10 Questions With Alana Henry

    

Get to know the other resume writers in our community with our “10 Questions” series!

Today’s profile is Alana Henry of The Writique, LLC.

Alana has been a professional resume writer for more than five years. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE). She is a member of the National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA), Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC), Career Directors International (CDI), and Society of Elite Resume Writers (SERW).

1. Why did you decide to become a professional resume writer?

I became a professional writer for two different reasons: my desire to serve those with unequal access to career advancement resources, and the need for a work-from-home opportunity after the birth of my first child.

I am of the belief that we are all distinctly gifted, and that we should use our gifts to help others in their life journeys. For me, a life of service and a desire to further equity in my community propels me to utilize my talents in a variety of ways. For now, I am using my skills to help others reach success with the development of resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and career coaching that helps them obtain their dream jobs.

2. How did you get into the career industry? What did you do before?

I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism from one of the top schools in the nation, but decided against joining the industry post-graduation. Out of college, I spent several years teaching high school English in a school with more than 80% of students on free or reduced lunch. As someone who grew up in the urban core, I knew all too well the importance of mentors and access to career mapping tools for successful life planning. I spent my tenure as a teacher exposing students to various post-secondary options, teaching them about college entrance requirements, providing them with personality assessments and career mapping tools, and assisting them with the construction of their very first resume. I loved it. And I felt fulfilled. Little did I know, I was serving as a career coach to these young people.

Fast forward five years, and I was faced with the need for supplemental income. I decided to utilize my skills in writing and editing to open my own writing service, focusing primarily on resume writing.

I went on to receive my master’s degree in executive leadership, expanded my business, and am proud to now have a team of writers on staff who help change the life trajectories of our clients.

3. What do you typically wear when you’re working?
I work from home with my four little ones, so you can find me in a pair of comfortable leggings and a casual blouse!

4. What is your best habit, and what is your worst?

I am a doer by nature, so I am quick to jump in feet first. On the flip side, that can make me impulsive — and also make it hard for me to learn when to say “no” to a request or an opportunity.

5. What’s your favorite object in your office? Why?

Since I work from my home office, I would say that my favorite object is my door! It allows me to seal off the chaos of four little children and work in peace. :-)

6. What is your “go to” technique or secret when you get stuck when you’re writing a resume? How do you get unstuck?
Something that helps me when I’m feeling “stuck,” is browsing the website of the company for which the client is applying. Usually, there’s a useful nugget of information that gets my brain moving! If I am still having difficulty, I browse LinkedIn for profiles of individuals in similar roles. Sometimes, they have great information in their Headlines, About sections, or Experience sections that jumpstart my writing.

7. What’s the best career advice you ever got?
“Find people, not jobs.” — Melanie L. Denny

8. How do you unplug?
I love to read a good historical fiction novel or non-fiction books/articles on history, sociology, or psychology. I also enjoy time watching a series on Netflix/Hulu and relaxing with my husband.

9. What ONE thing would you change about your business or the career industry, if you could?
I wish that I had spent more time networking within the industry when I began. Many of my early business struggles were figured out over time, but it would have been much more advantageous to learn from a mentor or group of professionals from the start.

I think the career industry is changing for the better, but it initially appeared to be “exclusive,” and as if other resume writing professionals didn’t want to share best practices/industry knowledge with newbies. At the time, I couldn’t afford membership to some of the major organizations, so I was left to my own devices for knowledge and growth.

10. What are your favorite social media accounts to follow?

Ashley Watkins on LinkedIn

Melanie Denny on LinkedIn

Adam Karpiak on LinkedIn and Twitter

LoLo Designs™ on Instagram

Follow #blackphotography and #blackphotographers on Instagram

Find The Writique LLC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewritique

Connect with Alana on Linkedin here: www.linkedin.com/alanahenry

Find her on Twitter:  @TheWritique

Did you miss our last 10 Questions profile, featuring Angela Jones?

You can read it here!

LinkedIn Success Strategies: Finding Clients on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to make business connections, LinkedIn is the premier social media platform to use. You’ll find recruiters using LinkedIn to find job candidates; CEOs looking for outplacement services; and other résumé writers looking for writers to build their dream subcontracting team. In the world of business relationships, you just never know who you’ll meet that will possibly send you your most lucrative client, so growing your network steadily and consistently makes good business sense.

 
However, if you think blasting LinkedIn users with connection requests is the way to go, put the brakes on your plans and rethink your strategy. 
 
Here’s some well-researched advice:

1. Nobody likes a spammer. Logging in to your account and sending out a blast of connection requests is not a good use of your time. And if you think blasting your current connections with your latest service offering, article, or event will make you instant friends, think again. These are typical forms of spamming which will lose you connections instead of gaining them.
   

2. Don’t use people just for introductions. When someone accepts your connection, get to know that person and their company before asking for introductions to others in their network. People are very protective of their networks and will pick and choose whom they allow access. If they refer you to their connection, and that introduction or meeting doesn’t go well, then THEIR reputation is at stake. Building relationships goes two ways for this exact reason.
   

3. Remember the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. Follow simple common sense: If you don’t want to be bombarded with connection requests and offers or solicitations to join teams — and you don’t know the person asking, why would you do those same things to others? Connect with others who have a common interest or whose companies complement yours. A personalized connection request makes a big difference, too.
   

4. Allow time to build relationships and to build your network. Your network will NOT grow overnight, especially if you use spam tactics to connect with people. Think of networking as the “planting of seeds,” where you certainly talk about what you do and who you are — but in a natural, organic, and authentic way instead of in sales mode. Over time, your connections will remember what you do — and, if they like your style, they will readily refer people to you; but they need to know you better and that takes time. Remember that it’s about “know, like, and trust.” People want to do business with those they know, like, and trust. This can take time!
   

5. Provide value to others. One way to showcase your expertise to your LinkedIn connections is to share consistently. Write articles, participate in groups, ask questions, and share about your mission and why it’s important to you. Educate your followers about what you do or the problems you can solve. Remember, jobseekers are hungry for information — feed them! Done consistently, this type of sharing will keep you in people’s minds and you just never know when they will be ready to hire you or send you a referral. 

 
Networking on LinkedIn really boils down to common sense: Act professionally so you portray your business in the best possible light and be authentic in your interactions. Your ideal clients will be drawn to you once they get to know you as a person instead of as a salesperson.

10 Questions With Angela Jones

 

Get to know the other resume writers in our community with our “10 Questions” series!

Today’s profile is Angela Jones of Haute Resume & Career Services LLC.

Angela founded Haute Resume & Career Services in 2006 when she set out to leverage her experience and expertise as a certified professional resume writer to help executives and highly skilled professionals land the job they want and the $100K salaries they deserve.

As a former recruiter — and a frequent contributor to best-selling resume and cover letter books, including “Gallery of Best Resumes” — Angela has long been considered an expert in the resume writing industry.

Her credentials include having served as a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC) Certification Committee, where she was tasked with judging and certifying only the most talented resume writers from all corners of the world.

Angela has further distinguished herself as one of only a handful of professional resume writers to have received the coveted TORI Award (Toast of the Resume Industry) from Career Directors International. The TORI awards are a prestigious international competition recognizing those who have demonstrated mastery within the resume writing industry.

1. Why did you decide to become a professional resume writer?

I am entrepreneurial and had always wanted to own my own business. When I was laid off, I was given an unexpected opportunity to take the leap into self-employment. I chose working for myself versus working for others as an employee.

2. How did you get into the career industry? What did you do before?

I started my career in banking, moved to office administration, returned to school, became a network administrator, an application developer, and finally a Human Resource Coordinator. My background — combined with my breadth and depth of experience in a variety of roles — has proven critical when working with jobseekers in various industries.

3. What do you typically wear when you’re working?
I’ve enjoyed a “slipper commute” for more than 15 years now.

4. What is your best habit, and what is your worst?

I am competitive and have worked hard to become one of the top resume writers in the country. On the flip side, I have been known to work through the day without breaks. I would often wake up at 3 a.m. to debug my code while working as an application developer.

5. What’s your favorite object in your office? Why?

I have two beagles who keep me company as I work.

6. What is your “go to” technique or secret when you get stuck when you’re writing a resume? How do you get unstuck?
I walk away from it and come back later. Just like debugging code … the answer will come.

7. What’s the best career advice you ever got?
Honestly…to raise my fees. Clients feel better knowing they are going to get their money’s worth and trust my expertise.

8. How do you unplug?
Prior to COVID-19, we would travel the Caribbean, Central and South America. I’m going a bit stir crazy now with the pandemic.

9. What ONE thing would you change about your business or the career industry, if you could?
I would like everyone to understand the value a great resume writer brings.

I had a client in San Francisco who had been laid off, exhausted all of his resources, was within weeks of losing his home to foreclosure, and his relationship with his wife was in jeopardy. With the help from his new resume, in two — maybe three – weeks, he’d landed a great job. Had he not sought help when he did, he would have been divorced, lost his house, and had nothing left in his bank accounts.

10. What are your favorite social media accounts to follow?

Mark Anthony Dyson on LinkedIn

JT O’Donnell on LinkedIn

Work It Daily on LinkedIn

Susan P. Joyce on LinkedIn

Connect with Angie on Linkedin here: 

http://www.linkedin.com/in/proresumewriter

Find her company on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResumeExperts

Or follow her on Twitter at @ResumeExperts

Did you miss our last 10 Questions profile, featuring Georgia Adamson?

You can read it here!

10 Questions with Georgia Adamson

  

Get to know the other resume writers in our community with our “10 Questions” series!

Today’s profile is Georgia Adamson of A Successful Career.

Georgia has been a professional resume writer since 1993. She holds multiple professional certifications, including NCRW, MRW, ACRW, CPRW, NCOPE, CERM, and CJSS. She is a member of the National Resume Writer's Association (NRWA), Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC), Career Directors International (CDI), and Career Thought Leaders (CTL).

1. Why did you decide to become a professional resume writer?

I was being asked to help people with their resumes, which I hadn’t done before. After a few of them, I decided I enjoyed creating resumes for people that made them feel more confident about themselves. Since I like to have a good idea of what I’m doing when I start on something new, I began checking into how to do this as professionally as possible.

2. How did you get into the career industry? What did you do before?

Previously I was an executive assistant in a technology company in Silicon Valley, California. I began to feel I wasn’t using all my capabilities in that role and started a business support service on the side. When we had a layoff and I lost my job, I decided to see if I could run my business full-time.

3. What do you typically wear when you’re working?
Neat but casual clothing. I work virtually and don’t see clients in person, but I feel more like working if I’m not TOO relaxed in my attire!

4. What is your best habit, and what is your worst?

I think it’s probably the fact that I’m pretty well organized and like to plan my activities, but I can still work some flexibility into the mix.

My worst? I can lose track of time when I’m talking with a client or a potential client and enjoying our conversation. That means I have to set reminders for myself to make sure I stay on target and can achieve what we need to accomplish.

5. What’s your favorite object in your office? Why?

I think it’s a little ceramic plaque that says, “Remember The Day’s Blessings. Forget The Day’s Troubles.” Either that, or it’s the one that says, “There can’t be a crisis today. My schedule is already full!”

6. What is your “go to” technique or secret when you get stuck when you’re writing a resume? How do you get unstuck?
Aside from praying for inspiration, which I often do, I’d say it’s carving out a “breathing spell” — whether it’s 5 minutes or longer (depending on my timeframe) — where I can step back from the project and focus on something entirely different for a bit. The best case is when I can let the project sit overnight and come back to it the next day. That gives my uncooperative brain a chance to refresh, recharge, and get back to work productively.

7. What’s the best career advice you ever got?
Remember that it’s not all about you. You’re not the one looking for a job. Focus on the client.

8. How do you unplug?
Spend time with my 16-year-old Tibetan spaniel. Listen to classical music. Read a good book (or re-read one of my old favorites).

9. What ONE thing would you change about your business or the career industry, if you could?
In terms of the career industry: I really like to maintain what I call “people connections” in my work, and some of the technology developments (such as ATS and video interviewing) add complications I could do without. However, as the saying goes, “It is what it is,” so I focus on becoming competent in the essential elements so I can continue to produce the best quality work for clients.

Connect with Georgia on Linkedin here: 

https://linkedin.com/in/asuccessfulcareer

Find her company on Facebook: https://facebook.com/pages/A-Successful-Career/140959285942865

Did you miss our last 10 Questions profile, featuring Michelle Dumas

You can read it here!