Unveiling the Power of Informational Interviews in Your Job Search

Informational Interviews Can Help You Get Your Foot in the Door

The employment landscape is changing at breakneck speed, and if you are serious about keeping up, let’s talk informational interviews. They are a great way to see what’s happening at the companies you are interested in.

Informational interviews (as opposed to conventional job interviews where the objective is to get hired) are a lot more like professional coffee conversations☕—a chance to gain knowledge from a person who is already employed in an industry, job, or firm. Informational interviews can provide insider information, enhance your professional network, and even create opportunities you were not aware of.

So, let’s get down to it: the good, the not-so-good, and how to set up an informational interview.

Why Informational Interviews Are a Game-Changer

🎯 1. You Get Insider Intel
Of course, you can Google job descriptions or browse company websites—but there’s no substitute for straight talk from someone who’s actually doing the work. Informational interviews provide a first-hand glimpse into what a job is really like, the challenges professionals are up against, and where the field is going.

🤝 2. You Build a Stronger Network
We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Well, this is your chance to grow your professional circle! When you connect with industry professionals, you’re not just learning from them—you’re also making an impression. And who knows? Down the road, they might think of you when an opportunity opens up.

🔍 3. You Discover New Career Paths
Have you ever had that ah-ha moment when you learn there’s a job out there that’s ideal for you—but you didn’t even know it was out there? Informational interviews reveal various career options, making you aware of what’s available beyond the job titles you’ve already thought of.

🗣 4. You Get Better at Interviewing
Think of this as a low-risk opportunity to practice your professional conversation skills. The more you practice these conversations, the more articulate and confident you will be—so when you actually do have an interview, you’ll be prepared and polished.

🎟 5. You May Learn About Unadvertised Job Vacancies
Here’s a secret: All jobs are not advertised online. Certain positions are filled through networking before they are ever listed on a job board. If you are having quality conversations with professionals, you may be alerted to an opportunity before it is publicly announced.

The Flip Side: Informational Interview Challenges

⏳ 1. They Can Be Time-Consuming
I get it—identifying the right individuals, then contacting them, and getting up the courage to schedule them does take work (and some mental coercion 😂. You will require patience and persistence, but believe me, the reward is worth it.

🚫 2. Don’t Plan On Instant Job Offers
This doesn’t mean that you are being interviewed, so don’t treat it like one where an offer will be made at the end. The goal is to learn and build relationships and network—not ask for a job. That being said, if you think long-term, these conversations can lead to opportunities down the line.

🤷 3. Not Every Opinion is *Fact*
One individual’s experience does not represent a whole industry. Remember that people have personal biases, so take everything with a grain of salt and try to get several opinions.

🎟 4. You Might Not Get To See Everyone You Want
A few of these professionals are extremely busy and might not have time for an informational conversation. That’s fine—don’t take it personally. If a person doesn’t get back to you, approach the next.

How to Get an Informational Interview (Without Being Awkward About It)

🔗 1. Leverage Your Current Network

Start with people you know—reach out to friends, family members, former colleagues, and alumni connections. A warm introduction is always preferable to a cold contact.

📩 2. Utilize LinkedIn (–and do it the Right Way)

LinkedIn is a goldmine for networking, but here’s the trick: Don’t send generic connection requests. Instead, craft a short, thoughtful message explaining why you’d love to chat. Keep it authentic and professional. Mention something you’ve read that they’ve written or posted about.

💡 Example:

“Hi [Name], I came across your profile while researching [industry/role] and was really impressed by your experience at [Company]. I saw your recent post about [topic], and it really resonated with me, especially the [certain part]. I’d love to learn more about your journey—would you be open to a quick chat? I know you’re busy, so even 15-20 minutes would mean a lot!”

🎟 3. Attend Industry Events

Conferences, networking sessions, and even webinars online are excellent venues to meet professionals. Engage in conversations, be genuinely interested, and follow through later to maintain the connection.

👏 4. Follow Up & Say Thank You- Manners for the Win

If someone takes time out of their day to talk to you, write a thank-you note.

A simple email or LinkedIn message thanking them goes a long way–and it also keeps the relationship warm for down-the-line opportunities.

📌5. Come Prepared

Prepare thoughtful and insightful questions! Rather than asking general questions like “What do you do?”, dig a little deeper:

✅ “What’s the most exciting part of your job?”
✅ “What skills have been the most valuable in your career?”
✅ “If you were beginning in this field today, what would you do differently?” They demonstrate you’ve done your research and make the discussion more interesting.

Final Thoughts

Informational interviews aren’t just about information gathering—though that’s part of it—they’re about relationship building, clarity around your career direction, and tapping into hidden opportunities. If you go about them with curiosity, respect, and strategy, they can be one of the most helpful tools in your professional toolkit. So, who’s on your list to reach out to? Let’s make those connections happen! 🚀

Ghost Jobs: A Deep Dive into the World of Fake Job Openings

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WHAT ARE GHOST JOBS?
Ghost jobs are job postings that are not real, meaning they were posted with the intention of NOT filling an opening. In some cases, they may represent positions already filled long ago or openings that never were supposed to have been filled in the first place. This is frustrating for those candidates who invest so much time and effort applying for positions that are not current.

Ghost jobs manifest themselves in different ways:

Expired postings: Jobs that have already been filled or closed but still appear online due to poor posting management.
Placeholder Listings: Jobs posted to measure market interest or talent availability, as opposed to filling an immediate need. The company is feeling out potential candidates to see who might be applying.
Opening Ploys: Used to make it appear that a company is in growth mode and needs to bulk up its staff.
Compliance Listings: Some companies are required by law to post job openings, even when the outcome of such posting is largely an inside deal. They already have someone in mind… and they already work at the company.

WHY DO COMPANIES LIST FAKE JOB OPENINGS?

The motivations for ghost jobs are varied, and not all of them are malicious in nature.

Some key reasons as to why companies create such postings are:

1. Talent Pipeline Building
Companies often post jobs to build a pipeline of qualified candidates should something open. They might be able to move candidates quickly when a real need does arise. While this practice benefits the company in highly competitive industries or difficult-to-fill unfamiliar positions, it can be misleading to candidates who may actually believe the role is immediately available.

2. Testing The Market
Some employers post just to understand the talent pool in the market that possesses certain skills or experience. True for niche or technical roles primarily, this allows companies, through pool analysis, to make strategic compensation decisions, timelines of hire, or even decisions on expansions into new areas of business. They want to see who is out there.

3. Maintaining a Perception of Growth
In the case of startups or firms in question, posting numerous job openings may give an impression of success and growth to the investors, customers, or the best talent who would want to be part of a successful company. But the moment the truth comes out, trust will wear off.

4. Employment Law Compliance
For instance, some regions or industries require companies to post a job opening publicly, even when an internal candidate has already been identified. Technically, this is a real posting, but it is very misleading to external applicants.

5. Ineffective Recruitment Methods
Poor hiring processes are to blame in some ghost jobs. Recruiters or hiring managers forget to close the posting for roles already filled, allowing postings to stay up indefinitely.

EFFECTS OF GHOST JOBS ON APPLICANTS
The impact of ghost jobs on job seekers can be profound and demoralizing:

1. Wasting Time and Resources
The entire process of applying for a job is time-consuming and stressful. A candidate applying for a ghost job wastes time and resources that could be used on real opportunities.

2. Emotional and Mental Stress
What happens is that continuous applications without responses create feelings of rejection, frustration, and self-doubt; ghost jobs just compound this problem since we may never know if the job was valid in the first place.

3. Distrust in Companies
When applicants find out they have applied for ghost jobs, the company does not look good to them. This kind of distrust keeps talented people away from applying to the company at some point in their lives.

4. Distorted Job Market Figures
Ghost jobs give a false signal to job seekers about the demand for certain roles, which is why some of them invest time in upskilling in positions that may, in reality, not exist.

IMPACT ON COMPANIES

While ghost jobs might appear harmless or even strategic to companies, they usually boomerang in several ways.

1. Reputation Damage
Workers and candidates share experiences through Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and even sites like Reddit. The reputation of posting ghost jobs will affect the employer’s brand, making it difficult to attract top talent later on.

2. Lower Candidate Engagement
Candidates will be less likely to apply with companies that have a history of ghost postings, meaning it reduces the talent pool for actual openings and increases recruitment costs.

3. Resource Mismanagement
Application management of fake jobs burdens the company’s HR and recruitment teams. The time to review these irrelevant applications could be used to fill actual vacancies.

4. Legal and Ethical Risks
Ghost jobs in some jurisdictions may result in legal considerations, especially when postings mislead candidates or violate equal employment opportunities laws.

BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CAREER INDUSTRY

1. Data on Labor Market is Skewed.

Ghost jobs distort labor market statistics and make the actual demand for a job difficult to trace by policymakers, researchers, or economists. This misrepresentation leads to inappropriate labor policies or funding relating to workforce development programs.

2. Mistrust in Employment Platforms

The credence of such job boards or recruitment websites could be lost grudgingly in terms of both the job seekers and the employers if ghost jobs are on them, which may undermine the effectiveness of those services in linking potential job seekers with job opportunities.

3. Career Services Challenges

Career coaches and services depend on valid job market data as a basis for coaching their clients. Ghost jobs make this difficult since the picture is distorted on the number of jobs available. It makes it hard for us to offer accurate information since we really don’t know how many jobs are real and how many are fake.

4. Frustration of Recruiters

Working with such companies, some recruiters and staffing agencies may be inadvertently damaging their reputation. Candidates who feel lied to are less likely to engage with the agency in question again.

How to Mitigate the Effects of Ghost Jobs

For Job Seekers…

Research Companies: Go through reviews and forums for patterns of ghost postings.
Network Strategically: Connect with employees or recruiters at your target companies to confirm the validity of roles.
Set Realistic Expectations: Not all job postings may be immediate opportunities.

For Companies…

Be transparent about your role: State if it’s an immediate opening or if it is part of future hiring plans.
Audit Postings on a Regular Basis: Remove outdated or filled roles to maintain credibility.
Engage Applicants: Respond to applicants in a timely manner with feedback and updates.

Ghost jobs reflect the complexity and inefficiency of contemporary methods of recruitment. While these jobs might serve short-term objectives for companies, their effect is, above all, negative on job seekers, corporate reputations, and the career industry.

5 Essential Soft Skills Employers Want You to Have

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In today’s ever-changing work environment, soft skills play a pivotal role in determining professional success. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person’s skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are interpersonal and broadly applicable in the workplace.

Here are five essential soft skills for professional success, along with examples of how to showcase them in your resume or cover letter.

1. Communication

Importance: Effective communication is crucial in any workplace setting. It involves clearly conveying ideas, listening actively, understanding others’ perspectives, and responding appropriately. Good communicators can inspire and influence people, fostering a positive and productive work environment. Think about the leaders you know who inspired you. What was one of their best qualities? I bet it was the ability to communicate with their team.

How to Use in Resume/Cover Letter: In your resume, include instances where your communication skills led to positive outcomes, such as resolving conflicts, delivering presentations that won significant accounts, or leading workshops that improved team performance.
In your cover letter, you might write, “I have honed my communication skills through various leadership roles, consistently ensuring clear and effective dissemination of objectives and fostering an atmosphere of open dialogue.”

2. Teamwork

Importance: Collaboration and the ability to work well with others are fundamental in most jobs. Employers look for individuals who can contribute to the team, share ideas, and support their colleagues to achieve common goals while not involving themselves in drama.

How to Use in Resume/Cover Letter: Highlight specific projects where your ability to work in a team was evident in achieving results. For instance, “Collaborated with a cross-functional team to increase project efficiency by 30%, demonstrating strong teamwork and problem-solving skills.” In a cover letter, mention how you believe in the power of teamwork to overcome complex challenges and bring innovative solutions to life.

3. Problem-Solving

Importance: The ability to identify problems, analyze underlying causes, and implement solutions is invaluable. Problem-solving skills show that you can navigate challenges creatively and effectively, a quality that is highly prized in any role. We like to use CAR stories (Challenge, Action, Results). What was the challenge you faced? What action did you take to change it? What were the results?

How to Use in Resume/Cover Letter: Provide examples of situations where you successfully solved a problem or made an improvement. For example, “Identified a bottleneck in the production process and implemented a new strategy that reduced delivery times by 20%.” Your cover letter could explain a scenario where your problem-solving skills led to a significant breakthrough in a project or task.

4. Adaptability

Importance: In a fast-paced work environment, change is constant. Being adaptable means you can handle unexpected situations with ease and remain flexible in your approach to challenges and new tasks. How can we forget the pandemic? Adaptability in a time of crisis wins every time.

How to Use in Resume/Cover Letter: Mention experiences where you had to quickly adapt to changes or learn new skills to meet the demands of your role. In your resume, this could be, “Adapted to a rapidly changing work environment by learning new software in a short period, which increased the team’s productivity by 15%.” In your cover letter, reflect on a time when your adaptability allowed you to successfully navigate a difficult situation.

5. Emotional Intelligence

Importance: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others. It involves empathy, social skills, self-awareness, and self-regulation. High emotional intelligence can lead to better relationships at work, improved leadership skills, and a positive workplace culture.

How to Use in Resume/Cover Letter: Highlight roles or situations where your emotional intelligence made a difference. This could be through conflict resolution, mentoring colleagues, or leading a team through a stressful period. For example, “Leveraged my high emotional intelligence to mediate a conflict between team members, resulting in enhanced team harmony and productivity.” In your cover letter, discuss how your emotional intelligence has been a key factor in your professional development and success.

Conclusion

Soft skills are increasingly becoming the differentiators between good and great professionals. By effectively showcasing these skills in your resume and cover letter, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you not only have the technical skills required for the job but also the interpersonal capabilities that will make you a valuable addition to their team.
Remember, the key is to provide specific examples that highlight how these skills have contributed to your successes and how they can be beneficial in the role you’re applying for.

Mastering and Adapting Your Resume to Market Trends

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In the ever-evolving job market, adapting your resume to reflect current trends is crucial. A well-crafted resume does more than list your skills and experiences; it positions you as an ideal candidate in the eyes of potential employers (the goal). This post will guide you on how to master and adapt your resume to stay competitive.

Understanding Market Trends

The first step in adapting your resume is understanding current market trends. Trends can vary by industry, but common elements include the increased importance of digital skills, a focus on soft skills like communication and adaptability, and the need for evidence-based accomplishments. Staying informed about these trends ensures that your resume resonates with what employers are currently looking for.

Analyzing Job Descriptions

To tailor your resume effectively, analyze job descriptions in your field. Identify keywords and phrases frequently used and incorporate them into your resume. This not only helps in passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) but also shows that you’re in tune with the language and priorities of your industry.

Adapting Your Resume

1. Highlighting Relevant Skills

Update your resume to highlight skills that are in demand. For instance, if digital proficiency is trending in your field, ensure your resume reflects your competence in relevant software or platforms. Relevancy is one of my pet peeves. If you don’t have the skills relevant to the job, you may not be a good fit. If you do have the skills needed, don’t just list them, back them up by demonstrating how you’ve used them effectively in past roles.

2. Showcasing Achievements

Rather than just listing your duties at previous jobs, focus on your achievements. Use specific examples and quantify your successes wherever possible.
– Did you increase sales by 30%?
– Did you lead a project that resulted in significant cost savings?
– How did you help your team overcome a certain hurdle?
These specifics make your contributions tangible and memorable.

3. Modernizing the Format

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all resumes. Today’s resumes are more visual and concise. Use a clean, modern layout with bullet points for easy readability. Infographics and charts can be used sparingly to showcase key achievements. However, ensure that the design does not overpower the content.

4. Incorporating Soft Skills

Employers are increasingly valuing soft skills. Showcase your communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities through concrete examples. Kennedy suggests using scenarios from your work experience where you demonstrated these skills effectively.

5. Customizing for the Role

Don’t forget to customize your resume for each application. This doesn’t mean rewriting it entirely, but rather tweaking it to highlight the most relevant experiences and skills for each job. When in doubt, check out the job description. You’ll find lots of little gems in there (keywords, descriptors, etc.).

Overcoming Challenges

Adapting your resume can be challenging, especially when transitioning industries or re-entering the job market after a gap. In such cases, focus on transferable skills and continuous learning. Highlight any courses, certifications, or volunteer work that demonstrate your commitment to staying relevant in your field.

The Role of Networking

Networking can significantly impact your job search. Engage with professionals in your industry through platforms like LinkedIn. Often, a strong network can provide insights into market trends and even lead to job opportunities that are not advertised publicly.

Continuous Learning

In a fast-changing job market, continuous learning is key. Stay updated with the latest trends and skills in your industry. Online courses, webinars, and professional workshops can be excellent resources for this. Every extra bit of learning helps. Add them!

In Conclusion…

Mastering and adapting your resume is an ongoing process. It involves staying informed about market trends, highlighting your most relevant skills and achievements, and continuously learning and networking. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your resume will stand out in today’s competitive job market.

Using Keywords to Create a Compelling Story on your LinkedIn Profile

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If you are currently employed or actively seeking employment, chances are you have already established a presence on LinkedIn so recruiters and hiring managers can find you (and if you aren’t on LinkedIn, then quit reading, sign-up on the site, and then come back to this article). My question is…what are you doing/including on your profile to ensure that you actually can be found? Are you networking in industry-specific groups?

Making connections with colleagues in your field? Applying for jobs? Whatever you are doing, you need to ensure that your profile contains quality content that communicates your value and markets you effectively for the jobs you’re applying to. How do you do that? It all starts with saturating your content with targeted keywords and keyword phrases that are in line with the skills and qualifications hiring managers and recruiters want to see when looking for candidates in your field.

LinkedIn is actually a large database that uses certain fields to sort information on user profiles. Utilizing effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies (i.e. keywords) on your profile is how you will get “selected” during database searches.

Keywords are just what they say they are – “KEY” words that you need to have on your profile to not only be found in candidate searches but also to show that your skills match the qualifications companies are looking for. Here are a few areas of your profile where it is so important that you are using keywords, and not just any words to tell your career story.

HEADLINE:

Your headline is located just below your name, so it is seen immediately when somebody clicks on your profile. You have 120 characters (yep, that’s it) to pull the reader in to want to learn about you-make the most of that space. Note: LinkedIn automatically uses your current job title in the headline when you sign-up so check to make sure that is what you want on there. Otherwise, you need to change it immediately. Use keywords that are relevant to the positions you’re applying.

For example, instead of “Sales Manager at Acme Products” (which may be your current job title), make your headline “Business Growth Executive: Sales & Operations Management, Revenue & Territory Expansion, Branding, Account Development“.

You have just used 119 characters to tell the world what you can do and not just what your current job title is.

ABOUT section:

Once the reader sees your amazing headline, the next step will be to find out more about you in your profile’s “About” section. LinkedIn allows 2,600 characters in this section-plenty of opportunity to tell your career story.

Think of your “About” section as you would a cover letter, tell a little about yourself and your career trajectory. Include some quantifiable highlights and your keyword list, or a list of core competencies.

This is an ideal section to get the most bang for your buck when you are trying to get the right keywords for SEO purposes. Be creative and clear when using keywords to share your best attributes. Don’t just put “Management”, instead use “Global Operations Management”. You have the space, you just need to use it to your advantage to effectively market your skills and competencies.

SKILLS section:

You only get 50 entries in this section, so it’s imperative that you make each one count. As with your “About” section, you want to use the right keywords (skills). Instead of “Leadership”, try “Executive Leadership”. Not only does that tell the reader that you are a leader, it also tells them what level of a leader you are! Are you in HR? Do you really want to consult and not just be in one spot? Then add “Human Resource Consulting” as one of your skills.

Once you start putting information into this section, LinkedIn will automatically give you some suggestions as to other skills you may want to use that are related to your field. If the skill fits, use it. Try to fill this entire section, but if you can’t, don’t try to fill it in with soft skills or fluff. Your skills must appear relevant and dynamic–fluff won’t help you get found during an SEO search. Hint: you can always look at the profiles of some of your colleagues to see what industry-specific keywords they are using in their “Skills” section.

The bottom line…the “key” to increasing traffic to your online profile is to ensure you are applying effective SEO techniques and strategies. Use the right keywords in the right places so that you get noticed by hiring managers and recruiters looking for candidates in your field!

Executive Resume Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs

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The best executive resume writers have seen hundreds of resumes and know exactly what the most common mistakes are. As obvious as some of these mistakes are, it’s easy to make them when you’re focused so much on the details and ensuring you’re making the right impression. This also highlights the importance of working with a reputable professional resume writing service to ensure you give yourself the best chance at writing an effective resume. Here are some of the most common mistakes you need to be aware of and avoid making.

Using Long Sentences And Big Words

No matter how much experience and knowledge you have, your executive resume should use simplistic language that’s easy to read. The hiring manager likely doesn’t have the same knowledge as you, so if they don’t completely understand the big words you’re using, it could put a barrier between the two of you that’s difficult to overcome. Use short sentences and simple words in your resume and save the technical language for the interview when you’re talking to like-minded people.

Not Incorporating Keywords

The best executive resume writers will tell you keywords are more important today than ever before. With companies receiving hundreds of resumes or more on a daily basis, they will often use software to identify specific keywords and help them filter out resumes. Take keywords and phrases from the job description and requirements and use them in your resume when you can.

Being Too Generic

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all resume. Hiring managers will see right through it if you try to submit the same resume to different companies. The key to writing an effective resume is targeting the company your applying to by identifying their needs and demonstrating how you’re a good candidate to solve those needs.

Not Talking About Accomplishments

Executives typically aren’t shy about discussing their accomplishments. However, many of them don’t talk about the achievements in detail. Use numbers and statistics whenever possible to create the most significant impact. If you just say you helped increase business over the course of the year, it’s not going to be as impactful as saying you successfully boosted sales 25% from the previous year.

Failing To Proofread Thoroughly

If nothing else, the best executive resume writers are valuable to catch the minor mistakes that could be detrimental to your chances of landing an interview. Typographical errors demonstrate carelessness and formatting issues show lack of attention to detail. While these may seem minor to you, an employer could see them as you not being serious about getting the job.
Professional Resume Services is a reputable professional resume writing service because we truly care about our clients. We don’t just write resumes. We want to know about your career aspirations, including where you’ve been and what you plan to accomplish. When we know your desires, we can help you craft the perfect resume to land the job of your dreams. Feel free to contact us at any time for help on your resume.

How to Create an Executive Resume That Leads to Interviews

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There’s no single secret to help executives create the perfect resume that will lead to an interview with every application. However, when you’ve incorporated key components within your resume, the chances of landing an interview increase exponentially. The best executive resume writers will keep their resumes as clear and concise as possible, only offer information relevant to the job itself and will never have any errors. Here are some of the basic tips for writing resumes that get you hired.

Stick With Providing Relevant Information Only

It’s tempting to put as much information on your resume as you can think of and hope the reader will pick and choose what they want to read. The truth is if they see irrelevant information, they may stop reading the resume altogether. When you’re thinking about relevant information to include, think about the experiences you’ve had that could lead to success in the role you’re applying for. You may be proud of a certain accomplishment or certification you’ve earned in the past, but if the experience doesn’t translate to your potential new role, then it’s just wasting space on your resume.

Use Clear And Concise Wording And Formatting

Every professional resume writing service will highlight the importance of being as clear and concise as possible in every aspect of your resume. The length of your resume should be no more than about two pages and the formatting should incorporate enough white space to make it easy to read. Bullet points are great to use, as they highlight important achievements and are impactful to the reader. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert at tightening up your resume. You can put the relevant information in a document and rely on your professional resume writing service to clean it up for you.

Eliminate Grammatical Errors

You can never proofread your resume too much. It doesn’t matter how clear and concise your resume is, or if you are clearly the best candidate for the job from an experience perspective, grammatical errors can quickly get your resume thrown out. Your resume is the first opportunity to make an impression to a potential employer, but the chances of even getting a phone interview diminish quickly when there are glaring typographical errors on it.

Make Your Resume Targeted

One of the best ways to create a resume that leads to interviews is to target the specific employer. This will not only grab the attention of the reader immediately, but it will also show you’ve done your homework and are legitimately interested in the company. The best executive resume writers will identify a company’s needs and include facts and statistics on their resume about how they can help.
Professional Resume Services wants to help you write resumes that get you hired. The end goal of every resume you write should be to ultimately get the job, but the first step is getting an interview. No matter what stage you’re at in your resume writing adventure, we can help whenever you need us. Never hesitate to contact us along your journey to finding the executive position you’ve always desired.

Modernizing Your Executive Resume for 2017

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It’s widely understood that you have approximately six seconds to make an impression on a hiring manager with your resume—even for executives. The challenge is making the absolute most of those six seconds in creative ways without being too over the top. In some aspects, it’s good to have a traditional resume, but it won’t hurt to modernize it a bit. Of course, writing an effective resume in today’s competitive executive world can be difficult, so here are some tips for modernizing your resume for 2017.

Focus on the Top Third of the Page

This is a key factor for any resume, whether they’re traditional or modern. Modern resumes, however, allow for more creativity. For instance, consider adding a splash of color. When you talk to executive resume writers about the jobs you’re applying for, they may suggest using colors only for headings or in your personal information section, but not in your achievements. The top third of your resume is what recruiters see first, so it’s important for it to stand out.

Use the Right Amount of Creativity

Most professional resume writing services will tell you to avoid using vibrant colors for your resume if you’re applying for an executive position. If you overdo it, it will look like you’re applying for a graphics or marketing job. Executive recruiters tend to like traditional resume formats, so using the right amount of creativity to get noticed can be difficult. Instead of using bright colors, use different text sizes and bolding as an alternative.

Consider the ATS System

Many executive resume writers tend to shy away from a lot of creative things like tables, text boxes, charts and other similar objects. The reason is if an employer runs your resume through an ATS system, it may not be able to recognize keywords. You can still modernize your resume by using a larger text size, bolding, italics, underlining, highlighting and other features to highlight specific accomplishments. This will ensure your keywords remain intact and you’ll also have a resume that stands out among the rest. On the other hand, not all companies use an ATS system and you want to add a bit of formatting creativity to appeal to human eyes as well (i.e. human resources, recruiters, hiring managers, etc.).
Writing an effective resume takes some time and skill, and that’s exactly where Professional Resume Services excels. If you’re looking to modernize your executive resume this year, feel free to contact us at any time.