Media Feature

The New Paper Front Page, 3 Jan 2003

The New Paper - Top Story
Two-page feature with Front Page Headline, 3 Jan 2003

Man quits EDB job to write resumes for others
And we put him to the test
By Cynthia Loh

IT'S the dream job for most economics graduates - a chance to shape Singapore history with the Economic Development Board.

But Mr Andy Goh, who has a first class honours degree in economics, gave it up to write resumes for a living.

He sees the niche as something that he could exploit.

'I personally enjoy doing something that people have never done before. It's interest first, money second for me,' he said.
'There are a lot of qualified and able people in Singapore, but they don't know how to market themselves. It's all in the soft-selling, and that's what I'm helping them with.'

But how good is he?

The New Paper decided to test his resume-writing skills with two recruitment companies.

The verdict was split.

One company preferred the original, untouched by him.

Ms Janice Lai, manager of Temps Personnel, thought the original - written by the applicant himself - looked better at first glance.

She said: 'It looks like there is more information, and the layout is appealing because the words are not so cramped.'

But Mr Goh thought Ms Lai had not looked at the resume's content.

He said: 'The job-seeker had actually left out some vital information, such as his address. He also put in information such as his motoring licences which were not relevant to the field of IT.'

And he added: 'The job-seeker's writing style is inconsistent, as he switches between first and third person. Also, the personal strengths that he listed would work better in a cover letter.'

CLEAN LAYOUT

But another consultant preferred Mr Goh's version.

Ms Conny Lim, a consultant with the Adecco Infocomm & Technology Staffing Division at Adecco Singapore, explained:

'Its layout is clean and well organised, with clearly-defined headings - thus allowing recruiters to review the job-seeker's skills and experience at a glance.'

She also noted: 'It starts with 'Professional Experience' rather than 'Education'. Most recruiters prefer to know the candidate's experience first, as this would help them determine if the candidate's work exposure is relevant to that required by the job in question.'

And, according to Ms Lim, the resume written by Mr Goh is well substantiated because it includes an 'Awards & Activities' section, showcasing the job-seeker's achievements in the IT fields.

She added: 'He uses a good selection of 'action' words such as oversee, manage, lead, direct. This is good as it gives the resume an active voice and demonstrates his role in each project.'

Indeed, Mr Goh has helped others succeed.

Miss Tan Lee Lin, 23, (not her real name) is a classic example. Miss Tan, who now works as an engineer, said: 'I know that my English is not that good, and I needed help in writing my resume.'

She got three job offers after sending out the new resume written by Mr Goh.

She says his 'soft-selling' helped her land her current job with a chemical company.

After all, he's a pro.

After a 'couple of months' of training, Mr Goh became an accredited member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches in the US last year.

A check with the association's website confirmed his membership.

Clients range from entry-level grads to financial controller 

MR Goh, who comes from a middle-class family, set up his own service, www.CareerInvestment.net.

He went into business in August last year after careful thought.

Talking to various human resource managers convinced him that there was a huge untapped market for resume writers in these uncertain economic times.

He used his own savings, and spent at least 'a couple of thousands on setting up the website, equipment such as the fax machine, computer, certification fees, membership fees and exam fees'.

Mr Goh explained his role.

He provides face-to-face consultations with clients who need help in 'marketing' themselves and points out which part of their resume needs polishing.

GOOD ECONOMIC SENSE

There are people who feel it makes good economic sense to turn to professional resume writers like Mr Goh.

One of Mr Goh's clients was a 43-year-old former financial controller.

The woman, who didn't want to give her real name as she's still looking for a job, approached Mr Goh for help with her resume because 'I'm not a marketing person, but more of an operations and finance person'.

She has, however, more than 20 years of work experience under her belt.

Said the woman: 'If someone can polish my resume professionally, then why not? It is a positive way of enhancing my resume.'
Mr Goh does not help only mid-level career professionals.

Ever since he started his business, he said, he has had a spectrum of job-seekers - from entry-level graduates to top-level chief executive officers - approach him for help.

Mr Goh said: 'I measure my success by customer satisfaction, and whether they get interviews.'