An Interview with the Co-Founders of the Resume Writing Agency "Coach - Me"
The year 2020 has caught a lot of people by surprise, and unfortunately not the good kind. From natural disasters to a collapsing economy, nearly everyone in any business sector has felt in one way or another the negative impact the year had in store thus far.
Businesses - regardless of size or sector - have closed. Staff members ranging from interns to senior management have had their contracts terminated. Businesses and brands with a long-standing reputation have dealt with ( and are dealing with ) situations unseen and unheard of in the past. Yet among these challenging times, there is a team of talented, young people who took upon themselves to start a business in the HR sector.
Today I had the immense pleasure of discussing with the professionals behind Coach - Me , Ms. Ceban Alexandrina and Mr. Minaudo Giuseppe, who were kind and helpful enough in answering this article's questions; questions focusing on current recruiting trends, how a candidate may edit an out-standing CV, how the HR sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and just what is "the big deal" about motivational letters when applying for a job.
1. Let's start by introducing "Coach - Me". Who is the team behind this great concept?
We are a Resume Writing Agency that helps students, young graduates and professionals looking for new job opportunities to create a Curriculum Vitae ad hoc to creating a professional brand, as to sell their own skills and qualities towards recruiters.
We offer versatile packages that include:
- Curriculum Vitae builder
- Cover Letter builder
- LinkedIn / Hosco profile rewrite
- Job search strategy
- Detailed interview preparation
- "Thank you" notes for recruiters
We are here to analyze your abilities and competences as to create the best version of yourself. Everything will be done based on the preferences and professional goals of the individual, to ensure that the companies in which the person is interested will notice their qualities.
We are Swiss educated and graduated with a Swiss and American Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management and Business Administration, with a specialization in Human Resources, thus transforming our passion into a career. Throughout the years, we have managed to travel in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom, working with well-established hotel chains that include the Hilton, Radisson Blu, Marriott International and IHG; all while growing professionally and personally. This experience ultimately led us to now being able to bring the accumulated knowledge into an exciting fresh start.
Together with the empowerment and trust given by our clients, we are thrilled to strive in making a difference within the hospitality industry, while helping and supporting graduates and students to prepare themselves at their best to stand out from the crowd. As our fields of studies and experience within the diverse factors of the Human Resources sector, we are ready to bring our knowledge and capabilities to the service of our clients.
2. How did "Coach - Me" come to be ?
Giuseppe was in the middle of the night in his sweet dreams and at one moment woke up with a weird dream, creating something that could help others. Thus, He had this idea of a Resume Writer Agency that will facilitate the professional career of millions of young graduates.
Coach - Me came to be
from one day to another.
In the morning, Giuseppe expressed this opinion to his business partner; and she was impressed and convinced that the idea was fantastic. From there, we started putting together all the dots as to create a unique concept. The first thing we worked on was the logo, which symbolizes the light-bulb shining in our brain, an idea that came to be in a beautiful day of our life.
3. If you can describe "Coach - Me" with a single word, which one would you choose and why ?
Opportunity.
We believe that when you have an idea in order to succeed, you need two important things: passion and a clear objective.
Our objective lies in helping people that didn’t have the same experience and studies we have been lucky enough to receive. Therefore, our agency opens a door to future opportunities for students, young graduates and professionals looking to grow in their professional career, even to the extent of creating a business card as to present who they really are, their qualities, capabilities and the values they can bring to an organization.
4. Other companies around the globe may focus on a similar business model, but instead of asking "What sets Coach - Me aside from others ?", allow me to re-structure this question as What does it mean for you - personally and professionally - to coach someone in need?
We really love doing our job, as we are very passionate and motivated about what we do. We see "coaching" someone in need as making us more enthusiastic and proud of our efforts and hard work. We are more proud when we exceed the expectations of our clients and when we satisfy their needs. It happened a few times that we presented our finalized work to some clients, and we are happy when we see happiness in their faces when receiving help from young experts like ourselves.
However, a lot of our clients choose us for our value proposition that is “personalization”, as we focus on the needs of a specific individual and we work on the individuals projects until we finalize and satisfy their requests.
5. What are the most on-demand and common requests that "Coach - Me" has received so far ?
As we launched our small business at the beginning of September 2020, we are still the market and doing our best to understand it. So far we have been receiving different requests from several customers; for example it happened a lot of times that some clients had both studies and education, but not enough working experience. Therefore, they came asking us:
"How can I substitute my
working experience with other elements?"
We are from an opinion that working experience is fundamental, however most of the recruiters focus as well on the candidate's educational path, so it can be substituted with educational projects done during school, certifications obtained from online courses, a specific set of skills, team-work and all other factors that can be adamant for the job you would like to apply for.
6. From an HR perspective, what key factors and traits does an HR recruiter look for in a candidate nowadays?
Recruiters and HR Managers look for specific key factors whenever they
decide to hire a candidate.
The first point is passion and motivation that you can express - and transmit - throughout your CV and Cover Letter. They aim to hire a person that has clear goals and objectives; factors which you can highlight from the professional summary.
In addition, another important part of a CV are the set of skills where they understand if your competencies match their job requirements; or not.
7. As we know, various recruiters have various ideas on how a "perfect" CV should look like; and that is understandable. However, do you think a CV's structure should be clear and straight to the point or more detailed and in-depth ? Or would you maybe suggest having a mixture or both?
We are strongly from the opinion
of keeping your CV simple, clear
and straight to the point.
Your CV should have 1 page, so that the recruiter may easily analyze through and find what they are looking for.
In addition, try to summarize the experience that supports the individual for the job role they are looking for. Do that by using carefully selected keywords and try to match at your best the job requirements with your working experience, qualifications and competencies. By doing so, there are better chances that you will be the perfect fit for the position.
8. What is an absolute must that should be mentioned in a CV?
In our opinion, one of the most important parts of a Resume is the professional summary; where the candidate presents themselves, their experience within the sector, what they are looking for in regards to their professional development and the ideal start time.
It is a first impression that can clarify the doubts of a recruiter; however, on the other hand it shows that the candidate has clear and specific objectives.
9. A CV can be someone's business card printed on a A4 format. Do you encourage people to "customize" their application towards the job they apply for or to have a more generalized structure and key-points?
We strongly encourage professionals to focus on a a generalized structure and key points. The most important factor is having the right set of key objectives for the jobs and departments you want to apply for. Select the job requirements and do your best as to match your job experience, qualifications and skills with what the company is recruiting for.
Focusing on keywords is the key strategy
to be the perfect fit.
You have as well the opportunity to include a Cover Letter as to support your application. You can customize it based on the requirements of the company and explain why you are the perfect fit for the job, as well as the set of values you'll contribute to the organization.
10. Imagine you're an HR Director at a well established company. A recent job vacancy for next year has just been posted, and you have a handful of good candidates sending in their applications. What are 5 factors that will help you decide which candidate is most suitable for the job ?
- Passion and motivation throughout the expression
- Relevant experience/transferable skills
- Expectations towards the role
- References from previous employers
- Possibility of the candidate fitting in the existing team/company culture
11. We've all been through interviews and selection processes. Imagine your CV has caught the attention of a recruiter, but as a person you may have certain worries during the actual interview. What motivation can you give a candidate that will have an interview soon?
It is absolutely normal and natural to be anxious before your interview, no matter how old you are or how many amounts of interviews you have done before.
The key to your calm would be
your preparation, as this is the only part that you can fully control by yourself.
The recruiter is also nervous to make a good impression too, so when you think about it, you are not alone in this run. It is your chance to shine, your chance to demonstrate whom they are interviewing, your chance to demonstrate how valuable as a member you could be to their company.
Be confident in your strengths and yourself, and remember: it is all about connecting, not impressing the interviewer.
12. Regarding motivational letters, are they - for millennials - overrated?
The millennials are the generation that would prefer new formats, creative propositions, new techniques rather than boring formal motivational letters.
Furthermore with the IT innovations, Cover Letters are being mostly read by a computer and screened through a system that searches for the key words matching a job description; as opposed to a human reading carefully your story and connecting on a different level. This simply sounds impersonal and an old school way to submit your application that the new generation mostly does not even bother to spend their time on.
13.Would you label a job interview as a negotiation process or more of a psychological game?
A job interview does include both.
This is the time for you to communicate what would be your terms, preferences, expectations, salary and benefits negotiations, working hours, availability and others.
However on a psychological level, you do have to find the right words and time to ask or reply to certain questions, you have to carefully read through and adjust your skills and experience to fit in the role perfectly - as this is most of the time what the recruiter will want to hear from you.
Nevertheless, it is all about finding the balance between what you can offer and what company can bring to you; as to make it a mutually benefit for both the company and you.
14. During an interview process, do you think a recruiter may decide upon hiring a candidate based upon their character as well? If so, to what extent does character contribute ?
For a recruiter who has known a candidate through a couple of interviews and email communication, it is extremely hard to understand the true character of that person.
Personality or character is not
just about a first impression and
this is being sometimes misunderstood.
We believe that the skills of the interviewee are much more important than their character, and that you cannot truly see within such a short period of time and hiring managers should not base their decision only through this judgement.
15. As you are aware, 2020 is a special year for most people, some even marking it down in their CV as the "COVID gap year". For anyone looking for a new job in these challenging times, what advice can you give for an eye-catching CV and portfolio?
Everyone is affected in this global pandemic, however it is all about how we use our valuable time. It is the right opportunity to learn new languages, new skills, open new horizons, look at the transferability of your skills, get a degree or grow your business ideas. No matter which one from the above you have been working on, you have to include that on your curriculum.
What will particularly look great and spark your document are volunteering or charity activities, webinars attended, additional knowledge gained from any portals that expanded your skills.
16. Times are uncertain at this point, major businesses such as hospitality and tourism sectors have been impacted negatively. How can staff members with an HR background working in these sectors do their best to manage and progress through these tough times?
The Human Resources dept. more than ever has been extremely busy and understaffed with the highest demand. And despite current the hiring processes, they are on top on furlough, reductions, layoffs, etc. - as if the situation is getting worse and worse.
To make these tough times go smoother for the employer and the employee some suggestions that we have thought of are:
- ensuring constant communication with onsite employees
- constantly seeking any feedback on areas of improvements
- active involvement the new reality of online/offline working
- expressing recognition to the employees
- simply saying "Thank you" to current employees can make a big difference
17. Finally, some words for the people reading this article and who may be interested in "Coach - Me" ?
- We hope that each and everyone of you who have read the article has found something new and cognitive for themselves.
- We are always here to help you stand out from the crowd with your distinctive skill set and values.
- Be the best version of yourself and keep moving forward no matter what, it is all worth it in the end.
Stay safe, embrace your uniqueness
and reach for the stars as sky is the limit.
Coach - Me is a Resume Writing Agency, founded by hospitality management graduates Ms. Ceban Alexandrina and Mr. Minaudo Giuseppe. Both co-founders have studied in Switzerland and by combining their extensive knowledge and experience within the hospitality fields and human resource sectors, they aim to assist, to guide and to "coach" young graduates, millennials and anybody who seeks to edit an out-standing CV and professional portfolio.
For more information on the company, please visit their Official Website, or contact the founders through the following social media platforms:
My name is Andrew R. Nedelcu, and I sincerely thank you for your time and consideration.
photo credit : https://www.coachme.blog