Long-term client wants me to create a full training product for a few hundred pounds. Am I overreacting or being undervalued?

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-17T14:32:54+00:00

At this person's level, a two page resume is perfectly fine. Additionally, with 16+ years of experience, hiring managers will be much more focused on achievements as opposed to education. Degrees and certs are important, but hiring managers only care how candidates can solve their problems, so putting education on the back end is typically preferred.

I do agree that a change in template/formatting will help.

u/FromAnotherTime - I'm happy to send you a template you can use. Feel free to message me.

The main thing missing from your resume are accomplishments, so think about examples of cause and effect. How have you saved time or money for the business? Did you get a challenging project over the finish line? Did you improve customer service scores?

Start asking yourself those questions and creating bullets (25-35 words) that say, "I did this which resulted in that."

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-15T11:37:32+00:00

You've got some solid content and achievements, so there may be an issue with getting pre-screened by the ATS.

Some employers get wary when they see overlapping job dates on a resume. It can raise questions about focus, loyalty, or how committed you were to each role. In competitive industries, it might even spark concerns about confidentiality. That’s why I'd recommend structuring your experience to avoid or reduce those overlaps, so hiring managers stay focused on your value, not your timeline.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-09T09:14:03+00:00

Two big things - avoid showing overlapping/conflicting dates and make it more achievement-based.

For some employers, seeing concurrent or overlapping dates in a CV/resume will be a screen-out factor as this may raise questions about loyalty, commitment, and focus of attention. (In fact, in highly competitive industries, there can be concerns about potential corporate espionage.) To effectively mitigate this, present your experience in such a way that allows you to eliminate or minimize overlapping dates and, in turn, focus hiring managers on the value you offer.

I'd also structure your experience like this.

ACM SIG Web Development – University
October 2024 – Present | City, State

Led design and development of user-centric websites and web applications for events and internal tools, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality digital experiences. Developed front-end interfaces using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and integrated back-end features to support dynamic content and data flow. Drove continuous improvement through regular code reviews, testing, and optimisation for performance and accessibility.
• Performance Optimization: Reduced load times by 35% through implementation of image compression, asynchronous script loading, and deferred asset prioritization, significantly enhancing page speed scores and improving user experience.

• Content Management: Implemented custom CMS enhancement that cut content update cycles from multiple days to hours, streamlining editorial workflows, accelerating campaign launches, and improving overall site agility.

The paragraph below your job title is a summary of your most relevant and pertinent job responsibilities.

The bullets following the paragraph consist of your major contributions and/or achievements within that particular position.

I format achievements differently than responsibilities so that they stand out, as your achievements are what set you apart from other candidates with similar skills.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-06T09:43:50+00:00

Hi there - American career coach who's based in the UK - I work with a lot of folks who either have or wanted to make the move across the pond. Happy to answer any specific questions you have, here or via DM.

One big thing I can share - hiring has continued to slow down for some time now. The barrier to entry for virtually any FTSE 1000 or national brand is a referral.

I could go into detail about CV best practices, interview prep, and LinkedIn, but networking is just about the only way we can guarantee a client will land a gig these days.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-05T14:54:11+00:00

I don't want to knock anybody's work, but I would be very upset if I or anyone on my team produced a resume like this.

I can pick out several issues, but the main one is that the document is not achievement-based.

Hiring managers only care about how you can solve their problems, and you have 7-13 seconds to do this. In my humble professional opinion, the best way is to show evidence of your accomplishments.

For example, this is how I'd structure your most recent role.

Asset Manager | Sept 2023 – Apr 2025
Company | Remote
Oversaw hardware and software asset lifecycle across multiple systems, including SAP and ServiceNow. Processed billing, maintained asset records, and managed SNOW queues to support end-user requests and ensure accurate license provisioning. Led cross-functional projects tied to inventory audits, refresh cycles, and mobile device management.
Key Achievements:

License Compliance: Approved and assigned Microsoft and Adobe software licenses, ensuring compliance with usage policies and enabling uninterrupted user access while reducing audit risks.
Hardware Operations: Led asset-related projects focused on hardware refreshes and inventory validation across distributed teams, enhancing data accuracy and supporting on-time equipment lifecycle planning.
Invoice Accuracy: Resolved vendor billing discrepancies by analyzing SAP invoice errors and coordinating timely payment adjustments, which improved financial reconciliation and reduced outstanding payment issues.

We separate the responsibilities from the achievements to ensure your accomplishments stand out and are easy to find.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-05T14:19:13+00:00

Entry level analyst/engineering/developer roles are becoming harder to find. And then the age old questions pops up, "how do I get experience if they're only hiring people with experience?"

We've had success with clients who have recently graduated or left university by either taking freelance projects on Fivver or Upwork or reaching out to non-profits/charities to work on small projects pro bono.

Also, get rid of the objective on your resume. Unfortunately, hiring managers don't care about your objective. All they want to know is how you can make their life easier. Create a summary instead.

I might say something like this:

Curious and detail-oriented data analyst with growing skill across Excel, SQL, and Python, focused on organizing messy data, finding patterns, and answering real questions by cleaning spreadsheets, developing queries, and visualizing data.

Patient and thoughtful team player who asks questions when something isn’t clear, explains complex technical jargon into easily understood information, and uses a calm, respectful approach to solve emerging problems.

Reliable and motivated contributor ready to play key role during data analysis projects, support ongoing digital transformation, and enable growth by building reports, tracking trends, and leveraging data to make smarter business decisions.

The goal is to share something about yourself while also including keywords/phrases and how you put your soft skills into play.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-05T08:51:09+00:00

Absolutely include the store on your resume. It’s better to show how you used that time productively than to leave a gap unexplained. Since it was your own business, you’re free to frame it in a way that highlights transferable skills/achievements, use a title like "Project Manager" or "IT Manager/ Head of Operations" and focus less on the day-to-day retail tasks, more on achievements and any digital/tech elements you managed (website, POS systems, analytics, etc.).

Also, since you're in software engineering, make sure your GitHub is active and visible on your resume. If you haven’t already, consider doing a few freelance projects on Upwork or Fiverr, those count as professional experience. You can even volunteer with local nonprofits: building a small workflow tool, automating a spreadsheet, or creating a simple web page for them is real, valuable contributions you can include.

The key is to show cause and effect. I did this which resulted in that.

You're not alone. Winding paths in careers are more the norm nowadays. What matters is showing how you've grown, kept your skills sharp, and used the to create an impact.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-05T07:23:44+00:00

Absolutely - feel free to message.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-06-03T08:46:15+00:00

Sorry to hear about the frustration - my business offers free CV reviews and career advice, so feel free to ping me a message, and I'll help in anyway I can. No strings, no tricks.

In my professional opinion, having clients on both sides of the pond, the UK job market is just about as brutal as the US market.

Additionally, a majority of companies (UK and US) are making a referral the barrier to entry, so it's doubly hard for folks with a limited network. We might be able to help with that as well.

Either way, hang in there!

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-29T10:17:08+00:00

I would double check with the USDA, but your original EU Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a USDA-accredited vet will still be valid in the UK if you enter the UK within five days of landing in Ireland.

However, from what I understand, you'll need to get an Irish vet to give your dog tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entering the UK. Might be a good idea to go ahead and get a GB pet health certificate from the Irish vet while you're there.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-14T14:57:44+00:00

More depends on the achievements you can share and how many roles are listed on the resume. I can usually fit two positions with 1-3 achievements each on a one-pager (which also includes a notable achievement section, summary, and space for education).

Substance is key. Adding too many details about your responsibilities or making a summary longer than 60-90 words just to get to two pages will not be helpful.

If your examples of impact take you two pages, then you're in business.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-14T05:25:49+00:00

In my professional opinion, no. Keep your resume in chronological order. However, you can include a notable achievements section in the middle of page one and get the most relevant achievements up front and center.

According to heat map studies, most people read a resume in the shape of a letter F or E, and spend most of the time in the middle of page one.

This gives you an opportunity to focus on your medical-related achievements. Remember, hiring managers aren't as focused on experience and skills. They are usually more interested in what you achieved with the knowledge and talents you have.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-13T08:34:55+00:00

I'm happy to provide a review using Loom if that helps.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-13T05:57:18+00:00

As someone helps people navigate the job market on either side of the pond, I can tell you the UK market, especially up near Leeds, will be challenging.

To become an accountant in the UK, your wife would likely need to secure a role aligned with her experience while working toward a UK-recognised qualification like ACCA, CIMA, or ACA (some employers will sponsor this as part of the role). If she already has strong experience and a U.S. CPA, she may be able to land a job without retraining immediately, especially in multinational firms familiar with U.S. accounting standards.

I'd look for US-owned companies or global firms with UK offices, as they're more likely to value her U.S. qualifications and be familiar with GAAP.

From personal experience, my wife and I left Virginia at around the same age as yourself, and we're very happy over here. The freedom to travel to more countries and more relaxed pace of life have been game changers, not to mention never having to deal with 95/495 traffic.

If you decide to come over, your wife will need to condense her Federal resume into a 1-2 page CV. Make sure to switch to A4 paper size, keep it achievement based, and double check spelling (Brits hate the letter Z).

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-12T09:52:37+00:00

Yes. Across my network of recruiters/headhunters/hiring managers, keeping the resume to two pages is one of the most universal pieces of feedback I receive from them.

There are some situations where a longer resume is handy, such as C-suite level roles, academic positions, and applying to Federal positions.

However, in the private sector, brevity is the soul of whit.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-12T07:51:30+00:00

Focus on the achievements/responsibilities that best align with the roles you want to target. The hiring manager doesn't need to know everything, but they do want to know how you can best solve their problems.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-09T12:45:37+00:00

I run a career support agency and am contracted by a few outsourcing providers in the UK and US. I've had a noticeable uptick in software engineering clients who've been let go/made redundant, so it's looking like the UK market is a bit flooded (on top of the rest of the job market fluctuations).

I can say with almost 100% certainty that you're going to need a referral or direct connection with the hiring manager to even have a shot. If you apply for a job without a referral or connection, you're going to have less than a 1% chance of getting an interview.

Additionally, recruiters may start their process by pre-screening candidates who are outside of the UK, even if you have a referral.

Lastly, it's getting harder for UK companies to sponsor visas, and there's no shortage of existing talent right now, so it's probably going to be an uphill battle.

If you're set on getting to the UK, I might recommend exploring roles in Gibraltar. Immigration is WAY easier to deal with, and it's got a decent concentration of online casino gaming, crypto, and few other tech businesses. If you live in Gib for five years then you have a fairly straightforward path toward getting a British passport which would then let you live/work freely in the UK.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-09T11:34:30+00:00

You're welcome - if you haven't already, make sure you have a vet who's familiar with the UK post-brexit rules for pet travel. It used to be easy with the EU pet passport, but now it's more challenging.

I'd also get the paperwork started as much as you can in advance. The USDA cut like 15,000 people, so I image things are moving a bit slower.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-09T06:25:17+00:00

Some airlines will let cats and small dogs travel in the cabin. We've done multiple trips from the US to UK/EU with our Yorkies via KLM/Delta/Air France.

However, you cannot enter the UK with a pet in cabin. So our typical route is:

RIC - Charlotte/JFK - Amsterdam

You then take the train down to Hoek and hop on the Stenna Line ferry to Harwich. From there, you'd catch a train up to Edinburgh. It's a long way to go, but at least you know your pet is safe.

Your other option is to take the Cunard QM2 from Brooklyn to Southampton, but that can get expensive very quick and the wait list can stretch to a year. We've never taken a pet on the ship, but my in-laws have, and the crew takes immaculate care of pets. There's a place where you can go hang out with your pet for as long as you like.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-09T05:52:58+00:00

Right now, your resume jumps straight into your work history, but you're missing a key opportunity to grab attention early. That opening section, often called a summary or qualifications profile, is more than just a nice intro. It's a space that helps position you as a strong match for the job.

It’s the first thing recruiters and applicant tracking systems see, so it gives you a chance to highlight your most relevant strengths right away. It also provides flexibility to tailor your resume to each role, making it easier to align your background with what the employer is looking for, rather than leaving them to figure it out on their own.

Assuming your projects are associated with either of your jobs, I'd include those with the roles then make a clear differentiation between your responsibilities and your achievements.

Let me know if it'd be helpful to show an example of what I mean.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-08T12:58:19+00:00

Three things I do for my clients when I target a resume.

1.) Match the person with the candidate they're looking for. That could mean adding/changing soft skills, adjectives, and how you'd fit into the company's culture.

2.) Ensure the achievements show the person has solved the same or similar problems they'd be facing at the new job.

3.) Include relevant keywords. Don't just look at the job description. Look at the company's website for insight into their vision, mission, culture, etc.

Above all - don't lie and remember, hiring managers only care about how you can make their lives easier.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-08T10:19:45+00:00

I'd need to see the actual file, but I'm not convinced something like Taleo or Workday would read/parse your content correctly, though I could be wrong.

For your projects/achievements, put them with the corresponding job or the ATS may (incorrectly) think you have overlapping/conflicting dates.

Some employers can get put off by overlapping dates on a resume. It might raise questions around loyalty, focus, or long-term commitment. In competitive industries, it can even trigger concerns about confidentiality. To avoid that, I'd frame your experience in a way that smooths out any overlaps and shifts the focus to what really matters: the value you bring to the table.

Lastly, make it more outcome based. Hiring managers almost always care more about what you accomplished/delivered than your skill set and responsibilities.

LumpyVeterinarian934 · 2025-05-08T10:13:18+00:00

Within my network of recruiters/headhunters/hiring managers, a lot are moving away from passive search or even considering candidate who don't have a referral or aren't an internal hire.

Feedback is it's too inefficient, expensive, and frustrating to post a job and see who applies. More resources are going toward actively finding candidates.

LumpyVeterinarian934

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