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[b]Short version:

The best $50 I’ve spent in recent memory.[/b]

[b]Long version: [/b]

I thought I had something pretty close to an MT resume. I was wrong.

I submitted my resume and four days later (as promised), I received an email from Wendii including a 3-page PDF going through each section of the resume, restating the MT guidelines and then assessing my resume against them.

Wendii’s feedback was clear and direct. Initially, I felt a bit defensive—I slaved on this 1-page professional autobiography, paring it down, weighing each word, and someone I’ve never met is telling what’s wrong with it? Yes. That’s what I paid for. And once I got over myself, I realized that Wendii’s suggestions were excellent.

Honestly, I received so many specific and helpful recommendations I was charged up to spend another couple hours on my resume. The attentive & thought-provoking nature of the resume review absolutely lives up to the brand promise of Manager-Tools. (I know, ‘brand promise.’ I’m a marketing guy…)

I was most impressed that Wendii didn’t just skim my resume and tell me what was wrong—she clearly read it and thought about it. I didn’t get, “you need measurements,” but also some suggestions & questions to provoke my thinking on how to quantify my achievements.

I strongly encourage anyone interested in improving their resume to take advantage of this valuable new M-T offer.

[b]Possible improvements: (very minor)[/b]
• More explicit expectation-setting on next steps would be helpful. The email says “if you have any questions, or would like us to take a look at a revised version, please contact us at [email protected].” I would have liked some explanation of how much contact is appropriate and any additional charges. Wendii already delivered >$50 value so it didn’t seem fair to send more questions. Maybe a $100 version would allow for 2 rounds of review with up to 5 questions?
• Formatting: I found it difficult to discern which copy was summarizing M-T criteria and which was Wendii’s review. (I mean, it’s not really hard to figure it out, but a small change would improve readability.) Also, I think Manager-Tools would benefit in general (show notes, resume review, etc.) from more polished & professional brand standards. But again, I’m a marketing guy.

BTW, since I subscribe to TheLadders, I decided to try their free resume review. As observed elsewhere on this forum, a lot of it is a laughable cut-and-paste job (they all say “I need to warn you about my style, because my comments can seem blunt,”) and they definitely like a long resume with a lot of fluff, but it did include some helpful advice—at $0, it’s worth it, but I wouldn’t pay for it. Where it was most helpful was in comparison with the MT review—if they disagreed, I sided with Wendii, if they agreed, I knew I really needed to improve that aspect of my resume.

wendii's picture
Admin Role Badge

Chris,

thank you for the feedback. As you know, this service is new, and I really appreciate you taking the time to tell us what we are doing well, and what we could do better.

Manager-Tools is all about giving you specific recommendations on how to be better, and the resume service is no different. I know how hard it is to take the very direct feedback (believe me, I've been on the receiving end!) and I feel so proud when I see the rewritten resumes, and how hard you all have worked on them.

As for your questions - if you still have questions after you've read your review a couple of times, or if you want a re-review, that's absolutely within the original charge. It sometimes takes me a little longer, because I have to prioritise the deadlines, but feel free! Apart from any value you get, it helps me understand when I'm being clear, and how I can be clearer.

As for your second comment about formatting and brand standards.. watch this space!

Thank you Chris, for your kind comments and your time taken in making suggestions.

Wendii

MattJBeckwith's picture
Licensee BadgeTraining Badge

Let me also say that I was very pleased with the service Wendii provided. The level of detail in her response was impressive! Having also spent the several hundred dollars on TheLadders referral service I can't say enough how much more concise and relevant Wendii's service was.

Thanks Wendii.

mikehansen's picture

I recently used this service and I was extremely pleased. Below is some detail about my experience. Feel free to reply or PM me with any questions.

I had already created a MT style of resume, so I did not expect to get that much feedback. However, Wendii had a ton of useful suggestions, all of which I incorporated. Some of the highlights were the elimination of unnecessary white space to allow for more accomplishment, numerous suggestions on word choice, and ensuring that accomplishments really were accomplishments.

Since it is easier to see the results rather than take on theory, I have attached my pre and post review resumes (minus personal contact info) so you can see the results. If you would like a copy of the feedback Wendii provided, I will PM that to you. I did not want to post it since this site is publicly searchable and I did not want to compromise any intellectual property.

I highly recommend this service.

-Mike

[b]Original Resume:[/b]

[ Name ]
[ personal contact info omitted ]

July 2005 to Present: Vice President, Technical Development, Company B Inc. - Supervise and control the design, development, maintenance and operations of commercial and proprietary applications servicing two Company B Corporate locations and over 6,500 franchisee locations nationwide. Oversee the purchase, maintenance, and operations of external telecommunication and data center hosting services. Oversee the activities of 36 technical personnel, the creation of over 450,000 lines of code, and the management of a $7 million annual budget.
 Achieved less than 2 % employee turnover rate over 7 years.
 Reorganized development teams resulting in 30% more time available for new projects.
 Increased system uptime from 96.4% to 99.6%.
 Developed a Business Intelligence solution and data warehouse serving internal and external users.
 Developed an online territory mapping solution supporting the opening of over 1,500 new offices.
 Developed a content management system supporting three sites, saving $150,000 in consulting fees.
 Mentored three technical individuals allowing their successful transition into management roles.

July 2003 to May 2005 Senior Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Oversee the development activities of 10 software developers. Work with the various business units to align technology solutions with business initiatives. Prepare and deliver formal presentations to Franchisees and internal stakeholders.
 Applied Service Oriented Architecture principles resulting in increased system isolation and stability.
 Streamlined the delivery of reporting tools by creating the first cross-functional development team.
 Chosen to present future technology roadmap to National Franchisee Advisory Council.

March 2002 to June 2003 Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Responsible for the migration of 15 legacy client applications to .NET web based applications. Directly manage 7 technical developers and oversee the daily design and implementation activities.
 Created mixed technology teams enabling legacy developers the opportunity to build relevant skills.
 Developed first Internet portal for Franchisee community.
 Developed a real time web application for monitoring customer queues in offices.

July 1999 to February 2002 Senior Manager, Company A. - Responsible for leading a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Responsible for translating requirements into use cases for a consulting engagement with Company B to migrate their DOS tax preparation program to Windows. Oversee the architecture and development of new client and web based systems.
 Wrote the core system requirements for the 35 million dollar contract with Company B.
 Envisioned, designed and developed the first multi-user Internet application for Company B Inc.
 Developed the overall architecture for the Company B tax preparation system.

July 1997 to June 1999 Engineer, Company A. - Responsible for leading a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications.
 Promoted to management level faster than any college recruit in the history of the Sarasota office.
 Designed and implemented first Internet enabled application for distributing software updates.

July 1995 to June 1997 Senior Developer, Company A. - Responsible for the design, development, and testing of custom Windows tax preparation software.
 Designed and developed Excel workbook interface for new Windows Tax Preparation program.

January 1993 to June 1995 Developer, Company A. - Responsible for the maintenance of the corporate tax modules of the DOS tax preparation software. Design and develop a custom FoxPro for Windows application for managing customer support calls.
 Handpicked to join elite team to create the first Windows application, in service for over 8 years.
 Invited to join Architecture team to work on foundational software components.

BS Business Administration - Decision & Information Sciences, 1992, University of Florida

[b]Post Review Resume:[/b]

[ Name ]
[ personal contact info omitted ]

July 2005 to Present: Vice President, Technical Development, Company B Inc. - Supervise and control the design, development, maintenance and operations of commercial and proprietary applications servicing two Company B Corporate locations and over 6,500 franchisee locations nationwide. Oversee the purchase, maintenance, and operations of external telecommunication and data center hosting services. Direct the activities of 36 technical personnel, the creation of over 450,000 lines of code, and the management of a $7 million annual budget.
 Developed a Business Intelligence solution and data warehouse resulting in 3000 hours/year in efficiency gains.
 Created an online territory mapping solution supporting the opening of over 1,500 new store locations.
 Developed a content management system supporting three sites, saving $150,000 in consulting fees.
 Achieved less than 2 % employee turnover rate over 7 years.
 Reorganized development teams resulting in 30% more time available for new projects.
 Increased system uptime from 96.4% to 99.6%.
 Mentored three technical individuals allowing their successful transition into management roles.

July 2003 to May 2005 Senior Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Oversee the development activities of 10 software developers. Work with the various business units to align technology solutions with business initiatives. Prepare and deliver formal presentations to Franchisees and internal stakeholders.
 Created a real time hand-shake with banking partners enabling a unique product offering resulting in 12% annual growth.
 Developed a web based customer calling solution allowing the Franchisees to make and track over 5,000,000 customer calls.
 Applied Service Oriented Architecture principles resulting in increased system isolation and stability.
 Streamlined the delivery of reporting tools by creating the first cross-functional development team.
 Developed a real time web application for monitoring customer queues in offices.
 Created a system for the creation and tracking of coupons resulting in over 1,400,000 redemptions over 3 years.

March 2002 to June 2003 Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Orchestrate the migration of 15 legacy client applications to .NET web based applications. Manage 7 technical developers and oversee the daily design and implementation activities.
 Designed first Internet portal for Franchisee community resulting in a streamlined and centralized communication strategy.
 Created a reporting solution reconciling corporate and franchisee systems allowing for a unified view of business transactions.
 Developed a web based return status application resulting in easier reject processing and shorter support calls.
 Created mixed technology teams enabling legacy developers the opportunity to build relevant skills.

July 1999 to February 2002 Senior Manager, Company A. - Manage a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Translate requirements into use cases for a consulting engagement with Company B to migrate their DOS tax preparation program to Windows. Oversee the architecture and development of new client and web based systems.
 Wrote the core system requirements for the 35 million dollar contract with Company B.
 Envisioned, designed and developed an Internet application supporting over 40,000 users transferring tax returns to the IRS.
 Developed the overall architecture for the Company B interview guided tax preparation system.

July 1997 to June 1999 Engineer, Company A. - Direct a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Translate business requirements into software deliverables.
 Architected an object-oriented platform for processing tax return files allowing for centralized management of all return types.
 Designed and implemented first Internet enabled application for distributing software updates.
 Developed network architecture for tax preparation software allowing for single installs for an office and reduced IT costs.

July 1995 to June 1997 Senior Developer, Company A. - Design, develop, and test custom Windows tax preparation software.
 Designed and developed Excel workbook interface for new Windows tax preparation program.
 Developed the core runtime engine supporting the creation of and navigation through a tax return.
 Facilitated the creation of a C++ training class used to transition MS Basic developers to the Windows C++ platform.

January 1993 to June 1995 Developer, Company A. - Maintained the corporate tax modules of the DOS tax preparation software. Design and develop a custom FoxPro for Windows application for managing customer support calls.
 Handpicked to join elite team to create the first Windows application, in service for over 8 years.
 Created a search engine for finding and retrieving support cases resulting in customer histories to be used on live calls.
 Invited to join Architecture team to work on foundational software components.

BS Decision & Information Sciences, University of Florida, December 1992

Paul DeLeo's picture

Mike, thanks for posting your before and after resumes. I was browsing the MT forums looking for further guidance on writing accomplishments. I like that yours are very succinct.

It's a small world: I was a developer in the 1040 states group at company A from 1997-2000 before transferring to what be came the most notorious office in the firm. My first client was the one that ended it all for us :(

vinnie2k's picture

I'm interested in getting feedback from people who have used M&M's resume style outside the US.

I tried taking some of (most of) the M&M advice and one feedback I got was "It's dry". Too factual, almost.

To me, this plays into the very different cultural aspects of resume building. M&M work in the US market, their style will focus on that market. What about us outside the US?

Wendii is in the UK, but I am wondering how close to the US the UK is, at least in job culture ;-)

Thanks.
V.

PS If it's the wrong thread, or wrong forum, feel free to split or move.

thumba007's picture

Thanks Mike,

I have been actually seraching for a real life example of a "Pre and Post review Resume" but was not getting to see any convincing ones. But yours was a great help.

Can you pl send me copy of the feedback Wendii provided. I am sure it will provide a very good insights.

- thumba

[quote="mikehansen"]I recently used this service and I was extremely pleased. Below is some detail about my experience. Feel free to reply or PM me with any questions.

I had already created a MT style of resume, so I did not expect to get that much feedback. However, Wendii had a ton of useful suggestions, all of which I incorporated. Some of the highlights were the elimination of unnecessary white space to allow for more accomplishment, numerous suggestions on word choice, and ensuring that accomplishments really were accomplishments.

Since it is easier to see the results rather than take on theory, I have attached my pre and post review resumes (minus personal contact info) so you can see the results. If you would like a copy of the feedback Wendii provided, I will PM that to you. I did not want to post it since this site is publicly searchable and I did not want to compromise any intellectual property.

I highly recommend this service.

-Mike

[b]Original Resume:[/b]

[ Name ]
[ personal contact info omitted ]

July 2005 to Present: Vice President, Technical Development, Company B Inc. - Supervise and control the design, development, maintenance and operations of commercial and proprietary applications servicing two Company B Corporate locations and over 6,500 franchisee locations nationwide. Oversee the purchase, maintenance, and operations of external telecommunication and data center hosting services. Oversee the activities of 36 technical personnel, the creation of over 450,000 lines of code, and the management of a $7 million annual budget.
 Achieved less than 2 % employee turnover rate over 7 years.
 Reorganized development teams resulting in 30% more time available for new projects.
 Increased system uptime from 96.4% to 99.6%.
 Developed a Business Intelligence solution and data warehouse serving internal and external users.
 Developed an online territory mapping solution supporting the opening of over 1,500 new offices.
 Developed a content management system supporting three sites, saving $150,000 in consulting fees.
 Mentored three technical individuals allowing their successful transition into management roles.

July 2003 to May 2005 Senior Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Oversee the development activities of 10 software developers. Work with the various business units to align technology solutions with business initiatives. Prepare and deliver formal presentations to Franchisees and internal stakeholders.
 Applied Service Oriented Architecture principles resulting in increased system isolation and stability.
 Streamlined the delivery of reporting tools by creating the first cross-functional development team.
 Chosen to present future technology roadmap to National Franchisee Advisory Council.

March 2002 to June 2003 Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Responsible for the migration of 15 legacy client applications to .NET web based applications. Directly manage 7 technical developers and oversee the daily design and implementation activities.
 Created mixed technology teams enabling legacy developers the opportunity to build relevant skills.
 Developed first Internet portal for Franchisee community.
 Developed a real time web application for monitoring customer queues in offices.

July 1999 to February 2002 Senior Manager, Company A. - Responsible for leading a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Responsible for translating requirements into use cases for a consulting engagement with Company B to migrate their DOS tax preparation program to Windows. Oversee the architecture and development of new client and web based systems.
 Wrote the core system requirements for the 35 million dollar contract with Company B.
 Envisioned, designed and developed the first multi-user Internet application for Company B Inc.
 Developed the overall architecture for the Company B tax preparation system.

July 1997 to June 1999 Engineer, Company A. - Responsible for leading a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications.
 Promoted to management level faster than any college recruit in the history of the Sarasota office.
 Designed and implemented first Internet enabled application for distributing software updates.

July 1995 to June 1997 Senior Developer, Company A. - Responsible for the design, development, and testing of custom Windows tax preparation software.
 Designed and developed Excel workbook interface for new Windows Tax Preparation program.

January 1993 to June 1995 Developer, Company A. - Responsible for the maintenance of the corporate tax modules of the DOS tax preparation software. Design and develop a custom FoxPro for Windows application for managing customer support calls.
 Handpicked to join elite team to create the first Windows application, in service for over 8 years.
 Invited to join Architecture team to work on foundational software components.

BS Business Administration - Decision & Information Sciences, 1992, University of Florida

[b]Post Review Resume:[/b]

[ Name ]
[ personal contact info omitted ]

July 2005 to Present: Vice President, Technical Development, Company B Inc. - Supervise and control the design, development, maintenance and operations of commercial and proprietary applications servicing two Company B Corporate locations and over 6,500 franchisee locations nationwide. Oversee the purchase, maintenance, and operations of external telecommunication and data center hosting services. Direct the activities of 36 technical personnel, the creation of over 450,000 lines of code, and the management of a $7 million annual budget.
 Developed a Business Intelligence solution and data warehouse resulting in 3000 hours/year in efficiency gains.
 Created an online territory mapping solution supporting the opening of over 1,500 new store locations.
 Developed a content management system supporting three sites, saving $150,000 in consulting fees.
 Achieved less than 2 % employee turnover rate over 7 years.
 Reorganized development teams resulting in 30% more time available for new projects.
 Increased system uptime from 96.4% to 99.6%.
 Mentored three technical individuals allowing their successful transition into management roles.

July 2003 to May 2005 Senior Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Oversee the development activities of 10 software developers. Work with the various business units to align technology solutions with business initiatives. Prepare and deliver formal presentations to Franchisees and internal stakeholders.
 Created a real time hand-shake with banking partners enabling a unique product offering resulting in 12% annual growth.
 Developed a web based customer calling solution allowing the Franchisees to make and track over 5,000,000 customer calls.
 Applied Service Oriented Architecture principles resulting in increased system isolation and stability.
 Streamlined the delivery of reporting tools by creating the first cross-functional development team.
 Developed a real time web application for monitoring customer queues in offices.
 Created a system for the creation and tracking of coupons resulting in over 1,400,000 redemptions over 3 years.

March 2002 to June 2003 Director, Technical Development, Company C Inc. - Company B - Orchestrate the migration of 15 legacy client applications to .NET web based applications. Manage 7 technical developers and oversee the daily design and implementation activities.
 Designed first Internet portal for Franchisee community resulting in a streamlined and centralized communication strategy.
 Created a reporting solution reconciling corporate and franchisee systems allowing for a unified view of business transactions.
 Developed a web based return status application resulting in easier reject processing and shorter support calls.
 Created mixed technology teams enabling legacy developers the opportunity to build relevant skills.

July 1999 to February 2002 Senior Manager, Company A. - Manage a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Translate requirements into use cases for a consulting engagement with Company B to migrate their DOS tax preparation program to Windows. Oversee the architecture and development of new client and web based systems.
 Wrote the core system requirements for the 35 million dollar contract with Company B.
 Envisioned, designed and developed an Internet application supporting over 40,000 users transferring tax returns to the IRS.
 Developed the overall architecture for the Company B interview guided tax preparation system.

July 1997 to June 1999 Engineer, Company A. - Direct a team of software developers in the design and implementation of new applications. Translate business requirements into software deliverables.
 Architected an object-oriented platform for processing tax return files allowing for centralized management of all return types.
 Designed and implemented first Internet enabled application for distributing software updates.
 Developed network architecture for tax preparation software allowing for single installs for an office and reduced IT costs.

July 1995 to June 1997 Senior Developer, Company A. - Design, develop, and test custom Windows tax preparation software.
 Designed and developed Excel workbook interface for new Windows tax preparation program.
 Developed the core runtime engine supporting the creation of and navigation through a tax return.
 Facilitated the creation of a C++ training class used to transition MS Basic developers to the Windows C++ platform.

January 1993 to June 1995 Developer, Company A. - Maintained the corporate tax modules of the DOS tax preparation software. Design and develop a custom FoxPro for Windows application for managing customer support calls.
 Handpicked to join elite team to create the first Windows application, in service for over 8 years.
 Created a search engine for finding and retrieving support cases resulting in customer histories to be used on live calls.
 Invited to join Architecture team to work on foundational software components.

BS Decision & Information Sciences, University of Florida, December 1992[/quote]