We were lucky to catch up with Mark Misiano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mark, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a customer success story with us?

Most people go through the motions of a job search without any real plan, strategy, or purpose. They scroll Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, or another job search platform aimlessly – for hours on end. It can be so disheartening and discouraging, and many people give up because they burnt out quickly.

I had a client in this exact situation, and he said he felt “fried.” He certainly needed help with his résumé, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, and I was happy to support him with really solid writing. The thing he was lacking more than anything else was a plan.

During our coaching sessions, we talked about how he could be more intentional in his job search. Instead of simply looking at every position available and trying to sift through a bunch of job postings, we started with planning to give him and understanding of what he wanted in his next role. He finally settled on a job title for roles he was qualified to fill in higher education: Director of Financial Aid.

Once he knew the position, we collaborated on a list of colleges and universities before reaching out with targeted messaging to land introductory calls. He reached out to the VP of Finance at a local community college, and the response wasn’t what he expected…

He did everything right – a warm introduction, a brief explanation of how he’d contribute to the team, details about having already applied online, and a request to talk so he could learn more. Her response was simply, “You have to apply through HR.”

My client was crushed, but I reminded him that sometimes things happen in the background we never know about. Fast forward three months, and he was hired for the Director of Financial Aid role. He built a relationship with the VP of Finance and asked her why she had responded so curtly when she was such a pleasant person normally.

She explained that HR only allows hiring managers to communicate with candidates for roles by saying they must “apply through HR” but that she didn’t want to ignore his email. She said what she could, then she walked directly to HR to request his résumé be on the top of the stack. His diligence paid off – even when it seemed like a lost cause.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a career coach and résumé writer, and my job is amazing! I have the privilege of supporting job searches for people in all kinds of industries, and it’s inspiring to see how my work with a client can transform their lives for the better.

After a long stint in higher education – working in senior-level roles in academic advising and communications – I started RésuméReady full time. My services include:
• Résumés
• Cover Letters
• LinkedIn Profiles
• Executive Bios
• Career Coaching and Transitions
• Interview Prep
• Salary Negotiations

I’ve earned a number of credentials through the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches such as the Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Executive Résumé Writer, Certified Professional Career Coach, and Certified Digital Career Strategist (LinkedIn expert).

Working with me, clients go through a personalized plan to move them toward the next big move in their careers. It’s a concierge experience because every person is different and has unique goals, needs, challenges, and situations.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I know what it’s like to go through a change, so I resonate with so many of the stories I hear about my clients’ own pivots. When I was in higher education, I was laid off. There’s no sugarcoating it – it’s the worst feeling. I lost all sense of identity without my job.

It was time for an unplanned pivot, and I was terrified. I spoke with close family and friends about what to do next to pick up the pieces of what I thought was a shattered career. My sister told me I should become a résumé writer because I had helped so many people edit their résumés over the years.

My first thought was, “I don’t think that’s a real job!” But I was wrong. I found an organization to train me and earned a number of credentials as I took the leap into not just entrepreneurship but SOLOpreneurship.

With just my brain and a computer, I started my business. It took off almost immediately. The thing that was so scary was the thing I was meant to do in this world.

Within a year and a half, I was earning twice as much as I ever made working in higher education. I make my own schedule, work from home, travel wherever and whenever I want, go to the gym in the middle of the day, and set professional boundaries that give me the energy to perform at my peak for my clients.

I overcame that moment of fear, took action, and pursued my dream. I’m proud that I now have the opportunity to help other people do the same thing.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The only social media I use for my business right now is LinkedIn. I was so scared of posting because I kept telling myself things like “No one cares what you have to say” and “You’re not an expert – you’re just a guy with a computer.” That negative self-talk kept me silent.

I went through a business academy for entrepreneurs in the career services industry, and one of the major topics was thought leadership. I learned how to post on LinkedIn, and it is much simpler than I expected.

To become a thought leader or solidify your expertise, all you have to do is create content. When you’re first starting out, it doesn’t even matter if the content is amazing; it just needs to be authentically you.

I made it a goal to post 4-6 times per week. My posts include everything from pictures of my travel adventures to advice about topics such as résumé writing, job search strategies, and LinkedIn best practices. I switch it up with images, quotes, polls, and stories.

Here’s my advice for anyone who wants to start posting but doesn’t know where to start:
1. Post Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday in the morning.
2. Write about your thoughts on current events in your industry or share an article relevant to your field.
3. Encourage others with advice you wish you had known earlier in your career.
4. Don’t let AI write your posts – make them yourself and in your voice.
5. Push away the fear and stand firm in your professional knowledge because you have the right to exist on social media platforms like LinkedIn just as much as anyone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ready4resume.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-misiano
• Other: https://g.page/ResumeReady/review

Image Credits

Britt Staudz