Press Release...

“Since 2015 I have volunteered my services to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in New Bern, NC, under the direction of Terris Lovelle, Business Relations Representative. I provide professional interviewing and critiquing skills for VR clients who are preparing to return to the workforce. This is a great opportunity to help people gain confidence and improve their interviewing skills so that they can present themselves in a way that convinces employers to hire them. Many of these clients have excellent employment and educational backgrounds and just need a little bit of encouragement to get them on their way! Others are in the process of gaining more education and the skills needed to get that perfect job!”

Army Reserve - Family Day

The occasion was the 431^st Quartermaster Company (Army Reserve) Family Day. Our host was Omar Mewborn, National Defense Liaison-NC, University of Phoenix. The purpose of the Family Day event was to provide Service Members and their Families with an opportunity to enjoy access to resource vendors/service providers that they deem important to their need, good food, company, entertainment, games and recognition for the sacrifice made by these military families – a sacrifice which often goes unnoticed.

The Family Day event was held on July 15, 2012 at the Jacksonville Commons Shelter, 1100 Recreation Lane in Jacksonville, NC. Several vendors attended including Advantage Resumes and Career Services and the USO. Vendors provided information to the Soldiers and their family members regarding their services.

I spoke to the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Professionals Association on November 29, 2012.  These are representatives from various state and county agencies who deal with workforce development. Nine counties were represented.  I led them through a critique of their own resumes.  Following the critique exercise, I focused on profile development, accomplishments and formatting.  Finally we discussed LinkedIn and the benefits of using LinkedIn for networking and job search.

Making the Cut

Nanette Christiani, left, from Holly Springs gets some advice on her résumé from Billie Jordan of Advantage Résumés at a job fair at Radisson Hotel in Research Triangle Park on Thursday.  With applications flooding in for any open position, first impressions are important.

CLICK HERE to read and print this article.
The Raleigh News & Observer (7/12/2009)

Paper Weight

October 17, 2005,
Chris Mazzolini,
Daily News Staff
When George Thorogood sang "get a haircut and get a real job," he never said how much easier the haircut part was.

These days, getting a job ain't so simple. There's résumés and first interviews and second interviews and cover letters and a gazillion other flaming hoops that applicants must jump through.

Problem is, folks on the market for a job rarely feel like the lion; instead, they probably feel more like its dinner, considering the suit-wearing, tie-wielding bosses that inspect résumés with a keen eye for that which is wrong.

Poor font choice? Thrown in the garbage. Not enough vivid verbs? Tossed in the trash. Spelling errors? Paper shredder, here we come.

So how do you do it right? It's hard for people to simply apply for a job, let alone get one. But rest easy: There are those out there who's career it is to help you find yours.

Sales pitch

Billie P. Jordan was one of those hiring gatekeepers for more than 30 years. Now she helps applicants get passed them.

Jordan, who lives in Maysville, started Advantage Résumés and Career Services five years ago. The professional résumé writer and interview coach said a major problem she sees is an exaggerated humility in applicants.

"Most people do not give themselves credit," she said. "What you look at as no big deal may be a big deal. They get so wrapped up in what they do, day to day, that they don't get the right perspective."

So to help her clients really dig down and find their skills, she'll set up an interview with them - preferably face-to-face - to learn about their employment history and get a read on what they do well. Then she'll write a draft résumé and go over it with the client, who can make corrections. The document is revised until it suits the client.

The end product should be a document that reflects well on that person, Jordan said, both a repository of a candidate's skills and a sales pitch. A professional can help you avoid résumé faux pas.

"There is not one way to write a résumé, but there are definitely wrong ways to do it," Jordan said.

The worst sin, however, is a lack of preparation, Jordan said.

"Most people just don't take it seriously, when it is serious," she said. "Then you get through the process and realize that mistakes can cost you a job."

'It takes time'

Jordan writes about 10 résumés each month. A final résumé, with copies printed on fancy résumé paper, can cost anywhere from $100 to $150, with additional charges for add-ons such as cover letters or interview coaching or personality assessments.

Jordan said she isn't necessarily surprised that some people don't write their own documents, considering the bustle of life. For example, many of her clients are Marines who will soon be entering civilian life. Some of them are still in Iraq.

"It doesn't surprise me," she said. "People can do their own résumés, but it takes time. I try to study the art. If you are busy looking for a job, you may just not have the time. It gets a bit of the burden off of them."

Another reason is that modern employers seem to demand more out of applicants than in the past.

"There probably is more to it today," Jordan said. "The process gets ever more sophisticated. Employers can get very specific about their needs. It seems that employers demand more."

So demand more from yourself. Start preparing, start brainstorming and maybe get yourself some professional help.

And get that haircut.

To view this archived article online...CLICK HERE.