How hiring a dog trainer (expert) is like hiring a career pro

BuddyBuddy, the German Shepherd, our one year old German Shepherd may look like a full size dog but he is still very much a puppy. We hired a trainer last fall who taught us some basics but though Buddy learns quickly, his owner (primarily me) doesn’t always practice being consistent.

When a former client who has multiple therapy dogs stopped by, she listened to some of my frustrations with Buddy, such as my difficult in walking him without being pulled. She recommended I contact another trainer she enjoys working with for her dogs.

The dog training community in our area is small enough that everyone knows who is who. In fact, the dog-owning community in general is small enough that everyone who is serious about their pet knows someone to recommend as a vet, pet fence provider, specialty pet food store, and more.

Is Consistency the problem with job search your problem?

Buddy is now working with Heide Maxwell from Heide’s Pet Care who strangely enough was once one of my resume clients in 2003. Small world. Heide’s program is different from our previous trainer and she will work with Buddy while I work with clients but still provide me with direction and clarify.

It is a good fit. Her style fits both my needs and Buddy’s. When I admitted that I had a problem with consistency, Heide said, “You nailed it!” Consistency by owners is the number one training problem. Heide will train Buddy and teach me the importance of consistency with training my dog.

Job seekers often struggle with the same problem. It is very hard to remain consistent in your search strategies when you don’t see immediate results.

How does dog training relate to job search?

As I noted here, there are numerous options for job seekers to be “trained” by experts today so that they can be successful in their job search. But what works for one person may not be the right solution for you. The career professional community like the dog owner community is small enough that career pros all know each other even if they are divided by oceans. Different styles fit different people.

The interactive Resume Writing process

Clients who enjoy working with me are usually drawn to the one-on-one delivery where they get to be part of my interactive process. My clients are willing to invest time with me both capturing their accomplishments and learning how to make their job search successful. My one-on-one style means multiple appointments to pinpoint their talents and convey their success stories to the next employer.

It’s not for everyone. My style means you watch me write. This concept has made more than one of my very talented group of career pro peers remark that they would never work this way and couldn’t stand someone watching as they write. I find that I get more information that way. Different strokes.

Will hiring a career professional or resume writing expert help you?

A job seeker needs to admit they need help and respect that hiring an expert will make a difference. Until they reach that point, they will never justify the cost no matter who they choose for their career marketing professional. I had to decide that my success with Buddy’s training would improve if I hired someone who really knew what works and could teach me how to help my dog reach his goals.

Stuck in your job search or existing position? Don’t know how to get unstuck? Hire an expert to do it for you. You will hit your target quickly. To find out how, Click here!

5 Comments

  1. Carly on May 12, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    I would say that the big difference is the training of dogs is fun but looking for work is horrible!



    • Nolan on May 14, 2012 at 10:06 am

      I totally agree with you on that. Two are different things.



      • Julie Walraven on May 14, 2012 at 5:11 pm

        Nolan, as I said to Carly, they are two different things but there are many ways to make job search fun and destressed. Training Buddy by myself was stressing me out. Hiring Heide to teach me the right way has already changed what I am doing with him.

        People who use an expert in their job search often find themselves able to relax more.



    • Julie Walraven on May 14, 2012 at 5:09 pm

      Hi Carly, training of dogs is fun if you know what you are doing and it is still tiring. On the flip side, my clients tell me I make job search fun… If you read more of this blog and look at the samples and follow other career pros, you may find it easier.



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Julie Walraven

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