The woman definitely sounded upset in the message she left, and I didn't blame her. "I need to discuss an unauthorized charge against my account from (Resume company other than Kelley Resumes & Wordsmithing)."

Before I returned the call to let the lady know that she had dialed the wrong number, I researched the firm and found it was one of many "do-it-yourself" online firms that offer people resume templates and, supposedly, assistance in crafting a "professional" resume.

For what appears to be a small fee, you choose the template you want, populate it in the site's tool, and--lo and behold--you supposedly have a professional resume. However, upon reading the fine print, people who signed up for the template also agree, and it seems to be the case with many of these outfits, to a monthly "subscription" for the privilege of using the site. Moreover, this particular site was actually run by an overseas company, though it was registered in the US, which meant additional international banking fees. I also looked up the customer support number for the company, since it wasn't made readily available on the site (no surprise).

I called the lady back to let her know that, unfortunately, I wasn't affiliated with the company she left the voicemail about, spent a few minutes empathizing with her, and gave her the customer service phone number. I certainly hope she was able to resolve the issue.

This perfectly illustrates why resumes need to be done by a live, professional resume writer. Just as you wouldn't do your own surgery, and just as it's inadvisable to do most repairs on your car unless you have experience as a mechanic, writing a document that is key to getting you a great job is best left to a professional. Although having a professional writer craft your resume for you isn't a guarantee of a job offer or salary level, doing your own resume versus having it professionally done can, nevertheless, literally translate to thousands of dollars' difference in income and/or significantly affect how long it takes you to find a job.

Position yourself to start the new year--and your job search--on the right foot with a new resume by contacting Melissa Kelley CPRW today! Call her at 720-588-9793, email her at [email protected], or set up a free 15-minute critique by visiting her online calendar.

The 1994 passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provided people with disabilities unprecedented protections and advocacy and, for many, enabled them to pursue the previously out-of-reach dream of a career. In my practice, one of my specialties and personal passions is assisting those with disabilities in beginning, continuing, and restarting their careers.

Though the ADA was (and still is) groundbreaking--and the shameless Shakespearean riff in this blog post's title aside--discrimination against those with disabilities does, unfortunately, still exist. Indeed, this New York Times report cites a joint Rutgers/Syracuse study showing that those who mention a disability in their cover letters have a high probability of their applications not being considered, regardless of how qualified they are; the results were statistically significant.

This study backs up my long-term practice of counseling clients in this population to not bring up their disabilities until it is absolutely necessary. For those with visible disabilities, especially those requiring some form of assistive device, this is typically during  the face-to-face interview (occasionally, it may be the phone interview for those who use TTY or assistive speech). For those with invisible disabilities, it's best not to disclose--if possible--until after your benefits are in effect. I give this advice based on actual experiences of people I know, not just on research and impersonal anecdotes, and have even done experiments myself to gauge responsiveness whose results mirror the findings of the study I cited.

It's common to feel self-conscious about a disability, especially when it's recently acquired. A healthier approach, though, and one that's more likely to land you a job, is to try to view your disability just like you would your eye color, shoe size, or the existence of freckles on your nose and be just as unlikely to proactively mention it to potential employers.

The journey toward a better job or career advancement begins with a better resume. For help with yours--whether you have a disability or not--contact Melissa Kelley CPRW today at 720-588-9793 or [email protected]. Book a free 15-minute consultation here. 

The short answer: Yes, definitely!

I've have had clients who, during their strategic interviews, mentioned military backgrounds and/or current military service, yet their current resumes omitted it. Invariably, the clients expressed concern that putting their military service on their resumes would hurt their job prospects. You should absolutely be including this on your resume! 

In the eyes of professional hiring managers, military experience represents valuable job-related--and often leadership--skills that can be applied to nearly any civilian position. Not only that, most companies receive a variety of incentives for hiring and retaining those who are actively serving as well as veterans, and the law protects active duty service members and veterans from discrimination both on the job and in hiring practices.

So, don't hesitate to ask your resume writer to put your military experience on your resume, whether it be in your detailed work history or as some type of summary, such as relevant experience or as a career note. A professional, credentialed writer will know how to best present it on your behalf. 

At Kelley Resumes & Wordsmithing, we're grateful for your service and back it up with a discount for veterans and active duty military. Get your free, no-obligation consultation now.