A professional resume writing service can help you network for future jobs.
Searching for a job is hard work. No matter how diligently you try, it can feel like you are not doing enough to land the one you want. You most likely started with a solid resume crafted by professional executive resume writers, numerous job searches and an upgrade to your online information to show how employable you are. However, let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there and it takes something exceptional to stand out from the rest. You are basically marketing yourself by trying to sell your skills to a potential employer. Think of your job search like running your own marketing campaign.
Starting the Conversation
Even with the help of a professional resume writing service, you will get nowhere in the business world without conversation. There are interviews, job offers and plenty of social media sharing to help get a conversation started. Discussions started online through things like professional LinkedIn profile writing can lead to future employment. Think about your job search as trying to figure out how to start a conversation with someone who can hire you.
Think Like a Business
Treating your search for a job as a marketing campaign puts you at eye level with a company. In marketing, you try to find a way to entice a buyer by offering them something in a way they can’t resist. When you are marketing yourself to a business, you have the opportunity to show them how valuable your skills are to them, how you will save them money or how you can make them look better. The same sales strategies used in the marketing arena work for applying for a job as well.
The Role of Targeting
When you are marketing a product, you choose a specific audience to target because they are most likely to invest in the product. This is an essential element in the job search process as well. You want to choose the companies that may be interested in what you have to offer. These are the ones you want to engage in conversation with. Once you identify the companies you want to target, everything can be crafted to get their attention and demonstrate how you can play a role in their productivity and profitability. Everything you do, from hiring professional executive resume writers to answering questions during the interview, will be geared toward alerting a potential employer to what you have to offer.
Who to Talk To
Once you find the industry or business to target, you then need to identify who you want to start your conversation with. Some specifics you might look for include:
Individuals in supervisory positions above yours
A corporate recruiter
Individuals holding the same title as you are aiming for
By gearing your efforts toward these positions, you will be able to speak with those who can either hire you or connect you with a hiring party. Thus, you start your own professional network relevant to your expertise and necessary for your success.
By working with a professional resume writing service, you can craft the perfect resume to get you started on the right path. From there, you will be able to build your own marketing campaign with you as the focus product.
This time of year is legendary for having too much to do but not enough time, too much to buy but not enough money, and too much stress but you are supposed to be happy. It affects our workplace, our home life, and our future because stress affects the health of the body. So what does the busy executive focused on moving up the career path and having a life at the same time do about feeling so bad?
Rethink Your Expectations
Sometimes it helps to write down “the way the holidays are supposed to be” in every detail you can come up with. Then look at your fairy tale and notice how many of those expectations are not in your control or don’t matter as much as they once did.
Some families and individuals decide to pick the top priorities for their season and forget about doing the rest of it. What would your holiday look like if everybody picked one thing that was important to them? What is it about that thing that makes it important? It could be that the major cookie house competition was fun because it was goofy, not because you used home-baked cookies. Graham crackers and fruity cereals work just as well for goofy fun and are easier to do. A holiday without so much burden on people is enjoyable and refreshing, the way it’s supposed to be.
Accept Your Imperfections
This kind of goes along with expectations, but on a personal level. If you think that people come to your house to see how beautifully decorated and organized it is, you are mistaken. Most folks don’t care about the details: they want to feel like you like them more than you like your house. I tell myself that at least they will feel better about the mess they left at home when they see mine. People aren’t comfortable with perfection because people aren’t perfect.
At the office, the same thing happens when we mistakenly think we have to have our act totally together before we are accepted. But think about the people you work with — who is more approachable, the perfectionist pretender or the person who accepts their mistakes with a laugh and does what they can to learn from them?
Orient Your Focus
Whatever the holiday, there’s a reason for it. If you celebrate that holiday, then use the celebration to think about the reason it exists in your life. For most cultures, the holidays are times to reorient the focus to what is important in life. It’s a pause and a reminder, giving time to figure out what your non-holiday life should look like.
That means work, whatever your career is. Pick one thing in your career goals to do after the holidays are over (maybe consult a career coach) and let the things you bring out of a less-stressed holiday get you going in the weeks afterward.
Writing an effective resume may require making some changes.
It’s not enough to just have a standard resume. What is important is writing an effective resume, one that is designed to get you into that all-important interview. If you are not getting the interviews and opportunities you want, it’s time to rethink your current resources. Here are five strategies for giving your resume a makeover.
Strategy #1- Forget Your Objective
It’s customary to state your job objective at the top of the resume. However, those offering top resume writing services suggest this is futile and meaningless to potential employers. An employer is not as interested in what you are looking for as what you can give them. When an employer first sees your resume, you have an average of six seconds to catch their eye so make it about them.
Strategy #2 – Take a Marketing Stance
When writing an effective resume, rather than viewing it as looking for a job, consider the process as an opportunity to market your skills and experience. Focus on offering potential employers what you have in order to increase their profitability rather than trying to earn a paycheck for yourself. Make it about delivering value to them.
Strategy #3 – Highlight Your Professional Skills
Your skills are what are going to get you the position you desire so make sure to clearly identify the skill set you bring to the position. Use your strong points to entice a business recruiter in a way that makes them feel like they need what you have to offer. Impress them with what you can do for them.
Strategy #4 – Identify a Specific Job Title
Don’t leave out this essential bit of information. The targeted job title should be listed along with your contact information on your resume. This is your chance to draw recruiters or interviewers in. Putting it with your contact information is the ideal spot since it makes it more apparent and eyes are naturally drawn toward this area. If you are uploading your professional paperwork, including a targeted job title makes it more visible in online databases and search results.
Strategy #5 – Start off with a Performance Profile
Resumes and cover letters should begin with your ability to do the job. This means you need to do your research to identify what the specific needs of the company are and market to those needs. To create a performance profile, look at the requirements for your desired position and rewrite them as skills you have to offer. This does not need to be a long paragraph; try to keep it to five lines maximum. It’s also acceptable to use a bulleted list for emphasis. This also adds some visual appeal and will attract the reader’s eyes.
Will a General Resume Work for Your Executive Job Search?
A general resume is exactly that – general. When seeking an executive position, your resume needs to be a focused presentation of relevant skills. You need to be able to demonstrate how you can benefit your target company in an executive capacity. The types of resumes that get you hired are polished, concise and tightly targeted. Writing a professional resume highlighting core executive talents is a must. If you aren’t confident in your ability to market yourself and your specific strengths successfully, hire the best executive resume writing service you can.
Targeted and Concise
In today’s human resources department, your resume is quite likely to be ‘read’ by applicant tracking systems or software before it is seen by HR personnel. Due to this, industry-related keywords are an essential part of resumes that get you hired. Without those keywords in a natural, correct concentration, your resume isn’t likely to make it past the applicant tracking program. Using a general resume almost guarantees a company using this hiring tool will pass over your resume completely.
Once your resume gets in front of human eyes, industry experts estimate it has about 10 seconds to capture the attention and interest of a hiring manager. One of the best executive resume writing service skills is the concise, direct presentation of the most relevant information, the information the reader uses to decide if it is worth reading any further. That alone is worth considering professional executive resume preparation.
Don’t Stray from the Purpose
While who you are, what you’ve done and how much you know all have value, resumes that get you hired are not quite so “I”-focused. Instead, that information is relayed in the context of what specifically you can do for that company should you garner that executive position. That is what potential employers are interested in: how choosing you will benefit their company in real, concrete terms. Your general resume simply can’t accomplish that.
The Art of Presentation
Another of the best executive resume writing service advantages has to do with how responsible and professional it makes you appear. That is more than your education, work history, skills and talents. A polished, professional executive resume has no spelling or grammar errors. It is professional and efficient in style, adhering to formal executive business communication norms. These things communicate information, letting potential employers know what they can expect in your professional demeanor and executive style.
Don’t Waste Time and Effort
In this competitive job market, a general resume, especially when seeking an executive position, is a waste of time. It is unlikely to yield the results you hope for and can actually harm your chances of landing the position you want. Instead, invest time and effort in crafting targeted, professional resumes that get you hired. If you aren’t up-to-date with the latest in successful resume writing, invest in having your executive resume professionally written for you.
What Is an Executive Briefing and Should You Use It?
An executive resume cover letter can be a valuable tool.
When you’re not looking for a job, but an opportunity that is too good to pass up crosses your desk, you may find yourself rushing to update your resume so you can meet the deadline and apply. In some situations, you may not have the time needed to tailor your resume to the specific employer, so what can you do when time is of the essence? A cover letter writing service can help you use an executive briefing, which is a form of executive resume cover letter.
What Is an Executive Briefing?
In short, executive briefings are cover letters for resumes that shine a spotlight on the skills you have that match what the employer is looking for. Because most employers will read through a cover letter before they move on to the resume, this is the area where it’s most important to make a good first impression. This can make it an excellent tool to help you land a job you weren’t expecting to apply for so you can take advantage of advancement opportunities as they arise.
What Are the Requirements?
In order to create an executive briefing, it’s important to make sure you understand the specific qualifications of the job. This is because you will tailor everything to the particular job to which you are applying. Once you know what the employer expects from you, use this summary to let them know why you are the perfect fit for the job. As long as your resume backs up your claims in some form, you will have just as good a chance of landing the job as if you had reworked your entire resume. While it’s always best to customize your resume, in a tight spot, this type of executive resume cover letter can be a lifesaver.
Keep It Simple
The most important factor to remember when creating these cover letters for resumes is to keep it simple. Your resume should still do most of the talking for you. All you really need to do is list the job’s requirements along the left side of the paper and match it with your skills point by point. Be sure to include your email address and the job title and any identifiers assigned to it. This format should capture the attention of the hiring manager and increase the chances you will be contacted for an interview.
A cover letter writing service should encourage you to customize your resume to meet the requirements of any job you are applying for, but you don’t always have time for this task. If you are interested in applying for a job you found unexpectedly, you may need to consider an executive briefing. This type of executive resume cover letter can help showcase your skills in relation to a job’s requirements and help increase the chances of landing the job, even if you don’t have the time to update your resume.
Should You Use Your Blog as a Professional Resume?
You know you need resumes that get you hired, but what is the best executive resume format? While most people still rely on traditional layouts for their resume, others are looking for something different to help them stand out from the other candidates. Many professionals have a blog they use to showcase their expertise, but is it really the best way to let your prospective employer know you are a good fit for the position?
A More Authentic Feel
When people are putting together their resumes, they often put their best foot forward, working hard to make sure everything is worded in a way that appeals to employers. Creating blog posts is an entirely different process that typically gives employers insight into your personality and can provide a more authentic feel for whether you will be a good fit for their business. They will be able to get inside your head and see how you think to help them make a more informed hiring decision.
A More Detailed Sales Pitch
Resumes that get you hired only give employers a brief snap shot of your career and the skills you have to offer. While some employers only need this information, along with an interview, more employers today are interested in making sure individuals are the perfect fit before extending an offer. A blog can give them a more in-depth look at what you know and whether you have the skills necessary to get the job done. In fact, there are people who have been hired based on their blog alone.
Other Benefits of a Blog as a Resume
There have been many other benefits to considering a blog in place of or as a supplement to your resume. Using your blog can be an excellent way to distinguish yourself from the other candidates for a job. It also provides insight into how well you can express yourself and your ideas. If you are applying for a job that requires a solid understanding of blogging and how it can be used, having a blog that can at least supplement your resume is an absolute necessity.
Blogging may seem like a great way to share ideas and provide readers with valuable insight about your industry, but today, it can actually help you land a job as well. In fact, many employers are searching the Internet to gather more information on candidates, even if they have already submitted a traditional resume. While it may not yet be the best resume format, it is a valuable tool you can use to increase your chances of landing the job. An executive resume writing service can help you determine whether the blog should serve as a replacement of or a supplement to your resume.
An executive resume writer can help you explain gaps.
When you hire an executive resume writer, it can be tempting to leave out information regarding times of inactivity when it comes to your employment. In most cases, there’s a legitimate reason for time gaps. Perhaps you needed time to take care of an elderly parent, a sick child or just took a sabbatical. However, leaving these gaps of time unexplained can cause employers to have doubts or negative suspicions about your resume.
Why Gaps Have a Negative Connotation
Each company may look at resume gaps in a different light. There are some businesses interested only in your specific skills and aren’t concerned at all about gaps. However, for more competitive fields, even a single gap can take you out of running for a key position. Even though gaps occur for a variety of reasons, employers may have their own view of them. If you leave huge gaps unexplained, the other party is left with only their imagination as to why they exist. It is always better to explain gaps in your employment history.
Why It’s Not Advisable to Lie About Gaps
It’s likely just about everyone has been tempted to lie about gaps. For some, this means slightly adjusting dates to fill in the gaps; others try to fill in the gap by falsifying information. Either way, you are taking a big chance of discovery. Most legit businesses are going to take the time to explore your information thoroughly and are likely to find gaps on their own. This decreases the likelihood of your employment because it tends to raise too many questions and doubts.
Lying about gaps in employment can have many negative repercussions, but none as serious as if you are applying in a small industry. Smaller businesses make it easier for word to travel about any discrepancies. This can leave you with a tarnished reputation for many years, making it difficult to gain employment.
What’s the Best Way to Cover Gaps of Time?
The best way to deal with gaps is to be honest and upfront in your executive resume bio. Simply tell the truth about gaps. By providing explanations for why you were between jobs, you establish trust in the relationship. It’s much better to explain in your executive resume bio or executive resume cover letter that you took some time to raise your children or simply took a sabbatical than to remain silent about why the gaps exist.
What About Terminations?
What if the gap in employment exists due to a termination? Be truthful about why you were not a good fit for previous employers and use the opportunity to explain how you used the time between jobs to develop or maintain job related skills.
It can be important to work closely with a professional resume service who can help you create a complete resume. It’s imperative to create a gap-free document, from the executive resume cover letter to a complete and thorough resume.
The best resume writing services can help you hunt for a job successfully.
The task of finding your next job can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you don’t go about it the right way. While working with the best resume writing services and creating a solid executive LinkedIn profile can go a long way toward making you attractive to prospective employers, it’s important to learn how to walk the fine line between looking desperate and showing determination.
Mass Distribution
You spend a lot of time creating your resume so it seems like a lot of work to customize it to every employer you are considering. This can lead you to send out a mass resume mailing to every job you want. Unfortunately, sending carbon copies of your resume to every potential employer can actually cause you to lose your chance at the job. Instead, you need to do your research on every company you are considering and make minor adjustments that reflect the company philosophy and the exact requirements of the job to which you are applying.
Applying to Everything
If you’ve been looking for a job for a while, you may be tempted to start sending your resume out to every job listing you can find in the hopes of landing any job. While this may be necessary in some situations, it’s important to make sure you’re putting your executive resume in front of the right people. Think about what skills you have and which types of businesses are most likely to need someone with your skill set. An executive resume writer can help you focus on your skills and determine which job listings are worth your time.
Being Too Honest
Most people are aware they won’t get a job or could lose a job they thought they had if the employer finds out they have lied or exaggerated on their executive resume. While honesty is always the best policy, there is such a thing as being too honest. When you’re writing a professional resume and cover letter, there are some things you shouldn’t include, such as the exact reason you want the job, especially if it’s because of the pay grade, or your lack of experience. Instead, the best resume writing services will help you shine yourself in a positive light without stretching the truth or providing too much information.
While an executive LinkedIn profile may be a valuable tool in helping you get the job you want, your resume will still play a key role. Before you start your job search, however, it’s important to work with the best resume writing services to ensure you are taking the right approach to your job hunt. With their help, you can be sure you will make the best impression and increase your chances of landing the job you want.
