{"id":55688,"date":"2018-06-29T09:47:57","date_gmt":"2018-06-29T09:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/?p=55688"},"modified":"2026-01-14T07:55:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:55:05","slug":"certified-resume-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/certified-resume-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Myths About Starting A Resume Writing Business [Should You Become A Certified Resume Writer?]"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 11<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

You, I\u2019m gleaning, are considering a career change. Which means you\u2019re weighing up your career options. And from everything you\u2019ve seen thus far, becoming a certified resume writer and starting your own resume writing business both sound pretty appealing.<\/p>\n

Yet you can\u2019t help but wonder – is it all that it\u2019s cracked up to be?<\/p>\n

Today, you\u2019re in luck. This post is your chance to hear what it\u2019s really like to start such a business.<\/p>\n

Join me as I chat with Irene and Steven McConnell, the co-founders of Arielle Executive.<\/p>\n

Today, the company is a full-service career advisory firm, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, and a team scattered across Australia, USA, UK, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Cyprus.<\/p>\n

Yes, Irene’s rockstar EA, Gillian, lives in Cyprus.<\/p>\n

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Over the past 14 years, the company has built up a formidable reputation as the preferred resume writer to top Australian CEOs, corporate decision makers and board directors<\/a>.<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It has also been featured by Forbes, Australian Financial Review, BBC, Huffington Post, Inc, Foundr, Australian Institute Of Company Directors and countless career blogs.<\/p>\n

And in early 2019 the company launched two budget brands, Exceptional Resume Writers<\/a> and Exceptional Interview Coaching<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, you may be surprised to find out that all of this started out as a humble resume writing side-hustle, with Irene getting her first clients by placing a $5 ad on Gumtree.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019ll get to that shortly.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also bust 4 popular myths that are circulating the internet about the value of resume writing certifications, as well as starting a resume writing business.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be just as eye-opening as an episode of Mythbusters.<\/p>\n

Okay well, maybe not quite as exciting as blowing a safe open with dynamite, but you\u2019re here to seek the truth, so here we go.<\/p>\n

(Related: How To Write A General Manager Resume<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Mary: Hi Irene and Steven. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. Since many of our readers may be checking out Arielle for the first time, I suspect introductions are in order. Irene, let\u2019s begin with you. Tell us about your background and why you decided that starting Arielle was the right career move.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Irene: Sure. I worked for over a decade as a recruiter both in-house and for agencies. So I saw both sides of the experience – meaning, the full hiring lifecycle.<\/p>\n

From the agency side, the mentality was all about getting \u201cbums on seats\u201d. And on the corporate side, I saw hiring managers genuinely struggling to choose the right candidate.<\/p>\n

Often one emerged as the \u201cstar\u201d but ended up not being a good fit for various reasons.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, great candidates were getting passed over; many not even getting interviews.<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I began asking myself how to solve this problem. I saw a clear need. Good people needed help to stand out in the marketplace and get the jobs that would help their careers take off.<\/p>\n

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Mary: Thanks, Irene. Steven, tell us a bit about your background and how you got involved in Arielle.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Steven: My background is totally different to Irene\u2019s. I had started several businesses before and had done marketing for other startups, successfully building their brands, particularly from a digital perspective.<\/p>\n

So when Irene landed on her passion to help talented people move ahead in their careers, we decided to do it together.<\/p>\n

This would be our opportunity to create both our livelihood and build something special, while leaving behind the past (corporate life for Irene, marketing consulting for me).<\/p>\n

Marketing is essential to any business, but for Arielle,<\/span> my skillset complemented Irene\u2019s in a way that has definitely helped the business grow.<\/p>\n

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Mary: Yes, I can see that dynamic at work with the two of you. Now let\u2019s address why our readers are here. More than likely, they\u2019re considering at least one of these two possibilities for themselves:<\/em><\/h3>\n