Today we’d like to introduce you to Leander Howard II.
Hi Leander, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Spark Your Resume, founded on January 09, 2020, at Georgia State University’s Career Advancement Center, where I spent most of my time studying and helping other students prepare to land an internship or full-time job for free. One of my good friends recognized my hard work and passion for helping people succeed in their careers. He immediately recommended I start a business doing it for others because not only Georgia State Students needed a service like ours. I then began my business plan; the only thing I knew about starting a business was that I needed a plan. I used a business plan template from my entrepreneur class at Georgia State University which outlined how I wanted to operate my business from Financing, Legal, HR, IT, Marketing, Operations, you name it. I spent about two and half months planning but, during this time, I was validating my business model by promoting my services to my initial follower base on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, which started to pick up quickly. I would write a resume back then for as little as $25; it was all about getting that first paying customer.
Then March 20, 2020, came around when I officially launched the business and had our first initial website up and running using Squarespace. My first hire was a Social Media Manager because I knew the importance of establishing an online presence and brand authority. The first month of business, I brought in about $2,000, with my average order being around $150, which was pretty exciting. At this time, I was handling Sales, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Legal, IT/Web Development, etc. As I began to gain more clients, I had to hire and train, which was May of 2020 when I hired my first Resume Consultant. Ever since then, it’s been steady growth with a lot of ups and downs as all businesses.
Overall we have helped 300+ job seekers land interviews and jobs at companies such as Microsoft, Warner Media, Adobe, Ernst & Young, Barnes & Nobles, IBM, Deloitte, PWC, and many more! It’s been a pleasure to serve others and educate them on the importance of building their professional brand. I believe everyone is a Freelancer because you advertise your skills to gain a long-term contract with your next client. However, COVID-19 has shown us that the client can end that contract whenever they want or vice versa. Therefore, it’s important for you as an individual contributor to constantly promote your skill sets and develop meaningful relationships across all industries. You need a great resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to do so! I am super proud of my team and how we continue to push people towards their goals and dreams.
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?
It has not been smooth sailing; like any other business, you will have ups and downs. As a new CEO and Founder, one of my biggest struggles is finding quality talent to join the organization and people who believe in your mission and vision for the company. Also, just managing life and business has been a big challenge, still trying to find that balance because it is a grind. Last but not least, trying to get your target audience to see the value your business can bring to their lives is sometimes difficult, but you have to remain faithful and keep building.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Spark Your Resume?
Spark Your Resume is an online resume writing and career advancement services company helping entry-level, mid-career, and executive professionals get hired within 45-90 days which is 3x faster than the average job search of 180 days or 6 months.
We specialize in Resume Enhancement, LinkedIn Profile Development, Interview Coaching, and Career Consulting.
At Spark Your Resume, we walk job seekers and professionals step by step through the process of securing a better future.
Our #1 seller is our Spark Your Career Package, which includes: Resume Enhancement, LinkedIn Profile Development, Personalized Cover Letter, Messaging Templates (Introduction Email, Cover Letter, and Thank You Letter templates), and our 1-hour course on How to Navigate LinkedIn Effectively which will teach you how to use the #1 platform for professionals with over 756 Million members in over 200 countries. This package is $399 for anyone with 0-4 years of experience and $549 for anyone with 5+ years of experience. We do offer a payment plan where you can finance the options with 4 bi-weekly payments or over 12 monthly payments through our third-party integration with Klarna. We know people have other things to pay, therefore, the payment plan allows flexible options for anyone looking to take their career to the next level.
What sets us apart from others is our quality of product and the results we provide our clients. You don’t have to believe me; you can check out a few of our case studies from the clients we helped previously on our website for social proof. As a company, we are most proud of our high-level customer service; we see other big-name companies that don’t take the time to speak to their clients on the phone. At Spark Your Resume, we value people. We offer free consultations before you become a client, and after you become a client we offer a 30-minute intro call with a representative from our team. Therefore, we can learn more about how you want to market your capabilities. Overall, we take pride in the work we do and how we offer results to the many professionals who need help. Overall, we help professionals successfully navigate an award-winning career because we know how important it is to them and their families.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Stay hungry, remain patient, and don’t forget your WHY. You can get lost in the sauce by having a few great months of business; it’s happened to me. I would encourage any entrepreneur to stay true to themselves and the business at all times. Remember why you started, because that is what is going to keep you going!
Pricing:
- Our Spark Your Career Package includes: Resume Enhancement, LinkedIn Profile Development, Personalized Cover Letter, Messaging Templates (Introduction Email, Cover Letter, Thank You Letter), and our one-hour course on How to Navigate LinkedIn Effectively. It will be $549 or as low as $46 with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout for Mid Career/ Executive Professionals (5+ years of experience)
- Mid-Career Executive Professionals – $549 or as low as $46/month with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout
- Undergraduate/Entry Level (0-4 years of experience) $399 or as low as $33/month with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout
- Our Resume Enhancement Service includes Accomplishment Based Resume, Keyword Optimized, Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Verified, Proper Grammar & Tailored to your Career Field, Messaging Templates (Cover Letter Template, Introduction Email Template, & Thank You Letter Template).
- Mid-Career Executive Professionals – $350 or as low as $29/month with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout
- Undergraduate/Entry Level (0-4 years of experience) $249 or as low as $21/month with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout
- Spark Your Career: Job Seeker Edition Course – In this bundle, you receive the following courses:
- How to Write an Accomplishment Based Resume and Astonishing Cover Letter
- How to Build An Award Winning LinkedIn Profile
- How to Navigate LinkedIn Effectively
- For ONLY $97 or as low as $8/ month with Klarna – splitting the payments over 12 months at checkout and unlimited access!
- Email: hello@sparkyourresume.
com - Website: https://www.
sparkyourresume.com/
- Customer Success Stories: https://www.
sparkyourresume.com/success- stories - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/spark_ yourresume/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/sparkyourresume - Twitter: https://twitter.com/s
parkyourresume - Youtube: https://www.youtube.c
om/channel/UCzKJ6WLM_ t9MKu6G6DjMhQg
