We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tammy Wyllie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tammy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

As a recruiter, I also found myself editing and updating the resumes of the candidates I interviewed before submitting them to my client company. This often happens because candidates find it very hard to convey their achievements and professional values in a way that will make them meaningful and compelling for the role they are targeting.

So, in essence, I was solving a problem that few professionals understood; professionals at all levels need help articulating their experience and skills on a resume in a way that will attract quality interviews.

After spending over 6 years as a recruiter in NYC and a total of 12 years to date in the Workforce Development and Career Service industry, my fervency in helping position other professionals for their careers grew into the birth of my business, ResumeSmith Services, a boutique resume-writing service.

Tammy , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a child, I was always drawn to the unique and unfamiliar—naturally, that led me to a Bachelor’s in Graphic Arts Production Management!

Those next 6-7 years in advertising were a creative playground. Breathing life into visuals and helping businesses thrive seriously filled me.

But the industry’s corporate play killed my spark. I had no choice but to abandon flirting each day with my first love – concept development, graphic design, and art.

Trying to make my way out of advertising, I transitioned into a sales role for a renowned Print and Corporate branding company in NY. This was the most logical and strategic way to transition as I used my transferable skills in art and design and my ability to communicate those concepts in an easy-to-understand way to potential clients to enter into the role. During this time, however, I returned to school to acquire my Master’s in Public Administration with a focus on Human Resources to enter a role as a recruiter.

While I have been unofficially writing others’ resumes and supporting others in their job search, ResumeSmith as a company emerged in 2022.

Little did I know that my skills in branding and design, combined with my work as a resume writer, would complement the level of services I provide. I am happy that I still get a chance to employ some creativity in the resume-development process while amplifying/marketing a client’s skills.

What truly sets me apart is my commitment to understanding clients as whole individuals. I go beyond the resume to grasp their professional philosophies, unique skills, and past achievements. By weaving these elements into a compelling narrative, I craft a personal brand that resonates with their target roles and makes them stand out.

My motto is authenticity, gratitude, and treating others how you want to be treated. This has always been my guiding principle.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I also enjoyed working creatively during my time in the advertising industry. However, the highly corporate environment was not aligned with who I am, and I knew I had to make a career change to thrive financially.

This led me to go back to school to obtain my MPA and make my transition into Workforce Development.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Story to unlearn – Stick with the original plan.

It’s ok to divert from the original plan and start over; in my experience, and in most times, the roads meet, and you get to experience aspects of what you originally enjoyed

Contact Info:

• Website: https://resumesmithservices.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammywyllie/

Image Credits

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