Job Interview

What Do Professionally Prepared Resumes Cost?

April 16, 2019 By jenowenby

Prices vary greatly, but the following accurately reflects the competitive mid-point someone will pay for resumes written by professionally trained and experienced resume writers. My prices typically run below the national average, and I offer 11 years of industry experience.

Entry Level Resume ~ $300-$400
These resumes are for students, new graduates, and entry-level applicants just entering the job market.

Professional Level Resume ~ $450- $550
Professional level resumes are primarily for people with 3-10 years’ experience, not in management and not in other specific careers like Technical or Program/Product Management.

Mid-Career Level Resume ~ $550-$650
Mid-career level resumes tend to be for people with 10+ years’ experience that are not in a management role or in IT or other specialized areas.

Specialized Level Resume ~ $750+
These types of resumes are for specialized professionals who need specific information, keywords, and other needs for their particular industry that others may not require. This includes technical, sales, program management, product management, etc.

Management Level Resume ~ $850+
A management level resume refers to all managers with hiring and firing responsibilities for individual contributors within a company.

Executive Level Resume ~ $1100+
Executive level resumes are built for senior management with bottom-line fiscal, hiring and firing responsibilities for managers.
Also, here are a few questions to ask when speaking with a resume writer:

Are they the person writing your document?
Do they outsource overseas?
Do you use templates or design your resumes For additional information on how I create a resume that gets you noticed, please visit www.onbproresume.com.

Keys to Assist With a Performance Review

October 28, 2017 By jenowenby

The purpose of the self-assessment is to help your manager understand your perspective concerning your work performance and accomplishments. When responding to questions on the self-evaluation form, look at the list of activities, projects, and accomplishments you prepared and use that information to substantiate your responses. The self-evaluation form allows you the opportunity to provide additional insight about your contributions as part of the performance review process.

Even if your manager doesn’t give you a formal self-assessment to complete, reviewing your own performance is a necessary part of preparing for your review.

As part of your self-assessment, you should identify areas for improvement or development during the review period (i.e., the next 12 months). These may include:

• Things you’ve struggled with

• Where you’d like to expand your skills, experience, and/or expertise

• What you need — training, coaching, mentoring, a specific course (or degrees), special assessments, job shadowing, or volunteer work

As part of this exercise, you should also prepare your goals for the upcoming year. The goals should be specific assignments to participate in, learning objectives, or aligned with ongoing or future projects.

Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T.:

• Specific: A clearly defined outcome that you want to achieve

• Measurable: Using numbers, specify how you will measure and track your progress towards completion

• Achievable: You should stretch to reach the objective, but it should still be within reach

• Realistic: Consider the available resources you have (time, money, people)

• Time-Sensitive: Set a due date for the achievement of the goal

Another part of the assessment process may be a “peer evaluation,” where your co-workers are given the opportunity to provide input on your work performance.

What To Do With This Information

Ask your manager their preference — do they want to review the information before your meeting, or should you bring it with you to the meeting?

Questions to Ask in Your Review

Here is a brief list of questions to ask in your performance review:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is someone about to be promoted, and 1 is someone about to be fired, what number would you rate me?

• How are you measuring my success in this position?

• What individual and company goals should I be focusing on?

• What aspects of my performance stand out?

• Which areas should I focus on for improving my performance?

• Can you provide me with specific examples of a time when my performance did not meet your expectations? How would you prefer I had handled that situation?

You may find that your boss sees situations from a different perspective, which can help you improve your performance, even if you don’t think you handled a situation poorly, to begin with. Because your boss is the person evaluating your performance, you want to make sure that your performance aligns with his or her expectations. If you disagree with the criticism, don’t get into an argument with your boss about it. Instead, think about what you are hearing. In particular, if you are surprised by what is brought up, take the time to think through the situation instead of responding defensively during the performance review.

Remember that “perception is reality” when it comes to your performance. Determine whether this issue is something that could put your job in jeopardy or put a promotion and/or raise at risk. Ask your boss, “What can I do to improve this situation going forward?”

If you’re located in the U.S., click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

Jennifer Owenby offers her combined expertise as a recruiter along with training as a professional resume writer. Please visit ONB Professional Resumes and LinkedIn Services for additional information and scheduling an appointment.

Career Checklist: 10 Tips for Success In Your Job Search

January 27, 2017 By jenowenby

Most people have never been taught how to find a job. However, research shows that the average worker only spends 4 years in a job — and you’ll have as many as 12-15 jobs over the course of your career.

Here are 10 things every job seeker can do to be successful in your job search.

Follow this checklist to learn how to find your new job faster. Remember, you only need one company to hire you. Instead of focusing your efforts on making dozens or hundreds of contacts with prospective employers, be selective!

Start with the end in mind. Take the time to think about what kind of job you’re targeting. What job title, functional roles, and industry are you interested in? Any specific companies you’d like to work for? If your ideal job was available, how would you describe it?
Take time to organize your job search. Outline a strategy and then use your plan to create a weekly list of activities.
Create a schedule each day for your job search activities. Make a list each day of the activities you want to complete. However, if an interview or networking opportunity comes up, of course, you will rearrange your schedule to fit it in!
Set aside a workspace for your job search. Designate a specific area to use when conducting your job search. This should be an area free of distractions.
Devote sufficient time to your job search. The more time and energy you devote to your job search, and the more aggressively you network, the faster your job search will proceed. If you are not currently working, commit yourself to a minimum of 40 hours per week devoted to your search campaign. If you are currently working, devote 15-20 hours per week at a minimum.
Recognize that your motivation is going to increase and decrease, depending on the success (or lack of success) you are having in reaching your job search goal. Reward yourself for effort, not for results.
Get the support of a team to help you. You don’t have to go it alone in your job search.
Ask your family and friends to support you. Join a job club. Use the services offered by your city, county, or state employment office. Contact your university alumni association. Hire a résumé writer and/or career coach.
Enlist an accountability partner. Recruit one person to support, encourage, and motivate you in your job search. This can be a friend, another job seeker, or a coach/counselor. (Choose someone who can be objective with you — and critical of your efforts — when they need to be. That role might be too difficult for a spouse/partner.)
It can be easier to get a job if you have a job (even if the job isn’t related to the job you want). Employers sometimes see hiring someone who is unemployed as “riskier” than hiring someone who is already working.
If you are having difficulty finding a job in your area, consider relocation. If you live in an area with high unemployment — especially in your industry — consider whether moving to another city, state, or region would improve your chances of getting hired.

Click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

If you loved this article then you will enjoy Tips and Tricks on How Not to Reveal Your Salary During the Interview Process. Just click here.

Easy Cover Letter Tips And Tricks

December 6, 2016 By jenowenby

Not sure how to write a strong cover letter? These tips will guide you through it.

Don’t just repeat information from your résumé in your cover letter — give the reader a reason to read the cover letter. Focus on the reasons why you’re a fit for this specific position.
Address the cover letter to a specific person, not “To Whom It May Concern.” Ten or fifteen years ago it was very difficult to find a hiring manager’s name. Today, with Google, LinkedIn, and company websites, you should be able to secure the specific individual’s name and job title with a quick search (and maybe one follow-up phone call).
Make sure the cover letter is “employer-focused,” not “you-focused.” It’s not about what you want — it’s about how you can add value to the prospective employer.
Show — don’t tell! Just like on the résumé, don’t use clichés to describe yourself and your work — let your accomplishments do the talking. Instead of saying “results-oriented,” showcase the results you’ve achieved! Use specific dollar amounts, percentages, and other numbers to quantify your accomplishments.
The cover letter is an opportunity to bring attention to older experience on your résumé that is relevant for the job you’re seeking, but that may not be easily found.
You can also use the cover letter to highlight work experience that would substitute for education requested in a job posting — or highlight training and classes that have prepared you for the work being done.
Don’t include your photo on your cover letter. It doesn’t belong on your résumé either. But you absolutely need a great photo on your LinkedIn profile!
Stand out! Don’t just apply online for a position. Your cover letter and résumé may never make it out of the ATS software. If you apply online, follow-up with a hard copy of the résumé and cover letter — either mailed or dropped off to the company — or email an e-note and résumé to the hiring manager.

If you’re located in the U.S. or Canada, click here to schedule your free strategy session today!

How To Grab A Hiring Manager’s Attention

April 26, 2016 By jenowenby

Researching your desired job can also help you identify your unique positioning. Looking at job postings can help, but you should also consider going further in-depth. These sites can help:

O*NET Online (http://www.onetonline.org/)
This website was created for the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration by the National Center for O*NET Development. The O*NET program is “the nation’s primary source of occupational information,” according to the site. It contains information on hundreds of occupations and is available to job seekers at no cost.

Every occupation requires unique knowledge, skills, and abilities. These occupational characteristics are outlined on the site. The occupational descriptions, which include descriptions of day-to-day work, along with qualifications and interests of the typical worker, allow job seekers to identify unique positioning opportunities for themselves in their job search.

You can also access the O*NET® Interest Profiler, a free tool (available for immediate download) to assess your occupational interests. The tool offers personalized career suggestions based on your interests and level of work experience.

Access the tool here: http://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html

My Next Move (http://www.mynextmove.org/)
You can start your research on an O*NET affiliated site, My Next Move. The site is an interactive tool for job seekers to learn more about career options. It includes descriptions, skills, and salary information for more than 900 professions. You can identify careers through a keyword search, by browsing industry classification, or through the O*NET Interest Profiler.

My Next Move is maintained by the National Center for O*NET Development under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration.

When you identify a profession, you can assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in the role. These can often provide guidance for positioning yourself. The “Personality” and “Technology” sections also give insight into your personal positioning.

The “On the Job, You Would” information includes common job functions. Look to see if these are areas where you excel — this can be a point of differentiation.

Also, check out the “Also Called” information under the occupation for related job titles you can use in your personal positioning tagline.

America’s Career InfoNet (http://www.careerinfonet.org/)
This website is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop program. The website includes occupation and industry information, salary data, career videos, education resources, self-assessment tools, and career exploration assistance.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/)

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on what workers do, working conditions, what qualifications are required for success in the position, pay, job outlook, similar occupations, and sources of additional information for research for more than 300 occupational profiles.

To find an occupation, browse the occupational group of interest on the left-hand side of the website, or use the “A-Z Index” (if you know the specific occupation). You can also enter a job title into the “Search Handbook” box at the top of the site. You can also search for occupations by pay range, education level, training, projected number of new jobs, and projected job growth rate — using the “Occupation Finder” or occupation selector drop-down menus on the homepage. If you can’t find an occupation you are interested in, look in the alphabetical index, using similar occupational titles to search for an occupation.

Glassdoor (http://www.glassdoor.com/)

You can also research your prospective employer to identify how to effectively position yourself to work at that specific company. Glassdoor is an excellent way to assess what is important to the employer and how you might fit in.

Creating Your Positioning

The first step is a brainstorming exercise. Make a list of possible attributes, values, and differentiators based on the exercises above and your research. Brainstorm first — don’t judge or evaluate.

Then, you get to decide what your personal positioning is. Look through the words and phrases you’ve identified, and see what stands out. You may be many things, but pick one to emphasize. It may help you to ask yourself: If I were creating my ideal career, I would ____________.

If you are still having trouble identifying your positioning, use this idea from Brian Kurth, author of “Test Drive Your Dream Job.” Create a collage of your interests — quotes, photos, words, and inspiration from magazines, newspapers, and materials you find online. You can even create a Pinterest board for this. Then, mine that information to find the “theme” to your personal positioning.

Now, it’s time to actually create your positioning. Your personal position has two parts: A tagline and a full positioning statement. Your personal positioning should be authentic, relevant, compelling, and differentiate you from others.

The full positioning statement has an immediately clear focus supported by 3-5 main points that further emphasize that focus. This positioning statement will be used throughout your resume, LinkedIn profile, and the interviewing process.

When developing your positioning statement, consider these five areas:
Who is your target employer? (industry, size of company, public/private/non-profit)
What problem or issue are they hiring to solve?
What results can the employer expect by hiring you? In other words, what solution do you provide?
What proof do you have that you can deliver results?
What sets you apart from other candidates? What makes you different or memorable?

Your personal positioning tagline is one sentence – ideally, 5-10 words in length. It should be easily understandable and easy to remember.

This formula can be used to create your tagline:
Job Title à Differentiator

This may be expressed without pronouns. For example:
Big Four Accountant With Operations Experience in Fortune 500 Companies
Security Guard with Anti-Terrorist Training and Ability to Identify Hidden Patterns
Hazmat Manager with Mechanical Engineering Degree From University of Virginia

Your full positioning statement is that tagline, but backed up by qualifications, accomplishments, and/or evidence. The full statement might be a single sentence, or it might be 3-5 sentences in length. Offer supporting details to back up your accomplishment claims.

Both should be clear and concise and written in present tense. They should highlight your expertise and unique abilities. You can “name drop” by including well-known companies, schools, and credentials in your positioning.

Here is a sample formula for your personal positioning statement:
Job Title à Target Audience/What You Do à Industry/Field à Achievements/Results

This is expressed as: I am a (Job Title/Profession) who (Works With Target Audience OR Who Does X/Y/Z) in the (Industry/Field) to (Highlight Accomplishments or Results).

For example:
I am a public relations specialist who provides media relations and race promotion services to the cycling community to help races attract more participants, media attention, and sponsor support.

Be sure to include:
A target audience — who are the clients or customers you work with?
Your employer/industry — where do you want to work? Who do you want to work for? You can even include your desired employer’s name.
A point of difference — what sets you apart? What is the most compelling reason to choose you as a candidate? (This can be included in the “Achievements/Results” section of the personal positioning statement.)

But don’t try to stuff too much information into the statement. The positioning statement is “overstuffed” if you have more than one conjunction per sentence, or more than two punctuation marks (commas or semicolons).

Also, don’t confuse big words with effective positioning. Choose your words carefully. When possible, incorporate in keywords — nouns or phrases that can be picked up through online searches and are prominently used in applicant tracking systems.

Do’s and Don’ts
Here are things you should do:
Do make sure your positioning reflects your personality.
Do incorporate in keywords (nouns, industry-specific terminology, and skills) into your personal positioning.
Do be authentic. Make sure your personal positioning reflects your personal values, qualifications, and attributes.

Here are some things you should not do:
Don’t go on and on. Don’t tell your whole life story. Get to the point quickly.
Don’t be too general. One of the biggest mistakes with your personal position is not being specific enough. The more specific you are, the more effective your personal positioning will be.
Don’t be boring. You need to get the reader’s attention! Be interesting.

Positioning Can Make It Easier to Find a Job
Recruiters and hiring managers need help knowing what kind of position you’re focused on. It’s harder to find a job when you don’t know what kind of job you want. Conversely, it is easier to find a job if you know what kind of job you want.

There are fewer opportunities for average performers to be found in the hiring process, but there are tremendous opportunities for stars. Positioning helps you identify where you can be a star performer and then make the case (through your work and your career communication documents) to support this claim.

The next step is to align your job search with your positioning. Make sure your resume and interview preparation supports this and makes your case.

Build Your Personal Position Before You Start Looking for a Job
Many job seekers develop their personal positioning when they are looking for a new job. But personal positioning can help you be more effective — and visible — in your current job.

In your current job, get attention for the work you’re already doing:
Offer to do a presentation showing your (or your group’s) accomplishments for the quarter.

Contact your company’s communications department to see if they are interested in doing an article for the company newsletter on a recent project.
Make sure you are keeping an “Accomplishments Journal” documenting your current career successes.

Develop your own communications plan in your current position. Increase your personal visibility by speaking, writing, and participating in social media. Once you’ve identified your personal positioning, see how you can incorporate it into your everyday work life. This will make you worth more to your current employer (remember, superstars stand out!) and make you more attractive as a job candidate when it is time for you to look for a new position.

What Do Professionally Prepared Resumes Cost?

Keys to Assist With a Performance Review

Career Checklist: 10 Tips for Success In Your Job Search

Easy Cover Letter Tips And Tricks

How To Grab A Hiring Manager’s Attention

About Jennifer

F.A.Q.

Free Resources

Archives for Job Interview

About Jennifer

F.A.Q.

Free Resources