When I was laid off from my clerical job earlier this year, I was completely lost, not knowing what to do or where to go.
I moved back into my parents and started applying to any clerical position I could find, but they were so few and far between, I didn't get a single response.
I was feeling a bit defeated until I spoke to my Mom and she told me to see this as an opportunity to start doing something I actually wanted to do. Mom always knows how to make you feel better, and she was right, I never intended to stay in a clerical role. I'd always wanted to be a graphic designer.
I'd studied design a few years ago and I am really good at Photoshop and other design programs. Over the last few years, I've designed a few things for small businesses that friends and family have recommended me for, so I have a small portfolio. I just had no idea how to approach making a design resume.
I was looking up resume tips online, and there was one company that kept being recommended--TopResume. TopResume is an online resume writing and formatting service with a team of professionals who work to improve your resume and increase your chances of finding a job.
I didn't think this type of service was actually necessary (especially for someone going into design) since you can get so much info and tips online. But TopResume offers services specifically for people who want to change their field, and considering that I was having no luck getting responses to my regular resume with tons of experience, I thought maybe I could use some help.
I still didn't know if it would be worth paying for a service like this, but when I saw that they offer free resume reviews, I figured that I had nothing to lose. A few days later I got my feedback from the TopResume professionals and realized that I wasn't approaching things the right way at all.
TopResume's experts are well-versed in what companies are looking for when filtering through resumes and when hiring, with expertise spanning across different industries and experience levels. The biggest takeaway I received--design resumes are as much about the aesthetic as they are about the content.
I knew that my resume needed a lot of help. Then I read about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), a software technology companies use to scan resumes and determine which ones stand out. That's when I really knew this service would be a good investment since they were experts at this.
I answered some questions about my experience and job goals and I was matched with a resume writer used to work in a design field. My writer reassured me that they could help and had helped a lot of other people get interviews even in the current climate. I started to feel a sense of hope for the first time in a long time.
After about a week of working with my professional writer at TopResume, my newly designed Resume was ready to be sent out. When I compared it to my first attempt, I realized how clueless I was. My new resume was formatted perfectly with all the keywords the ATS would be looking for while still highlighting all my skills in a competent way and allowing my resume to visually "pop-out."
Now was the time to really put TopResume to the test. I was cautiously optimistic when it came to applying since I didn't have years of experience in this field. But after a week and a half of applying, I got a call for a graphic design interview. They said they loved my style and saw me as a great fit with their company. A few days later, I got another one!
The interviews are coming up, so now I'm just taking time to prepare for them. Who knows what will happen, but all I know is I wouldn't have gotten this far without TopResume's service. I'd recommend TopResume to any job seekers out there. Just when I had lost hope, they changed things for me.
