Whether you want to believe it or not, age discrimination is real when it comes to job searches. This is one of the main reasons why the top resume writing services suggest people in their 40s and 50s visit them to update their resume to make it look more modern. While there’s nothing you can do about your age, you can take some steps to make yourself seem younger than you are. When you give hiring managers no reason to question your age, you’ll have a better shot at landing the job. Here are some ways you can take age discrimination out of the equation when searching for an executive job.
Connect With Hiring Managers
Human interaction is critical for developing relationships. Your executive resume writer can craft the perfect resume, but it won’t do any good if you can’t connect with the hiring manager on some level. As you get older, chances are the hiring manager will be younger than you. You can connect with them by speaking in modern terms and focusing on the future instead of the past, as some of your experience could be outdated.
Demonstrate Technical Knowledge
You don’t have to be the most technologically savvy person to land an executive job. However, you also can’t be severely limited with technical knowledge. Having an online presence with a LinkedIn profile and being active on other platforms shows you’re keeping up with the times. Employers don’t want to spend time training and teaching basic technical skills, so if you already have those then you’ll be a step ahead of the rest of the candidates your age.
Modernize Your Resume
When writing a professional resume today, you have to include things you didn’t many years ago. Your LinkedIn profile URL should always be included. Remove any list of references, address information and non-relevant skills, as those elements are outdated. Working with an executive resume writer can help you quickly modernize your resume, whether it’s formatting changes or substantive updates. These updates are important because you don’t want the formatting of your resume to show your age.
Professional Resume Services is widely regarded as one of the top resume writing services. We work with executives of all ages to ensure their resume is modern and set up to succeed as they begin their job search. Details are critical in every job search today, and we are here to help you cover all of your bases. Never hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need advice with your job search.
By now most executives should understand the importance of LinkedIn as it relates to c-level personal branding. However, too many people spend a lot of time developing their profile and then neglect it for years. While it’s not necessary to be active on the platform every day, any executive LinkedIn profile writer will suggest making at least one weekly post and always updating it as needed. Not doing so could make you miss out on valuable opportunities. Here are some things to consider when updating yours.
Ensure The Content Aligns With Your Personal Brand
If it’s been a while since you last updated your profile, then do a thorough review of the content to ensure it aligns with your personal brand. Your c-level personal branding should evolve throughout your career, so your connections and recruiters need to know what you bring to the table today. Having outdated content can hurt your brand more than not having any content at all.
Optimize Your Profile For SEO
Optimizing your profile for SEO purposes can be challenging, but it’s necessary. Many executives work with a LinkedIn profile writing service to help get them on the right track. Sometimes this may mean simply incorporating the appropriate keywords into your summary. Other times your profile may need a complete overhaul. The goal is to have your LinkedIn profile be easily discoverable in an online search.
Update Your Headshot
Your LinkedIn profile headshot should be only of yourself and you should be dressed professionally. And if it’s been several years since you’ve updated the photo, consider doing so as you’re making other updates. At the very least, your current connections will see you’ve updated your headshot and may prompt them to click on your profile to see what else you’ve been up to.
Is Your Contact Information Current?
Believe it or not, one of the most common mistakes an executive LinkedIn profile writer sees is having outdated contact information on profiles. If a recruiter sees you aren’t willing to at least keep your contact information current, then they likely won’t hold you in high regards with other aspects. You never know what opportunities may come your way through LinkedIn, so always make sure your information is accurate and current so you don’t miss out.
Professional Resume Services offers a LinkedIn profile writing service to help executives optimize their profiles. Developing your profile initially is the hard part, but maintaining it afterward should be a breeze as long as you keep up with it regularly. The best thing to do is conduct a monthly or quarterly review of your profile to ensure it still aligns with your brand. If you need any assistance or have any questions along the way, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Executives who spend several hours a day searching job boards for the right position are likely just spinning their wheels. With the thousands of jobs and applicants that apply for those jobs, your chances of being recognized are slim. In fact, many of the top executive positions won’t even get posted on job boards. After you’ve focused on LinkedIn profile development and have visited with an executive resume writing service, your best chance of finding a job is through networking. Here are some of the main issues with job boards and why you should avoid them.
Applicant Tracking Systems
Employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) today to sort through resumes automatically. The trick to passing ATS is having the appropriate amount of relevant keywords scattered throughout your resume. An executive resume writing service can help you select those keywords, but there’s no guarantee it will pass since there’s not a standard ATS software to study and learn. Since jobs posted on job boards likely receive hundreds of applicants, hiring managers usually will use ATS to filter out candidates. This means your chances of getting noticed are very low.
Executive Positions Rarely Get Posted To Job Boards
After writing a professional resume, your next step shouldn’t be to scour the job boards. Chances are the high-level positions you’re seeking won’t even be posted on them anyway. If anything, you can look through the different company names in order to spark your own internal research on them. You’ll likely need to look through LinkedIn, attend networking events and do other research to learn what jobs they actually have open.
What Job Search Strategy Should You Use Instead?
Networking is by far the most effective way for executives to find the jobs fitting their skills and expertise. Employers want to take their time to find the right fit, and they usually never find that person from a job board. Focus on LinkedIn profile development first, since you will be doing some networking via that platform. Making connections through LinkedIn gives you a great foundation for developing professional relationships that may eventually evolve into new opportunities.
Professional Resume Services is an executive resume writing service dedicated to helping professionals with every aspect of their job search. Job boards may have been effective a decade ago, but the top executive positions won’t be found there today. You’ll just be wasting your time and energy searching on them, and there are plenty of better ways to focus your resources. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time for some tips on effective job searching strategies today.
The two traditional components needed to apply for a job include a cover letter and a resume. As technology and the job searching process has evolved, though, many people wonder whether it’s still necessary to include a cover letter with their application. If you follow the recommended course of action by attending networking events and making connections with people prior to applying for a job, then cover letters for resumes are still valuable. You want to introduce yourself appropriately and show your personality when applying for a job, and a cover letter is a perfect way to do so. Here are some reasons why an executive resume cover letter still brings value.
Cover Letters Won’t Hurt Your Chances
Most recruiters and hiring managers don’t mind seeing a cover letter sent in with a resume. It doesn’t mean they will read it from start to finish, but including one isn’t going to hurt your chances. On the other hand, some hiring managers actually do read cover letters for resumes thoroughly to get a glimpse of the applicant’s style and brand. So not including one could mean your application gets tossed to the side. The bottom line is there are very few situations where a cover letter will hurt your chances of getting a job, so go ahead and include it.
Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Cover Letters
Any cover letter writing service will tell you to target your cover letter as you would your resume. It starts with addressing the actual person who will read the cover letter. If you aren’t sure who this is, do a Google search and look on LinkedIn for the appropriate person to address it to. Otherwise, it may appear as if you wrote a general cover letter to send to multiple companies, which isn’t attractive for hiring managers. Also, be sure to incorporate some personal branding attributes in your executive resume cover letter so your targeted employer knows who you are as a person and an employee.
Cover Letters Should Add Value To Your Resume
Your cover letter shouldn’t simply be a summary of your resume. It should, however, add value to your resume by going into more detail or highlighting the most important parts of the resume. The language and tone of your executive resume cover letter should be more informal than a resume, while still being professional. Be specific as to why you are a great fit for the targeted company and you can point to your resume for evidence.
At Professional Resume Services, we look for ways to help executives stand out among the talent pool of other individuals. Too many people devalue the cover letter nowadays, which is a huge mistake. A cover letter can be extremely effective when done correctly and our cover letter writing service is here to help. Never hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need tips for developing yours.
Going to your boss and asking for a raise is always a sensitive topic of discussion. But if you ask at the right time and do a little homework beforehand, then you can at least minimize some of the awkwardness. The point of asking for a raise is to tell your boss you believe you’ve gone above and beyond in your current role and believe you should be compensated accordingly. Or you may simply think you’re underpaid to do your day-to-day duties. Any executive resume writing service will tell you to proceed with caution when asking for a raise, and to consider waiting to do so until you’ve come across these situations.
When You’ve Added On Responsibilities
If your job responsibilities continue increasing, but your salary remains the same, there will probably come a time when you think you aren’t getting compensated fairly. Don’t ask for the raise upfront though. Wait until you’ve had some time to show the ability to handle these additional responsibilities. That way you have some backbone to your claims in asking for more money since you’ve proven to be able to handle them all.
Look At Your Company’s Recent Performance
When writing resumes and cover letters during the job searching process, you likely researched the performance of the company you currently work for. That research may have helped you land the job, just like the research could help you land a raise as well. No matter how many accomplishments you’ve had at your job, it’s never appropriate to ask for a raise if the company as a whole is performing poorly. On the other hand, if the company is performing well and you believe you contributed to the positive performance, talk it over with your boss and see if your performance merits getting a raise.
Consider Waiting Until Your Performance Review
Your executive resume writing service may suggest waiting until your annual performance review is approaching before bringing up the idea of a raise. So a few weeks ahead of your anticipated review, talk to your boss about a potential salary increase so they will take it into consideration while performing their assessment. Then you can wait for the answer during the actual review and can discuss further as needed.
At Professional Resume Services, we help executives create quality resumes and cover letters, enhance their LinkedIn profile and even provide tips on the best ways to handle sensitive subjects with your current employer. The hope is your employer will recognize great work when they see it and reward employees accordingly. However, there are different reasons and circumstances why that’s not always true. If you’re put in a spot where you think you need a raise and don’t know how to approach your boss, contact us for some helpful advice.
Spending time on LinkedIn profile development can set you up for success in many different ways. One of the main benefits of LinkedIn is it gives you a platform to demonstrate your personal brand. Too many executives believe they don’t need to focus on their online brand since they have a good reputation within their company. However, you still have to maintain a good online reputation in the event of a job change or to even look good for your current company. Here are some effective ways a professional LinkedIn profile writer can help you boost your online brand through the LinkedIn platform.
Optimize Your Profile Header
When you’re learning how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you have to consider Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Your profile header should contain terms employers and recruiters will search for. You only have 120 characters in your profile header, so leave out any fluff and only use terms that reflect your brand closely.
Write Useful Information In Each Section
Original content is highly underrated. For one, the more useful information you have on your LinkedIn profile, the better the chances are of you incorporating relevant keywords and getting discovered. Original information is also valuable when you write it geared toward your target employers. Anyone who reads your LinkedIn profile should have a strong grasp on who you are as a person and as a professional, and those are exposed with solid writing skills and providing relevant information.
Expand Your Network
One key to effective LinkedIn profile development is to expand your network so you’ll have more connections. When you have more than 500 connections on LinkedIn, your profile will show up earlier in the search results and give you a better chance of being discovered. Utilize these connections to your advantage by interacting with as many of them as you can, which will help build your personal brand in the process.
Be Active
You can’t simply create a LinkedIn profile and expect to automatically boost your online personal brand. You have to be active by posting updates frequently, creating original content, interacting in groups and commenting on other articles. The more you share your knowledge and expertise, the more you’ll naturally boost your brand and your name will be widely known across different industries.
Create Original Content And Comment on Others
Any professional LinkedIn profile writer will suggest writing blogs or other pieces of helpful information, as well as commenting on other original pieces of content. You never know who will find your expertise valuable and it could lead you to opportunities you didn’t even know were available. No one will know you’re an expert in a certain area unless you let them know, and writing and posting articles or blogs are great ways to do so.
At Professional Resume Services, we believe LinkedIn is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to boosting your online personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile should be one of the first results that show up when you do a Google search for your name. If it isn’t for you, then be sure to contact us for assistance on optimizing your profile to enhance your brand.
The New Year brings a perfect opportunity to revisit your goals from the previous year and set new ones to strive to achieve. As an executive, one of your goals may revolve around enhancing your career in different ways, which may include improving your c-level personal branding. Your personal brand isn’t something you can just create and then leave it alone. It’s a constant effort throughout the days, weeks, months and years, and sometimes it needs to be revamped if it gets too stagnant. Here are some things to look for to determine whether your c-level personal branding could use a boost.
How Has Your Reputation Changed Recently?
When it comes to personal branding for senior level managers, reputations can change throughout the course of the year. The hope is your reputation will change for the better, but sometimes poor decision-making can lead to a less-than-desirable new reputation. The good news is you can repair your reputation by focusing on c-level personal branding improvements. You may have to go out of your way to help others and demonstrate your expertise, but these small daily steps will go a long way in repairing your reputation and brand.
Evaluate Your Accomplishments From The Past Year
Think about the various developments that occurred throughout the past year. If you received more job responsibilities or achieved new accomplishments, then your LinkedIn profile needs to reflect them. No matter how different you may feel as a result of these achievements, those differences won’t be reflected in your personal brand unless you make them known. Your LinkedIn profile is the perfect way to do so by being active, posting new content, interacting with others and always promoting your brand.
Effectively Revamping Your Brand
Revamping your brand comes down to offering expertise to others they can’t get anywhere else. This can come through posting original content on your LinkedIn profile, making suggestions for improving the workplace, being more approachable, making new connections, volunteering, learning new skills and much more. The more you become a go-to resource for certain topics, the quicker your brand will be clearly demonstrated and revamped in the ways you want it to be.
Professional Resume Services believes c-level personal branding is one of the most important aspects of finding a job for executives. It takes time and effort to build and maintain your brand, but it’s well worth it for many reasons. This New Year, focus more on creating the brand you want by helping others and the benefits will start showing up in more ways than one. And never hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about how to effectively revamp your personal brand.
Executives oftentimes have different views on what exactly c-level personal branding is. Some see it as the best way to show who you really are and the value you bring to the table, while other people see it as being overly self-promoting. If your views fall into the latter category, then it’s important to understand personal branding for senior level managers is about much more than simply self-promotion. Here’s how you can benefit from your personal brand more than you may think.
Discover Your Purpose And Have A More Fulfilling Career
Many executives focus on c-level personal branding because it helps them learn more about themselves. They may want to be a leader, but if they become increasingly uncomfortable when they are put into leadership roles, they may realize they don’t have the personality for it. On the other hand, people may thrive when they are put into those positions unexpectedly. The point is when personal branding is at the forefront of your mind, you can learn a lot about yourself and experience a more fulfilling career as a result.
Understand What Culture Fits You Best
With employees focusing more on being happy in the workplace, the concept of culture is becoming even more important. If your personal brand involves interacting with co-workers and constantly collaborating as a team, then you probably won’t want to work for a company where the employees sit in their offices all day without coming out. Focusing on c-level personal branding can help you clearly identify which type of culture you belong in.
Build on Your Strengths And Improve Your Weaknesses
You likely know what your main strengths and weaknesses are, but chances are you will discover even more as your career progresses and you get more responsibilities. When you truly prioritize c-level personal branding, you can reflect on how your strengths can bring value to the table. It’s also important to evaluate and understand your weaknesses and work on improving them. Neither is possible without understanding your personal brand.
Become An Established Leader
Executives need to be go-to people for others within a company and even outside the company. When people view your LinkedIn profile, they should be able to clearly see your leadership qualities and see you as a valuable resource. If yours doesn’t show those qualities, then it may be time to work with an executive LinkedIn profile writer to help show your brand.
Professional Resume Services sees c-level personal branding as much more than just self-promotion. In fact, it’s actually the opposite. Sure, you have to tell people why you are valuable in order to promote your brand, but there are many more benefits to personal branding than just making yourself look good. To learn more about the concept of personal branding and some strategies to go with it, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
