February 8, 2016

Resume Writing Services Houston

I just completed a new resume for a Houston client, grabbed my third cup of coffee, and got curious. I used Google and entered ‘ resume writing services houston ‘ and to my disbelief, more than 1.5 million results popped-up!
 
I then used MS Edge and also entered ‘ resume writing services houston ‘ and almost THREE MILLION results appeared! I thought to myself, how is that possible when there are only SIX Certified Professional Resume Writers (CPRW) certified through the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches, the first American association to train and issue such credentials since January, 1990, (www.parw.com) in the city of Houston, Texas as of this writing?

​Okay, there is another, newer certifying entity which I cannot recall, so they would certainly have a few in the fourth largest city in America. But totaling all together…1.5 million to more than 3 million results for that Search? No wonder people can get confused. I suppose that anyone with a computer could attempt to write a resume, but what about quality? What about proven results? What about the writer’s professional background? Certifications? Do they even know what Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are and what they accept/reject and score?  – it could become rather important! Would they know that ATS software is within most HR Departments today and that it will discard their resume for many, many reasons, e.g. margins too thin, cannot read Headers and Footers, graphics, Styles, certain bullets, page borders, text boxes, columns, .pdf, .pages, .odt formats (some can), and on and on!

---

Resume Writing Services Houston ?

​Pricing for new resumes, from what I could glean, is all over the place. I’ve seen “free” and God only knows what one receives for free?  You get what you pay for…normally, don’t you? It reminds me of buying a helmet for my kids. Does my daughter have a $19 head (the least expensive helmet), or does she have a $149 head (the most expensive at that store)? I examined both closely, looking for D.O.T., or other agency approvals; the quality difference was quickly recognizable.
 
In this case, I bought the helmet for $149 and hope she doesn’t leave it in the driveway behind the cars! I don’t want to risk saving a few dollars with her physical and mental health. It’s difficult, and sometimes impossible to reverse what has been done.

---

What about your ‘professional' health and well-being?

New resumes and cover letters certainly fall into that category. The financial and career health of the individual and his / her family affects just about everything! Then there are the other important matters such as: right position, right industry, right company, future professional growth, travel, bonuses, benefits, relocation now, or later, etc., etc. Other than the physical and mental health of you and your family, I can’t quickly think of anything more important since one’s career and compensation molds virtually everything else!
 
Although I have truly been a ‘ resume writing services houston ‘provider for more than 14 years, I have clients from all about America and even abroad. There is only one, at present, with the tetralogy of certifications in the entire state of Texas:

• Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)
• Advanced Resume Writing Certification (ARWC)
• Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP)
• Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC)

 
I’m very proud to have earned those certifications, but would those alone provide the end results that a potential client is seeking – especially in this job market over the past decade?
 
​Human Resources plays a valuable role within organizations. They have to keep current with federal and state employment law/regulations and those pending, along with internal company policies and procedures. They do the majority of recruiting and interviewing new applicants. They, generally, are involved in employee terminations, succession planning, and a host of other items. They protect the company when these tasks are done well and act as the initial screening mechanism for new hires before they are interviewed by the hiring decision-maker (DM). Of course, if you ARE an HR person, then they have their own DMs to make those decisions. However, if you are NOT an HR person, no one there can hire you, but can deny your ability to move forward in the interviewing process for countless reasons. And, yes, personal biases are still out there. But, don’t blame THAT as the reason the job search continues!
 
As one that started, part-time, in retailing as a Stock Boy, served in the U.S. military, continued college upon my return while working full-time, I quickly rose through the corporate ranks and was a Vice President / General Manager for more than 30 years. The achievements noted on my own resume are impressive to most, but I have always given full credit for those achievements to my teams.
 
That said, they would probably say “Sure, but it was Bruce that built, hired, trained, mentored, and coached those teams.” True, but without them those achievements would never have been realized. I simply love, as a manager, to help people grow their careers and help guide them. I LOVE IT! Perhaps that is the reason I departed the ‘high-tech’ world after so many years to begin helping people with their careers in a, even then, declining job market. That job market has worsened, as you well know, in the years since, but there is hope…REAL hope!
 
As a former VP/GM that not only had to deal with all of the personnel and their diverse functions within my professional reach, we also had customers/clients from virtually every industry and size out there. “I’ve seen it all.” Well, I doubt that, but most of it, anyhow.
 
​When someone has NOT hired, trained, mentored, dismissed, coached people from Sales, Operations, Finance, and Administration (the four major areas within any viable business), then one will not understand fully the ‘end game’…where the client wants to land professionally with all, or most of what (s)he requires of that new position, industry, and company, the qualifications that are probably required, AND how best to get there!

What is your professional goal - your 'end game'?

​Understanding that ‘end game’ is easier for me than other ‘ resume writing services houston ' because, unlike those from HR, or recruiting, I had to make the final decisions, live with the great, and sometimes not-so-great, results. My own career was based on how my teams performed, so I automate whatever I can afford and attempt to surround myself with brilliance. Brilliance? By definition – “brilliance - the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand.” I CAN get more accomplished with fewer people if I do that well and pay more for the talent and still come out ahead…WAY AHEAD! My hope, knowing full well others either do not think that way, or haven’t to bother to think about it at all, is that as a strong team we will conquer, or surpass all targets placed upon us through the annual corporate budgeting fist fight, advance employee skills, titles, and compensation, and have some fun!

Brilliance, huh? Yes. How do you recognize it? I’m not infallible, but after viewing more than 30,000 resumes, interviewing more than 8,000 candidates, and hiring and training thousands, I got to the point where I had many successful people, and only a relative few that couldn’t play well with others. Many grew into senior positions, even CEO!
 
Decide first on your ‘end game’ - that position that you really want to have. I call it a ‘career position,’ not some J.O.B. (Just Over Boredom; Just Over Broke; Just Outta Bounds…). Now, YOU DO NOT NEED A RESUME! - you need a marketing masterpiece that is a well-written hiring proposal...A GREAT RESUME! Think about it. Yes, a well-written cover letter (email format) is also critical, yet most do not prepare one. I would like to continue, and perhaps I will at another time, with what things (chronologically) come next. Find a true, certified professional with some great references, or emails preferably from a similar job title and industry. With the millions that appeared in the results of my 'searches,' it doesn’t appear easy, but rather quickly you will be able to find that level of talent you need to get you into that ‘career position’ in much less time than it is presently taking the average American job-seeker.
 
DO NOT BUY THE CHEAPEST HELMET! 
​YOUR (PROFESSIONAL) LIFE WILL DEPEND UPON IT!!