Meet Jheneal McDuffie | Owner and Chief of The Resume Chic & C0.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jheneal McDuffie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jheneal, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my business [The Resume Chic & Co.] because I saw a need to help new graduates launch their careers in a crowded job search marketplace.

The Problem: When I graduated, I was blessed to have already worked at a Fortune 500. However, some of my peers and those who graduated after me struggled to leverage their degrees. So I conducted a survey, and more than 80% of the alum shared that they weren’t using their degree in any capacity; many were working in minimum wage jobs and found it challenging to pay back their student loans. Additionally, my school’s resources were only available during business hours when most of the alums were working.

I thought what a waste to have thousands of graduates with degrees in science, tech, engineering, math, and business waste their four-year hard-earned degree in jobs that weren’t furthering their success.

The Solution: I started my business in 2016 to maximize student job search success and get more alums on the path to working within their field of interest. Additionally, I met with our alum network career director, shared my perspective with her, and proposed an after-hours career support system. I provided hundreds of resume reviews, in-depth 1:1 coaching sessions, webinars, and live presentations to facilitate learning to navigate the career search.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a three-time award-winning and six-time nominated resume writer, recognized globally for my work. I own a thriving boutique resume-writing firm serving all of the U.S. and Puerto Rico. I never thought that I could make a career out of being a resume writer. I also never thought I would go to work every day doing something I love. That feeling is so rare, and I am excited to be one of the blessed people who can say they wake up happy to write, design, and innovate in the career services industry.

I’m most proud of my innovations. I am relentless in digging up new ways to help candidates make their way to hiring decision-makers.

My career moves have always been easy because I follow God’s will, and He opens doors. For example, I went to school to be a pilot and fell in love with technical communications. I was rolled into an internship where my peers had seven interviews, and I didn’t have any. That internship that picked me up led me to compose a multi-billion-dollar aviation proposal for the U.S. Air Force. That’s when I learned that I love to make sense of complex concepts; I make it easy for readers to understand the content in the proper context. Then, I started working with a Fortune 50 company that taught me how to write performance evaluations. A few of my peers asked me to help them tell their stories so that they could get higher ratings. That led me to focus on resume writing, talent profile writing, and career coaching.

I had one friend who said, “I am going to pay you for your work, and you should no longer do this for free.” She inspired me to start my business, and I still love every moment six years later.

My advice to anyone thinking about starting a business is not to wait until it’s perfect because you’ll never start if you do. It was challenging; I found myself writing resumes at 2 am, but when that client responded, “I love it, and I got seven interviews,” the 2 am shift that exhausted me seemed worth it.

I work incessantly to achieve my goals and distinguish myself from my peers. I also coach writers to enhance their skills; I am the VP of The National Association of African American Resume Writers and a certification exam reviewer for the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

I found my “thing,” and I love doing it so much that it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like I can’t get enough, and I pray that I never have to give it up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, I’d make sure my visitor came during the State Fair. We’d spend a day eating fair food and walking the grounds. For a bite that doesn’t include fair food, we’d try out some of my favorites like Twisted Root, Village Burger Bar and the Boiling Crab. We’d spend a day in Deep Ellum visiting the market and local shops, but we’d have to grab lunch at Pecan Lodge. That evening, we’d catch a concert at The Factory or the House of Blues. By Monday, we’d spend a day shopping at North Park, and we’d be ready to watch the Cowboys play live that evening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first thanks will always go to God because without Him, I wouldn’t have this talent.

Secondly, my husband is my biggest encourager. It’s funny how things came full circle because my first interaction with him was in a mock interview, and now I’m the career coach. I was completely inexperienced at interviewing, and he helped me tell my story in a way that demonstrated my strengths; there are still interview tips that he shared with me 13 years ago, and I’m still coaching my clients with his tactics today.

More recently, I have received overwhelming support from my clients. I love working with them, and they feel that love and tell their friends. What holds true in my business is that “people may forget what you do but never forget how you make them feel.” Consequently, my clients feel that I’m in the job search with them and they have someone rooting for them, and then they tell their friends, who also become clients. So, I’ll dedicate this shoutout to them as well.

Website: theresumechic.com

Instagram: instagram.com/theresumechic

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/the-resume-chic/

Facebook: facebook.com/1550075505297030

Yelp: yelp.com/biz/W8FS6U6LoHfcikAU4XNb3Q

Other: TikTok: @theresumechicandco