Occupational therapy

Put me in, coach
First, we hook up Acks with career coach and motivational speaker Rob Sullivan (first session $495, includes a 30-minute follow-up; $295 for people with less than five years of work experience; careercraftsman.com), a former recruiter for ad giant Leo Burnett and author of Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don’t Have a Leg to Stand On (McGraw-Hill, $12.95).

On a hot, sunny afternoon, Sullivan—who will meet anywhere the client chooses—arrives at Acks’s Logan Square apartment, which is strewn with colorful canvases stitched up with fabric swatches. Sullivan starts by inquiring about Goddard Center, the “NASA job” on Acks’s résumé.

“Everyone asks about that first,” Acks says with a laugh. “I fixed tape silos [data storage facilities] and robots, which I learned to do because I grew up with a computer. I wasn’t working with PCs, though, so I’m not sure if those are applicable job skills.”

Sullivan looks at Acks as if he’s nuts for downplaying a NASA gig and asks him a few questions about his duties there. On his résumé, Acks lists his responsibilities—“master fix-it,” “ran daily logs.” But Sullivan suggests he also insert his awards and recognitions—“Promoted from part-time to full-time in one month; received two promotions; increased salary 25 percent in two years.” Acks is skeptical; he wonders if recruiters might favor modesty over bold statements. “Take the pieces and create a story,” Sullivan instructs. “By noting promotions and the percentage of salary raises, it shows that [you] can paint and still put [your] whole heart into a job. And it shows how your employer felt about you.”

Another tip from Sullivan: “Separate work experience and internships. It lets people know why you’ve had so many jobs. Recruiters can’t be expected to connect the dots. The story should also say: These are internships, you’ve been hand-picked for them, and they’re not just glorified filing jobs.”

Two days after their discussion, Acks receives an e-mail from Sullivan with a sample cover letter and a concise résumé replete with separate categories for work experience and internships, charts that list Acks’s skills and a glowing, but accurate portrait of a stellar candidate.

Résumé makeover

TOC’s Art department redesigns Acks’s CV, using a dose of advice from career coach Rob Sullivan.

Before

1. Lacks a clear hierarchy
2. Difficult to connect the dots on jobs, experience

After

1. Contact information much easier to access. Clear sense of hierarchy.
2. Explanations help recruiters understand how internships, jobs work together. Shows a more accurate picture.
3. Helps potential employers understand experience.

Did Acks’s new résumé, cover letter and look net him any results on the job front? Get an update at timeoutchicago.com/features.

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