Posted By Amanda Collins on February 28, 2010

There is a lot of power in a résumé – well, at least there is potential. So many times, I review résumés that lack a focus and strategy. Essentially, they are a brain dump of everything the person has done across his or her career. Typically, there are many areas for potential improvement, but it all starts with the top. Whether you call it an objective, title, or headline, how you present yourself starts with your first words.

When I first started writing résumés (in 1996), an objective was something like:
To obtain a position in which I can apply my experiences in child development and education.

Now, however, titles / headlines have replaced that long, not very to-the-point statement:
Preschool Teacher

Just like a newspaper headline draws readers to learn more, a résumé headline should do the same. To expand on the newspaper similarities, in journalism “above the fold” is where all writers want to be – because it’s the first part readers see when the paper is delivered. On your résumé, your “above the fold” section is the first third of your document, where you will have your contact information, headline, summary, and keywords. Employers have a lot of choices in résumés these days, so attract their attention immediately!

Even if you include a headline, it can be poorly written. At an event I attended yesterday, a hiring manager said he’d received a résumé that said “Banking Executive.” His first response? “Huh?” That basically meant nothing to him, so he didn’t bother to read further. His suggestion? Your headline should match the position for which you’re applying.

So be specific, succinct, and definitely include a headline on your résumé so employers are sure who you are for them. Questions on a résumé are never good.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on February 27, 2010

I just received a résumé from a client who asked if I have experience in brand management. It seems like my life is about brand management, as should your life be. After all, branding is essentially your reputation, and whether you are a business owner, professional, or job seeker, you should have your reputation at the front of your mind.

If you’re as old as I am, you likely remember the Clairol commercial about one woman telling two friends, she tells two friends, and so on, and so on. Although great news can spread fast, negative news will spread like wildfire. At a BNI meeting this week, the educational coordinators were relaying a story about how a man refunded a client’s full price paid on an automotive repair because he’d rather lose a few hundreds of dollars immediately than the potential thousands he could lose on the bad publicity for years to come.

You don’t need to be McDonald’s or Pepsi to be a “brand.” Susan Smith or ABC Marketing are just as powerful brands to the people you’re trying to cultivate and influence. So how are you managing your brand? Are you seeing what people are saying about you on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter? Are you conscientious about the things you share in person and through social media? In the digital age, everything about you can be shared – quickly. Everyone is a member of the paparazzi, it seems, and YouTube submission is just a click away.

I encourage you to consider what your brand is, no matter if you’re looking to land a client, a job, or a date, and start to create a strategy around managing it. Unless you hire a PR firm, no one else is going to do it for you.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on February 5, 2010

Acclaimed media strategists discuss the pros and cons of DIY media strategy vs. hiring a professional firm

Phoenix, Ariz. (Feb. 5, 2010) — As a business owner, you know you need to let people know about your company, but you may be stumped on which components are the most important and how to best achieve your goals. What’s a reasonable cost for an advertising strategy? Should you advertise on television and radio? Where is your target audience and how do you reach them? Business owners need to balance working “on” their businesses with working “in” their businesses, and it’s impossible to be an expert at everything, so where do you begin?

Alma Steger and Chris Pollack, partners in Untitled Advertising and Public Relations, have been successfully placing clients in media outlets both in Phoenix, Ariz., where the firm is based, and across the country. As small business owners themselves, they understand the challenges others are facing in driving traffic while maintaining a manageable budget in the process. As Ms. Steger shares, “You truly need a strategy in media relations; you can’t write one press release and call it good. It’s an ongoing process to keep yourself in front of press contacts to become the go-to expert in your field.” In fact, Ms. Steger cautions potential clients that a firm that offers ala carte services may not be the best approach. “The first promotional piece may not catch anyone’s attention, but after they’ve heard from you a few times, editors get curious. You have to maintain interest.”

Steger and Pollack will be providing their guidance at The Grammar Doctors‘ monthly brown bag series in February, discussing the pros and cons of building your own media strategy vs. hiring a professional firm. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about all of the components involved in creating a successful media strategy, leaving with valuable information on how to get started achieving more exposure immediately.

Untitled Advertising and Public Relations and The Grammar Doctors are strategic partners, providing marketing communications and media relations support for businesses and corporations to enhance outreach efforts. Untitled also has a strong presence in the local Hispanic market.

Business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend this free workshop on Tuesday, February 16, 12 pm – 1 pm at the office of The Grammar Doctors, 3420 E Shea Blvd, Ste 200, Phoenix, Ariz. Sign up online or call 602-953-5278 for more information.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on February 5, 2010

Local résumé design and career expert offers hints to maximize job-search results

Phoenix, Ariz. (February 5, 2010) — With the unemployment rate rising on a seemingly daily basis, the competition for the best jobs has increased. In fact, by some counts, nearly 70% of positions aren’t advertised anywhere – so how are they found? Finding a new job can sometimes be a job in itself, but without some training, many job seekers are at a loss as to which tactics are the most effective.

Amanda Collins, chief of staff of The Grammar Doctors, a Phoenix-based boutique marketing communications and résumé design firm, has some suggestions: “Although having a well-written résumé is certainly a huge component of a successful job search, it’s not the end-all, be-all. Job seekers need to be leveraging social media, local job-seeker support groups, and networking events to really make a dent in this competitive job market.”

Ms. Collins will be sharing her accumulated knowledge with those on the job search on February 18 at her monthly brown bag series for job seekers. Covering a variety of job-search techniques, both online and in person, the workshop allows attendees to ask questions about which sites to use, what to write in their LinkedIn profiles, and how to effectively convey their marketability during 30-second commercials at networking events.

“Too many of my résumé clients feel that this new piece of paper will be the magic elixir to land that dream position, so they begin posting it on job boards – and then sit back and wait. The truth is that job seekers need to be proactive, and too many aren’t leveraging the numerous – and often free – opportunities available to them,” Ms. Collins stresses.

Job seekers are invited to attend this free workshop on Thursday, February 18, 12 pm – 1 pm at the office of The Grammar Doctors, 3420 E Shea Blvd, Ste 200, Phoenix, Ariz. Sign up online or call 602-953-5278 for more information.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on February 4, 2010

Excerpted from a recent e-mail from Mike O’Brien at Climber.com

Over the last few months I have gotten this question a few times, so I thought it would be a good time to address it. The good news is in most cases yes, so keep all your receipts!

According to H&R Block, your job search expenses are deductible if :

• You look for a job in the same field.
• You are looking for a job at a similar level to your most recent job.
• The total of all of your miscellaneous itemized deductions is more than 2% of your over Adjusted Gross Income.

I asked Aaron Garabedian from The Garabedian Group, an accounting and consulting firm in Fresno, CA, to explain this in plain English, “For instance, if have been out of work for six months and your total adjusted gross income for the year is $25,000, you would need your total miscellaneous itemized deductions to be more than $500.  This is the total of all miscellaneous deductions not just job-search related; some other miscellaneous, itemized deductions are professional or union dues, work tools, protective work clothing, and tax preparation fees.”

Here are the items that you can generally deduct:

• Employment agency fees (like Climber.com http://www.climber.com/url/t/x0ZGE63789654): If your fees are repaid by an employer in a later tax year, you will have to declare the reimbursement as income.
• Résumé Preparation / Marketing: Printing, postage, advertising, and other fees associated with creation and distribution of your résumé.
• Travel: Unreimbursed airfare, automobile mileage, meals, and lodging are all covered.

Tax Tools and Services:

• H&R Block – Helpful online tax preparation: http://www.climber.com/url/JgrjA63316619
• TurboTax Online –  The faster way to file online: http://www.climber.com/url/9hla263316997
• No-Cost Taxes Online – No-cost and low-cost tax filing: http://www.climber.com/url/xaJxi63317156
• Income Tax Calculator – Calculate your income tax online: http://www.climber.com/url/WLw4z63317250

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