We were lucky to catch up with Khanh Nguyen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Khanh, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Being an Asian American in the entrepreneurial sphere and the field of psychology can be isolating and lonely. It is rare that I meet someone who looks like me in the professional world, but I think it’s what makes me powerful and unique. I’ve learned to be effective and successful as a minority by knowing that there’s nothing I need to do that I can’t learn, whether it’s independently or from others. I also remind myself that even though I might be the only one in the current room who looks like me, there have been many successful and impactful Asian Americans before me. They were just in other rooms at different times. I’m open and eager to learn from others, both those who look like me and those who don’t. Lastly, I don’t gatekeep information or opportunities, especially for fellow Asian Americans. I share opportunities and connections when and where possible. Paving the way for others is a privilege I have had the pleasure of getting from others before me and a pleasure I extend to those who come after me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hi there! My name is Khanh Nguyen, M.A. I am the owner and founder of Resume with Khanh, LLC. I launched my LLC in 2022 while pursuing my doctorate in clinical psychology! But it all started long before then. I began editing resumes in high school for classmates and friends who got their first part-time jobs in the food and retail industries. Then, in college, I continued revising resumes. I watched friends and peers earn internships and acceptances to prestigious graduate programs. Now, I have edited with 300+ resumes for 80+ professions, including attorneys, dentists, federal employees, pharmacists, photographers, senior IT directors, and teachers. My clients are from all around the world, including Australia, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Portugal, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.
My business helps job seekers revamp their resumes to show up authentically on paper, land their dream jobs, and increase their salaries. I offer two primary resume-editing services: I either edit resumes on my own time and return them to clients after a few days or I meet with clients via Zoom and collaboratively revamp their resumes together in real time. My clients have received interviews and full-time job offers from Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies. They have tripled their previous salaries and gained strong work-life balance after working with me. The most exciting and rewarding part of my business is witnessing my clients’ biggest aspirations and dreams come true and knowing that their livelihoods have improved partly because of my resume services.
Outside of my resume business and entrepreneurial journey, I am a doctoral student in psychology. I am passionate about doing therapy with forensic patients with severe mental illnesses (e.g., antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia) and criminal histories. I am a learner at my core and cannot wait to see where my career in psychology takes me!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey include confidence (or as I like to say, Khanhfidence!), kindness, and persistence. Confidence has opened many doors for me, including ones that were previously locked. Kindness has created and maintained supportive and reciprocal connections for me, both personally and professionally. Persistence has allowed me to continuously pursue my goals, even in the face of adversity and obstacles.
The best advice I have for people who are early in their journeys is to keep trying and learning through trial and error. Fake it until you make it because one day, you WILL make it! All it takes is one yes.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who is collaborative while trusting me to work on my magic on their resume. My best and most successful clients are the ones who are eager to work with me and who share their career journeys, experiences, and aspirations with me. This helps me better understand what their areas of growth are and what they want in the next steps of their blossoming careers.
I also work best with clients who are open about what their fields look for and prioritize. As someone in the psychology field, I don’t know everything about accounting, dentistry, nursing, photography, etc. Clients who are ready to teach me what’s important to them and their fields make my job easier and our collaboration more effective. I always tell my clients that any changes I make to their resumes are for them to keep or remove as they see fit because it’s their resumes at the end of the day, not mine. My ideal client trusts my resume-writing expertise, but they also trust their own judgment and understanding of their career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.resumewithkhanh.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resumewithkhanh
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/khanhmainguyen
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
