DISTINCTIVE CAREER SERVICES IN BRIEF…
Widely recognized as one of the industry’s longest-standing resume-writing companies and an industry pioneer on the internet, Distinctive Career Services is respected for our unmatched expertise, quality, and commitment to clients. Originally launched on the internet as Distinctive Documents, since 1996, we have met the resume development and career marketing needs of well over 10,000 discriminating professionals in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.
Renowned for our highly personalized and uncompromisingly professional services, we create powerful, engaging resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and other career marketing documents that are infused with your brand, tell your compelling career stories, convey your professional value, and empower you to stand out confidently, get attention, be more competitive, and achieve your highest career goals.
“What I can say is this, ten years ago I credit your resume for providing the edge over the competition with regards to “getting my foot in the door” after relocating to a new city. Within two weeks of distributing my resume I landed a 100K+ engineering position that I still hold today. What else can be said, that is a quantifiable edge. I also found that your service is absolutely as outstanding today as it was ten years ago.”
“Well, you did it again. I got the job at xxxxxx as the Budget Manager. With the cover letter and the resume that you provided for me I could not go wrong. We make a great team. Thank you. I am passing on your information to my coworkers who hope to use your services. Thank you!”
“I was offered a position with XXXXXXXX as Senior Communications Associate…I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for all of your help. Your work is amazing!!! If there are any feedback forms or things you need me to complete, please don’t hesitate to ask….I also shared your name with another colleague…I think your services can be of great assistance to him.”
CORE VALUES: OUR PROMISE TO YOU
OUR STORY & MISSION
Design a life that you will love! Michelle Dumas is a firm believer in building a career that is in alignment with your passions. In 1996, in a move that put her on a path to fulfilling her own career and life dreams, she founded Distinctive Career Services (formerly Distinctive Documents). With a background in counseling psychology, a gift for story telling and writing, and a natural intuitiveness that allows her to see the best in everyone, career coaching and resume writing were an ideal profession for her.
Michelle’s mission: to empower as many people as possible with the tools, resources, and confidence they need to pursue and achieve their own dream careers. Today, nearly a quarter-century later, having positively impacted the lives of well over 10,000 individuals in all 50 U.S. states and internationally, that mission remains unchanged but her impact has increased as she has expanded and grown the Distinctive Career Services team.
With decades of experience, numerous national awards for resume writing, and extensive credentials, Michelle herself is one of the industry’s most respected leaders and foremost experts. Harnessing her passion for helping as many people as possible achieve their highest professional aspirations within meaningful and rewarding careers, Michelle has brought together industry masterminds in an unprecedented, collaborative team effort to deliver top‐notch quality and service for EVERY client of Distinctive Career Services. She has assembled a handpicked team of the industry’s top professional resume writers, LinkedIn writers, and career coaches and oversees every project, consulting with the writing team on branding, document design, and content strategy.
Professional Certifications
Continuous learning is one of our company core values. With the increasing importance of technology in the job search process, our industry is changing rapidly. We eagerly take advantage of opportunities to remain on the cutting-edge of trends, to provide the best possible return on investment to our clients. Just some of the many certifications earned by Michelle Dumas and the team of Distinctive Career Services writers and coaches, include:
| Nationally Certified Resume Writer | Certified Professional Resume Writer | Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert | Certified Employment Interview Professional | Certified Personal Branding Strategist | Job & Career Transition Coach |
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Other certifications held by the team of resume writers and career coaches on the Distinctive Career Services team include: Professional Certified Coach; Authorized DISC Administrator and Behavioral Consultant; Certified Job Search Specialist; Credentialed Career Manager; Master Resume Writer; Certified Career Transition Coach; Certified Executive Resume Master; and Certified Master Resume Writer.
Award-Winning Work
National and international awards programs recognize the best-of-the-best in the professional resume writing industry. Michelle and her Distinctive Career Services/Distinctive Documents team combined have won dozens of awards from the National Resume Writers Association (NRWA), Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW), and Career Directors International (CDI). Michelle Dumas served as the 2018 Chair of the NRWA ROAR Awards and participated on the ROAR Awards Committee in 2015 and 2016. Some of the many key wins include:
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Award and nominee categories have included Best Executive Resume, Best Information Technology Resume, Best Healthcare Resume, Best International Resume, and Best Finance Resume, among others.
As Seen In…
The industry’s top professional resume writers are often called upon to contribute to books on job searching and resume writing. Michelle’s resumes and the resumes written by many writers on the Distinctive Career Services team have been published in dozens of books, including:
The Team of Resume Writing & Job Search Experts at Distinctive Career Services Will Give You a Powerful Edge In The Job Market
I wanted to reach out to the three of you to thank you for all of your support and fantastic resume building services! Michelle, thank you for your honest review of the product delivered to me by the first resume writing service and for encouraging me to listen to myself and move on. Karen thanks for coordinating me with a terrific writer – Sharon is amazing !!! I am happy to advise that I am now employed in my desired role and industry: Sr. Commercial Lines Account Manager at Xxxxxxx Insurance, the x largest and one of the oldest insurance brokerages in the country!! Whooo hooo!!!! Sharon THANK YOU especially for the hours and hours that you spent combing through my very, very long history, and for investing in getting to know who I am, what I really want and figuring out the language that should be on my resume to deliver me to my desired destination. Thank you also for the encouragement to stand on my valuable experience and to embrace my age and the hard won wisdom that only comes from years of playing in the game. You are extraordinary. I am so, so happy with my decision to join Xxxxxxx. My start date is 3/11 and I will be working in their Xxxxxxoffice, which ironically is across the road from my old Xxxxxx office – I am physically back where I last left off! …Back to you Gals – I thank you so, so much. My only regret with the process is that I did find you sooner!!
