The Challenge of Using Words to Sell Yourself If you're a job seeker today, you're on a path fraught with many difficulties. One of those difficulties lies in the way you write about yourself to potential employers in your resume and cover letters. Some job seekers turn to professional copywriters or resume writers to boost their chances of landing a new job and, with a few caveats, that's often a good move. However, copywriting -- or any business-building writing, for that matter -- often bears the weight of an excess of expectation. It is often expected to be flawless, and often expected to produce the corporate equivalent of miracles: instant sales increases, overnight improvement in organic search rankings. Copywriting simply does not have the power of law to compel readers to buy any given product or service. Instead, it must rely on what all humans rely on in their interactions: the ability to hold attention for long enough to create an opportunity to persuade. After that, the product or service needs to sell itself by the way it performs. It's the same for people. As a copywriter -- as a writer for business -- I write for my business life every day. And what I offer to you, dear potential customer, is neither an instant sales increase nor an overnight ranking rush. Instead, I offer the more modest miracle of getting you, your product, or your service, an interview. After that, it's down to you. Let me show you how I got my most recent interview and, by extension, how I can help you get yours. From Application to Interview I won my interview with a not-for-profit that I'll refer to as That Charity* with a carefully constructed story. Here's how it unfolded, told against the questions I was asked to answer ... in writing.
The Aftermath So. Did my written application win me an interview? Yes, it did. However, it has since won me an even more important interview: This very opportunity to persuade you to use my writing skills to help you. Could your written applications be getting you more interviews? Do you think I might be able to help? If so, then my writing has done its job. It's time we had a talk. * In fact, I've changed all the names.
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Mark HislopPrincipal Wordsmith Wordience Archives
June 2017
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