“You’re a resume writer? I bet your business is booming.” That’s the reaction I get lately when I tell people what I do for a living. Then it’s almost a wink-wink, nudge-nudge, “You must be lovin’ this economy.” The first time it happened, I politely mumbled something and changed the subject. By the third time someone “assumed” I was thrilled with the economy and that my business was booming because of it, I exhaled and decided to take a moment to explain employment basics.
Yes, my resume business is steady – thankful for that blessing. And no, I’m not any more thrilled about the rollercoaster economy and jobless rate than you are. <Large smile> Funny thing though, the bulk of my clients are not recently laid-off employees. Some are, but most are currently employed and have decided to make a career move, are preparing for the “what ifs” or are smart enough to know opportunities surround them and stay ready to explore them. I have several astute clients come back every 18 months or so to freshen up their information. 
When I say that, people look at me as if I’ve grown a third head. The idea of doing a resume before you “have to” is foreign to a good many folks. You don’t need a resume unless you’re looking for a job, right? Well, as I said in my last post, the smart person is always a job seeker.
Putting together a compelling sales and marketing document and starting a job search takes lots of positive energy and confidence. I tell my clients all the time, “You gotta break out those pom-poms from the back of the closet and get ready to cheer about you. ‘ Coz if you don’t do it, no one else will.” I’ve worked with plenty of recently downsized individuals and believe me, it’s difficult to help them expound on career wonderfulness when they’ve been forced into an unplanned career move. At least with a current resume, it’s one less worry. They can hit the ground running.
Wendy Haylett, fellow PARW member and elist contributor, has this quotation as part of her signature at the end of her emails:
“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!”
– Earl Nightingale, author, speaker, motivator
And there’s this from Jay Block’s Web site:
If you are not living life on your terms, you are living on other people’s terms at the expense of your own. A meaningful career should serve only one purpose – to give you the life you want and deserve. Career casualness leads to life casualty.
– Jay Block, author, career coach
Drive your own bus, whenever you can.
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