Tag: resume

The Key to Rocking Nearly Every Type of Writing

Ever feel like your writing is falling absolutely flat on the page? Like its pulse has flatlined and you don’t know how to revive it?

There’s a simple way to get those vital signs back to a strong, healthy level. It doesn’t always take a complete overhaul to improve a piece of writing. Sometimes you just need this one missing element and your writing can breathe, dance, and kick ass again.

What is it?

Tension.

And I believe this applies to almost every kind of writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, copywriting, resume writing (yes, even resumes!), article writing, blog posts, tweets, Facebook statuses, newsletters, ebooks, informational reports. Maybe even grocery lists. But that depends on how creative you feel like getting in your daily life.

Think about it.

Tension holds attention. Say that out loud and tell me that doesn’t just sound like it makes sense. Those words are entwined.

Tension comes in many forms. In fiction, tension is all the horrible things you throw in your character’s way as she tries to attain that one thing she needs and wants more than anything else.

In copywriting, it happens when you address your reader’s pain points and teach them how you’ll help make their lives  better.

In blog posts, tension exists as a way to transmit useful information, or simply as a way to tell an engaging story to a captive audience.

It even applies to social media– write about your breakfast on Facebook, and you’ll get zero attention. But ask a question that creates an emotional response (which, essentially, is all tension is) or write about your break up, and suddenly you’ve got an audience, right?

Resumes have their own type of tension, too– your resume should illustrate the problems you helped fix and improve at your previous jobs. There you have it: tension + solution. The result? Engagement.

Tension doesn’t always have to be negative. Instead, onsider it a way to amp up your reader’s emotions enough that they care about what you’re writing.

Tension often allows readers to connect with your writing. If they can feel something, they’re in.

Tell me, do you consciously think about tension when you’re writing? Do you think it’s the key to good writing? 

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Does Your Resume Rock Your World… Or Totally Suck?

I got into resume writing for a few reasons:

  • I love learning what makes a person tick
  • I love helping people reach their career goals
  • I love showing clients how amazing they are, which, interestingly enough, sometimes isn’t evident to them until after their resume is professionally written

There’s some debate about the importance of resumes today, but in reality, if you’re looking for a job, career advancement, or need a simple way to quickly showcase your best accomplishments (like if you’re a freelancer), you do need a resume.

Ask yourself, “Is my resume rocking my world? Is it pulling its weight in my job hunt? Is it impressing my boss enough to give me the promotion I deserve? Or is it so awfully dull and uninformative that it’s working against me?”

You’ll know the answer pretty quickly. Even if you fall somewhere in the middle and your resume is kind of doing an ok job, it’s still not kicking ass for you.

Your resume absolutely, without a doubt should do one thing no matter what anyone else tells you: it should be kicking ass for you.

It’s more than just a piece of paper that tells a potential employer what you’ve been doing with your time (or not doing with your time) for the duration of your working life. Your resume should be working like crazy for you. It should be pointing to your brightest career achievements, highlighting your sharp capabilities, and downplaying your weaknesses.

All resume are not created equally. A template you find on Google, or a quick review by your mom won’t guarantee success.

I’m telling you this because I see so many people using bad resumes, and I truly want to change that.

I have some room in my schedule this month to take on 4 extra resume clients, and I’m completely jazzed up about a new format I want to offer blog readers & online friends first.

Introducing Resume Jam Sessions

You get:

  • 1 hour-long soul-revealing meeting over coffee or Skype (or both at the same time!) where I’ll ask you the right questions about your work history, dig deeper into your career aspirations, and learn who you are from the inside out
  • A brand new, sparkling resume totally tailored to you
  • Cover letters tailored to your 2 top jobs
  • A fully-comprehensive job search tailored to the type of job you want in the state you desire
  • 1 hour-long coaching session again over coffee, Skype, or both during which we talk about how you can effectively update your resume, how to ace an interview, how to search for jobs in a smart way, and the best way to write cover letters

Does your resume need updating? Are you feeling stuck? Shoot me an email at KristinOffilerWrites@gmail.com and ask about booking one of the 4 limited spots before they’re all filled.

If you’d like to forego the coffee & chatting portion of the process, or if you’d like a 2-page resume critique instead, let me know and I’ll set you up with those details!

Yes, the job market sucks. The economy is in the hole. But that does not you can’t advance your career or find a better job. You just need a resume that isn’t ashamed to brag about how awesome you are!