Writing resumes for those employed in non-profit positions has included grant writers, agency managers, counselors, program managers, recreational coordinators, association managers and volunteers for political, women's programs, counseling centers and many others.

Writing resumes for non-profit positions is often unique because clients are either trying to transfer experience in the private sector to this field or those with non-profit experience are working to market their skills in the business or corporate sector. Both are easily done by categorizing and identifying skills from either field that are transferable and needed in the position being sought.

For example, Tim had been a manager for a men's half-way house since graduating from college ten years ago. The half-way house provided long-term but temporary shelter for those on prison work release. Feeling burnt out on low pay and high responsibility and stress levels, he decided he would like to make a change to the corporate world as a manager. But, he found his resume landed him very few interviews and he received no job offers. One position was for a City Department overseeing Customer Service programs with responsibility for staff training, budget control and extensive problem solving. When Tim read the job description he felt he had all the skills requested but didn't land the job. Take a moment and read the headings from Tim's before resume. Do they match the Customer Service Management position? Then read the after section. Which is the strongest?

$9,000 Salary Increase
The first resume workshop in this site shows how Fran's after resume resulted in a $9,000 salary increase. Fran wanted a $33,000 Corporate Customer Representative job but her resume created an image of her being at a $20,000 to 24,000 salary level -- that's $9,000 to $13,000 beneath her goal.

What Level Does Your Resume Market You At?
If you are curious to see what level your resume is marketing you at … then be sure to read and use the graphing techniques in my first workshop. By graphing the job titles used in Fran's resume it's easy to see why her resume failed … and once you understand this … you will understand why the majority of resumes fail. You'll then understand how to analyze your job titles and see if you are better off using them or replacing them with skill headings that market you more effectively.

Most People Have Job Titles that Weaken Their Image
I estimate that at least 85% of all job seekers have job titles unrelated to their current career goals … and that they are much better off using skill headings rather than job titles to land higher salaries and double and triple their interview rates.

For example, Fran had been a Directory Operator but in most people's minds that doesn't sound like she's at the level of a Corporate Customer Representative making $33,000 … that's because most people don't view directory operators as providing true customer service. Most people say that Directory Operator sounds like someone making only $20,000. However, by using the 12 Questions in my Proven Resumes Series, Fran wrote a new description of her duties as a Directory Operator that described her being selected out of 100 Directory Operators to provide specialized Customer Service to the Governor's Office and Political Dignitaries in the Washington State Capitol … now that information begins to change our image of Fran doesn't it? That makes her sound much more like someone being able to command $33,000.

Which sounds like a better match for the $33,000 Corporate Customer Service Representative goal… her old job title of Directory Operator … or a skill heading like Customer Service Representative to State of Washington Account. In Fran's actual resume we used the heading of Customer Service Representative but you can see how you can play with skill headings to control and elevate your image … this is one strategy I explain in detail with examples throughout my book, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries, and one of the strongest things I can offer you as a resume writer … just in case you don't have the time or patience to write your own.

Going from 0% to 100% Interview Rate
By using skill headings that matched her goal, Fran went from a 0% interview rate to a 100% interview rate -- meaning none of her prior resumes had landed an interview but her new resume landed an interview for each position she applied for.

Click here to learn other ways we improved Fran's resume and landed her a job paying $9,000 more click here to read my first set of resume workshops! If you've entered my site via this page, be sure to go to my main website's home page for an overview of more than 60 Free Resume & Job Search Workshops that include tons of Resume Tips for 45 Career Fields, Job Search, Electronic Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Networking and Confidence Building strategies.

The testimonials throughout my site describe salary increases ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and more. Here's one of my most recent ones:

In Summary
Like many leaving the non-profit arena, bringing up the name of the shelter early in Tim's resume weakens his image. As you've seen, by focusing on skills versus job titles and the agency name, Tim's new resume presents him as much better qualified to move into a City Department overseeing customer service. As you work on your resume, analyze each of your titles and names of the agencies you've worked for. If they match the position you want then use them. If they don't then replace them with skill heading as we did with Tim's new resume, or de-emphasize them by listing them at the bottom of your resume.

If you need additional help identifying your skills and labeling them with strong skill headings, you may want to consider purchasing my booklet series, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Increase Salaries. It will take you through the steps that Tim and I followed to create the skill headings shown above.

This booklet series is targeted for job seekers with a salary range of up to $100,000+ and provides over 2,000 skills, skill headings and sample sentences for over 40 career fields including a list for the social / human service field. It also provides extensive resume examples and worksheets to help you identify your skills and market them to match the jobs you want. For a complete description click on the link below.

http://www.free-resume-tips.com
Phone: 425-398-7378
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