If you’re like most executives, you choose your words carefully when crafting the perfect resume. However, depending on when the last time you updated your resume was, some of the words you think sound good may actually be diminishing your chances of landing an interview. Due to the limited amount of time a recruiter spends looking at a resume, you have to know which words to include. And most importantly, the key to writing an effective resume is knowing which words to avoid. Here are some of the most common words and phrases used that should be avoided.
Team-Player, Passionate, and Detail-Oriented
These words may accurately describe you, but they also describe many others. Since these terms have been so overused in the past, the value has decreased significantly. An executive resume writer may suggest getting rid of these words and replacing them with actual achievements. Shift your wording to show what you’ve done instead of telling about it.
Weak Action Verbs
Common weak action verbs include “managed,” “handled,” “led,” “supported” and many others. Again, these may be true, but they aren’t actionable and can bore the reader. A professional resume writing service can help you be creative with your action verbs, since they’ve seen every weak one imaginable.
Objective Statement
The objective statement is a thing of the past when it comes to resumes and will make you seem as though you aren’t current on the way resumes should be. Most applicants have the same needs and desires when applying for a job, so most objective statements are similar as a result. Instead, an executive resume writer will suggest ditching the objective statement in favor of a professional summary demonstrating your qualifications and experiences briefly.
“References Available Upon Request”
The common assumption recruiters have today is applicants will be able to provide references if asked, so don’t include this on your resume. As with the Objective Statement, this will make you seem out of touch with resumes today.
Outdated Information
At a certain point, a professional resume writing service will tell you experience is more valuable over certifications or education. If you have more than about 5 years of experience, you can likely relocate any mentions of your certifications or education to the end of the resume since employers are more interested in what you’ve accomplished. Professional Resume Services provides detailed critiques of resumes to ensure these words, phrases and information are used to your advantage. Many executives aren’t aware these words could be hurting their chances at landing their next job, so we are happy to assist in any way we can. To learn more about how we can help with your resume preparation, feel free to contact us at any time.
Every executive has heard and knows about the importance of c-level personal branding. With all else being equal when it comes to experience and expertise, it is a person’s personal brand that sets them apart from the rest. Whether you’re actively seeking a new job or if you’re interested in advancing even further in your career, using personal branding to your advantage can help you get there. Here are some tips on how personal branding for senior level managers can be used effectively.
Boost Your Reputation Within Your Industry
Every industry has a network, and people within the network have different impressions of people. So if you have a great personal brand and people recognize it, it won’t take long before your reputation gets a boost throughout your industry. You can use this reputation boost to your advantage by seeking leadership opportunities, speaking at engagements, hosting networking events or any other opportunities that arise. Once you’ve established quality c-level personal branding, your options for continuing to improve your reputation are unlimited.
Make Contacts Outside Your Current Professional Network
Your executive bio may indicate you’re an expert in a specific industry, but your personal brand can lead to professional connections outside of your network as well. This gives you the opportunity to broaden your views on business and many other aspects, and could give you more ideas for your own job. Plus, certain industries like to get advice from professionals in an unrelated industry just to see how operations work. The larger your network is outside of your own industry, the more opportunities you will have to grow your personal brand as large as you desire. You can never have too many connections across any industry, and the better your c-level personal branding is, the more naturally the connections will be made.
Use Self-Confidence to Your Advantage
If nothing else, personal branding for senior level managers can provide a major boost in self-confidence. Use this self-confidence to your advantage by standing by your decisions in any aspect of your career and becoming a resource for others within your industry. Complete self-confidence is rare, even among executives, so once you develop it, there are plenty of opportunities for you to boost your brand even more. Professional Resume Services goes beyond simply writing a resume for professionals. It is a big part of what we do, but we also look at the big picture to help executives with their careers. Whether it’s boosting professional branding through networking or simply creating an executive bio anyone will be impressed with, we are here to help. Be sure to contact us at any time for more tips on how personal branding can be used to your advantage.
5 Errors You Could be Making on Your LinkedIn Profile
Having a LinkedIn profile is important for executives today. Networking is such a critical part of business, and many professionals view LinkedIn as the best way to meet other professionals. When completing your profile, it’s important to ensure the right information is included. Sometimes a professional LinkedIn profile writer could be beneficial to provide advice and ensure you aren’t making these common mistakes.
Treating LinkedIn Like Other Social Media Platforms
It’s important to distinguish LinkedIn from Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. LinkedIn is a professional networking site, whereas most other platforms are more recreational. For the most part, treat LinkedIn as a way to enhance your career rather than enhancing your social encounters with friends like you would on other social media platforms.
Not Using A Professional Photo
LinkedIn is not a place to put a profile photo including your family or your pet. Use a professional headshot if available, or at the very least, find the most professional-looking photo of you that you have. The LinkedIn profile photo is one of the first things a person looks at, and an unprofessional photo can instantly give your credibility a hit.
Having an Incomplete Profile
Nothing tells a person you’re not totally committed to LinkedIn networking like having an incomplete profile. If someone sees your profile is incomplete, they will likely be hesitant to reach out to you, since they aren’t convinced you keep up with it and are active. A professional LinkedIn profile writer can help you fill out your profile appropriately.
Exaggerating Skills or Expertise
Whether it’s in your LinkedIn profile, your executive profile or anywhere else, it’s never advisable to exaggerate your skills or expertise. Being honest will benefit you in the long-term, and your LinkedIn profile is included in this. If you are dishonest about any of your accomplishments, the dishonesty will eventually be exposed and you will have to deal with a potentially tarnished reputation as a result.
Not Incorporating A Mix of Information
Yes, LinkedIn is a professional social networking site. However, not every single person is professional every minute of every day. Even hiring managers want to know what you do in your free time outside of work. Include a mix of personal information, such as volunteer projects, what you do for fun and anything else you deem appropriate. Demonstrating you have a life outside of work is just as important as demonstrating your professional expertise. Professional Resume Services assists job seekers and networkers by boosting their LinkedIn profile in creative ways. Sometimes you just need a professional LinkedIn profile writer to fill in the gaps or organize information in a way to make your profile more attractive. If you have any questions regarding LinkedIn or your profile specifically, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Strengthen Your Job Search with These LinkedIn Features
LinkedIn is constantly evolving and providing new features for its users. As such, a job seeker’s LinkedIn profile development has to also evolve constantly in order to keep up with the competition. It’s entirely possible to have created a LinkedIn profile, filled it out completely, but still aren’t having the success you expected. Don’t give up! You may just not be utilizing the right features. So if you’ve ever asked yourself, “how can I attract recruiters to my executive LinkedIn profile?” we’ve got some tips on specific features to help you out.
“How You Rank”
The “How You Rank” tool on LinkedIn helps you see how often your profile gets viewed in comparison to the amount of connections you have. As a job seeker, you want your profile to be viewed as much as possible so you’ll be noticed more and be seen as an influencer. Being in the top 25% on the “How You Rank” tool should be a goal to strive for, since you will be getting a high amount of profile views at that level. Another benefit of the tool is to see who is most influential within your network. The more active a user is, the more likely they will be willing to interact with you. And on a similar note, an active user is likely the person you want to interact with anyway, since they could be a more valuable connection to strengthen your job search.
Join and Be Active in Groups
If you aren’t sure how to optimize your LinkedIn profile in order to improve your “How You Rank” score, the best way to do so is by joining groups and being active in them. There are thousands of LinkedIn groups available, so find a handful of relevant ones and start connecting with the group members. The more active you are in groups, the more your profile will be viewed, and the higher your “How You Rank” score will climb.
Enhance Original Content With The Publishing Platform
Creating original content is another great way to improve your LinkedIn profile development. Now LinkedIn has a tool to allow you to publish your content under your profile photo, the header and at the top of your profile. This feature makes it easier than ever before to share your insightful content to anyone who views your profile. Now all you have to do is go to work to write the content, and the LinkedIn publishing platform will help you easily distribute it within your network. Professional Resume Services helps executives with LinkedIn profile development every day. LinkedIn is one of the most valuable tools for job seekers, but it also has to be used properly in order to be effective. If you aren’t sure how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, or would like more tips about how to best use it effectively, contact us at any time for a consultation.
Employers today are using applicant tracking systems (ATS) more than ever before. The purpose of ATS is to help hiring managers electronically sort through large stacks of resumes and to filter out unqualified candidates. As an executive job seeker, you have to keep ATS in mind when writing resumes that get you hired. You could put together the best executive resume format, but if certain keywords are missing from the resume, then it could quickly be sorted away. So how do you know if you are defeating ATS or if it’s defeating you? Here are important points to consider.
Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems
Applicant tracking systems can differ, so job applicants never really know what criteria any particular system has. The majority of them will pick out specific fields in the resume, such as relevant experience, educational background, contact information and other common headers. ATS can also identify keywords throughout the resume and use all the information to provide the recruiter or hiring manager with a score for the resume. The employer will have a certain score they look for, and if your resume does not pass, then it will never be looked at by human eyes.
Keywords Are Critical
Using the right keywords in your resume is critical for getting a passing ATS score. However, ATS can identify keyword stuffing as well, so they have to be used appropriately. The best professional resume writing services will help you strategically place your keywords throughout the resume, based on the keywords located in the job description and job requirements of the posting.
Is it Possible to Defeat ATS?
Many job seekers work diligently to have the best executive resume format and focus completely on defeating ATS. While it is entirely possible to include the right mix of keywords and relevant information on a resume, you have to remember that once you pass ATS, an actual human will read the resume as well. For example, if a certain job description requires a certification, you will eventually have to back up your claim that you either have the certification or are actively working to obtain it. Simply including the word “certification” in your resume may get through ATS, but it won’t help you land the job if you can’t back up the claim when a human asks you about it. Professional Resume Services understands the struggle of defeating ATS. Writing resumes that get you hired today is more difficult than ever before, mainly because of the automation and technology available to help hiring managers sort through resumes. Our professional resume writing services are available to help you through these struggles, so don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for assistance.
Make the Most Out of Your Executive Career This Year
Investing in your career is one of the most important investments you can make. Setting clear and achievable goals will help guide you where you need to be, and improving personal branding for senior level managers may happen naturally throughout the year. There’s no time like the present to start setting aggressive, yet attainable, goals to help you boost your career where you want it to be. Once you’ve developed your short-term and long-term goals, your mindset can shift to working toward them every single day. Here’s how to make the most out of your executive career this year.
Set Clear Goals
It’s impossible to get where you want to be if you don’t know where you’re going to begin. While it’s important to set yearly goals, you can also set monthly or quarterly goals to help you stay on track. If you’re in line for a promotion this year, think about what you can do to ensure you get it rather than get overlooked. If boosting personal branding for senior level managers is a goal, then you know you must attend networking events and make your name widely known throughout your industry. Clear goals will help you figure out what actions you need to take to reach them.
Make A Point to Network
Connecting with your network isn’t just reserved for when you’re looking for a job. Even the top rated resume writing services suggest to network as much as possible. This doesn’t mean you have to attend an event every night, but at the very least you can update your LinkedIn profile and check in with your connections frequently. Get advice from other professionals whom you look up to, and you may be able to develop a similar path to success. Plus, you never know when a new opportunity will arise, so you don’t want to miss out by not connecting with other professionals.
Create New Opportunities
Just because you’re happy and comfortable in your role doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive about new opportunities. Always do anything you can to improve your executive resume biography. This doesn’t mean simply changing the words. It means to accomplish more tasks in your current role in order to beef up your profile with relevant and meaningful accomplishments. By excelling in your current role, you can create new opportunities for yourself within the same company or be put in a better position to pursue other opportunities if you choose. Professional Resume Services is more than just one of the top rated resume writing services. We take a personal interest with each of our clients and we want to help you make the most out of your executive career in any way we can. Feel free to reach out to us at any time to learn more about how we can help you set goals to reach new career heights this year.
Must Have Communication Strategies for Every Executive Job Seeker
Effective communication skills used to be added benefits for an executive job seeker, but nowadays it’s a requirement. You’re expected to have top notch communication skills, so if you’re struggling with your job search, it may be time to look into boosting that aspect. Sometimes people don’t even realize they are communicating ineffectively on paper or in person until they hear it from professional executive resume writers. The good news is identifying any potential flaws is generally straightforward and fixing them is entirely possible. Here are some must-have communication strategies for every executive job seeker.
Communicate Clearly on Paper
Your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile are the three main components any hiring manager will look at. Since you never know which one they will look at first, all three have to be worded clearly and concisely. The key to effective written communication is telling your reader why you are the best candidate for the job in as few words as possible. Even an expert writer needs someone to look over their work to ensure the proper message is being presented, and professional executive resume writers can be that resource.
Validate Written Skills With Great Interpersonal Communication
Being a well-rounded communicator means your written skills need to be backed up by your verbal communication. Your verbal communication skills are put to the test every time you talk to someone, whether it’s at a networking event, a career fair or even a job interview. You have a chance to boost your c-level personal branding every time you say a word, so choose each word wisely and practice effective communication regularly. The worst thing you can do is call yourself an effective communicator in your resume, but your speech isn’t as polished as you make it sound on paper.
Control Your Online Presence
Your online presence is huge in today’s world. Many executives make the mistake of thinking if they don’t utilize social media and don’t create an account for a LinkedIn profile, then they won’t have an online presence to worry about. The reality is their online presence is still there, but they just don’t have any control over it if they choose to ignore it. Align your online communications with your c-level personal branding and control the message you want people to know about you. Professional Resume Services places a big emphasis on communication every time we meet with an executive. It’s important for your resume style to match your interpersonal communication style, so we take the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses clearly. Communication is such a vital part of an executive job search, so contact us if you need help developing or tweaking yours.
Most executives have the same job for numerous years, which means new resume trends have developed in the meantime. Even if you’ve only been at your current company for a few years, chances are your resume is already outdated from both stylistic and content perspectives. An executive resume writer can get your resume out of the past and modernize it to give you a better chance of being recognized. But before you hire one, here are some tips you can follow to determine on your own whether your resume is stuck in the past.
Ditch The Resume Template
Did you use a resume template for your last resume? If you did, it’s time to start over from scratch. The key to writing resumes that get you hired is making it stand out by using easy-to-read formatting, styles and effectively using white space. Plus, a vast majority of people will write their resume using a template, making it difficult to stand out. Do yourself a favor and ditch the resume template, and work with an executive resume writer instead.
Cut Out Wordy Text
The best way to eliminate wordy text is by having a clear direction with targeted content throughout your resume. You have about six seconds to impress your reader, and they won’t even take that long if they look at your resume and see more text than white space. Touch on main points, achievements, accomplishments and use concrete statistics wherever appropriate to eliminate wordiness and present meaningful information.
Remove The Objective Header
People used to think writing an effective resume meant starting off with an objective section. This used to state why you are applying for the job. This an obvious statement, because you are indirectly stating your objective by applying for the position in the first place. All it does is take up valuable space on your resume that can be used for more meaningful content instead. Check with an executive resume writer if you’re unsure how to effectively remove the objective section of your resume.
Don’t Mention References on Your Resume
Nowadays it’s understood you can provide references upon request. Don’t waste space on your resume by providing references or saying they are available. The interviewer may ask you for references, so it’s important to always have them available. Having a list of references at the bottom of your resume is a sure way to tell your potential employer that you’re not up-to-date with the latest resume trends. Professional Resume Services knows what goes into writing an effective resume, no matter the industry you work in. Modernizing the style of your resume is important for being recognized, but so is the type of information provided. We can help you with both aspects if needed, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you’re having a hard time getting your resume up to date.
