Networking is difficult for people for many different reasons. One of those reasons may be because the person doesn’t want anyone else to go out of their way for their benefit. This is especially true if your main purpose for networking is to makes sales or build your business in different ways. However, one of the major breakthroughs people have when they feel uncomfortable networking is offering something beneficial to others without expecting anything in return. This takes a lot of pressure off of the interaction and will boost your c-level personal branding more than you’d think. Networking while helping others is entirely possible, and here are some ways to do it.
Be A Resource On LinkedIn
You should already have a LinkedIn profile, so utilize the platform to help others when you can. Many times people in your network will ask questions you may know the answer to. Alternatively, you can join LinkedIn groups relevant to your career and participate in discussions. Simply offering your expertise and being a valuable resource to others will increase your c-level personal branding and you never know what it will lead to.
Offer Your Expertise For Free
Not every person you network with will be able to help you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help them. If you connect with someone who could use your expertise, don’t be afraid to help them out for free a time or two. While you may not get a direct return on it, they will always remember you and you may end up getting some referrals from them down the road.
Pass Along Referrals
Speaking of referrals, if you know of an expert who could solve a problem for someone you’re networking with, feel free to pass along their information. Again, you may never see a direct benefit in your own profession by doing this, but the expert whom you referred will be appreciative and will likely jump at the opportunity to help you out in return when they have the chance. Nothing benefits c-level personal branding more than being selfless, and passing along referrals is one way to do it.
Be Active Online
Finally, you never know what networking opportunities you’ll run into online if you aren’t active. Brush up your LinkedIn profile and start interacting with your connections or members of a group. You could also look for relevant blogs or forums and engage in professional discussions. Your expertise could be invaluable to someone and it won’t even feel like you’re making an effort to network, which makes the process much easier and less stressful. Professional Resume Services is a team of professional executive resume writers who pride themselves on being engaged with their clients’ job search. Networking is a big part of any career, but many people still don’t completely understand the importance of it. We are here to make networking an easy and fun process by providing you tips on how to do so effectively. If there’s any way we can help you advance or take your career to the next level, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
An executive resume cover letter shouldn’t simply restate your resume in paragraph form. If you’ve been crafting your resume like this, then it’s time to revisit some of the basics of cover letter writing. The purpose of a cover letter is to sell yourself to the potential employer you are interested in working for. This may mean adding some details or specifics to things already present on your resume, but simply restating the information is a great way for yours to get overlooked. Here are some of the basics of writing an executive resume cover letter.
Grab The Reader’s Attention
The first sentence of your cover letter should grab the reader’s attention enough to where they want to continue reading. You could even start it off with a question. Read the job description thoroughly to see exactly what the employer is looking for to fill their open position. And when you ask the question, be sure the answer to it is “yes”. Not only will this immediately get the reader’s attention, but it will also suggest you are the answer to the problem they need to solve.
Demonstrate Past Success
The most effective resumes and cover letters will give specific examples of your past accomplishments and success. If you helped increase sales numbers by a certain percentage, explain those numbers briefly. Just remember there’s a fine line between giving success stories and coming across as arrogant, so it could be valuable to visit a cover letter writing service to make sure you aren’t crossing the line in your writing inadvertently.
Provide Statistics
Statistics are always going to grab the attention of a reader. Many times a hiring manager will scan resumes and cover letters quickly and look for bold, italics, numbers and percentages and start reading from that point. The main thing to remember is to make sure the statistics you provide from your past jobs are relevant to the role you’re applying for now. Potential employers are only interested in your past success if it can easily translate to help them.
Invite Interaction
Putting in some sort of call-to-action shows a genuine interest on your part. Every cover letter writing service will suggest either telling the reader how they can contact you or saying you will follow-up in a certain amount of time. If you choose to include the latter, be sure to follow through with your commitment since you never know if they are anxiously awaiting your call. Professional Resume Services can help you with all aspects of your executive resume cover letter. Whether you have a blank piece of paper and don’t know where to start or if you’ve got a first draft and need a skilled proofreader and editor, we are here for you. Your cover letter is important and should take some time to craft perfectly, so contact us at any time for assistance or advice.
Are You Too Concerned with Your Privacy to Use LinkedIn?
It’s only natural to be concerned about your privacy with anything you post online about yourself. In fact, sometimes people will refuse to use social media platforms, including LinkedIn, due to privacy concerns. While everyone has their own views on this subject, it’s also important to know the ramifications of not having an executive LinkedIn profile when conducting a job search. Here are some of the main points you need to know about the consequences of not having a LinkedIn profile.
Hiring Managers Expect To See A Candidate’s LinkedIn Profile
In this day and age, recruiters and hiring managers will look at an executive LinkedIn profile before they even look at a resume, in some cases. If you don’t have a profile set up, it could send a message that you’re behind the times, aren’t technologically savvy and more. While these may not necessarily be fair assumptions, it’s the reality of the times we live in today. If you’re truly concerned about privacy, consider working with LinkedIn profile development services you trust so you can feel more comfortable with the information put online about yourself.
You May Miss Out On Opportunities
Many job opportunities are only posted on LinkedIn or are found by networking through LinkedIn. When you optimize your LinkedIn profile, you give yourself more visibility to be discovered by recruiters and could be presented with more opportunities than you would get without having a profile. A secret many employers won’t tell job candidates is they will check their LinkedIn profile immediately after looking at their resume. If a resume presents a good candidate, but a hiring manager can’t find any other information about the person online, it could get their resume thrown out of the candidate pool.
Carefully Weigh Your Risks
It’s understandable to be concerned about privacy of your executive LinkedIn profile. However, you also have to be conscious of the times we live in and weigh your risks. Networking is such an essential component of developing a career today, and LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for doing so. Not having a LinkedIn profile may not necessarily mean you’ll be unemployed, but the chances are greater of you not finding the job you’ve always desired. Professional Resume Services not only helps develop the perfect resume, but we also enjoy helping executives strategize their job search. Our LinkedIn profile development services are top notch and we know how to design it strategically to help get you noticed. Privacy concerns are always valid, and we can help answer any questions you may have about them. Feel free to contact us at any time if you have any reservations about using LinkedIn to enhance your career.
Be Aware of the Constant LinkedIn Changes and Updates
Have you ever looked at your executive LinkedIn profile and noticed a section or piece of information wasn’t there? You’re not alone. Like any social media platform, LinkedIn always makes changes to its website to enhance the user experience. Some changes may be minor like switching up the layout, while others may be more significant. When you’re actively searching for a job, it’s critical to keep your account updated as much as possible and ensure all the relevant information is present. You never know when a recruiter will be looking at your profile, so here’s what you should be aware of at all times.
View Your LinkedIn Profile Frequently
Most of the time LinkedIn won’t inform you ahead of time about changes being made, or even what changes will occur. This is why every LinkedIn profile writer suggests viewing your profile frequently and making mental notes about what was present yesterday and making sure it’s still there today. Sometimes the changes may be subtle, but if your SEO-optimized content has been removed or placed somewhere else, then your entire profile could lose some effectiveness.
Check Your Settings And Privacy Features
Any time you work on your LinkedIn profile development, it’s worth taking a peek at your settings and privacy features. It’s especially important to monitor them to make sure a box doesn’t get checked or unchecked when you don’t want it to. These features are always being changed with LinkedIn updates, so it may be beneficial to take screenshots when you have your setting how you want them, just to refer back to it periodically and ensure nothing has changed. You should always control what information people can and can’t see on your profile, and this is the place to do it.
Visit Help Pages or Groups if Needed
There may come a time when something on your executive LinkedIn profile looks different, but you just can’t put your finger on what it is. Some of the LinkedIn help pages may provide you with insight on what recent changes have been made to the platform. If not, then chances are someone has experienced a similar situation, which you can find out about in different groups. Many people learn about LinkedIn profile development changes from these groups, as well as learning how to fix any issues or what to look for. Professional Resume Services strongly endorses LinkedIn as being a valuable platform to use for your job search. Working with a LinkedIn profile writer can ensure all the information you need is present on your profile, as well as making it complement your actual resume. It’s always important to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date, and feel free to contact us at any time if you need any assistance in doing so.
How to Write and Get Great LinkedIn Recommendations
People have different opinions about LinkedIn recommendations. When you work with a LinkedIn profile development expert, they will likely tell you they are important to have from a quality standpoint rather than a quantity standpoint. Your executive LinkedIn profile should support your own personal brand in many different ways, and getting recommendations from your network can help. One tip to get the best recommendations is to write quality recommendations of your own. Here are some tips for doing both.
What to Include When Writing Recommendations
When you’re writing a LinkedIn recommendation for a connection, think about what you would want someone to say about you. Be specific when it comes to your experience with working with them, or how you know what they bring to the table. Grab the reader’s attention with the first sentence and be very clear as to why you think they will succeed in any given endeavor. And never hesitate to ask your connection what information they would like you to include in the recommendation as well, so it’s tailored appropriately.
Best Ways To Get LinkedIn Recommendations
Any LinkedIn profile development expert will say the best way to receive a recommendation is to give one yourself. People are more willing to write one if they receive one first, so go ahead and take the first step. Your executive LinkedIn profile includes a feature that allows you to ask for a recommendation as well. You can send a personalized message to your connection to request a recommendation, so take advantage of this feature. And be sure to send them a sincere thank you message when they give it to you. Or better yet, write one for them as well.
Don’t Just Hand Out or Accept All Recommendations
As we mentioned previously, quality is better than quantity when it comes to LinkedIn recommendations. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to review your recommendations before they get posted on your profile. Don’t just accept every recommendation without reading them first. You want to make sure it matches your personal brand before accepting. On the other hand, you could harm your own reputation if you give out a recommendation every time you’re asked. Unless you worked closely with the person or know them very well, proceed with caution before writing one. Hiring managers and recruiters can tell a genuine recommendation from a fabricated one, so it’s not worth it just to make someone happy. Professional Resume Services is more than just a team of the best professional resume writers. We focus on many aspects of professional careers, from networking to relationship building to LinkedIn profile development and beyond. Being a well-rounded professional is difficult since there are so many aspects involved, but we are here to help. Feel free to reach out to us at any time if there’s anything we can assist with regarding your career aspirations.
Is Your Lack of Personal Branding Holding You Back From the Perfect Job?
There are many things that could potentially hold you back from landing your dream job, and none of them are more notable than a lack of c-level personal branding. Having a perfect resume is still essential today, but it won’t get you a job on its own in most cases. You have the opportunity to shape your personal brand however you want. Every action you take or don’t take has an impact on your personal brand, so it’s always a good idea to keep this at the forefront of your mind. Here are some tips for effective c-level personal branding to help you land the job you desire.
Narrow Down Your Personal Brand
When you’re searching for the perfect job, it’s important to understand what the particular company values. You may be a good overall person, but companies want to know exactly what you bring to the table. Find out what the company needs and shape your c-level personal branding around it. This can include shaping your resume, LinkedIn profile, executive profile and more to ensure consistency throughout. When you narrow down your personal brand, you’ll also be able to conduct a more targeted job search and give yourself a better opportunity to land the perfect job.
A Strong Personal Brand Doesn’t Mean Boasting
A common misconception among executives is personal branding requires you to brag on yourself. The reality is the opposite is true. No one likes to work with someone who constantly brags on themselves. The key to personal branding for senior level managers is showing your authenticity. Present yourself in a way that demonstrates the value you bring to the table, rather than telling everyone why you are better than them. Let the employer decide that part, but your role is to be confident in what you offer and stand behind it completely.
Improving Personal Branding Every Day
When you have an understanding that every action impacts your c-level personal branding, it will be easier to improve it. You don’t have to attend a networking event every day to boost your brand. Being conscious about the conversations you have with anyone, inside or outside of the office, can help you maintain your brand. You never know what conversation will lead to a new opportunity, so it’s always important to keep your personal brand at the top of your mind. Professional Resume Services helps executives with their c-level personal branding efforts every day. It’s one of the most important aspects of a job search, along with crafting a perfect resume. The two go hand-in-hand for any job search, and we can help you with both. Feel free to contact us at any time to see how we can help you in all areas of your job search.
Getting a promotion to advance your career doesn’t happen overnight or by accident. After months, or maybe even years, of hard work, you may be considered for advancement. But you can’t just wait around and expect a promotion based on the length of time you’ve been with a certain company. Your executive profile may indicate you’re qualified for a higher-level position, but your work ethic has to back it up. Here are some daily actions to consider doing in order to put your career aspirations on the fast track.
Demonstrate Your Skills And Abilities
As an executive, you are likely involved in many different meetings at your job. If there’s a certain position you are striving to earn, then demonstrate your skills and abilities to handle the position even when you don’t have the position yet. This can include speaking up in meetings to show your competence and become recognized. Acting like you’re in the role you want can eventually lead to it becoming a reality.
Be A Leader
Your executive profile may indicate leadership abilities, but you have to show those abilities on a daily basis. Be a mentor or coach for other employees in your organization. The more you help others, the more rewards and recognition will come your way. And you’ll likely feel more satisfaction since the entire company will benefit from your efforts.
Continue Your Education
The best resume writing service always suggests continuing your education or seeking professional development. Not only will these look great on a resume if you’re looking for a new job, but your current employer will also take notice. Taking different courses demonstrates your commitment and willingness to learn and take on new roles. If you’ve taken numerous courses and still aren’t getting where you want to be with your career, then it may be time to work on new resumes and cover letters for the position you want to apply for within a different company.
Never Only Do The Minimum
Doing only the minimum amount of work to get by every day won’t help advance your career. Going above and beyond the job description is one of the best ways to get noticed. Just be careful to not overstep boundaries with the wrong people. It never hurts to offer assistance or volunteer to take over a project though. Professional Resume Services is known as the best resume writing service, but we believe we are more than that. We enjoy helping people find new jobs, as well as provide helpful tips on advancing their career. Whether you need assistance writing resumes and cover letters, or if you’re stuck in a current position and striving for a promotion, contact us to see how we can help you out.
Every aspect of a job search has to go perfectly in order to land the position you want sometimes. You may have crafted the perfect resumes and cover letters with the help of an executive resume service, but still can’t get a job for some reason. If you’re able to land an interview but can’t get past that point, you could be making a critical mistake many job seekers make: not writing a thank you note. Believe it or not, many employers indicate not receiving a thank you note can sometimes disqualify a candidate, especially if they are on the fence about hiring them. Here’s what to consider about thank you notes so you don’t run the risk of jeopardizing your job search.
When To Write A Thank You Note
The timing of your thank you note must be within 24 hours of the conclusion of the interview. It’s important for the interviewers to have you in mind throughout their interview process, and writing a quality thank you note is one way to do it. The company is likely interviewing many candidates to fill the position you desire, so setting yourself apart is essential. You may be the top of the top at your company, but it’s still a good idea to send a simple thank you.
Should Each Interviewer Get A Thank You Note?
Every executive resume service will suggest sending a thank you note to each person who interviewed you. Ask for their business card or their email address before you leave to ensure you have the right information. And if for some reason you realize you forgot to ask for it, reach out to your main point of contact and request the information. The hiring manager will likely ask each interviewer their opinion of you, so you want to shape their opinion to be as positive as possible.
What To Include
Just like when writing an effective resume, the content you write in your thank you note must be unique. Personalize the note to each recipient, and bring up a point you may have connected with them on during the interview. Whether it’s a school affiliation, an upcoming vacation or any other point you related with them on, be sure to point out the connection in your thank you note. You can also use your thank you note as an opportunity to clarify any points made in the interview. If there was an objection or if you didn’t seem qualified for a certain aspect of the job, you can reiterate why you think you will be able to overcome it. Professional Resume Services is more than just an executive resume service. We want to help each of our clients throughout the job search process so they can land the job they desire. The importance of a thank you note is critical today, so contact us at any time for more advice on how to write one and what information you may consider including.
Be A Resource On LinkedIn
