An Interview with Resume Writer Irene McConnell About Growing Her Business - CareerEnlightenment.com

Joshua Waldman: How has your craft changed over the years?Irene McConnell: We’ve become a lot more brand-centric. People come to us because they want a new resume (or a LinkedIn profile or a headshot or a set of business  cards) and they walk out seeing themselves in a new light, armed with a fresh focus and a strong career direction which they didn’t have before.Joshua Waldman: What are some mistakes you see other writers making that they should avoid?Irene McConnell: Copying other resume writers instead of seeking real ways to create value is mistake number one, two and three.The world is changing at a huge pace, which means that new, untapped opportunities to create value are presenting themselves every day. Look at  professional LinkedIn profile writing, for example. Three years ago it was unheard of I remember hearing about it and wondering, “would anyone really pay  for that?”. Today, it’s a huge industry which rivals professional resume writing.The modern business landscape favours innovative, risk-taking, highly adaptable, agile players. For the past few years, however, most resume writers have  done exactly the opposite they’ve copied established players.This has resulted in a stale, hugely behind-the-times industry which is vulnerable to the next generation of newcomers who are able to think outside the  box.Joshua Waldman: I noticed that LinkedIn services isnt just another cheap add-on to resumes on your website. What made you decide to offer LinkedIn profile writing as  a stand-alone service?Irene McConnell: We’ve all heard the stats 94% of recruiters will check out a candidate’s social media presence before calling them, etc.Importantly, it was clear that recruiters would use both a candidate’s resume and LinkedIn profile to vet them and they’d use those tools differently.  This made a pretty strong case to offer LinkedIn profiles which would as act as an extension of the resume.Remember how movies on DVD came with a “Bo nuses” disc? If you liked the feature, you could continue to interact with the brand via the bonus disc you’d  watch “behind the scenes” footage, bloopers, interviews with the stars, QA with the director and so on. To me a LinkedIn profile is that bonus disc  it’s allows a candidate to tell their story in a leveraged way to people who have expressed some interest in them.Joshua Waldman: What are some of the major differences between writing resumes and writing profiles?Irene McConnell: Resumes focus on factual, dry aspects of what you’ve done while the LinkedIn provides a glimpse into your personality and motivations.Joshua Waldman: Do you have any other advice to give to resume writers and career professionals?Irene McConnell: During the 1970’s people lived through what I call the “hardware revolution”. Personal computers revolutionised how people worked, lived and played.  It was a time of immense upheaval and thus opportunity. Millions of people embraced and leveraged the change to improve their lives, start businesses  and change the world.When I was younger, I sometimes wished that I was born earlier because I felt like it was a one-off type of opportunity which I missed.  I no longer wish that because I realised that right now we’re living through a much larger upheaval the “digital revolution”.The entire social fabric is moving online and computers are once again reshaping the ways we work, live and play. Studies show that in 10-15 years,  majority of us will be either freelancing, starting a business or doing contract work. People are expecting to have more meaning and freedom at work.  Companies are beginning to view people as valuable assets, rather than expendable resources.While the details of this revolution can be endlessly debated, one thing is clear next decade will be rich in work and business opportunities for people  who are ready to take up the challenge and be on the cutting edge of this revolution.If you have questions or comments for Irene, please comment below. If you would like to improve your LinkedIn profile writing and increase your sales,  check out my Certification Program just for resume writers.