Meet Mir Garvy of Job Market Solutions

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Mir Garvy.

Hi Mir, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Mir Garvy, and I’m the founder of Job Market Solutions. What started as a resume-writing business in 2009 has grown over the last 15 years in response to our “clients for life” mentality.

We now offer three essential career-related services: (1) career coaching and job search support; (2) resume and LinkedIn-profile writing for job seekers; and (3) public speaking to small or large groups (of career changers, college students, employees affected by a layoff, parents returning to work after a career break, etc.).

What does a “client for life” look like in this business? Take, for example, a client named Tim, whose resume we first wrote in 2011. When Tim was promoted within his organization, he came back for a resume update. Then, in 2019, Tim recommended me as a resource to higher-ups at his org to help a group of colleagues whose jobs were being outsourced overseas.

Thanks to Tim’s recommendation, that year, in three U.S. cities with a total of about 50 people, I presented all-day resume-writing workshops. Then, in 2023, after another reorg, we wrote resumes and LinkedIn makeovers for about 10 people who knew us through Tim. One individual—who hadn’t looked for work since the ‘90s—also hired us for interview coaching, to put together a strategic networking plan, and to walk through (via Zoom) his first-ever online application.

Based on what we know well and what support our clients need most, we keep growing in our service offerings. Because we offer real value, people not only come back themselves, but they refer us to their co-workers, friends, family, and neighbors. (You wouldn’t believe how many times a new client says they heard about us on Nextdoor!)

Nearly half of our incoming business is due to either repeat or referral business. That doesn’t happen by accident. Building “clients for life” happens because you’re excellent at what you do, because you have effective, documented, and repeatable systems in place, and because you actively look for ways to meet or exceed your client’s expectations.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like it has for many industries, artificial intelligence has impacted the job search/placement industry. All parties involved with the way open jobs are filled—from recruiters to resume writers to job seekers themselves—have been adopting new tools and learning new technologies at an unprecedented pace.

For instance, AI is rapidly evolving the way recruiting firms and HR departments interact with candidates. Recruiting tools enhanced with AI capabilities are now using machine learning algorithms to analyze resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and other data sources to identify and screen potential candidates. Some initial interviews are now being conducted or analyzed by AI tools. We can expect to see more and more of this.

For resume writers like me, we have both a new competitor and a new tool at our disposal with the rollout of ChatGPT 18 months ago. It’s been said that you won’t lose your job to AI, but you will lose your job to someone who uses AI better than you. In my business, we’ve embraced the power of AI to help our clients’ resumes perform even better with ATS (applicant tracking systems), while staying true to our roots: the conviction that a resume must be a strong persuasive argument, complete with unique-to-you examples of outcomes and accomplishments, to resonate with a human decision-maker.

I hear recruiters and HR professionals say they’re getting good at sussing out resumes that have been written by AI. Resumes written by AI may get past the bots, but they sound pretty much the same, and they are devoid of the details that make a great resume.

I speak to frustrated job seekers every single day who have spent months applying for jobs with their ChatGPT resumes and still aren’t getting interviews. Now, some of that is certainly due to the challenging market we’re in right now, but I definitely see a trend here. What was true 15 years ago is still true today: there’s no shortcut to writing a great resume. Even if you hire a professional resume writer, you’re still going to have to participate actively in the process! (We’re good, but we’re not mind readers).

The truth is, to stand out in this ever-evolving and heavily automated job market, crafting a resume that’s written for both bots and humans is just the beginning. Job seekers should be as proactive as possible in their job search, highlighting their cultural fit with a target organization, building relationships through networking, and demonstrating alignment with company values.

Showcasing continuous learning is also important, especially as it relates to AI since as many as 71% of corporate leaders say they’d prefer a less experienced job candidate with AI skills over a more experienced one without them. (I recently posted about this on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7196154062126358529/).

If you find you’d like career development support from industry professionals who can not only write a job-winning resume but can be a strategic partner in planning and attaining the next steps in your professional journey, I hope you’ll reach out to us.

I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Job Market Solutions?
Our professional purpose is three-fold: (1) to provide world-class career documents and career coaching for our clients; (2) to provide steady work and a supportive culture for our fully remote team of four; and (3) to be continually improving upon what we do and the way we do it.

In addition to resume and LinkedIn profile writing, which is what we’re most known for, we also offer a number of career coaching services.

Career Exploration – Most people struggle at least once in their career with finding a job they love, staying engaged in a job they used to like, or planning a next move if they’re unhappy at work. We offer career exploration coaching to discover best-fit careers that exercise inherent strengths, complement personal values, and align with professional interests.

Interview Coaching – To help clients be more prepared for upcoming interviews, we work to anticipate and be prepared to speak to specific interview questions/scenarios that cause anxiety and to explore more broadly applicable concepts like personal branding, unique value proposition, and career storytelling.

Networking Support – To help job seekers get in front of people who are looking for the kind of work they do, we offer coaching on how to network online and in real life, how to identify industry-related or niche job boards, how to boost visibility with recruiters, how to find networking groups, and how to chart practical next steps to fuel the job search.

Public Speaking – Contact us about one-hour seminars (in person or virtually) on topics related to resume design and development, LinkedIn optimization and networking, professional branding, and job search strategy. We also offer half or full-day workshops for employees affected by a layoff. And we love being guests on podcasts geared toward job seekers.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe in putting people first. This principle guides me in the way I run my business, how I treat my staff, and why I carve out time for personal and family commitments, including self-care.

With clients, “putting people first” means remembering our clients are real people who come to the task of resume writing and career coaching with a range of emotions, including worry, anxiety, fear, impatience, and even excitement.

Through the Great Recession, tight labor markets, the pandemic, the Great Resignation, record-low unemployment rates, and all the everyday ups and downs we experience in this industry, we have maintained a steady workflow. I attribute this to the loyalty of our previous clients. I am so grateful for the thousands of clients we’ve had over the years and for their willingness to come back, work with us again, and recommend us to their colleagues, friends, and family members.

On my team, “putting people first” means giving each person who works for me individualized support, involving each person in opportunities for personal, collective, and company growth, and treating each person like a valued member of the team.

And personally, “putting people first” means making time both for my family and for my own emotional, mental, and physical health. I have learned that self-care is both the things you do (like eating well, sleeping enough, taking vacations, and connecting with friends) as well as the things you don’t do (like suffering toxic people, over-working, worrying about things you can’t control, and allowing others to disrespect your boundaries).

My commitment to people first serves as the cornerstone of my approach to business and life and has helped me develop enduring client relationships, a supportive and growth-oriented work environment, and quality personal and family time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jobmarketsolutions.com / www.getresumehelp.com
• Instagram: @getresumehelp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jobmarketsolutions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mir-garvy/

Image Credits
Season Moore Photography (https://www.seasonmoorephotography.com/)