A professional resume writing service can help you network for future jobs.
Searching for a job is hard work. No matter how diligently you try, it can feel like you are not doing enough to land the one you want. You most likely started with a solid resume crafted by professional executive resume writers, numerous job searches and an upgrade to your online information to show how employable you are. However, let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there and it takes something exceptional to stand out from the rest. You are basically marketing yourself by trying to sell your skills to a potential employer. Think of your job search like running your own marketing campaign.
Starting the Conversation
Even with the help of a professional resume writing service, you will get nowhere in the business world without conversation. There are interviews, job offers and plenty of social media sharing to help get a conversation started. Discussions started online through things like professional LinkedIn profile writing can lead to future employment. Think about your job search as trying to figure out how to start a conversation with someone who can hire you.
Think Like a Business
Treating your search for a job as a marketing campaign puts you at eye level with a company. In marketing, you try to find a way to entice a buyer by offering them something in a way they can’t resist. When you are marketing yourself to a business, you have the opportunity to show them how valuable your skills are to them, how you will save them money or how you can make them look better. The same sales strategies used in the marketing arena work for applying for a job as well.
The Role of Targeting
When you are marketing a product, you choose a specific audience to target because they are most likely to invest in the product. This is an essential element in the job search process as well. You want to choose the companies that may be interested in what you have to offer. These are the ones you want to engage in conversation with. Once you identify the companies you want to target, everything can be crafted to get their attention and demonstrate how you can play a role in their productivity and profitability. Everything you do, from hiring professional executive resume writers to answering questions during the interview, will be geared toward alerting a potential employer to what you have to offer.
Who to Talk To
Once you find the industry or business to target, you then need to identify who you want to start your conversation with. Some specifics you might look for include:
Individuals in supervisory positions above yours
A corporate recruiter
Individuals holding the same title as you are aiming for
By gearing your efforts toward these positions, you will be able to speak with those who can either hire you or connect you with a hiring party. Thus, you start your own professional network relevant to your expertise and necessary for your success.
By working with a professional resume writing service, you can craft the perfect resume to get you started on the right path. From there, you will be able to build your own marketing campaign with you as the focus product.
The best resume writing services can help you hunt for a job successfully.
The task of finding your next job can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you don’t go about it the right way. While working with the best resume writing services and creating a solid executive LinkedIn profile can go a long way toward making you attractive to prospective employers, it’s important to learn how to walk the fine line between looking desperate and showing determination.
Mass Distribution
You spend a lot of time creating your resume so it seems like a lot of work to customize it to every employer you are considering. This can lead you to send out a mass resume mailing to every job you want. Unfortunately, sending carbon copies of your resume to every potential employer can actually cause you to lose your chance at the job. Instead, you need to do your research on every company you are considering and make minor adjustments that reflect the company philosophy and the exact requirements of the job to which you are applying.
Applying to Everything
If you’ve been looking for a job for a while, you may be tempted to start sending your resume out to every job listing you can find in the hopes of landing any job. While this may be necessary in some situations, it’s important to make sure you’re putting your executive resume in front of the right people. Think about what skills you have and which types of businesses are most likely to need someone with your skill set. An executive resume writer can help you focus on your skills and determine which job listings are worth your time.
Being Too Honest
Most people are aware they won’t get a job or could lose a job they thought they had if the employer finds out they have lied or exaggerated on their executive resume. While honesty is always the best policy, there is such a thing as being too honest. When you’re writing a professional resume and cover letter, there are some things you shouldn’t include, such as the exact reason you want the job, especially if it’s because of the pay grade, or your lack of experience. Instead, the best resume writing services will help you shine yourself in a positive light without stretching the truth or providing too much information.
While an executive LinkedIn profile may be a valuable tool in helping you get the job you want, your resume will still play a key role. Before you start your job search, however, it’s important to work with the best resume writing services to ensure you are taking the right approach to your job hunt. With their help, you can be sure you will make the best impression and increase your chances of landing the job you want.
Your executive LinkedIn profile can help you get a job.
Today, it’s more important than ever for individuals to pay close attention to their LinkedIn profile to boost their chances of getting hired. In fact, some employers conduct candidate searches on this popular social media site. This means you need to pay close attention to the makeup of your executive profile before you click the link and send in your application. An experienced executive LinkedIn profile writer can help you update your profile to ensure it includes everything employers are looking for.
An Optimized Headline
Many individuals fail to pay attention to the headline after they create it. However, if this headline isn’t eye-catching or if it is not optimized to the job for which you are applying, chances are it will be overlooked quickly. Before you submit your LinkedIn profile for consideration, make sure you include relevant keywords and position titles within your headline. Because this is one of the first things employers will see below your name, it is extremely important.
The Presentation of Current Employment
How you present your current employment situation can play a dramatic role in your appeal to prospective employers. The title of your position can attract prospective employers or it can lead them to toss your executive LinkedIn profile to the bottom of the pile. For this reason, it’s essential to list all of your positions, particularly the one in which you currently work, as accurately as possible.
Choose Past Employment Carefully
While your current employment often holds the most weight, it’s essential to make sure your past employment is addressed properly. If you held multiple positions within the same company, separate them with a comma but be sure to list them all to ensure prospective employers gain a clear picture of what your experience looks like.
Ask for Recommendations
An executive profile is incomplete if you don’t currently have recommendations from others. Employers want to see you are a team player and are seen as a valuable asset in your past jobs. Don’t be afraid to ask co-workers, current clients and previous employers to leave you a recommendation on your profile. Having this positive feedback available to your prospective employers shows them your work is worthy of good reviews.
Having an executive LinkedIn profile isn’t enough to help you land the job you’ve always wanted. In fact, it’s important to find out what employers are looking for to help you make the right first impression when you apply for a job through this social media site. Hiring an executive LinkedIn profile writer can help you adjust your current profile so it’s ready to use when you locate the right job to further your career.
Writing a professional resume requires choosing the right references.
Job references can be an important part of the interviewing process. While it’s no longer necessary to include them when writing a professional resume, you should still be ready with a list of people potential employers can contact. Choosing the right individuals can make a difference in your C-level personal branding, allowing you to make a great impression.
A Recent Boss
It may be tempting to list the boss from your first job because he felt you did a great job and appreciated your work ethic, but depending on how long it’s been, he may no longer remember you well enough to give a good reference. Choosing a more recent boss is your best option. If you choose not to include your current boss, be ready to explain why, even if you simply don’t want him to know you are looking for a new job.
Co-Workers
People with whom you work can be a great asset to your resume. However, it’s important to make sure you choose the right individual. Just because you are friendly with a co-worker doesn’t make them a good professional reference. Choose someone who knows your job and can vouch for your value to the business.
Volunteer Organizations
Though not always related to your career choice, you can include someone from an organization for which you volunteered. Resumes that get you hired often list volunteer opportunities that show your dedication and your willingness to help others. Those who volunteer their time for a worthy cause are more likely to go above and beyond in the workplace as well.
An Early Odd Job
Babysitting and lawn mowing are common jobs for teenagers, even before they’re old enough to legally work. If you are still in touch with individuals for whom you performed these tasks, ask them if it’s all right to use them as a reference. This type of reference can do wonders for your C-level personal branding. It shows a strong work ethic and reliability.
Professors
You spent time in college training for work in your chosen field. One of the benefits of the time put in at a university can include using professors in your field as a reference for future jobs. These individuals know you on a personal level and can speak to your character better than many other references. However, be sure you choose one who knows you as a person, rather than just another face in the classroom. Resumes that get you hired may not include references with the rest of your information, but they are still an important part of getting hired. As you create your list, make sure you choose the right people and let them know you are using them as a reference. No one is able to give a good reference if they aren’t prepared.
Answering the tough questions can enhance your personal branding.
For some, the executive resume cover letter and executive bio are the easy part. These individuals may feel confident in the way they look on paper, but when it comes to the interview, they may fear the tough questions and just don’t know how to answer them. Facing these types of questions when you aren’t prepared can create the wrong impression, costing you the job you’re looking for.
What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
You spend a lot of time filling your executive bio with examples of your strengths to show your prospective employer why you are the perfect candidate. It’s all part of your personal branding. Unfortunately, this is one of the most commonly asked questions. The key is selecting a weakness that has little to no impact on the position for which you are applying. Carefully read through the job description before you make your choice. In addition to letting them know what your weakness is, address how you are working toward strengthening this area.
Why Is There a Gap in Your Work History?
There are a number of circumstances that can lead to gaps in your work history. Perhaps you took time off to raise children or maybe you were laid off and had difficulty finding a new position due to a declining economy. While you can’t make up a job to fill in the gaps, mention volunteer work and other activities you did during those periods of unemployment. Anything that shows you remained productive during those times can help pad your resume.
Tell Me About Yourself
This may seem like a way to learn about your personal life, but most employers don’t want to hear about your family or your latest vacation. Instead, they use this question to learn in your words about your career past. Talk about your education and your past jobs, particularly your last career. Keep this portion of the interview short and to the point.
Has a Supervisor Ever Challenged Your Choices?
When interviewers ask this question, they aren’t checking to see if you’ve made mistakes in your past job. Instead, they are interested in how you handle controversy and how you resolve issues with your superiors. Be sure your answer reflects humility and shows you learned a lesson from the encounter. Don’t badmouth your past supervisors or give the impression you were in the right.
Tough questions are all a part of the interview process. In many cases, it’s not about the exact answer you give. In fact, many of these questions are designed to gauge how you respond to specific situations and help an employer determine if you are a good fit for their company. Learning how to handle even the difficult questions with confidence will increase your odds of landing the job you want, especially if a good interview is accompanied by an excellent executive bio.
In a sea of social-networking sites that are primarily useful for, well, socializing, LinkedIn is a breath of fresh air for professionals. When you are active on this social networking site, you’re not just wasting time creating and reading pointless postings. You’re improving your marketability as a job candidate, making valuable job-seeking connections and increasing the odds of discovering or getting your next lucrative job.
Your LinkedIn Profile Is Like Your Personal Brand
If you are looking for an executive level job, it is imperative you optimize LinkedIn profile appeal so you will generate more profile views. The more people who view your profile, the higher the odds the right person will view it. There’s really no point even being on LinkedIn if your profile is incomplete, lacks important keywords and has a paltry network of connections.
Ever Heard of “Social Selling?”
The concept of social selling is relatively new, but it’s important if you’re trying to market yourself. Essentially, social selling involves building up a strong reputation (selling yourself) as an expert in your chosen field by being an active participant in social media (particularly LinkedIn). Every aspect of your LinkedIn profile, including your headline, photo, connections, executive bio and summary, should be crafted with care and to elicit a specific response should a potential employer view it.
How Should You Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile?
Now that you understand the importance of optimizing your LinkedIn profile, you’re probably wondering exactly how to do that. By far, the smartest way to go is to partner with a skilled and experienced LinkedIn profile writing service. When you are looking for an executive position, you can’t afford to take risks with something as critical as your LinkedIn profile. The writers at a LinkedIn profile writing service know how to use keywords effectively, add rich media that will generate attention, strategically organize a skill list to appeal to hiring authorities and more.
It’s always a wise move (and one that will save you time and anxiety) to outsource things not in your wheel house to someone who specializes in them. When your car needs an oil change, you could probably muddle through and do the job yourself, but you likely opt for the smart alternative and take your car to your auto repair shop. The same holds true for writing a resume, cover letter, executive bio and LinkedIn profile. If you have a computer, you could sit down and create these documents yourself, but if you trust a pro to do the job, these important components of your job search will probably be exponentially stronger than what you could create on your own.
Your LinkedIn profile can make or break your chances of getting hired.
When you are a job seeker looking for a C-level executive position, not only must you have a LinkedIn profile, but that profile must be outstanding. Your profile should be succinct and to the point, as well as provide critical information upfront so a recruiter doesn’t have to wade through expendable verbiage to get to the details they’re most interested in.
Some Critical Components to Optimize LinkedIn Profile Benefits
First, you want to include relevant keywords that will help a recruiter find your profile. Review some recent C-level job postings you’re interested in and look for words most frequently used in these postings. Incorporate these words in a natural way in your profile so it will catch recruiters’ attention.
Also, make sure to build up your network of connections, as well as give and request recommendations from past employers, co-workers and those who work under you. Recruiters place significant weight on what third-party sources have to say about you and the words they use to describe you. This is valuable information that paints a picture of your leadership style.
Don’t underestimate the importance of the photo you choose for your profile. You are applying for a high-level managerial position, you’re not trying to get a date or impress your buddies. Keep it professional; your photo should depict you looking like you would sitting in your corner office, not on the golf course.
Finally, while it may be true you are on LinkedIn for the sole purpose of finding your next C-level opportunity, you definitely do not want to broadcast that fact. You lose your intrigue ifyou appear desperate.
What Tone Should You Take When LinkedIn Profile Writing?
Obviously, your verbiage should be professional, but many professionals agree the tone should be relatively informal. It only makes sense to use first person “I” because you are describing yourself. Even if you hire a LinkedIn profile writing service, as many upper-level executives do, the writer should write in first person. Avoid being too wordy, but also being overly dry. Any recruiter who sees your profile will be interested not just in your qualifications, but in your personality.
One Special C-level LinkedIn Consideration
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you are already employed as a CEO, CFO or COO, it’s a good idea to change your privacy settings to ensure your connections aren’t visible to the public. Doing this is simple. On LinkedIn, you will find a setting that allows you to choose who can see your connections. Change the setting to “just you.” This protects you from current competitors mining your connections and gaining insight into professional relationships you’d rather them not know about. Similarly, scroll through your public profile privacy settings and opt out of any that may jeopardize your odds of landing a better position. If, for example, you belong to partisan or controversial groups or organizations, you can opt to keep these off of your public profile.
It’s not good enough to simply have a LinkedIn presence. If you’re a C-level professional, your presence should be complete and well-crafted, not simply an afterthought.
An executive resume service can be one of your biggest assets.
As the saying goes, “it takes money to make money.” That definitely holds true for job seekers. New interview clothes and shoes, dry-cleaning, gasoline – these expenses add up, especially if you are a job seeker currently between positions. Should you take on the additional expense of hiring a resume service? The answer depends.
Just Entering the Workforce?
If you are a recent college graduate with little practical work experience and are seeking an entry-level position, hiring a resume writing service may not be necessary. At this stage, your work history is limited. The majority of your resume will consist of details of your education and the skills you possess that will make you a stellar employee. If you’re resourceful and possess decent writing and grammatical skills, you can probably craft a decent resume yourself. Yes, a resume service would be helpful, but it may not be necessary if your finances are particularly tight.
Executive Looking to Advance Your Career?
If you’re a seasoned professional in the hunt for executive or C-level positions, you absolutely should hire an executive resume service, a cover letter writing service and even a LinkedIn profile writer. The stakes for you are high. You don’t want to miss out on a lucrative position because, for example, your resume lacks the keywords hiring managers use to cull through hundreds or thousands of resumes they receive. Your forte may be management, marketing or team building. The best executive resume writing service providers have their own specialized niche: crafting resumes that win candidates job interviews. For job seekers at the executive level, hiring an executive resume service is a smart investment that could cut down the time it takes to land the perfect job.
Buyer Beware: Better Shop Around
Executives should absolutely invest in quality help writing their resumes, cover letters and social media profiles. However, not all resume writing services qualify as “quality help.” Anyone can hang out their shingle and call themselves a resume writer. Make sure to do your homework so you don’t waste your time and money on a resume service that won’t add any value to your job search.
When looking for a service, do your due diligence. Ask questions. If you get the sense you are dealing with a resume mill, move on. A resume mill is a service that offers cheap resumes with a fast turnaround time. Essentially all they really do is put your information into a carbon-copy template, format it so it looks pretty and make sure spelling and grammar are correct. They don’t address your specific skill set and goals. You know you’ve found the best executive resume writing service when the writer asks you questions, spends time getting to know you and demonstrates expertise in SEO, marketing and resume distribution.
