Professional Resumes @ Anne McDowell Consulting

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Professional Writing and Coaching Solutions across
ALL industries - every role, every workplace

It pays to put your career in the hands of an expert
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personalised services

for all of our services

All of your work is handled personally by Anne and not outsourced

Anne knows the requirements for the private sector, mining, government, higher education and not-for-profit sectors – after all, she is the expert! 

Applying for jobs in 2022+

Overview

Resumes today, are the single most important marketing document you will ever own, and are targeted toward a specific job to maximise your chance of success.

Expectations

A recruiter needs to be able to immediately place you in their role, with information relevant to the job they are recruiting for - one generic Resume does not cut it today.

One chance

You only have chance to be noticed - for the right reasons - whether that be on paper, or in person during an interview - it is important to present yourself confidently and professionally

How the Resume is written, what positional level it is pitched at, and what language it uses is different every time

It contains information that is relevant to the role being applied for - other information is summarised

A modern Resume must contain Achievements, preferably relevant to the role being applied for

Your Resume must reflect your age and experience, even if not relevant to the new job - right back to high school

Career Guidance

New to the workforce...

Entering the workforce can seem overwhelming when you don’t quite know what you want to do – these sessions help you discover what pathway you should take in order to get where you want to be

Even if you've been around a while...

It still can be a challenge to know exactly how to move up, or get back into the workforce from a break – these sessions help bring clarity to what you want out of your working life

Wanting to totally change direction...

Sometimes it’s just time for a new start – but what? This is when you need to talk over your ideas with someone who can provide you with clarity on how to move forward, and with what

Resumes

Private Sector Applications - Australia

Most jobs in the private sector in Australia, expect a Resume of 3-4 pages in length (no more), that showcase your experience against that role, accompanied by a maximum 1 page Cover Letter.

The essential requirements of the position that are outlined in the job ad are to be addressed in your Cover Letter. 

Government, Not-for-Profit, Higher Education Sectors

There is an extra requirement in addition to your 3-4 page Resume and 1-2 page Cover Letter – Selection Criteria/Focus Capability.

It is a justification document (often written separately or answered online) which expects the candidate to demonstrate how/when they have previously met the criteria in their working history.

It is used as a culling technique so that only the top candidates exactly matching the requirements get to the interview stage.

Selection Criteria/Focus Capability - Govt, Uni, NFP

What is Selection Criteria/Focus Capability?

These are the essential and minimum requirements listed in the job description – the candidate must prove competency in every criteria in addition to the Resume and Cover Letter.

There can be as few as four (4) criteria, and as many as fifteen (15) – the fewer the criteria, the more in-depth the response needs to be.

The candidate must justify their experience/skillset with real-life work examples to show that they match the requirements of the position.

Addressing Criteria

Addressing Selection Criteria/Focus Capability is time consuming – there is a specific way to address criteria with the STAR principle.

It pays to work with a professional so that they help you uncover the best examples to use, and write it in professional and worry-free way.

Interview Coaching

Interviews

Interviews can be the most stressful part of the job application process and people often say that they freeze, or cannot remember the things they were going to say.

Not being prepared in the right way is one of the reasons that a candidate can experience interview difficulties, and then the fear and difficulties are compounded every time something goes wrong.

As a recruiter, Anne interviews people with the intent to get them best out of them. Sadly, not every recruiter behaves in this way, also resulting in the candidate not performing well – a double whammy.

Preparation and Practice is the Key to Success

Anne teaches techniques that help you overcome your fears around interviews and perform well – whether the recruiter is good or not. 

Learning how to answer difficult questions, harnessing your nerves and reducing the stress you put on yourself during the interview are just some of the things you will learn in these sessions. 

Redundancy/Outplacement Coaching

Surviving Redundancy

A lot of complex and conflicting emotions pop up when a position you have held has been made rendundant – it can either leave you feeling good, or lost, upset, angry and confused.

These sessions are about helping you come to terms with the change, and then moving on to a life that will be better than before.

Outplacement - looking to the future

Outplacement helps you with guidance and career advice to transit from your previous role to your next, whatever that may be.

You may have a clear/cloudy idea about what’s next – once the idea becomes clearer, having your Resume updated and practicing your interview skills (both are separate costs) are an absolute must.

This coaching looks at all the avenues required in your “what’s next?”

Confidence Boosting

Bouncing Back

Sometimes things happen to us in our lives and careers, that make us doubt who we are and what we have to offer.

It might have been a big thing, like a major change, or a series of little things that have led to this, and it does not have to have been a crisis in order to have a crisis of confidence.

This coaching is about uncovering the issues that have led to this under-confidence, and offers strategies/tools to get back on track.

Included in the session you receive a signed copy of Anne’s 2 x international award winning book:

 “Creating Eternal Optimism: Redesign your thinking and transform your life in 30 days”, 

which contains 101 free strategies to help you keep building your confidence.

LinkedIn/Business Profiles

LinkedIn Profiles

LinkedIn Profiles are a 2000 character (including spaces) opportunity to summarise and showcase an important part of your career brand to your network and recruiters.

People use this tool to validate and check you out, so your brand (You) needs to be consistent across all documentation.

You can just have your LinkedIn Profile done as a stand alone, or have it done as part of your resume development, so that all of your the information is up to date, relevant and targeted.

Business Profiles/Executive Summaries

Business LinkedIn Profiles, FB Business Pages, About Us sections on websites and Executive Summaries for Board positions are also opportunities to showcase your business brand to your network and prospective clients.

People use this tool to validate and check you out, so your brand (You) needs to be consistent across all documentation.

Businesses can have marketing content developed for showcasing their business and their staff.  

Satisfied Customers

Services »

Q&A - how does it all work?

Here is a Q&A for you – then below, you will find a detailed list of services and costs – payment for any service is due in FULL prior to any work commencing.

If you can’t see something that relates to your particular situation, please contact Anne on 0422 449 633 or anne@amc.id.au for further guidance on your needs.

Yes! Anne offers no-obligation quotes on what your needs are based on the discussion you have together. Call Anne on 0422 449 633 to talk through your needs.

Yes – Anne understands that not everyone has the budget to get their work professionally developed. In these cases Anne will critique the work and make suggestions for improvement, for a nominal fee of $50 to cover her time and her expertise.

You will need to provide Anne with:

  • the job ad (or link) so she can see the closing date and requirements
  • your current Resume and cover letter preferably in Word format (don’t worry about what it looks like)
  • any information that is missing from your Resume, like training, jobs, change of address etc
  • examples of your achievements, the things that you are proud of in your work history – Anne will help you identify these
  • if it is a government role – at least one, perhaps 2 real life work examples of how you have met every Focus Capability for the role  – these examples are also interwoven in both your Resume and Cover Letter, and explained in full in your Selection Criteria document – Anne can help you identify these

Yes – however urgent work can be accommodated only if Anne has time to do it to the proper standard.

An urgent fee of $75 is payable for all urgent work, which guarantees your work becomes a writing priority, and development time is then 1-3 days to first draft stage (depending on how much work is involved).

The fastest time to achieve urgent work has been 4 hours (all the world was in alignment that day!) however 12-48 hours is more normal. 

So that you’re not disappointed, please remember that Anne does her absolute best to accommodate your request, however sometimes it’s just not possible.

Normally, it takes one calendar week from date of payment and all information being received, for the First Draft stage to be reached in the professional development of a Resume, Cover Letter and/or Selection Criteria, unless it is urgent.

When it has reached First Draft stage, Anne then emails it to you so that you have a chance to read through for accuracy, and it also gives you the opportunity to highlight any changes, additions or deletions that might need to be made.

You then advise Anne (in writing) of the changes that need to be made (either type into the document itself or advise her in an email) and she will make the adjustments and then send you the Final Copy by email, normally same day or within 24 hours.  

Urgent work can be accommodated only if Anne has time to do it to the proper standard – an urgent fee of $75 is payable for all urgent work, which guarantees your work becomes a writing priority, and development time is then 1-3 days to first draft stage (depending on how much work is involved).

Finally, you then save the Final Copy to your hard/thumb drive, and send/upload to the organisation by the closing date. 

If you applying for a  government/nfp/uni role that requires Selection Criteria/Focus Capability, then you will need to provide:

  • at least one, perhaps 2 real life work examples of how you have met every Focus Capability for the role  – these examples are also interwoven in both your Resume and Cover Letter, and explained in full in your Selection Criteria document – Anne can help you identify these

Yes!

From Director General’s, to Tennis Coaches, Coal Miners to Roustabouts on Oil Rigs, to Gardeners to Paramedics to Morticians, Admin Assistants to Engineers to Apprentices to Project Managers to Dump Truck Drivers – Anne has written Resumes to suit ALL industries.

Anne’s background is significant and encompasses private industry, not-for-profit, government sector and small business.

Anne also knows what the recruitment agencies are looking for! She has had first hand experience as a senior recruiter in Mining (in-house for a Coal Mine) AND Engineering and Technical for a Specialist Recruitment Agency.  

Anne’s specialist expertise for writing Resumes goes across:

  • Mining, Engineering and Technical (Blue and White Collar)
  • Executive Management, Management and Leadership , Medicine and Academia
  • Government, not-for-profit and higher education
  • Administration, Customer Service, HR, IT, Retail, Hospitality and Small Business
  • Training, Assessment and Workplace Safety

Whether it is Interview, Confidence, Redundancy or Outplacement Coaching, coaching is a very personal, interactive, collaborative and wonderful approach to talking about and solving problems. 

Coaching is very different to therapy, as therapy can focus purely on reflective self-healing, whereas coaching is more active and allows for insight to be shown to the person on specifically what needs to change, and how to do it.

Coaching is interactive, and requires the person to try out ideas, implement and take action so that they see a change, make an improvement, or enhance a situation.

Anne’s expectation is that the person coming to coaching is prepared to listen and to want to change and make things better.

Anne is able to: 

  • hold frank, honest but tactful difficult conversations 
  • get to the root of the issue, and find a way forward

LinkedIn Profiles are a 2000 character (including spaces) opportunity to showcase an important part of your career/business brand to your network, recruiters/prospective clients.

People use this tool to validate and check you out.

Your brand (You) needs to be consistent across all documentation – clients can have just their LinkedIn Profile done as a stand alone, or have it done as part of their resume development, so that the information is up to date, relevant and targeted toward the actual job search or statement offering.

Your details are kept private and are never sold or given to a third party – ever!

Payment in FULL is required to confirm your booking and I accept internet or personal banking to my bank account,

Anne McDowell Consulting – contact Anne for details

Credit Card payments in person and over the phone (on Square Reader) can be also arranged.

Service Costs

Information Applicable to all Work

Private Sector - Resumes + Cover Letters

Government/Higher Ed/NFP - Resumes, Cover Letters + Selection Criteria

Mining - Underground and opencut - Resumes + Cover Letters

Other Professional Writing

Coaching