Jan Melnik

Job-Search Strategist
Resume Writer
Keynote Speaker
Career Coach

Professional Career Management Since 1983

Welcome to the Absolute Advantage—website of Jan Melnik—where we'll help give you the absolute advantage when it comes to job search, resume and LinkedIn writing, and career management. “You'll never get a second chance to make a first impression.” You've heard it often. And it's essential. Be sure the first impression you make is your best and gives you the absolute advantage in this competitive market! Ready to be inspired? It's your career. It's your life. Let's get started!

The Door Opener: A Distinctive, Branded Resume... A Compelling LinkedIn Profile—You'll Need Both!

Let us help you go to market with a branded resume and LinkedIn profile that present your quantifiable skills, specific qualifications, and detailed accomplishments concisely and effectively. A resume cannot be a career “obituary”—it must sizzle with promise for what you can do to help an organization achieve its objectives. It is your unique story!

A resume should articulate your value proposition. It presents key “predictors of success” and demonstrates “proof of performance,” the value you can deliver. And, to be most effective, it must be uniquely you, be totally authentic and clearly present your distinctive brand. You must display transferable skills and core competencies that speak to the reader and compel him or her to call you and to bring you in for the interview—which is the whole point of a resume and cover letter.

Likewise, your LinkedIn profile must be on-brand and blend cohesively with how you represent yourself, your capabilities, and your attributes on your resume. But it must not simply be your resume pasted verbatim onto LI.

Instead, your LI profile should take full advantage of the headline, summary, and expertise sections—as well as the sections for experience, projects, education, recommendations, associations, and other categories to present a multi-layered picture of who you are.

Unlike a resume, the summary should be written as a compelling and inviting-to-read narrative in the first person (the word “I” is not used in a resume; but it is absolutely appropriate to write in a conversational style and use “I” in the LI summary). Job seekers today can expect prospective employers, hiring managers, and recruiters to Google their names and search for them on the Internet and using social media—especially using LinkedIn and, to a lesser extent, Facebook.

Your digital identity plays a strategic role in how you present as a candidate. For nearly everyone, having a professional presence on LI is important for networking purposes. And, for job seekers, it has become essential to use and leverage LI as a component of an overall job-search campaign.

You Have One Opportunity

Your resume and LI profile must be able to capture the attention of the hiring authority, recruiter, or human resource professional, generally in under 10 seconds. To demonstrate a probable match between your candidacy and the job opportunity at hand, it is essential that your documents be easy to read and understand, accurate, and error-free.

They must provide sufficient information to give a strong picture of your qualifications and what differentiates you as a candidate without overwhelming the reader with detail. And they must present your skills and accomplishments positively, professionally, and with immediate relevancy to potential employers.

Our Capabilities—Your Story

We are equally experienced and comfortable working with clients at all levels—from recent graduates to CEOs. After all, the need for a professional resume (and for a career search to be successful) is no different for someone earning $50K than it is for someone earning in excess of $900K.

We specialize in working with senior executive-level clients, C-suite candidates, managers, and rising professionals and have expertise in numerous disciplines ranging from sales/marketing, high-tech environments, and manufacturing to education, healthcare, and entrepreneurial careers. A subspecialty is helping new graduates successfully launch (and college sophomores/juniors land rewarding internships). We invite prospective clients to reach out for a complimentary proposal and suggested game plan for working together (Please see “Client Services”). We can assist anyone who is highly motivated to make a strategic career move.

Be certain that the professional you engage possesses the right credentials and experience to assist you with your career search and understands what today's hiring authorities and decision makers are seeking in qualified candidates. You must have a well-written, accomplishment-driven, and personally branded resume that is results-oriented and clearly demonstrates your transferable skill portfolio.

It must be clean and concise—succinctly written to present your differentiators. Core competencies and distinguishing performance characteristics must be included in a qualifications summary/profile replete with targeted keywords. Be certain that your resume works effectively via email and on the web as well as on paper and on a mobile device.

One of the industry’s top career strategists, Jan Melnik is a Master Resume Writer, Credentialed Career Manager, and Certified Professional Resume Writer. She is President of Absolute Advantage (in practice since initially establishing the company in Durham, CT, in 1983), author of top-selling resume and business start-up books, including “Executive's Pocket Guide to ROI Resumes and Job Search,” and contributor to more than three dozen career and resume books. She works remotely from her office in Sarasota, FL, with clients from all over the US as well as expats.

Jan holds two undergraduate degrees in business, is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland, and earned her Master's degree summa cum laude from Wesleyan University. “Our business is making you look good”—and we want to help you be as successful as possible in developing the right suite of career management tools and collateral documents that will assist you in competing for the right opportunity.

Be inspired. It's your career. It's your life.

We'd love an opportunity to assist you. Let's get started. or give us a call today!

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