a resume writer

This is going to be a pretty ambitious email.

1. Start by being observant of your workplace and industry. Ask, who are the employees that are most often rewarded? Who is getting the acknowledgments and promotions? What are they doing that’s different from the group?

2. Look at who is being hired and who isn’t. Ask your supervisor if you can sit in on some of the interviews taking place or shadow them when it’s time to hire someone new into your group. Do this even if you’ve never seen another person doing this, and don’t worry about embarrassing yourself just for asking.

3. Find a way to practice writing resumes. But don’t just practice for the sake of practicing - you need a feedback mechanism in place in order to get really good at what you do. I helped my colleagues with their resumes, cover letters, and interview game. I also had plenty of “practice” by my personal job-hopping, moving from company to company as I sought out a healthy place to work.

4. As you practice, allow yourself to get curious. Don’t be afraid to bug supervisors, project managers, senior leaders, or even your immediate colleagues if it feels right. Ask them about the hiring process. Ask them what they like to see in their job candidates. Then consider the possibility that what a person says they want from a job candidate isn’t what they actually end up looking for.

5. I was lucky in that I eventually was allowed to become part of the hiring team at one of the companies I worked for. I was also lucky that I worked within a revolving door of an industry. Exposure is so incredibly important if you want to become good at your craft. There are books upon books out there that talk about writing the perfect resume, but I’ve never read a single one.

6. Eventually, you’re going to get this itch that you want to trade your skills and abilities for some form of compensation. I would jokingly demand a steak dinner whenever I worked on a colleague’s resume. But eventually, I realized that it was time to try this on a different playing field. This (for me) was the first major stage where I contemplated quitting as a resume writer. The overwhelming thought I had was that I was getting into this too deep, and maybe it was time to put this thing to bed.

7. Make your first sale. It’s incredibly easier to type this than to actually make this happen. Because in order to make your first sale, you need to overcome obstacles in fear, ego, doubt, frustration, and pride. I made my first sale on Reddit for $150. My client was a legal clerk looking to join an immigration law firm.

8. Keep making sales. It’s so incredibly tempting to quit after you make your first sale and after you work with your first client. Everything you thought you knew about working with clients flies out the window. You realize that every assumption you have about entrepreneurship is wrong. But regardless, keep making sales. Push through incredible discomfort and imposter syndrome. Cry it out if you’re having a particularly tough day. But if you want to be a resume writer, this is a stage that you just have to get through. You’re stretching and growing into a new version of yourself.

9. At some point, you’re going to experiment with pricing, experiment with building websites, resent the work, and resent your clients. And then, when you least expect it, you’re going to realize that you’re a resume writer. Someone is going to refer to you as a resume writer. Or maybe you’re doing the dishes, and as you put away one of your plates, you realize, wow, I’m a resume writer. This is one of my identities now.

10. At this stage, you get another chance to quit. If you’re anything like me or anything like the billions of people on this planet, you’re going to be afraid of your new identity, and it’s going to make you want to quit. I personally went through a phase where my deep pride for the work and for my clients’ successes gave way to a deep shame. My thoughts were something like: “Wow, I worked so hard to get here, and I put in all this time and energy into this. But what was it all for? And why did I pick resume writing? I could’ve spent all this time doing something cool, or popular, or socially acceptable, or whatever. But I picked resume writing?”

And the final stage - the eleventh stage, if you will - as you experience your inner turmoil and guilt and grief, you’re going to get an email. It’s going to read, “Hey there, you helped my friend land a job with this incredible company. Could you help me out, too?” And without thinking too much about it, because you’ve built this muscle memory for it, (or so you’ll tell yourself), you’ll reply back and say, “Absolutely. Tell me about your job search.”

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P.S. The website is finally up, along with the new LinkedIn page edits. Go check it out, let me know what you think.

Ridding myself of the die-hard-perfectionist

There are people who follow me on LinkedIn that remember me from my Reddit days when I was the “Reddit Career Coach.” Eventually, I did find the courage to use my real name online. Thinking about it still makes me smile, how worried I was about the reactions of my colleagues and loved ones if they ever found out that I was a career coach.

It’s May 1st, and I’m sitting at my desk, figuring out how I want to write out my LinkedIn page and new web pages. I’m trying to step away from full-time resume writing and step into full-time career coaching.

When I write about others - my job seekers, industry professionals, new graduates - I have zero issues stepping into their shoes and writing these beautiful and impactful pages. But when I need to write about myself, wow. The inner artist fades away and the die-hard-perfectionist comes out in full force.

How I like to map out my LinkedIn pages:

- Outcomes first - what outcomes/results are you going to get from working with me/hiring me/promoting me?
- The “What” - what do I bring to the table, what are my value-adding skills, what are my services?
- The Proof - Testimonials, relevant accomplishments, any evidence that backs up your “what”
- The Call-to-Action - what do you want the reader to do next? (Send you a message, sign up for services, give you a call)

Is my way of writing LinkedIn pages the only way? Of course not. But does my way get some pretty fantastic results? Absolutely.

Today’s email is my attempt to rid myself of the die-hard-perfectionist.

While the tiny details of what I write are important, it’s the overarching narrative and the internal response from the reader that ultimately matters in the end. (This goes for resumes as well!)

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“Yes, this is a problem”

I don’t know how to convey what accepting a lower salary does to your spirit. I want to show you the trickle-down effect that begins with you not being paid according to your value - and ends with you forgetting what it’s like to have respect for yourself.

I hope you will never accept less than what you’re worth. I hope you won’t ever allow a hiring manager to talk you down from the salary you know you deserve.

If you choose to draw a line in the sand, I hope you’ll never let someone’s nickel-and-diming guilt you or shame you into moving that line.

It might be that you’re being asked to lower your salary by a thousand dollars. They might ask you, “Is this going to be a problem?”

My wish for you is that you’ll say, “Yes, this is a problem.”

Without justifying it or providing any reasons to back up your number, you’ll repeat the salary that you want.

I can’t promise you that the hiring manager won’t give the job to someone who would do the work for cheaper. But in all the time I’ve been a resume writer, I’ve never had a single client lose out from refusing to budge.

And their refusal to budge helped create the foundation for a powerful, impactful, and resilient experience with their new company.

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My spine straightens

In my apartment, I created this perfect little workstation in the corner of my living room. My desk is an art table that I’ve had for almost 15 years. I’ve replaced the stool with my ancient purple La-Z-Boy recliner. And part of me wonders if I’ve made a mistake in creating this space because I’ve all but abandoned my living room and dining room. When I wake up in the morning, all I want to do is go straight to my workstation and start writing.

Lately, I’ve been digging into homiletics and practicing speaking out my inner thoughts. I’m making myself complete those thoughts rather than stopping halfway if I don’t think that I’m getting it right.

I learned something about myself in doing this. When I’m speaking to an empty room, I’m awkward and jumbled and mixed up in my speech. But when I’m in front of at least one person, my spine straightens, and I’m able to speak with conviction. I know who I am, and I know exactly what I want to say.

I didn’t realize this until I sat down to type this email. I think that I’ve found peace in my heart. I always knew that I would get to this stage to feel ready to do something like this. Now that I’m finally here, the expansiveness of it all is humbling and moving.

It feels as if I’ve walked up to a door and opened it, expecting to walk into another room. But instead, I realize that I’ve just opened a door into the hall of a cathedral.

I’m excited to share this journey with you.

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Don’t let a trending article stop you

A trending article on LinkedIn talked about how millennials (yeek, I don’t like that word) are making sudden career choices during the pandemic and, subsequently, ruining their careers.

Among the list of sudden career choices: quitting to start a business, quitting to freelance part-time, and quitting to take a break.

I’ve worked on hundreds upon hundreds of resumes. I’ve explored the winding career paths of professionals from all walks of life. I have yet to encounter a single person who “ruined” their careers from making any of the above choices.

If anything, choices like these allowed for some fascinating career narratives to take shape. Even when the person didn’t have a perfect plan or goal fully envisioned before taking the step, they ultimately found their footing in creative (and even lucrative) ways.

1. Career paths are as unique as the person walking them.

2. You have no way of knowing how your decision today will affect your tomorrow.

3. Whoever wrote this article likely has a chip on their shoulder for millennials. ;)

If you want to take a break, or try part-time work, or start a business, don’t let a trending article stop you.

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Hiring managers want

If you want to stand out as a job seeker and be chosen above all the other candidates for a position, start by thinking about the hiring manager's needs and perspective.

Hiring managers want:

• Someone who can follow directions.

• Someone reliable.

• Someone they can trust to do what they say they’re going to do.

• Someone competent.

• Someone who isn’t going to create problems for them down the road.

On LinkedIn and other public forums, hiring managers will happily talk about the first four items in this list. But it’s the last item, “someone who isn’t going to create problems for me,” that tends to be the quieter, almost whispered ask.

Is this person going to be combative? Will they embarrass me in front of my boss or our clients? Are they going to be gone in six months?

Thinking about this through the lens of opportunity, I want you to ask yourself the following:

What can you include on your resume, and what can you talk about in the interview, that will show the hiring manager that you’re there to fully support them, the team, and the organization?

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