Kerry, 51

25% Project Manager

Title: Program Manager

Situation: Kerry and her husband created an IT start-up and struggled for several years to make a go of it. When she came to me, she had been looking for 6 months, without much success. The family-owned business hadn’t been able to pay her a salary for more than 3 years.

Strategy: Kerry’s resume had job titles that were all over the map. We revised some of the titles to reflect what she was actually doing—Program Management. We also added a summary at the top, speaking to her project management achievements, and added Core Competencies that were program management specific. We also highlighted her new PMP designation and added information about Smartsheet, a project management tool in high demand.

In her words:"I searched for 6 months without much to show for it. After Catherine rewrote my resume, the recruiter calls came pouring in. I had a firm job offer in 43 days. Our family-owned online business wasn’t paying me a salary at all. Now, I’m making $100,000 with bonuses, 11 paid holidays, 3 weeks of vacation, and a 3% 401K match. It feels wonderful."

New Position: Program Manager (Consultant Position)

Days in Search: 45

Old Salary: $0 (Years before: $80K)

New Salary: $100K (25% increase)