Email your resume/linkedin profile to nimtalkingtalent@gmail.com for a free assessment now. Position yourself for a confident 2019 & ahead. Be prepared for the opportunities the universe has.
4 months ago, I decided to take the plunge and set up NimTalkingTalent after a career break of 5 years. I had been freelancing for a while, and was tired of the typical freelancer challenges – getting payments, expecting too much for too little money. I needed to break free from these headaches.
For some time, I had noted with interest how there was a new cottage industry on resumes, cover letters etc. It seemed to me initially why would anyone need a resume writer? Also, the ones on the block were simply too expensive – $200+, or too focused on the graphics, templates and not on the content. This need for help intrigued me. I started speaking to my old work buddies, the one’s with whom you share the trials of fire (late night work, deadlines, cross country super hectic recruiting trips etc), young folks, recruitment consultants.
Clearly, everyone was dealing with too much information, too little time, and were simply unable to put forth their best self on paper. This inability was not allowing them to sell themselves properly. Keyword optimization to get noticed by the recruitment search engines was embedded in hiring processes, yet people did not understand how their resumes needed to change. Artificial Intelligence is already making inroads into hiring. We have not factored that at all into our job search strategy.
The struggle was real.
Folks were getting blinded by templates and over use of adjectives. Don’t get me wrong. We need these templates and power phrases. We need to however know where to use what judiciously. I would never recommend a flashy template for a CFO. I would however recommend a creative, fun template for an art director. The look and feel of the resume template has to be linked to your job and industry. Too many power phrases will be too taxing for the reader. Use power phrases judiciously.
There was a gap between the $200+ resume writers and the “resume template” writers, most of them copywriters, or ex junior recruiters.
It excited me – to craft offerings which address this gap, and apply my 15+years of HR experience in different scenarios – factory floor, oil refinery, corporate office, IT startup, financial services, back office operations and investment bank, and all aspects of HR – I have been a full time recruiter, management consultant, business partner, development and coaching evangelist, led training and HR departments.
So armed with a grand idea, I took the plunge to offer not just resume writing, but also linkedin makeovers and job interview coaching. There is no bulletproof business plan. Everything just kicked off and many people bought into the idea. I won’t bore you with any of the steps and details. My work has helped me connect with incredible people. I learn something new everyday.
Sure, there were naysayers who thought why would anyone who is good at their job and has had a good education need a resume writer? Surprise, the best of the best always want to get better. Your job search is a very personal challenge. You can’t go to the HR person/mentor in the firm. So, you need to find someone who can critique your resume, profile and work with you for greater success.