At Graham Management Group, our team of Consultants are experts at coaxing great accomplishment stories from clients. Most clients are initially reserved about expressing their value because it feels like they are ‘blowing their own horn.’ However, when they understand that there is nothing wrong with expressing their successes with integrity, they open up. Unfortunately, there is another – thankfully rare – side to that coin. Some clients innocently get caught up in what they believe they could bring to a role without the actual evidence to support their words. ... Read more

In this challenging market, I’ve heard from many executives, managers, and six-figure professionals who are now pursuing opportunities that don’t exactly match their previous job title. In some cases, the individuals were performing more senior activities than their title suggested. In other cases, they were transitioning into a different role for which they were qualified. In either situation, the job titles they previously held were not conducive to selling their expertise in the targeted position.

If you are targeting career opportunities that match your talents, but not your previous job titles, you can honestly and effectively address the disconnect.

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If you are in a career transition, you are probably wondering how you will address certain challenges in your resume. Employment gaps or a lengthy search may be causing you concern. Your previous job titles could be getting in the way of your goals. Maybe you want to better leverage your academic credentials. Or, you simply need a change – a new direction.   ... Read more

In my many years supporting executives in their career transition, one of the biggest misconceptions I hear is “the best way to get an interview is by sending your executive resume directly to the company.” Not true. Your target is not HR or recruiters If you send your executive resume to the company, you are virtually guaranteed that it will end up in the Human Resources files. ... Read more

Return on Investment (ROI) is measured by the value you receive for the money you spend. But, don’t expect any reputable resume service to “guarantee you a job”. If it was that easy, then every executive would “buy their way” into the top jobs. Sounds quite unethical when you hear it like this. Right? So what is the Return on Investment of a professional resume? Calculating your ROI on investing in a resume service is subtle, but demonstrable. If your new executive resume will shorten your job search, help you get out of an undesirable work situation, or enable you to ask for a higher compensation, then it will be worth the investment. By leveraging a professional resume firm, you can recoup your investment in many ways. ... Read more

Your career is rich and full – replete with successes. The stories you can tell about your achievements are broad and deep, with nuances that only you know. An articulate executive, you can easily describe what you have done in meetings and interviews. However, condensing your accomplishments into a few short bullets within your executive resume can be more than frustrating.Strategic Storytelling in your Executive Resume Share/Save ... Read more

I love it when executives or other six-figure professionals ask me why they should consider having a complete career portfolio. They often start off sounding skeptical with questions like “shouldn’t a resume and cover letter be more than enough?” They finish by falling in love with the potential that an extensive career portfolio can provide – whether they are actively job searching or simply wish to strengthen their existing position and credibility. Entry-level job seekers upload their resume on internet job boards and come to interviews saying, “Here’s my resume. Can I have a job?” As a six-figure professional, don’t you think that you can do better than that?     Share/Save ... Read more

Canadian Resume Research Study: 96% of resumes from six-figure candidates appeared to come from templates commonly found on the Internet.

These days, with the economy just starting to rebound, the Canadian labour market is flooded with executive resumes for senior-level professionals looking for work. The current market has created an unfortunate situation for thousands of job seekers. Many of them are highly experienced and successful – and yet they find themselves in need of a new position.

In the largest Canadian research study of its kind, Graham Management Group evaluated 1000 randomly selected resumes received in 2009. These resumes were from senior executives, managers, and other six-figure professionals across Canada. The study found that 96% of all resumes assessed appeared to come from templates commonly found on the Internet.

The competition for executive positions is fierce. These days, everyone seems to be applying for the same positions because there aren’t many available. If you are in an executive search, you’ll need to design a resume that is unique and cannot be missed. You need to stand out from the rest and be seen in the pile of hundreds of executive resumes submitted for the position.

It may have been years since you have written an executive resume and you aren’t sure where to start. Chances are good you have pulled out your old resume updated it. Or, worse, you are using a resume template provided from your word processing application to design an executive resume! The problem you’ll encounter is that the job you are applying for most likely has hundreds of other applicants too. When the recruiter reviews all of the executive resumes, they will all look the same.

Executive resume writing can be very difficult, and most successful people transitioning in Canada are submitting a perfect document. You must design a resume that is not from a template. Your document must stand out from the rest. An executive resume that is not from a template shows the organization you are not afraid to step outside of the box.

This is your career and you don’t want any mistakes. If you are a Canadian professional who is looking of a senior-level job, the best thing you can do for yourself today is to hire a resume service based in Canada to design an outstanding executive resume for you. A strong executive resume writer will know exactly how to design a high-impact resume that will prominently focus on your accomplishments and successes.

Venturing into the Canadian job market during this economic turmoil does not need to be a scary prospect. In Canada, you have the advantage of foresight and a strong support base. Ensure that you have the best chance of success; consider a Canadian professional executive resume writer to help you achieve your goals.

Sharon Graham is Canada’s Career Strategist. You can download the groundbreaking research report from Graham Management Group here >> Research Study: How Does Your Resume Compare?