I Love My Clients #1

Photo by Benson Kua

Those of you following the What’s Holding YOU Back series need not worry. I will continue that topic in the future. But this has been on my mind for a long time so I thought that I would just start the beginnings of a new series.

I’ve been a career marketing professional and resume writer for a long time. Over the years, I have met literally thousands of wonderful people who have come for my help to transition them to a new career or help them find new position when they were unemployed. For me, everything is about relationships so I thought I would begin this series to just let you know about the interesting people I have met along the way. Due to confidentiality issues, I will not use names or other identifying features.

For me, clients are a constant source of new ideas and information. For example, Saturday, I worked with a young man who worked in repair and maintenance of refrigeration units on tractors and trailers. We are talking the big semis you see on the highways. What I want from a client is the story. In his case, as I started to get a picture of what he did so I could write the resume, I asked, “So what happens if the Wal-Mart trailer loaded with ice cream breaks down?” He responded with, “Loaded trailers are prioritized first in the repair queue to expedite repairs and minimize potential damage.”

I asked, “What kinds of value are we talking about?” He answered, “A semi loaded with cherries is valued at $70,000 and a semi loaded with crab meat could be valued at $1 million” The importance of his work and the consequences became apparent. In our conversation I also learned that the team rotates on-call and covers a large half-state or more territory.

My Design Resumes clients are also a resource for me. As I mentioned in What’s Holding YOU Back #5 — Unwilling to Learn, I will be flying soon to Baltimore for the Career Thought Leaders Conference. I haven’t flown since 1995 and so much has changed. Though there are many online resources to learn the new rules, I always like learning from experts in the field. Fortunately, I am blessed with clients who are experts in many fields.

For this need, I called one of my clients who is a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Screening Officer. She returned my call and we discussed all the things I need to remember. She explained the 3:1:1 rule for transporting liquids like make-up, soaps, etc. and what was and wasn’t a liquid — toothpaste is – lipstick isn’t. We discussed what is a personal item, packing suggestions, and overall travel information. And she invited me to call her anytime I want with more questions.

This is why I love my clients and my work as a career professional. I learn, I have resources, and I make new friends! But this is also exactly what I mean when I talk about networking. You build connections and you and your connections nurture the relationship being available to help when help is needed.