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Resume Q&A: Moving on from a Family Business

Apr 19 2020

Q. For all of my working life so far, I have been working in my family business. Now that my father is retiring, I want to move on to another company and further my career. My current title at the family business is Marketing Manager—but it is a small business, I do not have anyone under me, and I report directly to my father. How do I present myself to other companies? What level of job should I look for?

A. You are asking excellent questions. The type and size of the company, while important, is less important than what you did there. Start now to:

Think about the progress you have made from one position to another in your career so far.
Write down all the changes, ideas, and accomplishments that you contributed to your family business. For example, were you the one who proposed a blog?
Gather numbers. For example, if you improved the website, how did that impact the number of hits or queries?
Write down the times you worked with others, even if you did not lead a team. For example, do you work with an agency on the design of ads? Did you cooperate with another family member or employee on a project?
List the moments when you took the lead. Often, working in a family business is tougher training in leadership than working at a non-family company.

When you try to determine what job you should look for, do not start with the title; start with the keywords and description of the job in the advertisement or posting. Look for a position that requires someone with your accomplishments, education, and skill set.

One of the downsides of working for a family business is that you tend to consider everything you do as part of the family effort rather than a contribution of your own. If you find yourself falling into that mistake, you may benefit from working with a career coach and resume writer to help you see what you have really accomplished over the years. That insight will make for a stronger resume—and also strengthen your own pride in your career.

Please contact Robin’s Resumes® directly for more guidance.

What to Do If Your Job Search Has Stalled

Nov 25 2018

As a certified career coach, I can recommend many job hunting strategies that will complement your resume and increase your chances of finding that perfect job. I recommend a balanced set of job search techniques; if there is one you have not tried, now is your chance to charge up your job search.

Search Online vs. Networking In-Person

Both online job searches and in-person networking are essential. Online, make sure your LinkedIn and other profiles and all your social media accounts are professional. For the time being, either make your social media accounts private or wash them clean of anything that might undermine your professional image.

At the same time, network in person: Get yourself out among people, spreading the word about your job hunt and letting them see what a great employee you would make. Talk to family, friends and former colleagues; attend business networking events and expos; and always remember to open a conversation by finding out about the other person first. You are not out to harangue people but to see if there they have (or know of) a business problem you can solve.

Keep Working in Your Field vs. Broadening Your Skills When Unemployed

If you are out of work right now, you might want to take on freelance and consultant opportunities that could become job offers. But at least you are bringing in income and keeping your skills sharp and building contacts. However, if finding freelance work is not an option, you have the time now to also take professional courses or to volunteer for organizations that can use or expand your skills. The more value you bring to a company, the happier they will be to interview you.

Stick with Your Current Resume vs. Building a New Resume

If your current resume is bringing you an invitation to interviews, there may be no need to re-write it. The problem may rest with your interviews. Make sure that your interview skills support your resume; if you flounder when describing previous accomplishments, the hiring manager or recruiter will begin to doubt you.

However, if you are not getting to the interview stage, you should consider hiring a professional resume writer to rewrite your resume. Maybe it is not targeted enough to your chosen position or industry. Maybe it is too repetitive, vague, long, short, quirky, or dull. The objective, informed opinion of a professional resume writer and career coach will help set you and your resume on track.

Do you need help upgrading your resume or with any other aspect of your job search? Contact Robin’s Resumes® and let a professional resume writer help.

What Every Mother Knows Best about Resumes

May 13 2018

On this Mother’s Day, we honor our mothers for many reasons, but being able to write a great resume is usually not at the top of the list. Even though resumes and job searches have changed greatly in a single generation, there are some lessons from our mothers that are always valid.

Mothers want you to be continually learning and trying new things. Today’s hiring managers and recruiters want to see that you have kept your skills current skills and have the ability to adapt to change. They are interested in language skills, volunteer work, and awards.
Mothers want you to get off the computer and be social. In person networking is vital to a job hunt. Of course, online research into companies is also important; and you must make sure your LinkedIn, online portfolio, or other computer accounts are running, professional, and consistent with your resume. But take the time to attend networking and professional events and talk to real people.
Mothers want the world to know how wonderful you are. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you have accomplished and what skills, education, and talents you would bring to their organization. Give yourself full credit for all you have achieved. If that feels uncomfortable (mothers also tell us not to brag about ourselves), reach out to a professional resume writer.
Mothers want you take care of yourself. A job search can get you down. Writing a resume can tax your ability to accurately describe what you do and how you do it so that hiring managers and recruiters will consider you for a position. If you need help, get help. A professional career coach can make all the difference.
Mothers want you to be neat and presentable. That is true for both your interview and your resume. Check your resume carefully for typos, misspellings, inconsistencies, formatting errors, and grammatical mistakes.

Mothers truly do know best!

Would you benefit from the help of a professional resume writer and coach? Please contact Robin’s Resumes® today.

Job Searches: Dealing with the Wrong Kind of Help

Apr 12 2015

As much as you may wish to keep private your lack of work or your unhappiness with your current job, the people who care about you will notice. In many ways that is a good thing. When they become a part of your job search team, you have more chances of finding someone who needs an employee just like you. But how do you ensure that well-meaning friends and family offer the right kind of help? Here are some frustrating job search stories and how to avoid them.

Job Search Story 1: “My friend keeps sending me job listings that have nothing to do with my skills—they are either way below my level or way above. How do I get her to stop?”

Make sure your friend understands what you do and what type of job you are looking for. One of the best ways to do this is to send her your resume. Your resume will point her to the right jobs in the right industry with the right requirements. You might also send her a sample job listing, letting her know that this is just the type of position you want. But do not sell her efforts short; many a job was won after a friend found the opening.

Job Search Story 2: “My family knows I am doing everything to find a job but they are frightened of the future. They want me to take any job, even though that will cut into my time to hunt for a job I am truly qualified for.”

Anxiety about the future is normal for family, especially if they depend on your income. Here again, sharing your resume may help. In describing your accomplishments over the years, it should give your family (as well as hiring managers and recruiters) a sense of your reliability, dedication and ability to problem solve. You might also want to consult with a Career Coach, to make sure that your job search is broad enough and you really are not overlooking opportunities.

Job Search Story 3: “A friend hooked me up a company owner with a possible job opening. That did not work out but I thanked everyone, my friend and the owner. The owner and I have even connected on LinkedIn. Now my friend, who is not very savvy about social media, is insisting that I phone the owner regularly about job openings. I am very uncomfortable with that.”

Sometimes friends have trouble letting go. You might reassure your friend by saying that you are very grateful for his help and advice, but you are maintaining a professional connection with the owner through LinkedIn. You might want to pass on to your friend some of my blog posts that mention LinkedIn and the importance of social media in a job search so that your friend realizes this is a valid approach and regular phone calls are not necessary.

Engaging family and friends in your job search may require some work on your part to make sure that they are targeting the right jobs for you. Your resume is an excellent tool for keeping everyone literally on the same page. At Robin’s Resumes®, our goal is to give you a resume you can be proud of and that shows you to advantage to everyone, especially recruiters and hiring managers.

Too Many Choices, Not Enough Decisions

Jul 14 2013

When you are unemployed, people often try to raise your spirits by talking about all the free time you have and all the opportunities now open to you. However, having too many choices can be as devastating to a job search as having too few. Here’s why:

There are dozens of ways to spend the day when you are between jobs. But if you aren’t careful, everyday chores and distractions will draw precious time from your job search. Set yourself daily tasks that are related to your job search, whether that includes going to network events or responding to ads or searching for leads on the Internet.
There are hundreds of books out there on how to write a resume, run a job search and develop your personal brand. At some point, you have to give up on the research and act.
There are thousands of people just like you in the same boat. Don’t beat yourself up over a job loss. Do ask for help. You may benefit from a professional resume writer or career coach; you may find that your best job leads come from former co-workers, family or friends. The only way to get help is to ask for it.
There are millions of possible jobs out there—but how many of them match your experience, skills, education, interests, salary requirements, geographic location and so on? You need to focus yourself and your network or you will waste your time and theirs on fruitless quests for the wrong job.

If you are struggling to get organized after a layoff, contact Robin’s Resumes® and let us simplify one decision: where to get the best possible resume!