LinkedIn can be an extremely valuable tool for executives. However, not knowing how to use it properly can also damage your reputation without you even knowing. LinkedIn isn’t difficult to use, but there are some unwritten rules about etiquette that many executives overlook. If you’re going to spend the time to write your executive profile on your LinkedIn page, you owe it to yourself to be familiar with these unwritten rules executives sometimes violate.
Personalize Your Connection Requests
When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, you could use the default message LinkedIn provides, or you could personalize it. Personalizing the request is valuable in many ways. You could state how you met the person, just in case it was at a networking event where they met dozens of other people. Or you could simply say you’re impressed with their profile and admire their work. Either way, a personalized request makes a much better impression.
Adjust Settings When Updating Your Profile
When you need to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you’re likely going to change a lot of different sections of it. What you may not know is all of your connections will see each and every change you make if you don’t update your settings accordingly. Go into the Privacy Controls of your profile and turn off update notifications to spare your connections from dozens of notifications. Turn it back on when you’re done updating it, so your connections will only see the important changes going forward.
Give Endorsements and Recommendations
The top resume writing services will tell you not to put too much emphasis on endorsements and recommendations through LinkedIn. However, giving and receiving the proper ones is important. Don’t ask for an endorsement from someone you didn’t work with directly. On the other hand, it’s not appropriate to give an endorsement or recommendation to someone you didn’t work with closely. These should be personalized and well thought out, so make them meaningful.
Connect With The Right People
If you’re actively searching for a job, connect with people who work in the same industry as you. With LinkedIn groups, you don’t even have to make a connection request until you get to know them as part of the group. It takes a little time to get to know someone through LinkedIn, but a single quality connection is much more valuable than a dozen connections from people you never met or have any association with at all.
Professional Resume Services is one of the top resume writing services for many reasons. We not only help with writing executive resumes, but we can also assist with cover letter writing, developing LinkedIn profiles and helping out with job searches in general. Feel free to contact us at any time to learn more about the written and unwritten rules of LinkedIn or anything else pertaining to your executive job search.
There are many different tools you need to have as an executive looking for a new job. Using these strategies will keep you on par with your competition, and your job search strategies can put you over the top. However, without utilizing every resource available to you, there’s a good chance you’ll be left behind. Whether it’s updating your LinkedIn profile or optimizing your resume, there are certain things you must have with your job search.
Executive Biography
Your executive resume biography tells a story and is more conversational than a resume or cover letter. This is your opportunity to go into detail about a particular situation that highlights your skills, brand and personal attributes. Some executives focus more on resumes and cover letters, but a strong executive biography can tie everything together.
Executive Resume
Writing an executive resume today is much more difficult than it was a decade ago. With so many automated systems used to identify keywords, you have to be precise with the words and phrases you use. Many times, executives will leave the resume writing to professional resume writing services to ensure their resume gets noticed.
Updated LinkedIn Profile
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to get one. If your LinkedIn profile isn’t up-to-date, it’s time to update it. Recruiters and HR managers will sometimes look on LinkedIn to find candidates. Other times they will look on LinkedIn after they’ve viewed a resume to get more information on a candidate. Your LinkedIn profile gives you the opportunity to go beyond the information on a resume, so take it seriously and don’t just rehash your resume.
Networking Card
There’s a difference between a business card and a networking card. When networking, you need to have a card that displays your personal email address, cell phone, branding statement and social media accounts. A traditional business card may not be the best for networking with new people to find new opportunities. Having both could be beneficial, but a specific networking card is unique and will help you stand out.
Professional Resume Services is here to help ensure you have everything you need to be successful with your job search. Whether it’s writing an executive resume biography or just giving you tips on how to approach your job search, contact us any time you feel like you need a boost.
With the world of automation today, it can be virtually impossible to get your executive resume into human hands if you only submit it online through job boards. It may be much easier and convenient to send in your resume online, but there’s no guarantee it will ever been seen. Recruiters will scan resumes for certain keywords and keyphrases using technology in order to eliminate as many as possible. If yours isn’t formatted perfectly, or if you don’t use the right words, it will be quickly brushed off.
So how can you write resumes that get you hired, but have a better chance of getting them into human hands? Here are a few tips to consider.
Optimize Your Keywords
Keywords are the most essential component of any effective resume. Any executive resume writer will look at your skills, qualifications and accomplishments and simply reword them to use appropriate keywords for your industry. This is the best chance you have at getting your executive resume through the automated keyword filter.
Look For Connections
Sometimes the best way to get your resume into human hands is to bypass technology completely. When you make connections with people in your industry, you may not even have to send in a resume online. You still have to focus on writing an effective resume, so don’t think your connection will guarantee you an interview. It’s just one of the best ways to get around the initial resume submission stage.
Be Short and Concise
No one wants to read a long resume. You have an average of six seconds to impress a recruiter or HR manager. The first thing an executive resume writer should do is look how to tighten up sentences and sections. Try to keep your resume to two pages or less, but the shorter the better.
Choose Your Approach Carefully
Whether you choose to submit your resume online or in person, following up with the company is important to know where you stand. Sometimes your resume is filtered out right away because of keywords, but sometimes it could have been lost in the shuffle. Without checking in periodically, you may never know. Just be careful not to follow-up too much to the point where you look desperate.
Professional Resume Services helps executives with writing an effective resume every day. Our skilled professionals know the tricks to getting resumes into human hands, so if you are struggling with the process or need assistance in any way with your job search, feel free to contact us at any time.
With the widely known importance of writing an effective resume, more companies are popping up claiming they write the best ones. Choosing an executive resume service is a big decision relating to your executive career. It’s easy for these services to claim to be the #1 service, but how do you really know they aren’t just using a standard template and switching things around to make yours look unique?
There are plenty of ways to distinguish a legitimate executive resume writing service from a fraud. Here are some things to consider when you’re looking for one.
Make Sure They Are Experts In Your Industry
If the resume service doesn’t indicate specific industries they have experience in, then you may need to look elsewhere. Resumes have to be very specific and specialized. If they aren’t, recruiters will see right through them.
Ask For Credentials or Certifications
When you contact an executive resume service, the writer should be able to provide you with one or more certifications. Those certifications could include:
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- Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW)
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- Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)
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- Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW)
- Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM)
While these aren’t the only certifications and credentials available, your resume writer should be able to show proof of at least one of them.
Check Out Any Samples
Any executive resume service should have an abundance of samples to provide you. Sometimes the key to writing a professional resume is incorporating different ideas from other resumes into your own. This is a good practice for writing your own resume, but the best resume writing services will treat you as a unique individual instead of just another resume. Samples should be available, but only for your own benefit.
Talk to An Actual Resume Writer
It’s always important to call an executive professional resume service prior to hiring them. If you talk to a sales person who only offers you their different services instead of learning about you, then you need to look elsewhere. A good company will ask you insightful questions about your career, accomplishments and achievements to get a complete understanding of your background. This could be in the form of an online survey, a phone interview, an in-person interview or a combination of these. The more questions they ask you, the better you should feel about their service.
At Professional Resume Services, we take the time to get to know the backgrounds of each of our executives. We can’t write your executive bio unless we know your complete career history, accomplishments and aspirations, so gathering as much information as possible before getting started is key. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our services and how we can be the right executive resume service for you.
One common mistake many executives have is allowing their network to go stagnant. It’s easy to do when you have a stable job, have no intentions of leaving your job and are constantly too busy to reach out to your connections. However, it’s important to keep a solid active network even when you’re not on a job search, just so your name and brand are still at the top of people’s minds.
The reality is people have to rebuild their executive network all the time. You could begin with enhancing your LinkedIn profile development, but most of the time it’s best to just jump right into rekindling relationships you’ve had in the past with other executives.
Start By Rebuilding Relationships
Any time you try to rebuild a relationship because you fell out of touch, those other people likely know the reason. Even if you are getting back in touch because you’re looking for a job, it doesn’t mean you have to explicitly state your intentions. Ask them about how their life has been since you last spoke. Talk about family, activities and their career, but try not to make the conversation about you.
Acknowledge and Apologize for Losing Touch
Before you really get started rebuilding a relationship, acknowledge to them that you lost touch and apologize for it. Starting off with this approach will make the other person feel the same way and will likely apologize as well. Everyone is busy, so it’s tough to keep in touch at all times.
Don’t State Your Employment Position Unless Asked
If you reach out to a contact over LinkedIn, they will have likely looked at your executive profile to know your employment position. Even though you may be actively looking for a job, you don’t have to explicitly state it to your contact. The worst thing you can do when rebuilding your executive network is make the other person feel bad or guilty during a conversation.
Ask for Expert Advice Rather Than Job Recommendations
Your executive profile should state your job status, but you shouldn’t restate it to your contacts when rebuilding your executive network. If you feel like you need to tell them about your situation, then ask for their advice on finding a job, rather than explicitly asking for recommendations. People are much more willing to offer their own advice to you rather than going out of their way to help you find a job.
Professional Resume Services understands the importance of building and maintaining a solid executive network. With our professional resume writing service, you’ll be able to put together a solid resume to use for networking, applying for jobs or handing directly to a recruiter. If you need assistance or advice when rebuilding your executive network, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has many different functions and benefits. You can either greatly benefit from SEO when you’re searching for an executive job, or you could fall way behind the rest. Being discovered is one of the most important things in a job search today. You may have a great LinkedIn profile, but if you don’t have the right keywords on your profile, recruiters won’t be able to find you. Here are some tidbits about SEO you should know about so your job search is affected by it in a positive way.
What Does Search Engine Optimization Accomplish?
When recruiters search for candidates for an open executive position, they will use certain keywords in their search engine. SEO works to deliver the most relevant results based on those keywords. Hence, it’s important for you to know which keywords should be used throughout your executive profiles on each platform you use online.
If you’re somewhat unfamiliar with SEO, you can’t just stuff your LinkedIn profile with keywords and expect to be discovered. In fact, this will go against you for SEO purposes. You need relevant information about yourself to go along with the keywords sprinkled in here and there.
Use The Right Keywords
The best place to find the proper keywords to use would be in the company’s job posting or on the company’s website you’re applying to. Most of the phrases and keywords have to do with certain expertise they’re looking for, so you should be able to fit them in naturally if you possess those qualities.
Place Your Keywords Appropriately
For SEO purposes, you should put an emphasis on having your keywords at the top of your page, whether it’s a personal blog, LinkedIn profile or any other online executive profiles you have. Once you develop your profile or online resume, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have an expert check your page for SEO so you can maximize your chances of being discovered.
Proof Everything Thoroughly
It goes without saying, but you should proof anything you put online multiple times. Typographical errors or poor grammar not only looks bad for your c-level personal branding, but it can also hurt your job search from an SEO perspective. This is especially true if your typo comes in an important keyword, so be sure to proof your profiles thoroughly and have a second set of eyes look at them as well.
Professional Resume Services offers expertise in the complexities of SEO. We can fully optimize your LinkedIn profile to match the branding you strive for in your executive job search. If you need any assistance or advice regarding SEO and your job search, feel free to contact us at any time.
Executives today may struggle with formulating a quality resume to get a senior-level position. Many executives haven’t had to search for a job in a while, so they are rusty when it comes to how the process works.
One of the main things helping you out will be if you have strong c-level personal branding. When you combine your personal branding with a professional resume writing service, you’ll be setting yourself up for success in your job search. But how exactly can you create a great senior-level executive resume? Here are our top five secrets.
Highlight Personal Branding
C-level personal branding is the most important attribute any executive can have. Display it on your executive resume by highlighting your passions, strengths, attributes and the value you bring to the table. Making your resume pop is critical in today’s job search process, and personal branding can put you a step ahead of the rest.
Be Specific and Targeted
General resumes don’t do the trick anymore. You have to do research on any given company before you send them a resume. Then tailor a resume to fit what they are looking for. Be specific about what skills you have displayed in the past, and how they will translate to the position you’re seeking.
Limit Your Resume to Two Pages
When you have years of experience, it’s easy to get carried away on your resume. One of the toughest things for executives to do is limit their resume to only two pages. The reality is no recruiter or HR manager is going to read the entire resume anyway, so you have to pick out your strongest strengths and highlight them. This is one of the biggest reasons why people choose to use an executive resume service.
Display Your Value
Companies don’t care what you’ve done for other companies, for the most part. All they want to know is how you can help them. But the two go hand-in-hand, since skills and attributes can translate from one job to the other. Just be sure to tailor your resume to show how valuable you can be for the company you’re applying for.
Remove Vague Objectives
The “objective” section at the top of a resume is a thing of the past. Saying you’re seeking a job is understood. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have applied for the job in the first place. Instead, replace the objective section with a headline stating what you bring to the table. Consider hiring a professional resume writing service to help you target specific keywords to help your headline stand out as well.
At Professional Resume Services, we aren’t afraid to tell you our secrets for crafting the perfect senior-level executive resume. Our main focus is helping you get the job you desire, and we are available to help in any way you need us. Feel free to contact us at any time for more secrets to writing a great resume.
Anyone who has worked as a recruiter or hiring manager knows the difficulties in sorting through executive resumes. And as an executive, you may quickly realize you possess very similar skills as your competition when searching for a new job. Highlighting your best skills and attributes will help set your resume apart from the others. When you combine your tangible skills with writing an effective resume, you’ll have a better chance of distinguishing yourself. Here are some of the most optimal skills that look great on an executive profile.
Critical Decision-Making
Being able to make highly critical decisions with limited time and information is extremely valuable. Quick and thoughtful decision making shows you are very aware of any given situation and aren’t just making a random decision just because you have to. You’ve thought through and anticipated certain decisions that may have to be made, so you’re always prepared. This is a key skill for executives in any industry.
Multitasking
There’s a difference between multitasking and doing busy work. Multitasking means you can get multiple jobs done at the same time in order to be more efficient and move business forward. Be sure to explain situations where you had to multitask to meet a strict deadline in your executive profile. Every executive has to multitask at some point, but the best ones will create positive results out of it.
Team-Building
One of the best things you can put in your executive bio is your team-building experience. Every company wants to hire a team player, whether it’s a lower-level employee or a high-ranking executive. Many executives like to stay tucked away in their office and not talk to others. So if you are actively building stronger teams for your organization, then you’ll stand out.
Strategic Thinking
Strategic thinking just means you think about the past, present and future in any decision you make. You’re also willing to take some risks if the potential reward is high. It’s difficult to display strategic thinking in an executive profile, but it’s a great skill to demonstrate when you have an interview.
Professional Resume Services has seen thousands of executive resumes, so we know which ones stand out. The key to writing an effective resume is making yours stand out somehow. If you’re struggling with the concept, but have plenty of unique skills, feel free to reach out to us at any time for assistance.
Executives today may struggle with formulating a quality resume to get a senior-level position. Many executives haven’t had to search for a job in a while, so they are rusty when it comes to how the process works. 