About half of our work is writing or rewriting resumes in partnership with the client, to apply for a specific position.

In a few cases, the client hasn’t looked or doesn’t realise they don’t have the ESSENTIAL experience or a qualification, for a key part of the application.

Sometimes we don’t realise that either until we start redrafting the resume. But that’s not our responsibility. We write resumes, we don’t vet suitability.

It’s beholden on the client to check that they are the right fit for the job. That means reading the position description closely.

If an applicant doesn’t possess all or most of the ESSENTIAL criteria, they are wasting their time and money – and unfortunately, ours too.

The application will sink like a stone, even if Shakespeare did the co-writing.

Another problem is people sometimes ask us whether we think they’d be a ‘good fit’, based on their resume, for a certain position.

We can’t and won’t answer that because it’s ‘leading the client’. It could be considered that we are advising the client to apply for a job, based on monetary gain.

Other ‘professional’ writers may do that but ethically, that’s not our scene.

Objectively assess the job criteria in light of one’s experience, qualifications, skills and capabilities.