Blog
Tips from my interview with Entrepreneur.com on how to start a side hustle
Entrepreneur.com published an article about how I built my resume writing business from scratch into a $400,000 company. Here are some tips I shared in the article about how to start a successful side hustle.
Five tips for better resume writing
A recruiter may spend only ten seconds scanning your resume to determine if you warrant further evaluation. Word choice, word order, and conciseness all matter. Here are five tips to write a resume that compels a recruiter to stop scanning and start reading.
How to stay healthy when you fly frequently
If you travel a lot for work or pleasure, you’ve likely experienced the displeasure of feeling rundown during or after your trip. Years ago, I caught a cold (or worse) after nearly every flight, and I was tired of it. I asked my doctor what I could do to stay healthy when flying frequently. She gave me several tips to minimize germ exposure on planes.
How to meet the new federal resume requirements
Federal hiring is coming back online, and there are a lot of jobs to backfill. Here’s a cheat sheet I wrote to help people navigate the new 2-page federal resume requirements.
How one early career experience transformed my career path
Early career experiences can transform your life. I had the good fortune to participate in such an experience the summer after high school, when I was selected as a delegate to the first-ever North American Youth Science Leadership Institute. The application period is now open for the next cohort of science leaders.
Interview Tip #5: Be VITAL for executive interviews
When interviewing for senior or executive positions, consider deploying the VITAL framework. This framework pushes you to describe your leadership vision and learning, not just your results. It demonstrates the executive decision-making that can make or break your candidacy for high-level roles.
Interview Tip #4: Go beyond CAR and STAR
When it comes to sharing anecdotes in interviews, there is more than CAR and STAR. To go beyond these commonly used methods, try the STAR Plus or Inverted STAR methods to more fully demonstrate your leadership, initiative, and value.
Interview Tip #3: Turn weakness into your accountability story
Many people I’ve prepared for interviews have asked, “How do I talk about my greatest weakness?” First, ditch the tired approach of presenting a strength disguised as a weakness. Instead, share an Accountability Story.
Interview Tip #2: Show potential, not perfection
With oddball questions, what interviewers look for is not perfection, but potential. Read on to learn how to handle unexpected questions in job interviews.
Interview Tip #1: Deploy key messages, not scripted answers
In today’s tough job market, intentional interview prep has never been more important. When you hone your key messages and learn them by heart, you will know what examples will be powerful to share.
How to make your resume searchable on USAJOBS
If you’re interested in federal government jobs, it’s worth making your resume searchable on USAJOBS. You can only set a resume as searchable if it meets the new 2-page limit. Make it easy for federal agencies to find and hire you by uploading a 2-page resume to USAJOBS and setting it as searchable.
Beyond the resume: Tips for other USAJOBS application documents
There is more to a job application than your resume. Take, for instance, all the other documents you need to submit on USAJOBS when applying for federal positions. Here, I offer a Q&A about the other documents you may need to apply for federal government jobs.
What to include and exclude on your 2-page federal resume
Back in September, I wrote about the USAJOBS reboot and its new 2-page limit on federal resumes. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently shared additional guidance on how to write a short federal resume. Here is a rundown of key elements you may have wondered about including when writing your new, 2-page federal resume.
How to write an executive resume
To keep my skills sharp when writing resumes for C-suite and executive leadership candidates, I recently completed the Master Series: Executive Resume Writing Certificate. If you're a senior executive trying to break into C-suite roles, or if you're struggling to adequately convey the impact of your work, know that there are tools and techniques to make your resume more powerful.
How to maximize your federal TSP retirement contributions
I did the math so that you don't have to. If you're a federal employee and want to maximize your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) retirement contributions for 2026, read on.
What to do when you return from a government shutdown
After about six weeks, Congress finally appears poised to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. If you are a furloughed federal employee, here are ten tips on what to do when we return to the office.
Highlights from the court hearing halting federal RIFs
This morning, I tuned in to the hearing challenging the federal government’s Reductions in Force (RIF) during the current lapse in appropriations. Here are highlights from the hearing and the judge’s decision enjoining the federal government from proceeding with RIFs.
What to know if you received a federal RIF notice
You may have heard that many federal employees received Reduction In Force (RIF) notices. Even now, federal agencies must still ensure that RIFs “comply with merit system laws and regulations.” Here are a key points to know about OPM's memo on RIF Basics.
How to ensure your federal resume meets the new USAJOBS requirements
Here is a rundown of the formatting and content requirements you’ll need to follow if you want your federal resume to meet the new USAJOBS requirements. Starting on September 27, 2025, all federal resumes will be limited to just two pages.
Why I became a professional resume writer
Several people have asked how I got into resume writing. After reviewing thousands of resumes as a government hiring manager, I started writing resumes as a pandemic project. In the past five years, I have written resumes for 300 clients. Equipping others with the tools to share their talents with the world is, for me, the magic and wonder that comes from being a professional resume writer.
