Get New Clients Through Articles in Trade Magazines

Trade publications can be a great way to get your name in front of prospective resume clients in a particular industry or market niche.

However, never pitch a story idea to a trade magazine, or any magazine, unless you've read the publication first.

But before you pay for a subscription, check out TradePub.com.

It includes a list of about 300 trade publications that are free to professionals who qualify. Browse through the list by industry, title, key word or geographic eligibility to find the titles that best match your skills and interests. Then complete the application form and submit it.

Even if you don't want to pitch an idea but you need to become familiar with a certain industry, this is a great place to do it:

http://associates.tradepub.com/

Once you're familiar with the magazine, consider sending an educational careers article on your area of expertise ("Top 10 Tips for Engineers Seeking a New Job"). Many trade journal editors love these articles. They're cheaper than buying an ad, and they're far more credible too.

"How to Write How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Journals" shows you how to do it and includes a template for a simple how-to article that will save you hours of work. Read more about what you'll earn or order the CD or cassette tape at
The Publicity Hound.

Click on the "CDs/Transcripts" category or use the search box to search for "trade journals."

Resume Writers Who "Write While You Wait"

When I first started out writing resumes (for profit) in 1996, I did them, "While You Wait." The client would sit down next to me, and we'd bang out the resume together. I quickly learned it wasn't a successful strategy for me. But it might be for you.

Some of the benefits of writing while the client is there includes:
• Make more money per hour (you're likely to spend less time writing if the client is with you -- there will be fewer distractions, for one thing).
• Serve more clients. Instead of having separate consultation and writing time, it's combined, so you can work with more clients.
• Meet client deadlines. It's hard not to, when the client sits there expectantly.
• Make rush fees. Now, instead of rush fees on turnaround, charge a rush fee for a same-day or next-day meeting, instead of a next-day delivery.
• Spend more time with your clients. You won't be in as much of a rush to get clients out the door -- because you'll be working collaboratively with them to uncover their resume information right there.
• Spend more time on marketing. Anytime you're not meeting with clients, that's when you should be marketing (within reason, of course). But you won't have to block out separate marketing and writing time.
• Gives you more free time. You can truly run a 9-to-5 business if you only accept appointments during those hours. All writing will be completed during that time as well!
• You'll be able to focus your time with clients. You're directly collecting the information that will be used on the resume, so you should find it easier to fill in the gaps than if you're collecting information to write later.

Tell a Story

Sometimes the hardest part of the resume writing process is the challenge of writing a great resume every time. It can help to envision the resume as a story with a solid beginning, middle and end. Like a storyteller, we weave the tale together. How did this person get to where they are today? Phrases such as, "Recruited to..." or "Selected to..." show a desirable candidate being plucked from the masses, while phrases like "successfully transitioned to" show growth and movement.

Don't be afraid to be evocative in your writing. Infuse it with excitement and energy and watch the tale unfold.

The Importance of Focus

A client came in recently with a resume that was four pages long -- plus a half-page "addendum" that covered his current job. The resume was on in true "obituary" form, dating back to his experience teaching junior high in 1973. He was now in sales. My number one challenge with this client? Focusing on what was relevant to the position he wanted.

As I sat down to tackle the rewrite, I was reminded of the story of the sculptor who, when asked how he created such a magnificent piece of art said, "I just started with a block and chipped away at everything that didn't belong."

So it was with this client. His original four-page resume had been created by a professional resume writer, so it was full of accomplishments -- and a "summary of qualifications" that took up half a page. The problem was, that resume writer hadn't forced the cilent to focus on the things that would be important to a prospective employer.

So I did what the sculptor suggested: Looked for things that didn't belong. The result was a concise, focused resume that helped prospective employers quickly identify how this top-producing salesperson could be a valued asset to their company.