Cover Letter 101: Targeting Your Executive Cover Letter

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Professional Resume Services can help you craft excellent and effective cover letters for resumes.

Most recruiters look at a cover letter to screen for applicants before they even consider looking at a resume. You can’t understate the importance of targeting your executive cover letter, rather than just making a generic one. You’re not going to stand out if yours looks like everyone else’s and doesn’t really say anything pertaining to the job you want. Writing a great targeted cover letter takes some practice, and you may even consider a cover letter writing service to help you get started. Here are a few different things to keep in mind when writing yours.

Utilize Connections

Hopefully you’ve found the job you’re applying for by way of networking. If so, mention the person you connected with in the first sentence of the cover letter. You have to find a way to relate with the recruiter in cover letters for resumes, and there’s no better way to do it than to talk about something or someone they are familiar with. Talk about how you know the connection, where you met, what you heard about the job and, most importantly, why you and your connection think you are a good fit.

Why Do You Want This Job?

You have to learn about the company you’re applying for before you can write about why you want the job. When you mention statistics or facts about their company, they’ll know you did your research and are legitimately interested in working for them. Let them know what appeals to you about the job and the company specifically. Finally, one of the keys to good cover letters for resumes is specifically mentioning how you will contribute to the company’s growth.

Let Them Know Your Skills

Although having the proper education is critical to getting a job, the ultimate decision will come down to whether you have the right experience or not. Most of your skills will be present on your resume, but it doesn’t hurt to put a couple in your cover letter as well. As long as you tailor the skills to what the company needs, you can make it an effective cover letter. Again, just remember the more information you put about their company and how your skills match their needs, the better off you will be.
Constructing the perfect resumes that get you hired isn’t easy to do, but when you’ve mastered the art, you’ll be in better position to land your executive dream job. Some people have the misconception that the cover letter is designed to summarize your resume in a couple of paragraphs, but that’s actually not true. Your resume is about you, and the cover letter is about the company you’re applying for and how you will contribute.
It takes time and a lot of practice to get good at targeting your cover letter. If you have any questions or need any assistance along the way, just remember we are right here to help you, so get in touch with us at any time!

Don’t Include These Soft Skills on Your Executive Resume

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There’s nothing more unattractive to a recruiter than generic language in a resume. That includes soft skills as well. Executive resumes should be specific and show exactly what you bring to the table, not just the soft skills most people will throw on their resume just because they sound good. The best resume writing services will tell you to scrap most of the soft skills, even if the job description requires them. Here are some of the most common soft skills you should avoid on your executive resume.

  • Team Player
  • Hard Worker
  • Detail-Oriented
  • Self-Motivated
  • Dynamic
  • Results-driven
  • Think outside the box

What do all of these soft skills have in common? A lot of people think they have them, so they just put them on their resume with the hope they’ll get recognized. There’s no way yours will stand out among the crowd when it uses the same language as the rest. If these are the only skills you can think of, consider using professional resume writing services when you’re ready to update your resume.

Why Don’t These Soft Skills Work?

Even if a job description requires certain soft skills, it doesn’t mean you have to use them in your resume. Instead, wait and describe those skills when you land your interview. Your resume is supposed to stand out among the rest, so your chances of getting noticed on paper will increase if you avoid them all together.

Skills to Use Instead

An executive resume service will ask you for examples of work you’ve completed recently at your current job. The reason is because they want you to use specifics instead of generic soft skills. Instead of saying you’re a hard worker, describe a situation where you stayed late or got up early to get a project done on time. Conversely, explain a time where you had to think outside the box instead of just writing the phrase.
It’s also important to remember the job you’re applying for. You may have skills that sound great in your current job, but they may not be a good fit for the job you want. This is where the help of professional resume writing services comes into the picture. They can help you identify what skills and experiences transfer from your current job to your new job, and recommend specific keywords to get you noticed.
If you’re unsure about what soft skills you should be putting on your resume, if any, be sure to get in touch with us. You will likely spend a lot of time writing your executive resume, so it’s always good to have a professional to review it and make suggestions!

What You Should Know About Hiring a Professional Resume Writer

BlogResume Writing
Get help writing an executive resume.

Crafting a perfect resume is a skill most people don’t have, and that’s okay! It’s never a bad thing to try to put together your resume yourself, but where most people go wrong is by not seeking out second opinions on their resume’s quality. Writing an effective resume takes time and precision, so if you don’t have those luxuries, hiring a professional resume writer may be your best option. However, before you do so, make sure you keep these points in mind so you aren’t disappointed when you speak with a professional resume writer.

Determine Whether You Really Need a Professional Resume Writer

You’ll have many factors to consider when it comes to hiring a professional resume writing service. If you don’t have a clear sense of what position you want next, even the best writer won’t be able to craft your resume to perfection. Get really clear on exactly what you want to do. A professional resume writer is good at highlighting your current skills and applying them to the type of job you’re seeking. Our writers work at creating your “story”– what you’ve done in your career and how you can do this for them. To do this effectively, you will need to gather as much information from your past that will be relevant to the next role.

How Professional Resume Writers Can Help

Professional resume writers will craft resumes that get you hired in just about any industry you’re skilled in. With that said, if you’re well established in your industry and are looking for a pay raise, increased responsibilities or other promotions, you’ll definitely benefit from a professional writing your resume because they can help you seamlessly transition your experience into the next role. Even the smallest mistake in your resume could be detrimental to your chances of being hired because of the competition you face.

Know What You’re Getting Into

You can’t just go to a professional resume writing service without any information and expect them to work magic for you. The best thing you can do is write your own resume first and submit it for review and feedback. Most services will be honest with you because they don’t want to waste their time if you don’t need their expertise.
If they do recommend you hire them, it probably won’t be cheap. Depending on the type of resume you want to create, it could cost several hundred dollars or more. You just have to ask yourself whether it’s worth it to you if it helps you get the job you want. Most of the time, the answer is yes. There are many keys to writing an effective resume, and even one little mistake could send your resume off the tracks with a potential employer.

Executives: Don’t Put These 5 Things in Your Resume!

BlogExecutive Resumes
Using the best executive resume writers will prevent these mistakes.

Executive resumes deserve just as much attention as a resume for any other job. You may be surprised to know most resumes for executive positions are generally poorly done. However, that just gives you the opportunity to shine brightly when it comes to your resume! Your executive bio needs to stand out from the rest. Most importantly, it needs to be error-free and you need to avoid putting some things in it altogether. We’ve compiled a list of five common, but unnecessary, things people put in their executive resumes.

Too Wordy

As an executive, you likely have many accomplishments and all of them are important to you. However, if you put too much on your resume, recruiters may stop reading it and move on to the next one. The best executive resume writers will include two or three key points to highlight skills and then move on. Think concise. Ask yourself, “Does this need to be on here?” You don’t want to overwhelm recruiters on paper.

Omitting Keywords

In today’s digital world, most resumes are scanned online for specific keywords pertaining to the job. Sometimes the keywords are more important than the substance in the resume. Look at the job description and use a lot of the words they use to describe the job. If you need help identifying specific keywords, you can always reach out to an executive resume service for assistance.

Focusing Too Much on Job Descriptions

Talk briefly about your job duties at your past jobs, but focus more on what you accomplished in those roles. Everyone can describe what they did at a particular job, but highlighting how well you did your job looks much better on paper.

Not Highlighting Achievements

This is where you need to use numbers and percentages to show how you made an impact in your previous jobs. Your executive bio will be much stronger if you say you “increased sales by 40 percent over 12 months” rather than just saying you “helped boost sales.” Be specific about your achievements so your next employer knows what you have to offer before you even step foot in their office.

Not Targeting Your Prospective Employer

Having a generic resume may be fine if you’re applying for a lower level position, but you need to do a little more work upfront for an executive level position. Do some research about the job and company you’re applying to. Identify how you can help them and include those points in your resume. The best executive resume writers will focus more on how they can help potential hirers, rather than what they’ve done in the past.

Social Media Makeover: What to Do Before You Start Hunting

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Learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Believe it or not, the majority of employers will review your social media profiles before hiring you. Social media used to be just a fun way to communicate with friends online, but since it’s been booming in recent years, recruiters are also utilizing social media. It basically gives employers free access to see how you interact with others, how clearly you communicate ideas and what you do when you’re not at work. LinkedIn is one of the most popular platforms recruiters use so you need to learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile before you get on the job hunt!

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

Since LinkedIn is a professional social network, most recruiters will begin their search there. However, many people don’t keep up with their profile and experiences, which could cost them a potential job. If you don’t know exactly what should go on your page, you may consider looking into a LinkedIn profile writing service to help highlight your skills.
Your profile could essentially be your first foot in the door to a potential employer. If they are impressed with your LinkedIn page, you are more likely to be included on their radar. If you don’t have the page filled out or if it’s sloppy, your chances are reduced significantly.

Make It Pop

Users are limited in how they can change their LinkedIn page so you need to make the most of what you have. LinkedIn profile development is a tough skill to master, but it can be done with a little time and effort. In addition to filling out the information on the page itself, you could also design a creative resume to upload. Of course, how creative you get depends on the job you’re searching for, but you get the idea.

Check Other Social Media Platforms

Just because LinkedIn is the main professional social network doesn’t mean employers will only look at it and none of your other pages. You have to assume they will check your Facebook, Twitter and any other pages you may have. Similar to learning how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you have to do the same with other platforms as well. Remove any embarrassing photos you wouldn’t want an employer to see. So many optimal candidates get passed over because of inappropriate photos, chatter, etc. Go through your communications to make sure you haven’t posted anything offensive that could deter a recruiter. Don’t forget to add privacy settings to all social media you wouldn’t want an employer to see.
Fixing up your social media profiles is probably the first thing you need to do before you even send out your resumes. It only takes a matter of seconds for a recruiter to do a quick search for your name and know a lot about you.

Are You Limiting Your Job Search Potential?

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Stand out with the help of professional resume writers.
While no one intentionally wants to sell themselves short, it is unfortunately a common aspect of human behavior. This isn’t always the result of low self-esteem. Sometimes this happens as a result of developing bad habits and getting stuck in them for too long. Case in point: your resume. Quite a few people struggle with their job search for months, only to visit professional resume writers and learn their resume is the majority of the problem! Your resume is supposed to help your chances of finding work, not hinder it! Here are a few ways you can help yourself.

Don’t View Your Accomplishments Through the Wrong Lens

Many people think of their accomplishments from previous jobs as being the general responsibilities associated with them. This is not only false, but downplays your own unique skills tremendously. Never list your basic duties under your accomplishments! Rather, think about what you did for the position that no one else could.
Think about what impact you left upon the previous companies you’ve worked for and anything you’ve received commendation for. This is worth mentioning. It provides potential employers with an excellent picture of what kind of employee you’ll be and why you’re worth bringing aboard over everyone else looking for the same position.

Adopt More Efficient Means of Looking for Work

If you’re looking at specific companies to work for, simply filling out their online job application won’t do you any favors. You have to hit them where it counts! It’s easier than you think to find out who’s in charge of hiring at your desired workplace. All it takes, in fact, is a bit of googling!
You can then contact them by email. What should you put in this email? A cover letter appealing to the company and its needs is a great place to start! Before you start penning this email, be sure to look carefully over the job listing you’ve found for a second time. You’ll want to be sure to hit a majority of the points featured on it. Remember you can always turn to a cover letter writing service for help with this task.

Keep Your Skills in Mind

Skills are becoming more important than ever to today’s job market, meaning you’ll have to have a clear idea of what your individual skills are and how they can apply to your industry of choice. If you aren’t sure what these skills are, you run the risk of marketing yourself inefficiently to employers and being passed over for a valuable opportunity. Too many job seekers are unable to properly identify what qualifies as a skill. Luckily, you can rely on top rated resume writing services to help you hash out the best way to frame your skill set.
At Professional Resume Services, we believe you deserve the best job available for your level of expertise and experience. This is why we work closely with job seekers to ensure their resume adequately reflects their potential as employees and appeals to industry recruiters. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to help improve your resume and display your full potential!

Five Lesser Known Facts to Potentially Include on Your Resume

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Make the right choices with the best resume writing service.
Resumes are hard work. As one of the leading teams of executive resume writers, we’ve witnessed this fact up close several times over and we understand. It’s tricky to know just how to market yourself and appeal to potential employers, regardless of what industry you’re in. To help make it easier, we’ve put together this list of potentially great additions to your resume that could be of interest to a recruiter!

1. Qualifications

This could be a great piece of information to list about yourself as an alternative to the “objective” section of your resume. This is a surefire way to appeal to employers because it gives them an idea of what you’re capable of right away and reveals the most important aspects of what makes you hire-able.
Depending on what the job posting says, you may want to go into more detail with this section. Consider including how long you’ve utilized this particular skill in the workforce, as well as anything else that will help you look especially qualified, such as any related professional skills.

2. Titles

When you’re listing out your prior work experience on your executive resume bio, don’t skirt around your position there! Titles are an extremely important indicator of your status within the company and could generate further interest from a recruiter. They also give potential employers a better idea of what your responsibilities were at your previous jobs and what they can expect from you should they hire you to work for them.

3. Details and Numbers

Specificity can catch an employer’s eye, not just in the realm of job titles, but also in terms of your responsibilities and accomplishments while there. Don’t be afraid to brag a little, but be sure to stay truthful! Include precise numbers when talking about how you’ve made a difference in your previous positions. This includes percentages and other quantifiers. Recruiters will latch on to this and keep it in mind.

4. Languages

While bilingualism wasn’t necessarily as desired in the past, it is becoming increasingly important to today’s recruiters, especially as industries across the board become increasingly international. If you speak any additional languages, it may be a good idea to include them on your resume, depending on what your field is. Though it’s a small detail, it could create an important tipping point as far as whether you’re called in for an interview or not.

5. Education

Again, adding in your education depends largely on the type of job you’re applying for and, potentially, how long you’ve been out of school. Your educational history will be more important if you’re a recent graduate as opposed to a seasoned professional who earned their last degree 15 years ago. However, if the job you’re applying for wants a degree of a certain type, it may be a good idea to include your degree information if it matches, regardless of how long it’s been since you received it.
While these suggestions aren’t guaranteed to get you hired, they could serve as an eye-catching factor for an employer. Of course, to make your resume a true standout, you’ll want to turn to the best resume writing service available. Never hesitate to get in touch and learn the newest tips and tricks for fine-tuning your resume!

Functional or Chronological: Which Is the More Effective Format for Your Resume?

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Use chronological as the best executive resume format.
The differences in resume formatting seem to be a little-known fact among job hunters. Most people have learned to write out a resume in one way or another and learn about any alternative methods later on in life, either when they no longer are submitting resumes to recruiters or are in the throes of a job search. Currently, there are two types of resume formats: functional and chronological. Both of them have their advantages. It will serve any executive resume writer well to know about both formats in order to decide which will better suit their needs.

Functional Resumes

You can think of a functional resume as something of a professional showcase. It is meant to underline what you can do. In other words, it’s about the experiences you’ve had and the skills you’ve gathered and developed. These two elements of your career history should receive the most focus on this type of resume. While chronological information can still be included, it should be kept brief and be written last.
Generally, you will write a functional resume so each skill you’d like to discuss serves as a header. You can then devote a few lines underneath to discuss what this skill entailed and how you’ve utilized it throughout your career positions. You will also have to talk a little bit about yourself at the top of the page, mainly about your academic and career history. Again, this should also be brief.
This format may prove useful for some executives in the middle of switching careers. However, it isn’t the best executive resume format in the eyes of hiring managers and recruiters. Using a functional resume may give off the impression you have large gaps in your work or academic history or you otherwise have some other detractor from your hireability you don’t want to divulge.

Chronological Resumes

Unlike functional resumes, chronological resumes basically serve as a timeline of your career history. Resumes of this type list out your full work history from your newest position to your oldest, as well as a bit about your skill set and similar information. Under each position you list, you’ll also include a bit about the tasks you fulfilled, along with any accolades you’ve earned while there.
Those with a lot of experience in their chosen field will find this resume format the most helpful, as will newly graduated college students. Recruiters will also find this format much easier to sort through and read. However, this type of resume can be misleading when it comes to shorter career positions you’ve held, and your skills will be downplayed considerably.
We consider this to be the most useful resume format because it displays all important information up front with no risk of miscommunication. It is especially useful for downplaying any existing gaps in your work history. Every recruiter and hiring manager will recognize and accept this format so you’re far less likely to hurt your chances of gaining their interest. We recommend making chronological resumes your first choice!
Writing a resume is understandably tough. However, picking the right format can help move things along. If you’re still unsure of the best way to organize your resume, you can always consult the best resume writing services for suggestions on which resume format to use! Be sure to get in touch to get the help you need and land the job of your dreams!