Proof: Job seekers who did it.

Proof is an occasional series that showcases (and celebrates!) people who employed new job search strategies and landed THE job or promotion they wanted. Today, we feature Mary Ahn of Metro Detroit.

Mary Ahn had a predicament.

Her resume, at face, was good. It was well-written and spelled out many of her core accomplishments. But Mary wasn’t landing interviews, at least not with the companies for whom she most wanted to work. As frustration mounted, a friend (and Ridiculously Awesome Resume client) recommended she get professional support.

What we did …

Mary ordered a Ridiculously Awesome Resume package. In our first consultation, we pinpointed pretty quickly what was happening: Mary had a lengthy career history working in planning and analysis for the automotive industry. However, when the economy went south in 2008, she returned to school for her teaching certification and began working part-time as a substitute teacher.

While she loves teaching and mentoring others, Mary was ready to return to a role in automotive, preferably one that combined her love of teaching and mentoring with her mad skillz in planning.

Unfortunately, her resume was weighted heavily to her recent roles. She was getting few calls.

And so we transitioned Mary’s resume to speak directly to a hiring manager within her target industry. We showcased the things she is most proud of (and best known for) from her earlier automotive experience, and the competencies a hiring manager in her chosen field would most likely be seeking.

In short, we made it extremely easy for the reviewer to quickly connect his or her “This is what we need,” to Mary’s “This is what Mary offers.”

(Important note, folks. This is one of the keys to good resume writing – make it easy for the reviewer. E-A-S-Y.)

Mary’s first reaction to the new resume?

“The first time I read it, I was blown away by how on target it was,” she said. “You were able to pick out key accomplishments and write about them in a way that matched the direction I was trying to head in.”

What happened next?

When the resume was complete, Mary targeted a handful of automotive opportunities and applied for them, using the new document. She landed more than one interview, almost immediately. One of them? Was the perfect job.

Mary landed that perfect job, less than a month after we’d finished her new resume. Today, she’s a project manager for a company called BI Worldwide. Her job is to coordinate print, video and web materials used by a major automotive corporation for dealer training.

“It’s just a great fit,” she said. “I am using my prior contacts and understanding of the automotive industry, as well as my ability to multi-task, plan and organize. I absolutely love it.”

Of the overall resume development experience, Mary said:

“The whole process was, surprisingly, very painless. No one enjoys the resume process, but you asked all the right questions during the phone interview, and then just took it from there.”

Huge congrats, Mary! All the best to you as you rejoin the automotive industry!

Got a Proof story of your own? Please email me at Jenny@JobJenny.com if you’d like to be featured in the series.