The Rise of an Executive Resume Writing Service
The year was 1990. The first known World Wide Web page had just been written, “SEEK” was part of a game children played, and the term “Yahoo” was Australian slang for a loutish person.
Australia’s total population had almost reached 17 million, the average annual salary was $27,227 and the unemployment rate was 5.8%.
Thirty years is just a blip in the grand scheme of time, but for an executive resume writing service like Top Margin, it is almost an eternity. Opened for business in 1990, Top Margin Executive Resumes and Coaching has continued to grow through the tireless efforts of its founder, Gayle Howard—Certified Executive Resume Master and Personal Branding Strategist.
Based on a philosophy of exceeding clients’ expectations, Top Margin has grown to become one of the busiest and most respected career marketing and personal branding consultancies in Australia, with 29 TORI awards to our credit (includes 54 nominations, 19 First Place Awards, 4 Second Place, 5 Third Place and Second and Third-Place awards in the World’s Best Resume Competition). We have written more than 15,000 resumes for clients worldwide, and our resumes are published in 24 international resume writing and career advice books.
For thirty years we have watched the career marketing industry grow more sophisticated as traditional lists of duties, dates, and job titles have made way for personal marketing and branding strategies enriched through power wording and high-impact formatting crucial for capturing the attention of today’s business-savvy decision-makers. Today, social media rules everything from reputation management through to the way we communicate electronically and, as a result, the opportunities to sell our clients’ talents and experience are virtually limitless.
Top Margin’s profile has also steadily grown across the resume-writing community. Training and examinations have cemented Top Margin’s reputation as a leader through international credentials such as Certified Master Resume Writer, Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Certified G3 Coach, Certified Tough Transitions Coach, Certified Credentialed Career Manager, Master Career Director, Certified IT Resume Specialist, and Certified Online Networking Strategist. In 2007, the company’s founder, Gayle Howard, was awarded the Master Resume Writer Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2008 the Master Career Professional Lifetime Achievement Award. She continued her pioneering efforts being the first person certified to offer the groundbreaking Job Loss Recovery Program in Australia in 2010 and is Australia’s first G3 Coach using social media communication styles to create brilliant, sharp content for today’s time-poor hiring decision-makers. Gayle is also just one of a few Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategists and 360 Reach Certified Analysts in Australia.
Today, every component of the Top Margin group of career services bears our distinctive stamp of creativity, cutting-edge ideas, and honest communications. As your personal marketing team, we don the hats of career archaeologist, personal PR machine, support network, advocate, and cheerleader for all our clients who are or want to be on the road to success. Little wonder that the majority of Top Margin’s new business comes from client referrals and excellence in customer service is clearly the reason we won the Australian Achiever Award in 2003 and Highly Recommended Certificate in 2004.
We are proud to be the service of choice for the best and brightest people who share our passion for planning and sustaining a fulfilling career. If you’d like more information on how we can help you make the most your career marketing, don’t hesitate to contact us—we’re passionate about showcasing your talents in ways you’ve never dreamed possible.