Whether you’re a brand new executive or you have years of experience, you should know by now that summer is one of the best times of the year for networking. You can spend hours working on resumes and cover letters during the colder months, but now is the time to disperse them to your best contacts. What makes the summer season the best time to improve personal branding for senior level managers? Here are some things to consider the next time you network this summer.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are numerous volunteer opportunities across any community nationwide throughout the summer. Take advantage of these opportunities by doing good deeds while meeting some new people along the way. You’d be surprised at how your c-level personal branding can improve by being active within the community. Plus, just about everyone is open for conversation since they feel great about contributing to a good cause. There are many great people you’ll meet when volunteering that can lead to lifelong friendships and potential business contacts.
People Are Open For Conversation
There’s something about the summer season that makes people more relaxed and open. With vacations planned and more time spent outside the office, people are more open to conversation now than any other time of the year. There’s never a bad time to work on your c-level personal branding. Whether you’re at a Meetup group, a work event or even a happy hour with some colleagues, never miss the opportunity to improve your brand. And don’t forget your business cards so people will have something to remember you by!
Casual Environments Are More Relaxing
People simply get tired of being in an office all day long. Summer is the perfect time to get out and have some drinks on an outdoor patio after a long day of work. Find events that are outdoors during the summer, since generally you’ll find the people there are more relaxed. Just be sure to adapt to your environment so you fit in rather than being the person who ruins the vibe. Professional Resume Services isn’t just about resumes and cover letters. We also have some valuable tips about networking as well. This summer is the perfect time for networking, so feel free to contact us at any time if you need any tips or advice on making the best connections this summer.
Clean up Your LinkedIn Profile This Summer With These Tips!
While most companies are hiring professionals and executives throughout the year, the summer months tend to be a little slower. With people taking time off to go on vacation and spending time away from the office, the hiring process takes a little longer than usual. For job seekers, this is the perfect time to clean up your executive LinkedIn profile. Most people don’t spend enough time updating their profile, which could have a few downfalls. Here are some tips on how to clean up yours this summer.
Update Everything
Read your entire executive LinkedIn profile word-for-word and update anything that has changed. Chances are you’ll think about several skills or experiences you’ve developed or had since your last profile update. Having updated information about yourself is one of the keys to the best LinkedIn profile development.
Filter Through Your Endorsements
You may have gotten several LinkedIn endorsements from friends or family that simply aren’t relevant to executive jobs you’re looking for. The amount of endorsements you have isn’t nearly as important as the quality of the endorsements. Filter through all of them and remove any of the unimportant ones so a recruiter will see only the relevant endorsements.
Focus on Your Summary
The summary section is the place where you sell yourself to potential recruiters and connections. If you aren’t a strong writer, you can always reach out to a professional LinkedIn profile writer for assistance. The summary needs to be specific and straight to the point without a lot of fluff. Writing the best LinkedIn summary is an art, so seek help if you need it.
Keep Your Profile Straightforward
Your executive LinkedIn profile should be treated differently from your executive resume, but they do have some similarities. Don’t use a lot of filler words on your LinkedIn profile just to make it longer. Being clean and concise with your words will look more impressive to a recruiter than having to scroll down through blocks of text. If you’re actively looking for a job, make it clear. If you’re currently employed but keeping your options open, make that clear as well. Professional Resume Services is here to help you with your LinkedIn profile development this summer. Whether you need advice on tidying up your profile, or if you need a professional LinkedIn profile writer, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Could You Be Committing These Networking Mistakes?
Any job seeker knows how important networking is. However, even a minor mistake can lead to major consequences in your job search. Taking executive level personal branding seriously is important, since hiring managers look for that when talking to candidates face-to-face. When you’re spending your free time networking to find a new job, try your best to avoid these mistakes to help yourself stand out to interested companies.
Expecting a Job Offer Right Away
Many people go to a networking event and expect to walk away with a job offer. This is simply unrealistic. It’s one thing to be confident in yourself and your abilities when meeting someone for the first time, but you shouldn’t be so bold as to basically ask for the job on the spot. A key to personal branding for senior level managers is to get to know the hiring manager and other top executives within a company. They are likely taking their time with hiring someone, so you should do the same and make as many connections within the company as you can.
Talking About Yourself Too Much
No one know more about you than you, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of talking about yourself nonstop. When you feel the urge to talk about yourself, ask an intuitive question instead. Ask your connection how they got into their job, how they like it, what the culture is like and other questions that show interest. Not only will this clearly show your interest in the job, but it will also give your c-level personal branding a boost.
Not Spending Enough Time on Personal Branding
Speaking of c-level personal branding, you need to be doing more of it. Everyone believes they are qualified for certain jobs. And most of those people will talk about the same qualifications. But instead of talking about how you are qualified, talk about the value you bring to the table. Companies are more interested in learning how you can help them, rather than only knowing what skills you have.
Overlooking The Importance of a Polished Resume
Your executive bio is usually the first thing a recruiter will read on your resume. If you’re going to take the time attend a networking event, at least have your resume reviewed by a professional to ensure there aren’t any glaring mistakes. Remember these recruiters are going to talk to dozens of people at networking events, so your executive bio needs to stand out and make them remember meeting you face-to-face. Professional Resume Services is here for job seekers, whether you need help writing an executive bio or anything else related to your job search. If you need assistance before or after a networking event, feel free to contact us at any time.
Does A Summer Break Apply to Your Job Search Efforts?
School’s out for summer… but what about your job search?
Just because many executives and high-level employees go on summer vacation doesn’t mean you can take a summer break on your job search. One of the mistakes many job seekers make is thinking companies don’t hire in the summer, which simply isn’t true. Companies are always going through resumes and cover letters to find the most qualified candidates throughout the year. And if you decide to take a break during the summer, you may miss out on a great opportunity.
Companies Don’t Stop Hiring During The Summer
The notion is companies will wait until after the summer to start interviewing for different positions. However, it’s actually the opposite. Many companies are busier during the winter months, so they don’t have as much time to interview. So they reserve summertime for conducting their interviews and hiring employees, even if it’s on a temporary basis. Regardless, you need to ensure your LinkedIn profile is current once summer starts, just in case a recruiter happens to stumble upon it.
Temporary Could Turn Into Permanent
Since summer is typically slower for most businesses, they may only be hiring for temporary employment. However, many of these positions will turn into permanent positions when business begins to pick up again. Be sure to include in your executive bio if you’re willing to accept temporary employment if the option is available to become permanent in the future. At the very least, you can gain some valuable experience with a temporary position to set yourself up for a permanent position with another company at a later time.
Polish Up Your LinkedIn Profile
Whether you’re going on an extended vacation throughout the summer, or if you feel you need to take a break from your job search efforts for any reason, polish up your LinkedIn profile at the very least. You never know when recruiters are going through resumes and cover letters, or scouring LinkedIn to find the best candidates. Updating your LinkedIn profile could be a great way to get discovered during the summer with minimal effort on your part. Professional Resume Services is here to help you get through the dog days of summer. We can help revamp your resumes and cover letters during the summer so you’re ready to apply for positions at any time. No matter what you need help with regarding your job search efforts this summer, feel free to contact us at any time.
You Can Find Networking Opportunities Even in the Most Unlikely Places!
Most people are very aware of the value of networking. Not only can it help you find the career opportunities you’re looking for, but it can also bring value to personal branding for senior level managers. However, networking doesn’t always have to be in the form of career fairs, conferences and other business events. There are plenty of other unique networking opportunities to help you boost your c-level personal branding, and all of them have to deal with common interests.
The Gym
Just because you aren’t going to bring resumes and cover letters to the gym doesn’t mean you can’t network there. If you’re the person who puts on your earphones and shuts out the rest of the world around you while you workout, consider removing them and listening to your surroundings instead. You never know who you might meet on the treadmill next to you.
Sporting Events
Sporting events are also common interests where you can network with a variety of people. It’s easy to get into a discussion about a particular team or sport in general, and the conversation can go in many different directions. You may not attend a sporting event with the intention of improving your c-level personal branding, but it could easily happen.
Public Transit
If you take public transit frequently, there may not be a better opportunity to network. You have several minutes sitting by the same person on your route, so strike up a conversation with them. Conversations can go in many different directions, so you may have other people around you chime in as well.
At Kids Events
Parents always feel connected with other parents when they go to their kids events. It’s extremely easy to open up a conversation when kids are involved, so take advantage of the opportunity. It’s probably not the time to talk about resumes and cover letters right away, but once you form a connection you can develop a relationship as time passes.
Bars
Again, you shouldn’t bring resumes and cover letters into a bar, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have the opportunity to talk about them. Professionals sometimes go as a group or on their own to bars to unwind after a stressful day. Sit next to someone and talk about the day. Chances are you will be able to relate to them at some level. At Professional Resume Services, we take personal branding for senior level managers seriously and want to help you improve your brand as much as possible. Feel free to contact us for more networking tips and how you can turn them into great opportunities.
The summer generally isn’t viewed as the best time of year to drum up new business or make new connections. With many people going on vacations and spending more time traveling, the networking events are much more rare during the summer. However, this presents a great opportunity for other avenues of networking that could prove to be even more valuable. The thing about personal branding for senior level managers is you can never stop improving your brand. Here are some reasons why the summer may be the best time for you to do so.
People Are Generally More Relaxed
Since many businesses hit their slower months during the summer, you’ll notice people are more relaxed than normal. This means they should be more willing to connect with you, whether it’s finally grabbing a cup of coffee or going to brunch. Taking a relaxed and casual approach when networking during the summer can improve personal branding for senior level managers more than you think.
Use Downtime to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile
Summer could also prove to be the best time to work on your executive LinkedIn profile. Companies may not be hiring much during the summer, but working on your LinkedIn profile development during the slow periods will help you be prepared when business starts ramping up again. This is also the perfect time to get your name out there by joining LinkedIn groups, reaching out directly to connections and sending out resumes. Utilize LinkedIn as much as possible now and you’ll reap the benefits later on.
Always Be Aware of Networking Opportunities
The summer months offer some of the most unique networking opportunities when compared to other times of the year. You don’t have to be dressed in professional attire in order to make a connection. Listen to conversations at the beach, at sporting events, kids events or anywhere else you may be. As much as people say they don’t want to think about work when they are at different places, many conversations will inevitably lead that way. You never want to miss the opportunity to work on personal branding for senior level managers. Professional Resume Services has plenty more networking tips like these to get you through the summer. Whether you need assistance with your LinkedIn profile development or identifying other networking opportunities, feel free to contact us at any time.
Don't Buy Into These Myths About Thought Leadership for Executives!
Thought leadership is one of the best qualities any executive can have. When you are a thought leader, you have innovative ideas that help business move in a positive direction, all while influencing other employees as well. However, there are some myths you need to be aware of when it comes to thought leadership for executives.
1. You Must Be Perfect
No one is perfect, and thought leaders don’t have to be either. Believe it or not, a good quality to improve your c-level personal branding is to admit you need to check resources to get answers to certain questions. Ensuring you’re providing the correct answers is much more important and enhances your credibility more than giving an incorrect answer immediately.
2. Relationships Aren’t as Important as Productivity
A true thought leader places a high importance on building relationships. It will be evident to professional executive resume writers if you are a self-centered leader or if you are focused on building relationships as you become successful. Employers want to hire executives who build quality relationships as well.
3. Each of Your Thoughts Must Be Original
Don’t be afraid to give credit where credit is due. Every great thought leader uses ideas from successful people before them and build off of those ideas to make their own. However, if you think every one of your ideas has to be original in order to improve your c-level personal branding, you’re wrong.
4. You Must Control a Conversation
The role of a thought leader is to present new ideas in creative and innovative ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean each idea presented is the best right away. Any time a conversation comes up about an idea you have, listen to the feedback instead of shutting the person down right away. You shouldn’t try to spark a debate or control the conversation. The top resume services suggest getting feedback from as many sources as possible before developing your idea and putting it on paper.
5. Once You Have a Great Thought, You’re Done
Thoughts without actions are useless. All professional executive resume writers want to know is what actions you took to get a certain result. You can’t put a thought on a resume because employers won’t know what result happened from the thought. Put your thought into motion to have the best results as a thought leader. At Professional Resume Services, we believe thought leadership is one of the best ways to improve your c-level personal branding. If you need help determining whether you display the right thought leadership qualities, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Everything You Should Know About LinkedIn Influencers
The LinkedIn Influencer program has been around for several years and has only gained in popularity. “Influencers” are generally people who have succeeded in business and life; however, their footprint could be expanding soon. The program helps those people boost their brand, and it also helps followers and readers get some valuable insight into their minds and professional expertise. Any member of LinkedIn can read their posts, and it doesn’t take a LinkedIn profile service to figure it out. However, what exactly was the LinkedIn Influencer program designed to do? Here is some great information.
Diversity in Both Influencers and Readers
The diversity in the Influencers program means there is also great reader diversity. Any given article an Influencer posts can reach tens of thousands of unique views in a short amount of time. With a few hundred Influencers in the program, regular followers can get some valuable insight from a variety of sources.
Reach Larger Audiences
Entrepreneurs and executives who are a part of the LinkedIn Influencer program have reaped the benefits of gaining new followers. They can reach a new audience simply by posting their professional thoughts on LinkedIn. However, this also gives a chance for followers to interact with those Influencers and their followers as well. Before you get too active in the conversation, though, be sure to get with a LinkedIn profile writer to polish up your online presence.
What to do as a Follower
There are a couple things a follower, who isn’t an Influencer, can do to take advantage of the program:
Find Influencers relevant to your situation. You don’t have to limit yourself to the amount of Influencers you follow, but you can easily find a handful you relate to. When you follow them, you’ll be able to easily see what they write and can check out their past and current posts.
Get involved with conversations. You can comment on posts, reply to other followers’ comments and more. You may or may not receive a reply from the Influencer themselves, but being active in conversation will get your name recognized without even having to use a LinkedIn profile service.
At Professional Resume Services, we understand the value in LinkedIn profile development services, and can help you navigate the Influencer program for your benefit. If you’d like more information, or need a LinkedIn profile writer for any reason, feel free to contact us at any time.
