Taylor Graves
Executive Resume Writer | Career Shift & Job Search Coach | Business Content Editor & Writer
Houston,Texas, USA
Summary
I am a meticulous wordsmith with strategic insights and eagle eyes. I also bring broad business acumen to my work based on 25+ years of business experience across most industries and domains. These strengths allow me to express the big picture and see tiny details others miss. I have deep expertise in executive resume writing, LinkedIn profiles, professional bios, website content, and career shift coaching for executives who want to pivot and "hard-to-define" professionals.
You can learn more about my services in the WordsPerfected LLC entry below. Whether writing, editing, or proofreading, I collaborate with executives, consultants, colleagues, and clients to evolve digital and print content from rough drafts to flawless final versions. I thrive on co-creating content that hits its mark. Focus areas include staying true to the brand, thoughtful word choices, composition, style guides, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and format. My deliverables are reader-focused, clear, concise, compelling, and mechanically precise. My personal and professional goals come together when my work is purpose-driven and makes an important difference for people. I wrote Losing Your Job & Finding Yourself to inspire and guide others to find work they love.
Overview
40
40
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Content Editor | Executive Resume Writer | Career Shift & Job Search Coach
WordsPerfected, LLC
01.2014 - Current
- I collaborate with clients to perfect the content they have drafted or envisioned.
- I hone clarity, flow, and technical precision with strategic insights and eagle eyes. Together, we create content that gets results.
- I have unique expertise in executive resume writing and job search coaching, specializing in 'hard-to-define professionals' and those looking to shift their careers.
- Unlike many resume writers, I bring 25+ years of business experience, working with executives and leaders across most industries and organizational functions.
- Visit wordsperfected.net/capabilities/inventive-career-transitions for more information.
- Sample Editing and Writing Projects:
- - Content for consultants and coaches (e.g., websites, professional bios, and leadership coaching materials).
- - Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and professional bios for C-level executives and other professionals across many industries.
- - Losing Your Job & Finding Yourself: Memoir, Myths, and Methods for Inventive Career Transitions.
- - PowerPoint presentation for a strategic plan presented to the board of The Rock School for Dance Education.
Senior Profile Content Editor | Documentation Owner
Toptal
04.2022 - 05.2024
- Overhauled internal and external documentation and guidance on creating online profiles (resumes), including a comprehensive internal style guide and talent-facing guidance on creating impressive profiles.
- Edited and optimized talents' profile content to showcase their experience and expertise.
- Provided profile improvement recommendations and 1:1 coaching to help freelance talent strengthen their profiles. All work was done online, and all interactions were remote.
- Toptal is a network of the world's top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams on demand. Founded in 2010 and now the world's largest fully remote company, Toptal has served over 21,000 clients and has a global talent network in 140+ countries.
Profile Content Editor
Toptal
04.2020 - 03.2022
Editor | Proofreader
The Institutes
01.2019 - 06.2020
- Edited and proofread CPE, certification, and exam prep materials for insurance and risk management professionals. Topics included retirement planning and products, college funding, insurance, risk management, and contracts.
- The editing team completes projects within a paperless workflow and content management system, and it ensures consistency by applying style and design guides (AP, Chicago, and Internal).
Business Writer and Editor (B2B Content Marketing)
Gap International
Springfield, PA
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Wrote, edited, and proofread digital and print assets, including web content, blog posts, email marketing campaigns, marketing brochures, sales collateral, client impact stories/case studies, articles, and white papers.
- Interviewed and collaborated with thought leaders to articulate abstract and complex concepts.
- Provided constructive feedback to help colleagues improve their writing and produce stellar content.
- Led the creation of an internal style guide that drove consistency across all content.
- Gap International is a global performance consulting company that works with executives and their organizations to produce extraordinary business results. What differentiates Gap International is an intense focus on changing thinking to change performance.
HR Communications Editor
Vanguard
Malvern, PA
12.2014 - 03.2015
- Edited and proofread digital and print content for 14,000 domestic and international crew members. Content included intranet copy, training materials, and benefits/open enrollment information.
- Adhered to Vanguard's style guide and created a department-specific guide to drive consistency across all materials.
- Vanguard offered a full-year contract extension before I accepted the full-time job at Gap International.
Strategic Marketing, Planning, and Communications; Customer Advisory Council (Editor | Proofreader)
Financial Services Company
Greater Philadelphia Area
01.1993 - 01.2013
- Reporting to the chairman for 17 years (and later the SVP of marketing), wrote, edited, and proofread internal and external communications.
- These communications often involved collaborating on strategic and sensitive messaging with C-level executives, marketing, communications, HR, and legal.
- Served as the staff liaison with 10+ consulting firms for enterprise engagements and special projects that impacted strategic alignment, employee engagement, customer loyalty, and financial performance.
Director, Philadelphia Area Council for Excellence (PACE) (Incl. Writer, Editor, Proofreader Duties)
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
Greater Philadelphia Area
01.1986 - 01.1993
- Led the marketing and delivery of training and consulting services on enterprise process improvement via Total Quality Management (TQM)/Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) for C-level executives from all sectors.
- Programs featured Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Tom Peters, and other thought leaders.
Education
M.S.Ed. - Psychological Services/Counseling Psychology
University of Pennsylvania
B.A. - Psychology and Sociology
Clark University
Skills
- Executive resume writing
- Personal branding
- ATS optimization
- LinkedIn profile optimization
- Career storytelling
- Executive positioning
- Talent branding strategy
- Keyword optimization
- Professional biography writing
- CV restructuring
- Content editing
- Interview preparation support
- Career coaching
- Recruitment marketing
- Stakeholder communication
- Client consultation
Editing Capabilities
- Executive resumes that land interviews; LinkedIn and other profiles that attract the attention you want.
- Content and copy tailored for diverse audiences (B2B | B2C | B2E).
- Key messages that align and advance strategy, brand, execution, and results.
- Compelling client impact stories/case studies.
- Thought leadership articles, white papers, and blog posts.
- Accurate data with a clear story behind the numbers; industry analyst presentations.
- Content marketing/Demand generation: blog posts, website copy, email campaigns, marketing brochures, and press releases.
- Executive communications, interviews, bios, and board materials.
- Employee communications, including culture and engagement and benefits open enrollment.
- Training descriptions, manuals, and presentation decks (PowerPoint and Google Slides).
- CPE, certification, and exam prep materials.
- Market research and employee engagement surveys and reports.
- Precise and timely reviews, revisions, and approvals to keep projects on schedule.
- Coordination with creative teams on concepts, design, layout, and production.
Timeline
Senior Profile Content Editor | Documentation Owner
Toptal
04.2022 - 05.2024
Profile Content Editor
Toptal
04.2020 - 03.2022
Editor | Proofreader
The Institutes
01.2019 - 06.2020
Business Writer and Editor (B2B Content Marketing)
Gap International
01.2015 - 01.2018
HR Communications Editor
Vanguard
12.2014 - 03.2015
Business Content Editor | Executive Resume Writer | Career Shift & Job Search Coach
WordsPerfected, LLC
01.2014 - Current
Strategic Marketing, Planning, and Communications; Customer Advisory Council (Editor | Proofreader)
Financial Services Company
01.1993 - 01.2013
Director, Philadelphia Area Council for Excellence (PACE) (Incl. Writer, Editor, Proofreader Duties)
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
01.1986 - 01.1993
M.S.Ed. - Psychological Services/Counseling Psychology
University of Pennsylvania
B.A. - Psychology and Sociology
Clark University