Which Skills Are the Most Optimal for Any Job Search?

As an executive professional, you’ve undoubtedly picked up several skills throughout your career—so many, in fact, that you may not know where to start in listing them on your resume! However, if you’re looking for a new executive position, some skills are more beneficial to your hiring prospects than others. Here are a few skills that can help you with any job search.

1. Writing

You’re going to have to do some form of writing at just about any job you get. As a result, strong writing skills will benefit you no matter what job search route you take. If writing is your strong suit, you can showcase it on your executive LinkedIn profile by attaching some of your best reports to your page. Be sure to check that you aren’t bound by an NDAs before you do this, however; while you want to show off your strengths, you don’t want to divulge sensitive information in the process. To get around this, you can always draw up a mock report instead.

2. Project Management

If you’ve shown the ability to manage both large and small projects in the workforce, you’ll be putting yourself ahead of the game. The best resume writing services will ask you about your project management experience first because it’s a skill employers look at very seriously. Project management takes multitasking, the ability to rein others in and encourage teamwork to complete a task and much more. Listing this ability will prove you’re worth your salt as an executive.

3. Leadership

You will have a hard time finding an executive-level job if you don’t have any leadership experience. Employers want to hire someone who is independent and can help guide others on the team. If you’re able to display some examples on your executive LinkedIn profile, you’ll look impressive to hiring executives.

4. Advanced Office Management

A competent expert can ultimately help workflow improve the office by streamlining how the staff carries out their day-to-day activities. This skill ties in closely to leadership and project management, mentioned above. When you talk to a cover letter writing service, be sure and tell them what type of office skills you have so they can help you paint the best picture on your cover letter and resume. Anyone can say they have office skills, but giving concrete examples will make your experience stand out among the rest.

5. Multilingual

Speaking multiple languages fluently is great for business today. You may not have learned different languages in order to land your dream job, but it will definitely help you out in the long run. Companies looking to expand globally need multilingual employees and executives. Be sure to provide examples on your resume or cover letter.
These are just some of the most optimal general skills to help with any job search. If you’re having a hard time coming up with your best skills, feel free to reach out to us and we can help you find your strengths.

Six of the Most Common Errors Made by Networking Event Attendees

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As an executive, you have been in the workforce for many years. Therefore, you know the importance of make the most out of networking events as you search for new opportunities. Networking events present people with amazing opportunities to get to know recruiters and learn more about different companies. However, it can be easy to botch a networking event if you make any of these common errors.

1. Going in Unprepared

The first thing you need to do is ask yourself, “How do I create the most effective executive resume?” Even if you have a plethora of experience to add, you may find yourself struggling with knowing where to start and what’s most important to include. Once you find the answer to that question, you can take that initial step into being prepared for your networking event. If you try to use your old resume, you likely won’t find much success and will just be wasting your time. If you find you need help updating and organizing your resume properly, you can always get in touch with a resume writing service.

2. Not Treating Networking Events as Interviews

Colleagues will ask you questions when you’re at a networking event. This is by design, because a networking event is essentially an initial interview and a chance to make a great first impression. Just like you, businesses are trying to find a good match. Now would be the time to brush up on your LinkedIn profile development, because recruiters could (and will) check out your profile right after speaking with you. It never hurts to cover all of your bases. Linkedin is also a great way to do a little digital networking in your spare time.

3. You Don’t Accurately Represent Your Skills

You know all the most important elements to include on a resume. The hard part is figuring out how it all ties into the position you’re seeking with a company. Tailoring your resume for specific positions is a vital aspect of c-level personal branding. It’s not enough to simply list out all of your accomplishments, but to do so with the goals of the company in mind. Think about how you could benefit them and how your skills match their objectives, and you’ll go that much farther come the day of the networking event.

4. Not Visiting With Other Employers

Don’t be laser focused on one or two company employees at a networking event. You may be passing up a great opportunity that was right in front of you! At least shake hands with other executives and strike up conversations with them. They may not have an opening for your position now, but that could change at any time.

5. Not Doing Homework

This may go without saying, but people in the industry talk to each other. It’s likely that your colleagues already know about you, so you need to return the favor. This could start with getting to know the company’s executives on LinkedIn, but you also need to research information about the specifics of the company. Don’t hesitate to really dig in and learn as much about the companies you’re interested in as you can. The more you know about them and their mission and values, the more productive your meetings and small talk will be at these networking events.

6. Expecting Immediate Results and Accommodation

As an executive, there’s no doubt you’re extremely experienced and qualified for the positions at this networking event. However, you’re not the only one. Yes, you’ve accomplished a lot over the course of your career, but you should never let your achievements go to your head in the middle of a professional event! Remember: you’re up against some stiff competition. Going into the networking event expecting a job right off the bat because of your credentials is a recipe for major self-sabotage. Be humble, be gracious and be open. Try to meet as many new contacts as possible, and stay in touch with them. Even if you don’t get a job right off the bat, going to this event could lead to a new and satisfying position down the road.
Networking events are great resources to find job opportunities you may not have known were even out there. When you’re ready to attend a networking event, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need help preparing so you don’t make these mistakes or others.

Do These Myths About LinkedIn Help or Harm?

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LinkedIn is one of the best online social networking tools you can use to help land the job you want. However, there are some myths you need to know of in order to completely reap the benefits of your LinkedIn profile service. Some of them are helpful to know about, while others could completely put a halt to your job search if you aren’t careful.

Myth #1 – Only Connect With People You Know Well

The first thing LinkedIn profile development services will tell you is you don’t want to connect with just anyone, but you also shouldn’t only connect with people you know personally. There’s nothing wrong with sending an invitation to connect with someone who you met at a social event, or maybe even in a virtual group on LinkedIn itself. As long as there is a mutual benefit to be had, the other person will appreciate the invitation.

Myth #2 – LinkedIn is Only Beneficial for Job Hunts

When utilized correctly, LinkedIn can help develop your personal brand and properly depict your career progression over the years. If you need to, consult a professional LinkedIn profile writer to help keep your profile up-to-date. Even if you aren’t actively looking for a job, a recruiter may come across your profile and offer a better opportunity to you. Also, by using LinkedIn actively, you can keep track of your connections and find out some interesting things about your industry from real people who are in it with you.

Myth #3 – Building a LinkedIn Profile Will Create Job Offers

It doesn’t matter if you are a professional LinkedIn profile writer or not, simply posting a profile won’t send job offers flying in to you. It’s possible for you to receive a few inquiries, but you also have to be somewhat active on the site. Even more importantly, if you are searching for a job, make it clear in your profile. Put your contact information clearly where a recruiter can see it to make it easier for them to get in touch with you.

Myth #4 – LinkedIn Groups Don’t Provide Real Benefits

Some people think LinkedIn groups won’t benefit them much. However, if you ask a LinkedIn profile service, they may tell you you’re not using LinkedIn groups properly. Many people join groups, but don’t engage in them. If you start conversations and intellectual discussions, other people are more likely to join in. By networking with other executives, you’ll be able to help each other stay on top of your respective industries. The more the people in the group see your name, the more they will remember it if a job opportunity ever becomes available.
There are a lot of facts and myths when it comes to online networking, and LinkedIn is no different. Whether you’re just beginning to create a LinkedIn profile, or if you are stuck and need to give yours a facelift, feel free to reach out and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

Could You Be Damaging Your Job Interview Success?

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Job interviews can be intimidating, no matter what level you are in your field. There’s a lot of pressure involved, as you’re faced with yet another situation where you have to make a positive impression on a prospective employer—with the added complication of having to speak practically on the fly. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to mess up under this situation. We’re here to inform you of some of the most common interview mistakes and how you can avoid them.

1. Revealing Too Much About Your Location

Remote work has yet to really catch on in today’s business climate. As such, the majority of employers are looking for someone who lives close enough to the company to commute on a regular basis. Needless to say, someone who lives too far away from headquarters to commute a reasonable distance or needs time to move across the country may not get chosen over the other candidates.
It’s never worth it to lie on your resume about where you live just so you can land a certain position, nor is it worth it to try to haggle your way into a job by admitting you live too far away but your skills are so valuable they should tweak the position’s requirements just for you. Employers can see your location on your executive LinkedIn profile, anyway.

2. Lack of Post-Interview Communication

Your correspondence with the interviewer never ends once the interview is over, even if you don’t get the job. It’s important to consider the time the company has already invested in you, and respond accordingly. Be sure to send along a formal word of thanks to your prospective employer for the time they’ve spent on the hiring process, if only for the sake of maintaining a good impression. We know you’re probably extremely busy, b you’ll want to take the time to sit down and follow up with the company after you interview.
Failing to give your thanks may leave a bad taste in an employer’s mouth, giving them pause as to whether to keep in further touch with you. As you may know, people in your industry talk, and that bad taste may spread to other executives and companies in your field. You can always turn to a cover letter writing service for help with your thank you letter, if you aren’t sure what to say. Your efforts will be appreciated, even if you don’t land the job! The company may keep you in mind when it comes to other openings, or pass your information along to another company who could use someone with your credentials.

3. Excessive Jargon

It’s a well-known fact if you’re going to be involved within a specific industry you have to know what you’re talking about. Some jargon is just going to be part of daily business conversation. However, you shouldn’t use so much industry speak that those around you will need a dictionary to figure out what you’re talking about! There’s such a thing as too much specialized language, even among people in your industry. While your coworkers may be able to understand what you’re saying, it’s possible that your interviewer works in another area in the company (like human resources) and isn’t as fluent. You can rely on the best resume writing services to help you tweak your resume and cover letter so that anyone in the company can understand what skills you can add to their executive team.
There are many other ways you can help you land and succeed during your first interview. You can always turn to us for help with this or any other step of your job hunting process. And as always, reach out to us any time for job hunting assistance, executive LinkedIn profile assistance or answers to your questions!

Our Guide to Creating a Better Targeted Resume for Executives

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Finding a job in the 21st century requires both the ability to self-promote and a bit of marketing savvy. With the invention of sites like LinkedIn, it is now easier than ever to show prospective employers what you can offer them. Having top-notch resumes and cover letters is vital when trying to get taken seriously by business professionals.
Targeting your resume for a particular job is a great way to show an employer how well you’re suited to that company and position. When trying to create targeted resumes that get you hired, be sure to consider the following factors.

You Don’t Have to Start From Scratch

The biggest mistake you can make when trying to create targeted resumes and cover letters is starting from scratch. Your existing resume will have a lot of useful information in it and can be altered to make it more targeted. Ideally, you will want to have a “summary of qualifications” section on your existing resume.
Each time you apply for a new job and want to target the resume, you can edit this section to make it specific to a particular company. By not throwing the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to your resume, you will be able to save a lot of time and energy.

Make Your Cover Letter Shine

One of the first things an employer will look at is your cover letter. Droning on about things unrelated to the job you are applying for will usually end in your resume getting tossed aside. You’ll want to make sure your cover letter is written as concisely as possible. Carefully read over the job listing and see what type of qualifications the company has outlined.
Baiting the hook with a great cover letter is an important part of landing the right job. Working in the relevant experience you have may make your cover letter more appealing. However, many executives flounder when it comes to crafting their cover letter simply because they have so much experience, it can be hard to know what’s worth including. You have to learn where to trim the fat—which the top rated resume writing services can help you with!

Show The Reader of the Resume You Have Done Your Homework

Your main objective when trying to create targeted resumes that get you hired is standing out from the other applicants. Doing your homework when it comes to the company you are seeking employment with is wise. A great way to catch the reader’s eye is to include something in your cover letter regarding the company’s history.
Don’t be afraid to delve deep with your research and learn as much about the company as you can. Merely mentioning a company’s Fortune 500 status will not garner as much attention as a lesser known factoid about their achievements or their work in the community. An easy way to get a feel for their brand and their proudest achievements is through their website. Pick out facts that align closely with your own qualifications and try to relate the two.
Once you get started, you will probably realize creating a targeted resume is not an easy process. Letting top rated resume services, like Professional Resume Services, handle the targeting process could mean better job search results. Be sure to contact us to discuss how we can help you in the pursuit of resume excellence.

What Should You Always Incorporate Into Your Cover Letter?

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Cover letters are and have always been one of the trickiest parts of the job hunting process. Cover letters are a great way to show potential employers how your skills can benefit the company before they even look at your resume. Many experts wonder just how to approach writing a cover letter, and where the differences between resumes and cover letters really lie. In this blog, we’ll cover exactly how to format your cover letter and what’s worth including to boost your chances of success.

Conciseness

One of the most important things to remember when writing cover letters for resume is that the two shouldn’t be identical! Yes, your cover letter will contain some of the same information found in your resume, but you don’t need or have to include every single facet. Remember: hiring executives only have a few seconds to read your information. It’s best to keep your cover letter short and to the point, so you don’t waste the recruiter’s time and have a higher chance of getting called back.

Talk About the Company

Before you draft the first sentence of your cover letter, you should do ample research about the company you’re looking to work for. Just like your resume, your cover letter should be targeted to the employer. The best way to research the company is to network! Talk to other executives to see how you could contribute to their business and fit into their office culture. You’ll also want to be sure to look into their work within and contributions to the industry, as well as any other companies they compete with. Showing you know quite a bit about their company will prove you’re invested and worth hiring. You may just find something similar to your own work achievements, which you can tie into your cover letter.

Your Strengths

One of the primary functions of resumes and cover letters is to illustrate your strengths and what you have to offer to a company. Be sure to go into these qualities in your cover letter. Talk about your skills and accomplishments you’ve gained throughout your career, what these mean and how they’d make you a valuable member of the company.
You should be trying to sell yourself as much as possible. Just don’t overdo it! You don’t want to come off as a braggart, though a bit of boasting is okay. Stick to as much factual information as possible by talking about how you’ve affected the industry, any similar or competitive companies you’ve worked for in the past and your experiences within your chosen field.

Referrals

Knowing someone who may have turned you onto the company will help you immediately catch a hiring executive’s eye. In fact, you may want to point out this fact right away. Networking is and has always been an important part of landing a job. Over your many years of career experience, you’ve undoubtedly amassed a large number of contacts and referrals. Now’s the time to really rely on them! A referral can vouch for you and your ability to be a great addition to the company. You never want to pass up on someone putting in a good word for you.
We understand writing cover letters isn’t easy with so much experience under your belt, so we hope this blog will start you off on the right foot. You can always turn to a cover letter writing service for any extra help you may need to get started or sort out any kinks. If you have any questions about your executive cover letter, feel free to get in touch with us!

Job Searching at 50+: A Guide for Older Employees

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Some older people believe they should easily be able to get a new job because of their extensive experience. While that seems reasonable, there’s a lot more to take into consideration. A lot of companies today are looking for younger people out of college with a few years of experience and new ideas. The general perception is older people won’t come in with those new ideas and may be difficult to train. Here is a quick guide for older employees embarking on a new job search.

What to Put In a Cover Letter

The best resume writing services will suggest not bragging about your experience. Instead of indicating how many years of experience you have, simply state your “significant” experience. Also, avoid re-stating your job history in your cover letter. Even though your approximate age will be evident in an interview, you don’t want to show your age on paper. You should consider emphasizing your willingness to learn and adapt to new ideas and combine that with your proven experience and results.

Brushing Up Your Resume

There is some gray area when it comes to what information to put on your resume when you have 25+ years of experience. It’s easy to list out all the jobs you have and their corresponding dates, but it’s also easy for a recruiter to add up your age. While age shouldn’t play a big factor in the job search process, the unfortunate reality of “agism” is there. Many executive resume services will tell you to focus on results in your resume. Besides, if you have so much experience to talk about, potential employers want to know what you accomplished with that experience. You can also summarize your early experience into a paragraph that lets the reader know what you did without the redundancy of jobs going back 30+ years.

Be Honest, But Not Too Extensive

You shouldn’t lie about your age, but you also shouldn’t give it to a potential employer willingly unless they ask for it. If you aren’t sure how to portray your age on paper, the best resume writing services can help you out. Lying on your resume or cover letter is the worst thing you can do. Sometimes you just have to be creative in order to get your foot in the door for an interview. At that point, it’s up to you to nail the interview!

Your Online Presence

Older employees may or may not be on professional networking sites like LinkedIn. Having a complete LinkedIn profile is great for adding accomplishments you don’t want to put on your resume. However, you have to also be careful with your LinkedIn profile development and avoid putting too much information out there. The use of keywords is critical when creating a LinkedIn profile. Sometimes people will overlook your age if they see you have the exact amount of experience they are looking for.

Our Top Three Secrets Regarding the Job Hunting Process

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Once you’ve made the decision to start your career or change careers, you’ve finished the easy part. Now the job hunting process begins, and it can be mentally and physically draining. The first thing you have to learn is the key to writing an effective resume in order to have a chance at landing the job you want. However, that’s not the only aspect of getting a job. With so many approaches and tactics candidates use to get recognized, you need to know the best ways to get noticed. Here are my top three secrets you need to know regarding the job hunting process.

Most Jobs Are Discovered By Networking

If you spend hours a day searching through online job boards, you are wasting a lot of time. Since employers receive hundreds or thousands of applications through online job boards, it’s a minor miracle if yours gets noticed. Your time may be better spent attending networking events for the career you want to pursue.
Check out some professional resume writing services to have a top-notch resume ready to hand out to potential employers and recruiters. You will be surprised at how many jobs come from knowing someone within the industry rather than sending in a resume online or through email.

Employers Search Social Networks

Before you begin any sort of job search, you need to clean up your social media profiles. Most employers will search your name online to find out what you post and try to figure out your lifestyle. If you have embarrassing photos or post vulgar comments to your profile, you will quickly eliminate yourself from consideration. I can’t tell you how many rude political comments I’ve seen on FB and LinkedIn that will be an instant turnoff. Hold your tongue.
You should also spend a decent amount of time on LinkedIn profile development. LinkedIn is a trusted source for recruiters, and they will use it more often than not. Use the platform as an opportunity to showcase your skills and add on to what your resume already says.

Recruiters Don’t Spend Much Time Reading Resumes

On average, a recruiter will spend about six seconds reading a resume. Because of this fact, the key to writing an effective resume is to make it stand out immediately. Don’t ramble on about your experience or accomplishments. Summarize them as much as possible in bullet points or another easy-to-read format. Use bold and underlined text to also draw the reader’s attention to the areas you want them to focus on. By following these tips, your resume will stand out.