As a loan specialist, he had provided key account and loan services for a department processing $1.5 million in loans monthly. His duties included customer service, document preparation and coordination with Department Managers. As an Administrative Assistant, Sam will also be required to perform similar functions. Yet, content like this was never included in his before resume. This is a powerful demonstration of how important it is to control the image you present in your resume. Make sure your resume reflects the depth of your experience and creates an image that matches the level of position and salary you want. This applies whether you're seeking an entry-level position or one that requires years of experience.

If you are an experienced professional making a career change with a salary range of $20,000 to $100,000+, or are a university graduate, my newest booklet, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Increase Salaries provides before and after examples like Sam's (shown above). It also includes extensive worksheets that guide you in packaging and describing your past work experience--to make successful career moves. It teaches you how to identify the top skills employers want and how to describe your abilities to match each employer's needs. It is described below with a link to a full description of the 8 chapters and 148 pages.

Less Experienced College Student Seeking a New Career Position
Randy had completed a two year Associate of Arts program at a community college. His prior work experience wasn't in the career field he was seeking. So, Randy knew he needed a resume that marketed the coursework he completed in Accounting so that he could combine it with his office experience--in order to land a better paying job. Take a moment and look at the education and work history sections from his before resume below. If Randy wants an accounting position, how well does this information market him? What hourly salary range does he look qualified for?

Now take a look a two shortened sections from Randy's new resume. Do these sections present Randy as more qualified for an entry level position in the field he is seeking? Which resume will generate more interviews and higher salary offers?

This example is similar to those you'll find in my 56 page booklet, 6 Easy Steps to Create Resumes and Cover Letters for College Students and Career Moves. This booklet is targeted for college graduates with less work experience who are seeking positions in the $16,000 to $24,000+ range. It shows you how to identify the top skills employers want, how to market experience from unrelated fields and combine it effectively with college coursework. I recommend this booklet only for those students or career changes who won't take the time to read and thoroughly apply my Increase Salaries (148 pages) and Cover Letter (30 pages) booklets. The reason that I recommend these booklets first, is that they provide much more information than what is supplied in the 56 page booklet entitled, 6 Easy Steps To Create Resumes and Cover Letters for College Students and Career Moves. This shorter booklet is great for job seekers who know they won't read the longer materials.

$9,000 Salary Increase
The first resume workshop in this site shows how Fran's after resume resulted in a $9,000 salary increase.  Fran wanted a $33,000 Corporate Customer Representative job but her resume created an image of her being at a $20,000 to 24,000 salary level -- that's $9,000 to $13,000 beneath her goal.

What Level Does Your Resume Market You At?
If you are curious to see what level your resume is marketing you at … then be sure to read and use the graphing techniques in my first workshop.  By graphing the job titles used in Fran's resume it's easy to see why her resume failed … and once you understand this … you will understand why the majority of resumes fail.  You'll then understand how to analyze your job titles and see if you are better off using them or replacing them with skill headings that market you more effectively. 

Most People Have Job Titles that Weaken Their Image
I estimate that at least 85% of all job seekers have job titles unrelated to their current career goals … and that they are much better off using skill headings rather than job titles to land higher salaries and double and triple their interview rates.

For example, Fran had been a Directory Operator but in most people's minds that doesn't sound like she's at the level of a Corporate Customer Representative making $33,000 … that's because most people don't view directory operators as providing true customer service.  Most people say that Directory Operator sounds like someone making only $20,000.  However, by using the 12 Questions in my Proven Resumes Series, Fran wrote a new description of her duties as a Directory Operator that described her being selected out of 100 Directory Operators to provide specialized Customer Service to the Governor's Office and Political Dignitaries in the Washington State Capitol … now that information begins to change our image of Fran doesn't it?  That makes her sound much more like someone being able to command $33,000. 

Which sounds like a better match for the $33,000 Corporate Customer Service Representative goal… her old job title of Directory Operator  … or a skill heading like Customer Service Representative to State of Washington Account.  In Fran's actual resume we used the heading of Customer Service Representative but you can see how you can play with skill headings to control and elevate your image … this is one strategy I explain in detail with examples throughout my book, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries, and one of the strongest things I can offer you as a resume writer … just in case you don't have the time or patience to write your own.

Going from 0% to 100% Interview Rate
By using skill headings that matched her goal, Fran went from a 0% interview rate to a 100% interview rate -- meaning none of her prior resumes had landed an interview but her new resume landed an interview for each position she applied for.

Click here to learn other ways we improved Fran's resume and landed her a job paying $9,000 more click here to read my first set of resume workshops!  If you've entered my site via this page, be sure to go to my home page for an overview of more than 60 Free Resume & Job Search Workshops that include tons of Resume Tips for 45 Career Fields, Job Search, Electronic Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Networking and Confidence Building strategies. 

The testimonials at the top of this page and throughout my site describe salary increases ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and more.  Here's one of my most recent ones: 

Here's some more testimonials from Workforce Training and College Re-Training Programs that have used my Increase Salaries booklets as well as my College & Career Moves booklets: