Congratulations! You’ve finally got your executive resume polished and ready to share with the world. Whether you used thebest executive resume writing service or you crafted the perfect resume yourself, it’s time to show it off. Believe it or not, there are some things you need to look out for when sharing your executive resume on the Internet. With so many job boards, it can be difficult to determine where to post your resume. Here is a simple guide to sharing your resume with the online world.
Avoid Sharing Personal Information
When you publish any kind of personal information on the Internet, you never know who will see it. Avoid putting your home address or phone number, unless you want to get a lot of unwanted spam. An executive resume writer would suggest limiting your personal information to just a city or state so there’s no easy way to track you down. Once a potential employer contacts you, feel free to share the information like you normally would with a standard resume.
There’s No Bad Place to Post Your Resume
Some people believe you can post your executive resume anywhere and everywhere, while others suggest being selective. There isn’t necessarily a bad place to put your resume online, but you could find unexpected consequences. The more places you post, the more exposure your resume will receive. However, you may also receive more spam mail. Posting your resume to just a few websites limits your exposure, but you’ll also be able to more easily determine legitimate contacts from phony ones. My favorite professional website for job seekers is LinkedIn. You can post your resume, research companies and look for jobs, all in one place.
Be Careful About Solicitations
Thetop rated resume writing services will warn you about solicitations you’ll receive in response to your resume. I always suggest to my clients to create a separate email address only for job search to make sure they don’t receive those types of emails (spam) in their personal inbox. You may get emails asking for personal information, but don’t fall for it. Legitimate employers most likely will wait until the interview to ask for that information so don’t give it out online unless you’ve already established a relationship with them. These are just a few things to consider when posting your executive resume on the Internet. An executive resume writer may tell you any kind of exposure is good exposure. While that may be true, you also have to understand what you may see as a result.
Interested in Hiring an Executive Resume Writer? Here’s What You Should Look For!
Most people don’t think they need an executive resume writer when they’re searching for a job. It’s easy to blindly throw your resume out to employers and see which one bites. However, you aren’t doing yourself a lot of good, and you definitely aren’t saving time that way. An executive resume writer does more than just put words on a piece of paper for you. They will help you think deeply about your current career path and your goals. In order to find someone like this, you have to look for some particular characteristics.
Have Your Best Interest in Mind
When you’re looking forexecutive resume writing services, it’s easy to tell who has your best interest in mind versus someone who is only interested in their paycheck. It’s a good sign if they’ve been in the profession for many years. They probably won’t be able to talk about specific clients, but ask them about some of their best success stories. Their answer will go a long way in determining how much they will care about helping you. Make sure they have advanced credentials, awards and even some samples on the website so you can see their work. Talk to them. Make sure they talk strategy and focus as well.
They Explain the Process to You
If you’re going to pay good money for executive resume services, you deserve to learn more than just how to write a resume better. A good service will provide you with information and resources about how their process works, what they’ll need from you and what to expect once it’s done. Not knowing what an employer in your industry looks for on a resume won’t help you in the long run.
They Connect on a Personal Level
Some of the bestexecutive resume writers have been in your shoes before. You will have a complete sense of trust when you realize your professional writer went through the same struggles as you. Any professional can learn how to write a resume, but actually living through the difficult times of looking for a job and trying to craft the perfect resume goes a long way in credibility. Once you develop a personal understanding with your executive resume writer, you’ll most likely be able to open up and work together to create a great resume. If you’re planning on seeking the help of executive resume writing services, these tips should help you find the perfect writer. The important thing to remember is the first person you interact with may not always be the best choice. Just like finding a job, finding the perfect executive resume writer is a process. These tips should help you narrow down your choices a little easier.
Functional or Chronological: Which Is the More Effective Format for Your Resume?
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!
Navigating today’s demanding and ever-changing job market is tough—no matter what age you are. If you’re 50 or over, however, learning the ropes can be even more of a challenge. It’s highly likely that it’s been years upon years since you last searched for a job, and the market has changed tenfold since you were in this position.How do you navigate this strange new territory?How do you reach out to the people you want to hire you?Just what is the key to writing resumes that get you hired in today’s world?We have a few tips on things to avoid to help make your search easier.
Personal Stagnation
Regardless of age, it never hurts to learn new things—information, viewpoints and especially skills. Think about the skill set you have now. How well does it sync up with the job listings you’ve seen this decade? Are there any skills you’ve seen that have stumped you, or that you know you have no idea how to perform? Don’t let this become a detriment to you and hurt your chances of getting hired!While you’re searching for a new career, it would serve you well to start looking into expanding your skill set by taking some adult educational classes. If you aren’t good with computers and other electronic devices, now is the time to learn. If you need to be familiar with a certain kind of software to qualify for the positions you’re seeking out, consider seeing if your nearest learning center has classes for it. A Lacking LinkedIn
You’ve very likely heard of LinkedIn at some point during your professional career. It’s a business-oriented social networking site and has become increasingly important in recent years. Most professionals today use it to network with other people in their industry, meaning if you don’t have a LinkedIn account of your own, you’ll want to invest some good old time and effort into putting one together and keeping it active and updated.You never know who might notice you on LinkedIn, especially since so many of today’s hiring managers use the site to find potential candidates. If you can’t make heads or tails of LinkedIn, you can even hire a professional LinkedIn profile writer to lend you a hand. Ego Trouble
Because you’ve been in the workforce for so long, especially as a senior-level professional, you’ve racked up a lot of accomplishments. While this is certainly commendable and even worth acknowledgment, you should keep in mind that by looking for new work, you’re much closer to square one than it may seem. Be humble about your skills, and don’t limit yourself as far as the positions you can acquire. Similarly, you don’t want to be too meek and cheat yourself out of a great position. Simply communicate, connect with every fellow professional you meet and don’t let your personal opinions get in the way of your search.
And don’t forget you can always rely on a professional resume writing service for help with your job search and to help you maneuver through today’s job market!
As a senior level professional, you’ve almost certainly heard of personal branding. Implementing it into your professional life, however, is a very different story. The idea of establishing and maintaining a personal brand is very new after all, having arrived on the coat tails of the Internet and the rest of today’s technology. If you’ve spent a considerable amount of time assuming c-level personal branding isn’t worth your time, you may want to reconsider! This is a very important aspect of your professional career, for a few significant reasons.
Personal Branding Sets You Apart
While this line sounds cliché, it is very much the truth. Consider these questions:
How do you stack up against your competitors?
Would your degree(s) be enough to convince companies to hire you instead of someone else?
Thousands of other people hold the exact same academic achievements as you. Plus, the longer you’ve been out of school, the less your academic career matters. It’s the sad reality that many people face.
Rather than focusing on this, look back on the other accomplishments you’ve earned within your field. Think about who you are as a executive and a person. Personal branding for senior level managers involves getting to the meat of these two concepts. It involves presenting your positive qualities and expertise in a way that appeals much more readily to those in charge of hiring you.
You’ll Experience a Quality Jump with Your Job Search
Naturally, focusing on your skills and personal talents boosts your own self image. This means you will become far less likely to settle for just any position that matches your skill set. You will gradually start to approach your job search in a different way as your personal brand gains more and more attention. Once this happens, it will enable you to think about what you really want from a company and what conditions you are not willing to deal with.
As a result, you will start to push forward with your professional life and only accept those who meet your newfound standards. If the idea of constant professional growth appeals to you, then you’ll want to put together your personal brand as soon as possible.
Your Personal Brand Gains You More Benefits and Professional Success
Simply put, a personal brand boosts your chances of being hired. It creates a clear picture of your strengths and what you can offer a company, which will appeal quickly to employers. If you’re currently struggling with your job search, a personal brand may help you finally find the position you’ve been so diligently seeking in ways you could never have anticipated!
Make no mistake about it: job boards are a thing of the past. In the past, you may have posted your resume on a job board and had a reasonable shot at getting a new job opportunity; however, the way skilled workers find jobs has changed. The vast majority of these boards have become black holes for your executive bio and resume.
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and, most notably, LinkedIn are beginning to make traditional job boards obsolete. Recently, around 2-4% of people posting resumes on a traditional job board found employment. Individuals employing networking tactics on various social media sites found a career 40-50% of the time.
We’re not mathematicians, but it seems like networking is just a little bit more successful for most seeking employment. If you look at things from a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s standpoint, we can see why. Would you rather hire someone you only know from a piece of paper or an individual who has been personally recommended to you by someone you know and respect?
Your job search doesn’t have to be rocket science. Here are a few more reasons why traditional job boards don’t work:
The Black Hole
Companies get hundreds, if not, thousands, of responses to online job board postings. Then they send every resume to a system that reviews and ranks their skills, experience and more. The hiring manager only looks through the top 10-20% of resumes sent in. The vast majority of resumes never even see human eyes when you submit via a job board.
Not the Best Gigs
Most of the best jobs never even hit the jobs boards. Many hiring managers have stopped posting on these boards altogether. Companies have started using recruiters and networking to find the right type of talent without having to spend days under hundreds of resumes.
The Wrong People
When you submit your executive profile to a job board, you’re not putting your information in front of any decision makers whatsoever. Your resume ends up in front of a lackey whose job is to reject you for any reason. If you want to get in touch with someone who can make a decision, you’re much better off using social media sites and developing your networking skills.
LinkedIn is King
If you get a hiring manager to speak honestly, they prefer to find candidates through LinkedIn more than any other way. LinkedIn is up-to-date and current. Successful employees use LinkedIn to further their career. People with decision-making power know this. That’s why they use the site to find the people they really want to hire before aggressively pursuing the candidate. Getting Back in the Game?
Are you looking for employment? Ready to dust off the ole’ executive bio and profile? If so, you’ll want to be on the top of your game. It’s a competitive job marketplace out there, it’s important to give yourself an edge whenever you can. Successful job seekers know how to work their network and find the best job.
An executive resume writer can help you create an effective sales resume.
If you’re involved in the sales industry, you already know the importance of a great pitch. The ideal pitch should take only a few seconds to hook a consumer and can be the ticket to making a worthwhile sale or gaining a regular client. The same factors apply to your resume and executive resume bio. These serve as a self-pitch, meant to illustrate your experiences, skills and other related attributes to hiring managers. Keep in mind recruiters have only a small amount of time to view your resume. If you go into too much detail and don’t stick to relevant information, you risk being skipped over entirely. Let us offer you some advice on how to make your resume stand out from the rest.
Include the Awards You’ve Earned
Awards serve as excellent proof of good work and help illustrate you’re excellent at your job. When you include this in your executive resume bio, make sure to clarify what the award was for, as well as the amount of competition you were up against. The larger volume of people you had to compete with, the more your skill level will be apparent to recruiters.
Summarize Who You Are
The first component of a winning resume should be a summary about you—the exceptional qualities you have to offer to the company’s position, your professional history and a little about yourself and your experiences.
Go Into Detail Where You Need To
We recommend you focus specifically on illustrating your duties at your old positions. Talk about the quotas and accounts you had to manage, as well as the size of them. Create a clear depiction of your responsibilities and how you tackled them head-on on a regular and outstanding basis.
Don’t Forget the Numbers
When you’re detailing the significant aspects of your job experience, you should remember to include the numbers involved. They’re a frequent part of executive sales careers, after all. Talk about your standings among other employees at your old companies, as well as in your particular branch in said companies. Explain the percentage by which you improved profit margins and the number of sales you landed throughout your time at your previous job.
Pitch Yourself
Combining the elements we’ve explained above and considering how you want to present yourself will help you to become an excellent executive resume writer. Be wholly truthful about your accomplishments, but spin them in a way that explains why you’re the best at what you do. In other words, picture yourself exactly as a product you’re trying to put on the market and clarify why you’re a cut above all the rest.
Resumes are tough to master, but anyone can grow into a great executive resume writer with a little help and effort. All it takes is knowing how to pitch yourself properly and thus appeal to job recruiters who are searching for someone with your talents. If you need a little extra help getting started, consider contacting a cover letter writing service. There you’ll find all the tools you’ll need to write the best resume possible.
An executive resume writer can help you explain gaps.
When you hire an executive resume writer, it can be tempting to leave out information regarding times of inactivity when it comes to your employment. In most cases, there’s a legitimate reason for time gaps. Perhaps you needed time to take care of an elderly parent, a sick child or just took a sabbatical. However, leaving these gaps of time unexplained can cause employers to have doubts or negative suspicions about your resume.
Why Gaps Have a Negative Connotation
Each company may look at resume gaps in a different light. There are some businesses interested only in your specific skills and aren’t concerned at all about gaps. However, for more competitive fields, even a single gap can take you out of running for a key position. Even though gaps occur for a variety of reasons, employers may have their own view of them. If you leave huge gaps unexplained, the other party is left with only their imagination as to why they exist. It is always better to explain gaps in your employment history.
Why It’s Not Advisable to Lie About Gaps
It’s likely just about everyone has been tempted to lie about gaps. For some, this means slightly adjusting dates to fill in the gaps; others try to fill in the gap by falsifying information. Either way, you are taking a big chance of discovery. Most legit businesses are going to take the time to explore your information thoroughly and are likely to find gaps on their own. This decreases the likelihood of your employment because it tends to raise too many questions and doubts.
Lying about gaps in employment can have many negative repercussions, but none as serious as if you are applying in a small industry. Smaller businesses make it easier for word to travel about any discrepancies. This can leave you with a tarnished reputation for many years, making it difficult to gain employment.
What’s the Best Way to Cover Gaps of Time?
The best way to deal with gaps is to be honest and upfront in your executive resume bio. Simply tell the truth about gaps. By providing explanations for why you were between jobs, you establish trust in the relationship. It’s much better to explain in your executive resume bio or executive resume cover letter that you took some time to raise your children or simply took a sabbatical than to remain silent about why the gaps exist.
What About Terminations?
What if the gap in employment exists due to a termination? Be truthful about why you were not a good fit for previous employers and use the opportunity to explain how you used the time between jobs to develop or maintain job related skills.
It can be important to work closely with a professional resume service who can help you create a complete resume. It’s imperative to create a gap-free document, from the executive resume cover letter to a complete and thorough resume.
Navigating today’s demanding and ever-changing job market is tough—no matter what age you are. If you’re 50 or over, however, learning the ropes can be even more of a challenge. It’s highly likely that it’s been years upon years since you last searched for a job, and the market has changed tenfold since you were in this position.How do you navigate this strange new territory?How do you reach out to the people you want to hire you?Just what is the key to writing 
