Networking is one of the most valuable actions any professional or executive can take for a variety of reasons. Whether you have a job you like or are seeking a new one, networking has plenty of value. However, if you don’t network properly, you could find yourself frustrated at the lack of success it’s getting you. Networking can work for everyone, but it doesn’t mean you can just go through the motions and land your dream job as a result. Here are some of the most common mistakes executives make in their networking efforts.
Not Warming Up Your Contacts
It can be easy to lose touch with your professional network. With such a busy schedule, combined with not personally seeing your connections frequently, contacts can quickly and easily go cold. However, the key to c-level personal branding is to always work on improving your image and brand. Any LinkedIn profile development professional will tell you if you reach out to a cold contact and act like you just saw them yesterday, your efforts won’t yield very good results. Just like you have to build a relationship with any new contacts you make, you have to warm up the relationship with current contacts.
Being Too Vague
When you visit the best executive resume writing services, they aren’t going to tell you to be vague on your resume. The same goes with networking. If you don’t enter a networking event with a clear goal in mind of why you’re going, you’ll leave with an empty feeling. Before you even attend an event, write down a list of things you want to accomplish, and most importantly, what you’re looking for in your career. Anticipate questions people may ask you so you know how to answer.
Networking With The Wrong People
It’s also possible you’re simply talking to the wrong people. In most cases, if you’re new to an area or industry, you can’t talk to your past connections and expect to get anywhere. That’s why LinkedIn profile development is so critical in networking, since you can make connections no matter where you are. There are plenty of LinkedIn groups available to help you get acquainted with the right type of people before you even meet them. Professional Resume Services provides not only the best executive resume writing services, but can also help with your LinkedIn profile development. Feel free to contact us if you are struggling with your networking efforts in any way.
Five Big Job Hunting Mistakes You’ll Want to Fix This New Year
If you take the time to speak with any executive level job-seeker, you are likely going to hear a few words of wisdom about how to find the perfect executive position. However, many of these individuals are full of misguided tips that are going to hinder, rather than help, your job hunt. To avoid falling for these common job hunting mistakes, use the information here.
Not Knowing What Your Personal Market Value Is
Prior to attending even one interview, take some time to assess your value in the open market. If you don’t know your professional worth, there is a good chance you will undersell your experience and knowledge, which will hurt your negotiating power. There are tools to help with this. For example, compensation benchmarking can help you determine what your market value is based on your geographic location, experience, skills, etc.
Your Resume Gives All the Details of Your Past Work Experience
It is important to remember, the purpose of a resume is to help you receive a call for an interview. You don’t have to create an extremely detailed autobiography of your entire professional history. If you are having a difficult time consolidating the information on your resume, consider using executive resume writing services.
Trying to Match Your Resume to the Keywords in the Job Posting
HR managers and personnel have to review hundreds of resumes for every position. If they are all full of keywords from the job posting, they are going to have a difficult time finding someone who stands out. Instead of “stuffing” the resume with keywords, fill it with information that describes you, as well as the unique expertise you have. Professional executive resume writers can help capture all the characteristics that help you stand out as a great candidate.
Assuming You Need More Certifications or Schooling to Get the Job You Want
You don’t have to acquire an MBA or a large selection of certifications to find the right executive role. Remember, two of the wealthiest executives that ever lived, Carlos Slim and Bill Gates, don’t have these credentials. The important thing is to utilize your skills and abilities to demonstrate your professional experience and expertise.
Ruling Out Opportunities Carelessly
Don’t overthink the job description you read. Treat the ad as an ideal. In many cases, the description is a wish list of what businesses want in a new executive, but there are only a few requirements that are absolutely essential. Don’t take yourself out of the running without evaluating the situation carefully. Once you know the specifics, you can begin writing a professional resume that targets these desired traits. Executive resume writing services can help you create a resume to highlight your unique skills and abilities. Using these professional services can help you stand out from other candidates seeking the same executive level position.
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.
Be Careful to Avoid These Common Executive Job Hunting Mistakes!
Writing an executive bio properly can improve your job hunt.
Senior-level job hunting can be an incredibly difficult endeavor. The longer it’s been since you’ve searched for a job, the more out of touch and inexperienced you are with staying afloat in today’s job market. What employers are looking for and how you will interact with them have changed drastically within recent years. If you’re an executive who’s struggling to interact properly with today’s hiring professionals, you aren’t alone. We can offer tips on how to handle this new stage of life by letting you know what and what not to do as you search.
Check Your Ego
We aren’t saying this to be cruel, anything but! The issue is when you approach a potential employer with the attitude you are the end-all, be-all within your respective field, this presents a turnoff. You are far from the only person in your field who is suitable for that particular job. Inevitably, you are just one of many other applicants being considered. Your job is to explain how you stand out from the rest, not in terms of uniqueness, but in terms of what you can bring to the company for their benefit. Many executive resume writing services can help you learn how to market yourself more tactfully to prospective employers.
Consider the Relationship Potential
Rather than approaching the position as a means of income, do so in the same way you’d approach a blind date. By meeting and maintaining contact with an employer, you are fostering a valuable first impression and reputation, even if you don’t land the job! Being dismissive or unpleasant in any capacity will create a harmful ripple effect on the future of your job search, especially if you wind up back in contact with a particular employer you didn’t treat well. Every employer you talk to could serve as an invaluable contact toward helping you land a job so be as considerate as you can!
Think About the Employer’s Needs
This is an incredibly important step throughout the job hunting process, from writing an executive bio onward. Never approach an employer with the attitude of how they can benefit you. Rather, keep in mind what you can offer the company you’re looking to be hired by in terms of your skills and what the position requires. Don’t be too focused on finding out everything you can about the company just yet. That can be reserved for further meetings, where you’ll have more time to get to know more about the company and whether they’re the best match.
Executive LinkedIn profiles can help your job search.
There are a few classic elements of job searching that will always remain: resumes, cover letters and making a good first impression on the people in charge of hiring. It is the approach to many job hunting principles that has changed, all thanks to today’s technology, which has made it far easier to communicate than it was in the past. In order to succeed in today’s job market, you’ll have to know how to navigate it.
You Have to Know How to Type
The common QWERTY keyboard is a staple in today’s world, so much so you will be expected to know how to use it. No longer is the ability to type efficiently highly coveted! Instead, other skills are much more important to today’s jobs. It will be on you to figure out which skills you have that are most relevant to the job you want,and how you can tailor them to appeal to different employers. Consulting with executive resume writing services is one way to learn the ropes.
Google Is Important!
Google is a far more powerful tool now than it was a decade ago, evidenced by its position within the workplace. You will have to stay on top of your online presence and make sure its squeaky clean in order to get ahead. Quite a few employers run searches on individuals they’re considering hiring or even to find the right people to hire in the first place! Since the first page of a Google search is the one people pay the most attention to, focus your efforts on doing some spring cleaning there. This tip is especially relevant to senior-level executives with established brands.
Establish or Edit Your Brand
If you don’t have a brand already, it’s important you set one up for yourself. Your online presence is a major part of your brand because all a brand does is display who you are to employers and to the world. Make sure your brand is stable and easy to interpret. This is easiest to do by simply monitoring how you interact online. Setting up executive LinkedIn profiles is a great way to start customizing your brand for employers.
Be Brief!
Remember: employers don’t have a lot of time to spend on your application! The most they will be able to devote to your resume is about half a minute, or 30 seconds. Your resume should only summarize your employment history and experiences as efficiently as possible. As the old adage goes, less is more! Any number of top rated resume writing services can help you figure out how to pare your resume down into something that will appeal to employers.
The best resume writing service can help you succeed in your job hunt.
Much like the rest of the world, the ways we look for and find jobs is rapidly changing thanks to the advent of technology. In the face of all of these changes, from smartphones to social media, all business people can do is try and keep up with it all. The same goes for anyone on the hunt for a new job position, especially at an executive level. Consulting executive resume writing services to figure out how to approach this new career climate is one way to go about it. We can help you learn how to stay afloat in this new job hunting environment. Here is a guide toward how things have changed and what you can do to adjust your search methods appropriately.
Ditch the Job Board
They aren’t nearly as effective as they used to be! The same goes for recruiting services. While these two methods are the most commonly used by unemployed or transitioning executives, they rarely land you a job in an efficient amount of time. In fact, research states executives find new positions through recruiters and/or job boards at an alarmingly low rate of below 20 percent. You are better off utilizing other methods within your job search to find success, such as networking.
Tweak Your Resume Sooner Rather Than Later
Social media has transformed how resumes are constructed in many ways. You’ll have to learn how resumes have morphed in this decade and change yours to match, especially if it’s been decades since you last looked for a job. If you have the option, team up with the best resume writing service you can find for help with how to edit your resume into something that aligns more closely with what today’s hiring agents are looking for.
Utilize Social Media
Social media is rapidly becoming more important than ever. If you haven’t caught onto it and created a Facebook account, LinkedIn account or anything similar, now is the time! Individuals and businesses alike are beginning to rely heavily on social media to communicate with each other. If nothing else, it will serve as a valuable tool for networking with other people in your industry, which will prove invaluable to your job search! Likewise, those with the heaviest bearing on whether you’ll be able to land the job will use social media and the rest of your online presence to learn more about you and whether you’re suitable for the position.
Keep Your Brand in Mind
If you’re a professional, you will more than likely have a brand that is more than worth maintaining. If you fail to do this, you could be missing out on some great job opportunities and risking prolonging your job search.
Be Honest and Open
Pride and stubbornness will do you no favors when it comes to your job search. Always be 100 percent open about what happened with your last position and your current skill set when you interview. Furthermore, although the job search climate has changed, don’t feel afraid to adapt or believe you’ll never be able to catch up!
Consider Some of These Important Elements While Writing Your Resume
Writing a professional resume requires certain elements.
There are many common mistakes job seekers make throughout their searching process, especially where resumes are concerned. One of the most common is using the exact same resume for every position you apply for. Despite popular belief, your tactics for a job hunt cannot be one size fits all. Depending on the industry you’re in and the types of positions you’re seeking, you may have to adapt your resume to fit. This may mean having several copies for different purposes. Furthermore, there are many key elements to include while you’re writing a professional resume. Read on to find out just what they are.
Formatting Your Resume
The majority of the time, your resume is the first interaction a recruiter will have with you. You have to make it count. Poor formatting is one of the quickest ways to make your resume less effective. Unfortunately, it is also one of the easiest elements to forget about when you’re writing a professional resume. We recommend keeping these tips in mind:
Keep your resume brief. We recommend no more than three pages maximum for senior level employees. It isn’t necessary to detail all of your experiences throughout your career. Just the most relevant information will do.
Always save your resume as a PDF file. Everyone can view PDF files. There are few formatting differences between PDF reading programs, meaning your resume will stay uniform, no matter what computer has opened it. The same cannot be said for Microsoft Word files, where a number of factors can affect the appearance of your resume.
Use the right email address. It’s always best to use your professional email address, but one that is maintained by you and you alone. Listing a company email address can create poor implications.
Additionally, certain pieces of information must be covered with respect to your previous positions. Be sure to include the name of the company or organization you’ve worked for, an explanation of what they do, the name of your position, the dates of when you started and ended working with the company, your specific responsibilities, any achievements and personal contributions you made and your professional reputation among your coworkers, supervisors and others.
Showcasing Your Best Attributes
Presenting what you can bring to a company is just as important to your resume as including prior experiences within your field. It’s an excellent way of introducing yourself in a positive manner. However, there’s also an art to personal branding for senior level managers.
Be sure to research the companies you’re applying to prior to composing your resume. Adapt your industry knowledge and your past contributions in a way that shows you can match what your prospective employer is looking for. You should always try to make your resume as pertinent to the position as possible.
If you need further advice, reach out to one of the many executive resume writing services available. They can make sure you’re including all the information you need and none of what you don’t!
Writing a professional resume requires looking at yourself in a new light.
Resumes have one sole objective: to illustrate to a recruiter or hiring manager how you’re the best person to serve the company you want to work for. If you’re in the process of writing a professional resume, you should keep the concept of selling yourself to an employer in mind. Think about the desires an employer seeks in a potential employee as you describe yourself and how you are the best person available. Of course, this can be trickier than it sounds. To learn how to do this, we have a few handy pieces of advice for you. Here is some of the best information you can include on your resume to help yourself stand out.
Talk About Your Skills
Including a section that specifically highlights your ‘Core Competencies’ (and is titled as such) will help you bypass the automation that sorts through applicants and gets hiring managers to give you a closer look. Use the job listing you originally found as your guide by paraphrasing some of the requirements listed there. Apply them to your own previous work experiences by discussing how you’ve fulfilled these duties at your old workplaces.
Describe Some of Your Achievements
As the classic writing advice goes, “show, don’t tell.” Rather than talking about how you’re the best, use facts to explain. Talk about what you’ve achieved over the years and how this has helped the companies you’ve previously worked for. You can do this through several means, such as elaborating on awards you’ve won in the past.
We also recommend including a section detailing the highlights of your career when following the best executive resume format. In this section, you can add information about the most notable accomplishments you’ve achieved while working for a company, using numbers and other data to explain this. You should only do this if you’ve been especially successful in the past because this will work to your advantage by catching an employer’s eye and making them curious. As with the rest of your resume, stay concise.
Write a Summary About Yourself
This is just one vital element of the best executive resume format. You should add it underneath your contact details. Lend yourself a title that aligns with what you believe an employer desires. Again, keep this portion of your resume to-the-point. Ideal summaries are short—about only four lines at the most—and talk about how you can be of benefit to the company you want to work for, as well as the attributes you can lend. This will help you stand out.
We hope these tips will serve as a valuable resource for introducing yourself to employers in a meaningful and productive way. However, these are only a few great ways to make writing a professional resume an easier process. For more information and resources, consider contacting executive resume writing services.
