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Frequently Asked Questions

What will my investment be?

All packages are fully disclosed in our Choose a Program area.  

How long does the process take?

This varies from person-to-person and it's not a race to the finish line! On average, a career marketing campaign takes around four to five weeks. Personal branding and coaching programs are not styled to be and shouldn't be completed with an eye on the clock. Some people take three months, some take six. Personal branding is an intense process of introspection. It's fun, but it's hard work. Take the time you need to invest in your future without the deadline. Quality and ensuring your long term career success are our aims. AnExecutiveCareer.com/Top Margin carefully and painstakingly creates individual strategies for each client and we take the time to position you carefully so you can communicate your unique promise of value. 

I'm wanting to buy the UltraIdentity Career Marketing Campaign. Question: May I look at my resume, biography and website before it is finished?

By the time the resume is created, six or seven hours of extensive preparation has been invested in getting to know you and your achievements, so the first draft is usually close to the final presentation. Some people like to change words here and there (if they’re not familiar with terms or would have trouble carrying a word or concept to interview, for example). Naturally, your suggestions and feedback are welcome, but as your coach, mentor, and career management strategist, we believe your document should maintain the integrity and professionalism it originally conveyed. You can be assured that if your changes are solid and worthwhile, they will be implemented--we will advise you and you can trust our experience. We are completely committed to helping you get before the people who matter—and it is a journey best taken together! buy now

How does your resume development service work step-by-step?

Step 1. You email your existing résumé to us, or… you download our Information Gatherer form from our website, complete it, attach to an email, and send it to us

Step 2. Making Payment: As a service-based business, payment is the next step. Your resume and biography is fully customised to you and your needs, and it cannot be used by someone else. Once your online form, worksheets or existing resume and payment have been received, step 3 begins.

Step 3—Behind the Scenes/Timelines: We establish our online collaboration hub where we will chat, gather and share information, we develop a series of probing questions so that we can expose your real strengths and achievements, and then we schedule a time to write your documents. 

Are your prices negotiable? Do you give discounts?

When you purchase an executive resume development program, coaching or personal branding, it is not like the purchase of a refrigerator, washing machine, or TV. There are no wholesale mark-ups or profits to be cut for a more attractive price. Resume writing and coaching is a specialist field. It takes a long time and a great deal of investment in education and training to become an expert, and this expertise cannot be undervalued.

AnExecutiveCareer.com/Top Margin is a professional service provider like your accountant, solicitor, or doctor—all specialists, all expertly trained and knowledgeable. Our intellectual property is our value. Our services are fairly and reasonably priced and representative of the effort it takes to help you get interviews for jobs that will provide you with better benefits and more money. In most cases, the fee for your resume will be recovered in the first few hours of your first day at your new job.

This is urgent! The job of a lifetime is being advertised. Can you help?

It is simply impossible to conduct a survey of family, friends and co-workers, analyse their responses, have you coached, read a book, understand your true passions, vision, purpose and values, and devise a complete career marketing package in just a couple of weeks. And why would you even want to try? We specialise in the careerists, people who plan their career and strategise their next moves carefully. AnExecutiveCareer.com/Top Margin never sacrifices quality for expediency and because your personal brand and career marketing documents stand between you and your future career, we are meticulous in positioning you as a unique and well-credentialed candidate. A career move needs to be well thought out, strategically planned and prepared to take you through the different phases of experience and growth. The most successful people are those who plan their moves strategically and carefully. 

Commonsense Limitations: Do you guarantee interviews?

AnExecutiveCareer.com/Top Margin stands by the quality and consistency of our work. We work closely with you, explain your options, and offer alternative solutions so that the integrity of the resume, executive biography or personal branding statements will not be compromised. Interviews are something over which we have no control. We cannot control jobs not suited to your experience, jobs outside the scope of your resume, or jobs in short supply; your competitors; the environment of the moment; recruiters or employers preferences for progression lines, or any mistakes you make after the resume is in your hands. We do not guarantee what we cannot control. We can, however, control the resume and biography development process and ensure that you’re happy with the documents.  

Web Portfolios-Tell Me More!

There are seven main ways that a web resume portfolio can provide the "wow" factor in elevating your personal brand: networking, leads, phone calls, appointment scheduling, meetings, interviews and throughout the job offer phase.  Put your website URL everywhere! Get that web site address in front of potential employers, interviewers and networking colleagues. When you email your resume, always direct the recipient to your career web portfolio. Commonsense Limits: What won't it do? Having your career portfolio on the Internet will not generate leads for you by itself. Having a web presence will not magically draw leads to you from cyberspace. Having a career portfolio will not open doors for you by itself. Your website can help solidify a recruiter's initial interest into a telephone interview, but your credentials themselves must ignite the initial curiosity. During the development phase you are afforded two chances to review the website and make sure that the content and positioning of audio and personal pictures are to your liking. You may request changes to content, images, and audio placement during that time. Any changes requested after these two reviews are chargeable at an hourly rate. In terms of the templates, copyright constraints by the designer/owner of the original template prohibit any alterations in terms of design and colour. Therefore it is in your best interests to choose a template you like "as is" at the time of selection.

Do you make personal appointments? I want to talk face-to-face

As an Internet career management consultancy, we deal exclusively via electronic means (email, Internet, telephone) except for our Fresh Beginnings Program where you can request personal meetings with our Life Coach Kathleen Alexander in her Melbourne office. 

What is 360 Reach? 

360 Reach is the leading web-based personal brand assessment that helps you get the real story about how you are perceived by those around you. It gives you the critical feedback you need so you can expand your career or business success. It's an integral part of the personal branding process and an indispensable tool for thriving in today's professional environment. Whether you are a job seeker, a consultant or entrepreneur or an HR manager looking to motivate and educate your staff, 360 Reach will provide you with the actionable insights you need to succeed.

How do I pay for my career marketing or personal branding program? Is this a secure site?

We commence work upon receipt of your payment in full. Our payment gateway is managed on a secure server by one of Australia's largest banks and encrypted to the highest levels legally allowable. You can safely enter all personal information together with your credit card details. AnExecutiveCareer.com/Top Margin accepts Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express. You may also take advantage of your Internet banking system to transfer funds directly into our account. Sorry—no cheques, money orders, or bank cheques, as they require too much time to process and clear. Your credit card statement will show "TOP MARGIN" as the company name.

Do you give refunds?

Top Margin and anexecutivecareer.com is not selling a refrigerator, TV, or washing machine. We are developing documents and coaching programs tailored specifically for you, based on your experience and career desires. Top Margin cannot resell this service to anyone else if you change your mind. Because we are providing a service and not a product, a no-refunds policy applies. However, we are relentless in ensuring you are entirely happy with the package you purchase. You will be asked to sign off on the document(s) only when they are complete and you are satisfied.

Do you include paper copies and folders of my resume?

We are trying our best to "go green" and fortunately this is a good time! Times have changed and the methods by which job seekers go about their job searches have adapted and changed too. A decade or so ago, it was rare to find a personal computer in the average home, the Internet was largely a mystery to many, and jobs were primarily sought by turning to the newspaper classifieds once or twice a week. Today, most homes in Australia, the UK, Europe, New Zealand and the US possess a computer and an Internet connection, and the vast majority of job seekers look for employment at the large career sites where they can upload a resume or email it to a recruiter. Even if they don’t do it at home, many can access such services at work. The immediacy of the electronic age has revolutionized the job search process, and very few job seekers now print and send their applications by mail. Even if they do, the most inexpensive models of inkjet printers produce the type of professional output that only laser printers could accomplish a decade ago. In reviewing our packages in 2004, we determined that paper resumes had largely become a thing of the past and Top Margin transitioned to electronic-only formats. This decision allowed us to freeze our pricing for 12 months, meet the needs of a changing sector, and, we believe, respond proactively to environmental concerns. We take great pride in minimising the amount of paper, toners and ink consumed as our contribution to conservation.