When I accepted an internship at QVC this past summer, I felt confident that the corporation’s recognizable name and outstanding reputation would give me a leg up in the competitive job market. However, that would be mean a prospective employer would have to actually read the professional experience section of my resume and with reports that recruiters spend an average of six seconds on each resume, did not seem likely. The secret to standing out among other applicants, readers, is not the name of the corporation, or even school, it is Allison Tatios.
Allison, a West Chester, Pennsylvania native, and recent University of Pennsylvania graduate owns and operates Elevated Resumes (www.ElevatedResumes.com), a company that helps those at all levels in the professional world recreate their resumes to differentiate themselves in the application process. Allison, who is also a full-time QVC employee, sat down with me one day this summer to review my own resume. She helped my resume make a complete transformation from boring to brilliant, as pictured. As I talked with Allison and we worked together through the process of my resume’s completion, I felt more and more confident about heading into my (gasp) senior year on Hawk Hill.
Now, I am proud to show off my resume and the sinking feeling of it being swept into a black hole of applications, is not the biggest worry of mine. I referred Allison’s services to another senior friend at Saint Joseph’s University, Business Administration major Zack Creta, this summer and he called me a few weeks later just as thrilled with his results. Allison’s creative services and personal knowledge about the job market were overwhelmingly helpful to us as post-grad conscious seniors, but shouldn’t be limited to us! Girls, we want you to read on and be inspired by Allison’s entrepreneurial spirit, post-grad advice, and check out www.ElevatedResumes.com to take your resume from basic to bangin’, before heading into the intimidating job and internship application process.
Basics
Name: Allison Tatios
University: University of Pennsylvania
Hometown: West Chester, PA
Major/Minor: Visual Studies with a concentration in Fine Arts & Marketing
Currently: By day: QVC eCommerce By Night: entrepreneur (www.elevatedresumes.com) & blogger (www.OliverPippet.com)
HC: Where did you get the idea for Elevated Resumes? How long did it take to get Elevated Resumes up and running since the original conception of the idea?
AT: It was a little over a year ago that I realized my hobby of creating creative resumes could become a business. It all started when my desire to live and work in the city began tugging at my heart. I decided to take a chance and began applying to start-ups in NYC. While brainstorming avenues to stand out, I developed a dynamically structured, pink-in-color resume. After taking a deep breath, I submitted it to a few companies, including my current employer, QVC. I heard back from each and every company in which I applied and subsequently accepted a promotion within QVC. Feedback from the hiring manager was encouraging, stating that my resume made me ‘unforgettable’. After consulting with a few friends and family members, I was encouraged to share via social media platforms – it spread organically. As the demand increased, I built the company website in September 2013 and began to develop the Elevated Resume brand. The launch of ElevatedResumes.com helped manage the workflow, assisting in 150+ re-vamped resumes and has been viewed over 18,000 times. Positive word-of-mouth and social media marketing has brought the most incredibly talented cliental my way.
HC: Where does your inspiration for the structure of the resumes come from?
AT: Each resume is customized to represent the client’s content in its best form. Before I begin designing a resume, I speak with my client to truly understand any specific needs or objectives. Depending on his/her targeted industry, I choose a more creative direction or a more conservative direction. I love to draw and create, bringing in color and typography.
HC: Where do you see the direction of Elevated Resumes heading? Where would you like to see Elevated Resumes? How is it expanding?
AT: Onward and Upward – is the plan! At the moment, I use social media platforms to spread the word about Elevated Resumes. I rely on my past clients to share their experiences on their own personal page. The power of positive word of mouth has been the driving force behind the growth of Elevated Resumes.
Keep a look out for the launch of www.ElevatedPortfolios.com. Elevated Portfolios will take Elevated Resumes to the next level by helping clients build personal websites that allow the employer quickly pull up your experience, education, projects, references, and more. Your digital presence is crucial. If you can, purchase your own name as a URL. For example, I own AllisonTatios.com.
My stretch dream would be to rent an RV and adventure around the country telling everyone about E.R! Gotta dream big!How do you market yourself?
I market myself through various social platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and my personal blog. Personal branding is more important than ever in our fast-pace digital world. Like I mentioned above – take control of your digital presence and use it to your advantage.
HC: What is the most rewarding thing about owning and operating Elevated Resumes?
AT: It sounds cheesy but I’ve learned so much about myself– I must be involved in advocating for others, it drives me. When past clients reach out with positive feedback or keep in touch by letting me know they landed their dream job, it lights a fire in me. I never imagined my design work would impact so many people – the motivation is real.
HC: What is your advice for college students scared about the internship and job search process?
AT: Apply to your dream companies. If you never try – you’ll never know. If possible, bring concrete examples of your accomplishments to your interview (reports, data, graphs, etc.). Outside of interview – network, network, network – you never know who you could meet.
HC: Besides resumes, how do you feel you made yourself stand apart from other applicants when searching for an internship or job?
AT: I developed my weakness into strength. After college graduation, I envisioned working in the creative field then I realized I wanted to focus in marketing – now I’m leaning towards entrepreneurship. To a potential employer that may seem like I don’t know what I want, but I was able to show that my mixed skill-set set me apart from the competition. I had versatility and ambition.
HC: What are the benefits of revamping your resume?
AT: 1.You will stand out. On average, a hiring manager spends 6 seconds scanning a resume – an Elevated Resume will grab and maintain attention.
2. Proven design techniques will improve readability and overall function.
3. More content per page—About 1 ½ pages of Microsoft Word content will fit on one page of an Elevated Resume. The ability to include a professional, dynamic, and sometimes colorful twist to your current resume.
I am thrilled to use my newly updated resume in the next professional endeavor of mine and hope that those of you that explore what Allison and Elevated Resumes can do, will experience the increased level of confidence Zack and I have, as well as the positive feedback from employers that each and every single one of Allison’s customers have experienced.
HCXO (and good luck!),
Taylor