Carolyn Thompson | media kit 2009
DC’s Leading Careers Expert Ten Easy Steps to a Perfect Resume Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job
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Expert
The Careers Expert Carolyn Thompson resides in the Washington, DC area and has been an executive recruiter since 1988. Carolyn is a creative entrepreneur and a certified career coach. Her articles on career development and the employment industry have been published in various national magazines, trade journals, and on the Internet. A frequent speaker on the subjects of career development, recruiting and motivation, she is a member of the Pinnacle Society* and the International Coach Federation**. Carolyn is an alumnus of Kansas State University and author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME and TEN EASY STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB, now available in select bookstores and on Amazon. *www.pinnaclesociety.org The Pinnacle Society is the nation’s premier consortium of top recruiters within the permanent placement industry. Since 1989, membership is limited to 75 of the nation’s top recruiters. **www.coachfederation.org The International Coach Federation is the largest worldwide resource for business and personal coaches.
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Recognizing that a resume is only a mechanism to getting a face-to-face interview, Carolyn olyn has laid out the characteristics that will set you apart from the others in achieving that goal -Mark Ross, The Washington Post
} PRESS RELEASE } Job-hunting Today, A New Emphasis on Strategy WASHINGTON – In a job-market where open positions are few and far between and talent is in no short supply, strategy has become the cornerstone of successful job hunting. "It's a buyers' market right now, and the product is talent" says Carolyn Thompson, DC's Leading Careers Expert and author of the newly released Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job, "being qualified isn't enough anymore -- from the resume to the negotiation table, job-seekers need to focus on developing a strategy as unique and impressive as their own experience." Carolyn Thompson is a 20-year career-industry veteran, notable author and President of CMCS (www.cm-cs.com). An active member of the Pinnacle Society and the International Coach Federation, Carolyn speaks frequently across the United States on the subjects of career development, recruitment and motivation. In her newest book, Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job, Carolyn Thompson has focused 20-years of experience as an executive recruiter into outlining the ten key steps to developing and executing a successful job-search strategy. “Hiring managers are looking to fill open positions with problem-solvers and forward-thinkers," says Thompson, "the best way to set yourself apart and show your abilities as a leading candidate is with a well-formulated strategic approach." Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job provides strategic insights into: Understanding the process, networking, recruiters, appropriate follow-up, negotiating the offer and other key areas of the job hunt. Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job is a must-have resource for every job-seeker competing in today's market. You can find this book along with Carolyn's other titles on her organization's website, www.CM-CS.com, and at www.Amazon.com. Thompson can also be found lending her experience, advice and stories on her new blog, www.JobSearchJungle.com. Carolyn Thompson is available for interview. Media Contact: Marc Samson (240) 501.7212 marcesamson@gmail.com
TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME
STEP FIVE
STEP ONE
STEP SIX
XYZ Partners is a privately held company with 2,000 employees in six states.
STEP FIVE:
STEP SIX:
ADD YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
FORMATTING THE PAGE.
There is a big difference between what the company has
At this point you are ready to start some formatting:
hired you to do and what you individually accomplish in
bolding, underlining, etc.
Senior Associate 8/2005–12/2006 Responsibilities included assisting in training and supervision of three staff associates performing word processing and proofreading as assigned. Ensured that quality control guidelines and project deadlines were being met. Reported to senior manager of production.
STEP ONE:
KEEP YOUR LAYOUT SIMPLE AND MAKE Staff Associate 5/2004–7/2005 SUREReceived YOURjob-specific CONTACT training INFORMATION on document control and IS word processing as required by diverse clientele. Position ACCURATE AND CORRECT. required attention to detail, accuracy, and strong computer
each job compared to your peers.
As for the text, a 9, 10, 11 or 12-pt typeface is fine, but now
Go back to each job and think about what you made,
skills in Word. Reported to senior associate and was subsequently promoted into that role.
saved, or achieved in this position. What did you contribute that set you apart from your peers? How did you make your company more profitable? How did you contribute to
5/2002–4/2004
Sounds easy enough, New butTown, the USA most common errors on 123 Incorporated,
better efficiencies within your group? What special awards did you receive? Why was your work there important?
123 Incorporated a small that was subsequently resumes are not in thewas body ofcompany the resume; they are in the bought out by 789 Corporation.
contact information in the header.
two measurable accomplishments in each job under
Worked on a variety projects as Excel, Modern technology has of opened upassigned manyusing opportunities
your descriptions. Be specific about the value of those
for finding jobs, but the receiver on the other end of your and clients regarding content-related issues and supervised
in them. Your ability to distinguish your responsibilities
Word, and database research. Liaised with management
it jump off the page. Pay attention to consistency in formatting, meaning if you underline dates or bold the job titles, you need to be consistent on the page and underline or bold all of them. Also, if you make changes or additions later, pay attention to tenses in your job descriptions. Only the current job should be written in the present tense. All
The easiest way to add these is to bullet point one or
Staff Associate 9/2002–4/2004
that you have a lot of great content, you need to make
accomplishments to the company and your involvement
your previous jobs should be in past tense. Keep your resume to two pages. Five years of work experience for each page is a good rule of thumb. If your professional experience is longer than that, a statement at the end of the resume such as “References and work
performing Internet research. carefully interns crafted coverbasic letter and resume submittal is
and accomplishments is what sets you apart from your
experience prior to XX date available upon request” is
usually anIntern e-mail parser. Parsing is a term that refers to the 5/2002–8/2002
competition. Don’t be afraid to be proud of what you
appropriate. Just make sure you have that addendum
accomplished beyond what they hired you to do.
prepared in case anyone asks for it. If your resume is three
basic that Internet research assigned by staff software Performed technology reads the asinformation on your
pages long try using a smaller font. You can also easily
associates.
resume and adds it to a database so that the reviewer/s at
TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME
the company can access it later.
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XYZ Partners is a privately held company with 2,000 employees in six states.
you choose may not transfer well, which will require you to retype the entire document at a later date. Parsing technology can also have a hard time reading templates
STEP TWO
3
STEP TWO: ADD COMPANIES AND DATES
Susie Smith 555 Any Street Anytown, USA 00000 (555) 555-5555 Susie_Smith@whateveremail.com
Staff Associate 5/2004–7/2005 Received job-specific training on document control and word processing as required by diverse clientele. Position required attention to detail, accuracy, and strong computer skills in Word. Reported to senior associate and was subsequently promoted into that role.
1/2007–present ABC Company, Anytown, USA Manager 1/2008–present Senior Associate 1/2007–1/2008 5/2004–12/2006 XYZ Partners, Anytown, USA Senior Associate 8/2005–12/2006 Staff Associate 5/2004–7/2005
}
Senior Associate 8/2005–12/2006 Responsibilities included assisting in training and supervision of three staff associates performing word processing and proofreading as assigned. Ensured that quality control guidelines and project deadlines were being met. Reported to senior manager of production.
5/2002–4/2004 123 Incorporated, New Town, USA 123 Incorporated was a small company that was subsequently bought out by 789 Corporation.
5/2002–4/2004 123 Incorporated, New Town, USA Staff Associate 9/2002–4/2004 Intern 5/2002–8/2002
}
Staff Associate 9/2002–4/2004 “Ten Easy Steps to a Perfect ResumeWorked is a must for of all projects job seekers. Entry level on ahave variety as assigned using Excel, candidates will gain valuable staging insight -- answering questions likeLiaised ‘where with do I start?,’ Word, and database research. management ‘what information is important?,’ seasonedand candidates will gain an advantage overand their clients regarding content-related issues supervised competition by using the steps to critically interns examine and finebasic tuneInternet their resumes performing research.-- pack it with pertinent perfection. Thompson’s book is easy to read, logical, and results oriented -- after all, the interview process starts with the ‘Perfect Resume’.” Intern 5/2002–8/2002 9
Performed-Lori basic Internet research Koffler, USA TODAYas assigned by staff associates.
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“Carolyn has done it again.. Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job helps you understand the process, evaluate alternative successful strategies in the marketplace, and making the transition from your current to future employer. More importantly, her book allows you to ‘take a step back’ and assess where your passion lies, truly finding the job where you look forward to waking up every day, and being excited about going to work.” -Mark Ross, The Washington Post
STEP ONE :
STEP TWO :
Understanding The Process
Customized Searching
Even though the world and its processes are automated, it’s still an individual or a group of people who will hire you. Finding a job requires not only determination and skills but also e ective, professional communication and follow-up to ultimately be the one who receives the coveted o er letter.
When conducting a con dential, strategic, career-oriented job search, responding to Internet postings is enhanced by your ability to perform customized research. There are three ways to search and identify possible places of employment:
Your goal in sending out your resume should be to reach the decision maker as soon as possible, ideally rst. If you can avoid placing yourself in the pile of all the other resumes, you are one step ahead of the game.
e
Whenever possible, try to communicate with the nal decision maker without circumventing the proper recruiting protocol. If you can identify who your future boss might s u o t T O N t s e b be, reach out to him or her. You can inform this person of your quali cations and interest in the position and ask for guidance through the proper channels to receive an invitation to interview.
STEP THREE :
Networking
Geography Industry
Since over 80 percent of new jobs are obtained through personal referrals or networking, this is probably the most important step. You’ve already identi ed the key companies in your area that are looking for people with your skills and expertise, so let’s nd people you know to help you get in there.
Skills
STEP FIVE Personal referrals are great. If you get a job because of a
Finding companies in your area that might need your knowledge and skills requires you to sort through your resume and make a list of keywords in the following s ’ t areas: I Speci c expertise and certi cations you have acquired Technical skills you o er
Starting at the top and working your way back through the recruiting process will give you a lot of information that you cannot get by simply responding to ads. Communicating with the managers rst will ensure that you are, in fact, submitting your resume for a viable position. These people will understand what work you have done and furthermore they will know if there is a current or future need for someone like you.
Industry knowledge you possess
STEP FIVE:
Choose three Internet job search sites that you will use for research. These sites vary widely and their popularity is based on your location as well as your industry. You will perform searches in your geographic area with your individual keywords. Indeed, HotJobs, Monster, and Careerbuilder may have some overlap, but we are NOT
ADD YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
There is a big difference between what the company has
Keywords
referral from someone you know you will already have a friendly colleague at your new company. Ask your friends and colleagues to think beyond their current employer as well. Even if your acquaintance left a company in the past, that doesn’t mean you should avoid that company. People leave companies and jobs for a wide variety of reasons. Individual departments at the same company can be drastically dissimilar so your employment experience with any given employer could be 80 degrees di erent from what your friend experienced. Remember, you’ve done a lot of research into where you may be a t, and you should welcome any avenue you nd to explore those companies further. Professional associations and industry groups are terri c places to meet people who work at your target companies. Many o er career-speci c certi cations. You should pursue any and all opportunities for continuing education and leadership positions in these groups.
hired you to do and what you individually accomplish in Alumni organizations and community groups o er fun and useful venues where you can meet people you each job compared to your peers.
Geography
Industry
Skills
Cer
Otherwhat you made, Knowledge Go back to each job and think about saved, or achieved in this position. What did you contribute
Marketing Plan: I would report to someone titled __ _____________ or possibly _________________. your company more profitable? How did you contribute to Search online databases, my contacts, and www. better efficiencies within your group? What special awards LinkedIn.com for people with those titles at these did you receive? Why was your work there important? companies to contact. MAKE A LIST AND TRACK INFORMATION GATHERED. that set you apart from your peers? How did you make
The easiest way to add these is to bullet point one or
look into two Companies measurabletoaccomplishments in each job under
Your reference list—you should have two former supervisors, a peer, a subordinate, and perhaps an associate or outside vendor you have a business in them. Your ability to distinguish your responsibilities relationship with. Friends and family members are and accomplishments is what sets you apart from your never appropriate. Professors and instructors are competition. Don’t be afraid to be proud of what you appropriate only when you are a recent college (or high school) graduate. Make sure these people have accomplished beyond what they hired you to do. given you permission to use them as references. It’s important that you o er current daytime contact information since anyone who may be checking references will be working during the day, not evening. 17 your descriptions. Be specific about the value of those
accomplishments to the company and your involvement
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Career & Resume
} WORKSHOPS}
To coincide with the launch of her two new books, Carolyn is hosting free workshops across the country, offering her and her colleagues' expertise to the public. People are invited to bring their resumes and job-search questions for professional direction and suggestions -- Carolyn also lends her expertise and individual career consultations to those interested.
To date, Carolyn has held free public workshops in:
Las Vegas, NV Baltimore, MD McLean, VA Washington, DC Omaha, NE Ft Lauderdale, FL Miami, FL
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Thank You Carolyn!...
Last evening’s hour with you was the most productive and informative time I’ve spent during my 3 week job search… I’m looking forward to ‘fine tuning’ it [the resume] with your solid advice and expanded ideas from your book. I will then post it on linkedin.com, hot jobs, and craigslist as you suggested. - Jennifer Hedden
A better resume, Thanks to you…
Wow! You really do have a gift for what you do, a true resume wordsmith. I would never [have] thought to structure it [the resume] that way and the verbage grabs your attention… I'm sure I can modify your suggestion and make it my own. Thanks again! -Steve Chinn
A True Expert...
Carolyn, thank you so much for your time after yesterday’s workshop. With your help, I have a completely new outlook on the job search and I am finally motivated again! You are A True Expert and I hope many, many other job-seekers will get a chance to learn from you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! -Rebecca Bloom
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} In the Media } Carolyn Thompson’s careers industry-expertise and her commitment to teaching others has not gone unnoticed. Interviewing regularly on TV and radio stations across the nation, Carolyn has helped thousands of people struggling to secure a job build their resumes and approach the job-hunt with a strategic understanding of how to set themselves apart from the competition.
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Las Vegas, NV
Omaha, NE
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Contact
Contact
Contact
Carolyn Thompson DC’s Leading Careers Expert President, CMCS, LLC Author, Ten Easy Steps to a Perfect Resume Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Job
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For more information on the Careers Expert, visit: www.CarolynThompson.net
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For more information on the job search, recruiting, staffing and executive searching, visit: www.cm-cs.com
Follow Carolyn on her blog: www.JobSearchJungle.com
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Carolyn Thompson is available for interview
Purchasing Inquiries: Lindsay Sellner LSellner@cm-cs.com (703) 734-6340
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