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# Unlock Your Dream Job: RVA Insider Secrets to Crafting a Winning Resume
February 4, 2023 / Will Melton, National Editor /  / , , 
If you’re searching for your dream job, you probably don’t want to widely circulate a poorly assembled resume only to find out that it’s slipping through employers’ applicant tracking systems or it tends to rub everyone who reads it the wrong way. If you do, you may be ruining your chances with “the one” and you may be burning valuable time you can’t afford to lose.
 of  recently spoke with  about the impact of professional resume writing. Through his experience, Imbody has seen firsthand how an expertly crafted resume can give job applicants an edge in getting hired. He shared stories of successful clients and what it was about their resumes that helped them land their jobs.
In our interview, Imbody shared his advice on the approach applicants should take when crafting resumes so they can effectively showcase their skillsets and impress potential employers. He also offered advice on how to address common issues such as resume gaps and overstating accomplishments. Read below for excerpts from our chat and tips on how you can improve your odds of landing the perfect gig.
## **Tip 1: Mind the Robots**
**RichmondHires.com:** “What is a common issue that candidates might not be aware of that you help them overcome?”
**Dan Imbody:** “Something that’s very common, especially with bigger companies, they’ll have these ATS systems, applicant tracking software, and that’s where this huge volume of applicants is just getting pre-selected and pre-rejected before it even gets to the human eye.
“So usually that means they need to see certain keywords in there. They’re gonna want to see maybe some titles, some job titles that match. If you want to manage nurses, they’re gonna want to see the word ‘nurse’ somewhere in there or ‘RN.’ So it’s making sure that that’s all done correctly.
“And then formatting, there can’t be a lot of graphic design on there. There shouldn’t be a lot of busy graphics cause that can trip up the computer systems. So I usually write client resumes organized down the center, using one font, with different font sizes, but not italics or underlining or any other formatting. I do not include a photo of the person because that just trips up the software. It could mean someone doesn’t even get considered simply based on the layout of their resume.”
## **Tip 2: Keep it Short & Punchy**
**RichmondHires.com:** “How long should a resume be? You often hear to keep it to a page; is that right?”
**Dan Imbody:** “So reviewers have attention span issues, like everyone else, so the key here is that it shouldn’t be a comprehensive document – it’s a teaser. It’s inviting a conversation and setting yourself apart from your competition. So the resume shouldn’t have everything you’ve ever done, you know, and other duties as assigned or whatever.
“With a resume, not only do you have a document that you’re giving to the employer, you’re articulating to yourself and clarifying and reducing the breadth of your experience into bite-size marketable pieces.
“It should be, here are some big reasons to call me. End of story. Management, senior management, and up, it’s fine if they go to two pages. They might need to, to even get that basic layout and they might get a little more attention anyway, the higher up the ladder you go. So, one to two pages.”
## **Tip 3: Be a Problem-Solver**
**RichmondHires.com:** “How do you stand out against the sea of other applicants?”
**Dan Imbody:** “To a job applicant, I would say identify a problem or a common problem faced by employers in your sector. What do they need employees for? And then build your resume and your self-presentation around solving that problem or those problems. And if not problems, maybe it’s a growth thing where the employer says, ‘We need to grow our client base, or we need revenue to go up, or we need profitability to be better. We’re spending too much to make money,’ or whatever the case is. Build your accomplishments and present yourself around those deliverables.
“Put those things as the top three bullets of your resume: ‘I saved my last company a million bucks. I passed all of our audits. I trained a bunch of people, and five of them became managers.’ You’ve got to put it in one-sentence format. People can get stuck in the complexity of their own careers and communicating it comprehensively and they need to reduce it to digestible sound bites.”
## **Tip 4: Choose Whether to Write a Cover Letter**
**RichmondHires.com:** “Different industries have different filters. A common filter debate that is blazing right now is to-cover-letter or not-to-cover-letter. What’s your recommendation? And, please, tell us why.”
**Dan Imbody:** “Yeah. So most people don’t read the cover letter, but one out of 10 do. So if you’re an applicant and you’re applying to a hundred jobs, that cover letter might close the gap between you and another candidate for 10 of those jobs.
“And what the cover letter does is provides a narrative arc of your career. It can also explain a few things like, oh, you see a three-year gap: ‘I was a stay-at-home parent during that time,’ or ‘I was working on my master’s degree at that time.’ It just gives you a chance to allow the reviewer to better evaluate the candidate through terms that you set. You know, they’re not making assumptions.
“If there’s a three-year gap in your history, you’re telling them what happened. Or you could use that cover letter to just lay out, ‘Hey, you need a person who does X, I’ve done X before, and here are three examples of when that turned out.’ Great. You could quantify, ‘I’ve trained 25 people in my last job,’ or ‘I’ve managed budgets up to 2 million; I’ve managed inventory up to 50 million, or whatever the case may be.’ And just give them a really quick reason to call you.
“But yeah, so with cover letters, different sectors, they’re more or less read too. If you’re a maintenance mechanic in a factory, don’t bother. You know, like if you are a nurse, probably don’t bother. If you are an accounting manager with 20 years of experience, maybe it is worth doing it. If it’s a senior-level position, that’s probably worth doing it cause they’ll look at that candidate longer than they would other candidates. So it depends on the level. I’d say senior do it, junior do or don’t do it.”
## **Tip 5: Avoid Coming Across as Desperate**
**RichmondHires.com:** “Does desperation read through on a resume?”
**Dan Imbody:** “That’s a great question. So there’s a move away in modern resumes from flowery language, lots of adjectives, you know, ‘skillfully, dutifully’ you know, ‘brilliantly led an initiative,’ blah, blah, blah. That stuff. It may or may not speak to desperation, but it’s meaningless at least. Speaking in flowery terms also kind of conveys a little bit of dishonesty. It doesn’t add value. So desperation might be seen through flowery language and, and excessive adjectives. If you’ve got numbers, let the numbers stand for the accomplishment rather than, you know, ‘Hey, I’m so good at this, I did so great.’
“There’s almost an element that to where an understatement might be stronger than an overstatement, depending on the context. You want to brag in a resume because you want to convey confidence that you’re the right hire. But if you cross the line and it’s too braggy then they might have concerns that you’re going to be a diva, you know, and a needy hire who needs assurance all the time that they’re the best. Also, if you have a lot of resume gaps maybe you weren’t working, desperation could look like overstating things to try to fix that.”
## **Tip 6: Consider Professional Resume Help**
**RichmondHires.com:** “What sort of feedback do you get from clients about the value of hiring you to write their resumes?”
**Dan Imbody:** “I have collected lots of success stories. It’s anecdotal, but they serve as constant reminders that this is working. It does feel good to get the texts and the emails, ‘I got the hundred thousand dollar job!’ Especially when I have people who are at the six-figure and up level who couldn’t get a job and now they do with the new resume, that’s like, alright, this is working.”
## **Closing Thoughts**
It is clear that a well-crafted resume and cover letter can make all the difference in securing your dream job. However, it’s important to remember not to overstate or come across as desperate. Professional help from an experienced resume writer can be invaluable if you are struggling to get noticed by writing your own resume. By understanding how AI technology and neuroscience principles affect visibility during the review process and leveraging this knowledge when crafting resumes, you can significantly increase your chances of success in landing interviews for great jobs.
To learn more about working with Dan Imbody, see pricing, and read testimonials, visit the  website. We’re big fans of investing in yourself at  and if a small investment of time and money can land you thousands of dollars more a year or the job that gives you all the satisfaction you could want, that’s real ROI.
!
###### Will Melton, National Editor
 is the founder and CEO of digital agency . Since 2004, Will has founded multiple businesses and knows firsthand exactly what it takes to recruit and retain talent in a rapidly changing and volatile business environment. Will founded RichmondHires.com and its network of local career search sites to provide local talent with a platform and a network to find jobs and thrive locally in their careers.
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Comments on: Unlock Your Dream Job: RVA Insider Secrets to Crafting a Winning Resume
Outstanding opportunities. Outstanding talent.
Sat, 04 Feb 2023 20:27:23 +0000
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# What is Mission Charisma & How Do You Find an Employer That Has It?
December 28, 2022 / Will Melton, National Editor /  / 
Mission charisma is a term used to describe an organization that has an unbridled and externally visible passion for pursuing its mission. It’s easy to recognize mission charisma when you come across it, but it can be hard to find employers who have it when searching for a job. So what makes mission charisma so special?
Mission Charisma is more than just a mission statement. It’s the passion and enthusiasm that comes with it, the commitment of those who work there to make their mission a success, and the impact they have on those around them. In organizations with mission charisma, employees are driven and motivated to go above and beyond to achieve the mission. They don’t just talk about making an impact; they actually do it.
So how do you find mission charisma in a potential employer? If you’re actively searching for a new career, you’re likely considering dozens of potential companies, so having a set of criteria to assess them against is a good starting place. Using the process of elimination can help you find the employers that demonstrate the most mission charisma, saving you time and helping you land a job with a company that has what it takes to keep you feeling satisfied. Here are a few things to look for:
## Does the Mission Story Inspire?
If you can’t find a company’s mission statement, they likely don’t have one. For companies that do, it’s important to see how their mission statement shows up in their story. One example of a Richmond employer that has an inspiring mission story is . The insurance giant exemplifies its mission story through The Markel Style, or “a timeless statement of their values and mission.” The company has a venture arm with dozens of companies under its umbrella and the Markel Style shines through to all of them. Markel Ventures subsidiary  presents the Markel Style Awards each year to employees who model the company values and demonstrably pursue its mission.
Tracking down a company’s mission story might take some time, but if you can’t find the first thread on an employer candidate, it might mean it’s time to eliminate them from the list.
## Does Their Reputation Jive With Their Story?
A mission statement is only as good as the actions of those who uphold it. If a company talks the talk, but can’t walk the walk, mission charisma won’t be present and you likely won’t feel any connection to their mission. When you ask your colleagues and others in the industry about a company, look for small things like a) have they even heard of the company or b) do they know someone who works there? If a story comes to mind quickly, the contents of the story might be a good indicator.
You can also check online customer reviews on Google, Yelp, or a professional ratings website to see how their clients or customers assess their professionalism. Sites like  might also provide testimonials from previous employees – good or bad. Another thing to look for is community involvement. What organizations and nonprofits does the company contribute its time and resources to? Is it working to promote prosperity for the community outside of the walls of its organization?
## Is the Organization Led By Charismatic People?
Charismatic leaders are often easy to spot; they are involved, respected, and admired. They lead from the front and set an example for those who follow them. You can usually find charismatic leaders if you look for them in the media, attending events, and speaking at conferences. Who are the leaders of the company or organization you are considering? Not just the CEO, but other senior managers too. Do they have a presence in the community? Are they visible in multiple venues and media outlets? What opinions and professional lessons are they sharing on their own platforms?
## How Do They Promote & Elevate Their Employees?
Companies with mission charisma don’t succeed because they are led by charismatic people alone; they succeed because they recognize the value that their people bring to the table and work to promote and elevate them publically. Celebrating the wins of the hardworking people in an organization is a great way to boost morale and show employees that you see them and appreciate their contribution.
Companies that do a good job at touting their employees’ wins on social media, place their aspiring leaders in , and regularly promote employees to roles with more responsibility and compensation can typically be counted on to provide ambitious employees with the growth opportunities they demand.
## The World of Work is Changing; Don’t Settle For a Dud of an Employer
When mission charisma is present, it’s easy to spot and can make a chosen career much more meaningful. Finding mission charisma takes some effort but if you know what to look for, it can help you find an employer who has what it takes to keep you feeling inspired and motivated in the long run. Don’t settle for a mission-less employer when mission charisma is out there waiting to be found and don’t get duped into working for someone who talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.
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