Believe it or not, it’s more common for people to have employment gaps on their resume and LinkedIn profile today than ever before. There are plenty of reasons for this as well. You may have taken time off to raise a family and are now ready to re-enter the workforce, had a change of heart about your career and took time to gain education and experience in other areas or for a different reason. If you’re in a situation where you have a glaring employment gap, not all is lost. Here are some things you can do to address these gaps and still find the job you desire.
Never Lie About Employment Gaps
Employers don’t necessarily like to see employment gaps on a resume, but the nature in which you address them can make the perception better or worse. Regardless of the reason for the time difference between jobs, you always have to be honest when asked a question about it. A potential employer will see right through you if you fabricate a story about the gap, and it could cost you the job. The best thing to do is be honest and talk about the learning experiences you had and how you’re a better employee because of it.
Try To Fill Those Gaps If Possible
An executive resume writer can make employment gaps less obvious on your resume without hiding them, but you shouldn’t rely on that. Instead, when you’re faced with an unemployment situation, make the most of it so you can easily justify the gap when the time comes. Consider taking online classes or certification courses, find temporary or volunteer work or do some freelance projects on your own. Your executive resume writer may not necessarily include these actions on your resume, but the potential employer will appreciate the fact you were working on your skills while unemployed.
Make Quality Connections And Demonstrate Your Expertise
Not having a job is a perfect opportunity to take the time to network and make quality professional connections. You never know when an opportunity will arise from talking to new people, so brush up your LinkedIn profile and start becoming more active. Networking both through LinkedIn and in person can be valuable. You have a great chance to demonstrate your expertise by producing valuable content and sharing it with like-minded individuals. Many times when your personal brand is obvious and a positive one, employers will brush off any potential issues regarding gaps in employment. Professional Resume Services is more than just a professional resume writing service. We have some of the best writers who can make your resume look perfect, but we also want to help you in other aspects of your job search. This includes enhancing your LinkedIn profile, providing networking tips and much more. Be sure to reach out to us if you ever have any questions or concerns about your current or future career situation.
How Your Executive Resume Could Be Bringing You Down
When you’re hard at work trying to find a new job, you may think the best thing you can do is to send your resume to as many employers as possible. The reality is this could actually be hurting your chances of getting a call back, especially if your resume isn’t in the best possible shape. Simply putting it in the best executive resume format isn’t going to get you any interest from employers, since it has to stand out in other ways as well. So if you’ve sent out multiple resumes with nothing to show for it, here are some things to consider changing on your resume.
Your Resume Isn’t Optimized For ATS
Companies today can receive dozens of resumes each day for any given job posting. This is why many of these companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them filter through them all and only present them with the ones that match the most keywords. You may be the best candidate for a particular job, but if your resume isn’t optimized for ATS, you’ll never be discovered. Having a completely ATS-optimized resume isn’t particularly easy, so working with professional resume writing services may be the best option for you.
Your Resume Isn’t Targeted
Sending out generic resumes to dozens of companies never worked in the past, and it especially won’t work in today’s job searching climate. Companies want to know what you bring to the table specifically for them, and want to get the sense you truly want to work for them. The professional resume writing services you work with will suggest researching companies of interest to identify their needs, challenges, culture and how you can enhance or fit into them. You’ll be much more likely to get a response from an employer when they can clearly see you’ve done your homework on them.
You Don’t Differentiate Yourself
The majority of resumes look the same. The best executive resume format is one that’s clean and concise and differentiates your skills. This is where your c-level personal branding enters the picture. Your executive resume needs to list your hard skills, but also demonstrate some of your personality and provide an insight as to who you really are. You’ve worked hard on your c-level personal branding, so use it to your advantage to differentiate yourself from your competition. Professional Resume Services is widely known as one of the top professional resume writing services for executives. We take great pride and interest in helping our clients maximize their job search, while minimizing the amount of time they have to spend on their actual resume. Many times all it takes is minor adjustments to make a major impact, so contact us today for a review of your resume and to get our expert recommendations to boost your job searching efforts.
3 Facts You Need to Know Before Starting an Executive Job Search
Most people have heard the phrase, “it’s not where you start, but where you finish.” This is true in many aspects of life, but when it comes to an executive job search, how you start will have a significant impact on your success. Whether you’ve held one job for several years, are looking to change to a different industry or any other situation, the top resume writing services will caution you to take the time to do your homework before diving in. Here are some of the most important facts you need to know before beginning your job search.
Companies Search For Unique Talent
The competition is very high for executives, so employers know they have the opportunity to be selective. Not only will companies look for candidates with the most experience, but they will also consider the specific value every candidate is unique for. This is where your c-level personal branding enters the picture. Companies need to be able to clearly see what you stand for, what hard skills and soft skills you have and what unique value you bring to the table.
Most Job Openings Are Hidden
If the first step in your job search is to scour the online job boards, you’re making a big mistake. While some of these job postings may be legitimate, it’s hard to separate them from the ones that are outdated or not valid. Plus, with companies receiving hundreds of resumes through online job boards every day, your chances of getting noticed are slim. The best professional executive resume writers always suggest tapping into the hidden job market, which typically involves networking. This could mean attending local events, reaching out to connections on LinkedIn, touching base with past co-workers and more. Most of the top jobs today aren’t advertised, so you have to get your name out to companies of interest in other ways.
Hiring Managers Always Check Social Media
If you’re going to work on your c-level personal branding, the first thing to do is clean up your social media profiles. Every hiring manager is going to look at all of your social media accounts for any potential concerns they may have about you. If hired, you are going to be a direct representation of the company, so they will make sure you will represent them well before even considering you as a candidate. Professional Resume Services is known as one of the top resume writing services, but we also enjoy providing tips like these to people beginning their job search. A job search today is much different than it was a few years ago, so it’s important for executives to understand the landscape before proceeding. If you ever have any questions about where to begin or how to continue with your searching efforts, don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.
The Importance of Correct Grammar and Spelling During an Executive Job Search
Most people don’t need an executive resume service to tell them they should proofread their resume, social media profile and anything else during their job search. However, it’s easy to overlook typographical errors when you’re focusing on many aspects of the job search, as well as trying to balance your personal life. Having correct grammar and spelling on everything tied to your name is of critical importance. Careless mistakes reflect negatively on you and can quickly disqualify you from the position, no matter how innocent the error is. Consider these points when it comes to grammar and spelling during your job searching efforts.
Don’t Rely Solely On Spell Check
The spell check feature is good for identifying obvious typographical errors, but there are plenty of misspelled words that can get through the check. Feel free to start your proofreading by running the spell check, and then give the document a diligent proofread from start to finish yourself. The best professional resume writers will read over a resume multiple times before finalizing it, simply because it’s easy to overlook mistakes when you’ve spent hours on any given document.
Incorrect Grammar And Spelling Can Hurt Your Personal Brand
As you’re writing an effective resume, you always have to keep your personal brand in mind and ensure every word is a reflection of it. A grammar issue or a misspelled word can give off a negative perception of your personal brand, since it may appear to some people that you don’t take the time to proofread your work. And if you can’t catch typographical errors in your own resume, what makes a potential employer think you will catch these types of errors on important work documents? You may think this sentiment is a bit over-the-top, but the reality is this is how some hiring managers will see things.
Always Get An Expert Opinion
You can’t underestimate the importance of having an executive resume service look over your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter or any other document you’ll be using during your job search. These experts are trained to identify even the smallest errors and have a knack for enhancing these documents to put you in a better position for finding the job you desire. Professional Resume Services is a team of the best professional resume writers ready to help you maximize your job searching efforts. Executives have brought us their resume simply to proofread it before they submit anything, and they’ve also come to us to help write their resume from scratch. No matter where you’re at or what your comfort level is with your job search, feel free to contact us if you’re in need of any advice or tips we can help with.
Are You Prepared for the Ultimate Previous Job Interview Question?
Preparing for a job interview can be just as intense as writing an effective resume. You’re challenged with anticipating the questions you’ll be asked in order to be prepared appropriately, but you also don’t want to sound scripted when you answer. The one question you’ll inevitably be asked will revolve around your previous employer. Most of the time the question is phrased negatively, such as “what didn’t you like about your previous job.” This is a tricky question for many reasons. You may have left on bad terms, so it’s difficult to say anything positive about it. Here’s how to prepare yourself to answer this question most effectively and not hurt your chances of getting the job.
Be Honest, But Not Harsh
You can’t lie to your interviewers and say your previous job was great if you know it wasn’t. You will likely mention your job duties in your executive bio, so focus on those tasks when answering the question honestly. Talk about how you wish some aspects of your role would have been different and how the role simply wasn’t a good fit for you.
Don’t Bash Past Co-Workers
Never talk bad about previous co-workers. The more you talk about how you didn’t have a good relationship with your boss or other employees, the more doubt will creep into the interviewer’s mind that you may not be a good fit from a personality standpoint. Instead, focus on specific tasks where you may not have been able to demonstrate your full skill set and how you may have been happier if you were assigned those tasks.
Be Careful When Talking About Job Duties
A professional resume writing service will get creative when explaining job duties on a resume. It’s important to put the most relevant duties on your resume, but be careful with what you talk about in an interview. The more negative you talk about job duties, the better the chances are that you’ll end up talking negatively about a duty you may have at your new job.
Make A Negative Experience More Positive
Just like when writing an effective resume, you should strive to be positive at all times in your interview. You can address the negative aspects of your previous job by using the tips mentioned above, while putting a positive spin on them. Talk about what you learned and how it made you a better person and worker as a result. Tie the entire story into why you believe you’re a great fit for the company’s open position. At Professional Resume Services, we understand the interview process is just as important as writing an effective resume. That’s why we believe we are more than just a professional resume writing service. We enjoy helping professionals prepare for interview questions so they have a better chance of landing the job they desire. For more tips like this, feel free to contact us at any time and we would be happy to assist.
How to Write and Get Great LinkedIn Recommendations
People have different opinions about LinkedIn recommendations. When you work with a LinkedIn profile development expert, they will likely tell you they are important to have from a quality standpoint rather than a quantity standpoint. Your executive LinkedIn profile should support your own personal brand in many different ways, and getting recommendations from your network can help. One tip to get the best recommendations is to write quality recommendations of your own. Here are some tips for doing both.
What to Include When Writing Recommendations
When you’re writing a LinkedIn recommendation for a connection, think about what you would want someone to say about you. Be specific when it comes to your experience with working with them, or how you know what they bring to the table. Grab the reader’s attention with the first sentence and be very clear as to why you think they will succeed in any given endeavor. And never hesitate to ask your connection what information they would like you to include in the recommendation as well, so it’s tailored appropriately.
Best Ways To Get LinkedIn Recommendations
Any LinkedIn profile development expert will say the best way to receive a recommendation is to give one yourself. People are more willing to write one if they receive one first, so go ahead and take the first step. Your executive LinkedIn profile includes a feature that allows you to ask for a recommendation as well. You can send a personalized message to your connection to request a recommendation, so take advantage of this feature. And be sure to send them a sincere thank you message when they give it to you. Or better yet, write one for them as well.
Don’t Just Hand Out or Accept All Recommendations
As we mentioned previously, quality is better than quantity when it comes to LinkedIn recommendations. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to review your recommendations before they get posted on your profile. Don’t just accept every recommendation without reading them first. You want to make sure it matches your personal brand before accepting. On the other hand, you could harm your own reputation if you give out a recommendation every time you’re asked. Unless you worked closely with the person or know them very well, proceed with caution before writing one. Hiring managers and recruiters can tell a genuine recommendation from a fabricated one, so it’s not worth it just to make someone happy. Professional Resume Services is more than just a team of the best professional resume writers. We focus on many aspects of professional careers, from networking to relationship building to LinkedIn profile development and beyond. Being a well-rounded professional is difficult since there are so many aspects involved, but we are here to help. Feel free to reach out to us at any time if there’s anything we can assist with regarding your career aspirations.
Whether you like your current boss or not, it’s important to understand they can have a major impact on your future career. In a perfect world, we would all have a boss we get along with very well and who understands when we want to advance our career. Unfortunately, that’s not usually the reality, and getting along with the boss is sometimes more difficult than you want it to be. In addition to writing resumes that get you hired, you have to know whether your boss is helping or hurting your future career opportunities. Here are a few aspects to consider in this regard.
Not Giving You The Credit You Deserve
If your boss has a tendency to take credit for the work you’ve done, you may need to step in and take action. Of course, it’s not the best idea to confront them with a negative tone, but there’s usually no harm in having a positive conversation with them about it. Most of the time the rest of your organization will know the work you put into any given project and know you’re the one who should get the most credit. If your boss refuses to give you credit for any projects you do, then you may feel like you’re spinning your wheels with no opportunities for career advancement.
Picking Favorites in The Office
Every boss has their favorites. You would never put that you were your boss’s favorite person in your executive profile, but it definitely helps when it comes to advancing in your career. The best thing to do is go out of your way to get on your boss’s good side, in addition to delivering high quality work. Find out about some of their hobbies or interests and strike up conversations with them. Making this personal connection without overstepping boundaries will keep you at the forefront of their mind when other opportunities arise. Again, this information won’t go on your executive profile, but it’s human nature for your boss to like you more if they feel a connection with you other than working in the same building.
Constantly Providing You With Urgent Projects
Your boss may give you urgent projects from time-to-time, but if every single project is so urgent that you can’t get your own work done, it may be time to address it with them. The best resume writing service always suggests adding achievements and accomplishments on your resume, but an unreasonable boss can prevent this from happening. If you simply can’t get your work done because of these projects, let your boss know what’s on your plate and ask them to help you prioritize projects. You’ll feel less stressed as a result and your boss should be open to helping you out. Professional Resume Services is known as the best resume writing service, but our services go beyond simply writing a resume. We are here to help you with any aspect of your career. Whether you’re searching for a job, looking to advance with your current employer or want to explore a new career, we have some great resources to help you. Never hesitate to reach out to us if you need any assistance with your present or future career.
It’s only natural to feel hurt and get down on yourself when receiving a job rejection. However, it’s also very possible to rebound, get rid of the negativity and find better opportunities. Rejection is a part of every successful individual’s past, and this job rejection is only going to make your success story better. As difficult as it may seem in the moment, you will get past the initial negative feelings of being rejected and can move forward. Ask the top rated resume writing services and they will tell you plenty of stories of clients who came to them after being rejected and ultimately ended up in a better situation. Here’s how you can use a job rejection to discover new opportunities.
Use Negative Thoughts As Fuel For Positive Actions
Some people get motivated to do better after they lose a game, get rejected from a job or experience any other negative emotions. If you fall into that category, use the negative thoughts to fuel positive actions. Visit professional executive resume writers to enhance your resume, pursue new opportunities or do whatever helps you get rid of the negative thoughts.
Create Learning Opportunities
Making immediate knee-jerk reactions after a job rejection is never ideal. Take a couple of days to think about what happened and discover how you can improve from the experience. Whether it’s talking to the top rated resume writing services, practicing your interview skills or doing more research about the company of interest, you’ll be able to come up with logical learning opportunities once the initial sting of rejection wears off.
Never Burn Bridges
No matter how badly you want to, it’s never a good idea to write a harshly worded email or make a phone call bashing the employer for rejecting you. You never know where your career will be 5-10 years from now, but burning a bridge last forever. It’s completely acceptable to express your disappointment in not getting the job, but keep it brief and thank them for the opportunity. Many employers will keep resumes of legitimate candidates and reach out to them if the position opens up later.
Understand Failure Is A Part Of Success
Having the mentality of accepting failure as part of success is difficult for anyone. The reality is failure and rejection will happen to everyone at some point. Being at peace with rejection can help you move forward, even though it’s understandably challenging to keep going after multiple rejections. You can always talk to professional executive resume writers you trust to help you get back on your feet, make some tweaks to your job search approach and continue moving forward. Professional Resume Services is here to help professionals find the opportunities they desire. Whether you need assistance writing an effective resume, learning about personal branding or even if you need someone to talk to after a job rejection, we are here for you. Never hesitate to reach out to us if there’s anything you need help with in any aspect of your job search or career aspirations.
