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.
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.
Getting discovered online is a critical component of any job search. In fact, the best executive resume writers will sometimes tailor your resume to incorporate more SEO (search engine optimization) terms to help your name show up more frequently in search results. But what about c-level personal branding? This is also an important piece of a job search that can’t be overlooked. Here are some reasons why you need both personal SEO and personal branding when searching for your next job.
Personal SEO And Personal Branding Go Hand-In-Hand
In order to optimize your personal SEO, you need to incorporate keywords and phrases relevant to the particular job you’re searching for. These keywords typically involve the hard skills and technical expertise required to do the job. From a personal branding perspective, employers want to know about your personal qualities to determine whether you will be a cultural fit within their organization. This could include leadership experience, how well you work with a team and individually and other personality traits. When your online presence includes both personal SEO and c-level personal branding, you’ll have a better chance of being discovered by the top recruiters and employers.
Use Both To Differentiate Yourself
While both are needed to be discovered, you can also use them to differentiate yourself from other job candidates. You may choose to work with a LinkedIn profile development expert to incorporate certain keywords to make yourself stand out, while still using proper SEO terms to be discovered. It’s a fine line between being just like everyone else and differentiating yourself online, but it’s possible to find the perfect balance when you incorporate both aspects.
Never Sacrifice Authenticity
When you think about your LinkedIn profile development and how to incorporate personal SEO and personal branding, it can become easy to fall into the trap of writing content to be discovered rather than being authentic. Sacrificing authenticity is never a good idea for your long-term job prospects, since employers will almost always ask you to validate any of your claims. When you have all the soft skills and hard skills required to land the job you desire, sometimes it just takes working with the best executive resume writers to tweak the wording to help you become discovered more naturally.
Professional Resume Services understands the challenges executives face in the digital world we live in today. One minor mistake or omission can derail your executive job search, so we are here to help ensure all of your bases are covered. Whether you need a LinkedIn profile development expert or someone to proofread your resume, we are here for you. Never hesitate to contact us at any time if we can be of any assistance with your job search.
Every aspect of a job search has to go perfectly in order to land the position you want sometimes. You may have crafted the perfect resumes and cover letters with the help of an executive resume service, but still can’t get a job for some reason. If you’re able to land an interview but can’t get past that point, you could be making a critical mistake many job seekers make: not writing a thank you note. Believe it or not, many employers indicate not receiving a thank you note can sometimes disqualify a candidate, especially if they are on the fence about hiring them. Here’s what to consider about thank you notes so you don’t run the risk of jeopardizing your job search.
When To Write A Thank You Note
The timing of your thank you note must be within 24 hours of the conclusion of the interview. It’s important for the interviewers to have you in mind throughout their interview process, and writing a quality thank you note is one way to do it. The company is likely interviewing many candidates to fill the position you desire, so setting yourself apart is essential. You may be the top of the top at your company, but it’s still a good idea to send a simple thank you.
Should Each Interviewer Get A Thank You Note?
Every executive resume service will suggest sending a thank you note to each person who interviewed you. Ask for their business card or their email address before you leave to ensure you have the right information. And if for some reason you realize you forgot to ask for it, reach out to your main point of contact and request the information. The hiring manager will likely ask each interviewer their opinion of you, so you want to shape their opinion to be as positive as possible.
What To Include
Just like when writing an effective resume, the content you write in your thank you note must be unique. Personalize the note to each recipient, and bring up a point you may have connected with them on during the interview. Whether it’s a school affiliation, an upcoming vacation or any other point you related with them on, be sure to point out the connection in your thank you note.
You can also use your thank you note as an opportunity to clarify any points made in the interview. If there was an objection or if you didn’t seem qualified for a certain aspect of the job, you can reiterate why you think you will be able to overcome it.
Professional Resume Services is more than just an executive resume service. We want to help each of our clients throughout the job search process so they can land the job they desire. The importance of a thank you note is critical today, so contact us at any time for more advice on how to write one and what information you may consider including.
If you’ve been on a job hunt for any amount of time, you likely have heard about the importance of details. But how do you know which details to include on a senior level resume? The formatting, length and other similar aspects can be corrected by the best executive resume writers, but even the experts don’t know the details of your work history. When you’re applying for a senior level position, consider including these critical details when writing an effective resume.
Don’t Hide Your Credentials
You don’t want your credentials to be buried in your resume or be hard to read, especially if they are a requirement for the job. Display your credentials with the rest of your Education section. If you have letters to display after your name, proudly do so! Don’t be shy. Show the reader what degree(s) or certifications you have! Recruiters and hiring managers will look at the top of the page first, so the top resume writing services always suggest putting them there.
Clearly Show Your Areas of Expertise
The next thing the best executive resume writers will suggest is demonstrating your areas of expertise clearly. All of your skills from your previous job may not correlate exactly to the position you’re applying for. If this is the case, then only list the areas of expertise most relevant to the position you desire. You can do this by looking at the job description and matching certain keywords from it on your resume.
Focus on Recent Experience
When writing an effective resume, your experience should be listed in chronological order. However, most of the time it’s not as important to put detailed information about places you worked at 15 years ago. Instead, focus on the most recent and relevant experience you have. And be sure to quantify your accomplishments, since numbers generally tend to make more of a significant impact on hiring managers.
Provide Your Online Profile Information
Most employers will search for your online profile before contacting you for an interview. You could make their job a little easier by providing them with a link to your LinkedIn profile or any other profile you would like them to view. Just be sure to clean up your profile beforehand, so only the information you want to be visible will actually be seen. Nowadays how an online profile is displayed can make or break your status as a candidate, and you can guarantee the employer will look for it.
Professional Resume Services has the best executive resume writers to help you craft the perfect resume. We will ask you all the right questions in order to understand your job history, so the information can be presented clearly. The details make a huge difference in the effectiveness of any resume, and we won’t overlook anything. Feel free to contact us at any time if you are unsure about whether certain details are needed or if you are struggling with any aspect of your job search.
Simply having an executive LinkedIn profile won’t do you much good. In fact, having an outdated profile is sometimes worse than not having one at all. If you aren’t sure how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you aren’t alone. The good news is you can work with a professional LinkedIn profile writer (look no further!) to evaluate your current profile and help you strengthen it so you’re always prepared for the next opportunity that comes your way. Here are some basic tips to bring your profile up-to-date that people sometimes overlook.
Create And Share Unique Content
Creating unique and engaging content is invaluable today. People always look for an expert they can trust, and if you are that person then your personal branding will skyrocket. Brand yourself as an expert in your field and watch your reader engagement climb. Plus, consistently sharing your content on your executive LinkedIn profile shows you’re involved with your career and are a valuable resource for current information. You will also benefit from your profile ranking higher in the search results due to the amount of unique views your content receives.
Build Your Number of Connections
The more content you share, the more connections you will earn. An executive LinkedIn profile that’s up-to-date will always have a significant number of connections with new ones coming in every day. Your network can see when you make a new connection, depending on your privacy settings, so you’ll gain some credibility from that aspect as well. Never hesitate to target other professionals in your industry and reach out to them to connect.
Be Active And Share Updates
Once you’ve worked with a professional LinkedIn profile writer to complete your profile, be sure to stay active as much as you can. This could mean posting a new article every couple of days and sharing updates about your career, or making a new connection. These updates will help you remain on the radar to your connections, so your profile won’t turn stale. You could also consider being active in LinkedIn groups to promote your personal brand. Just be sure not to be overly active to the point where people get tired of seeing you post all the time. As with everything, balance is key.
Professional Resume Services is here to help you when you aren’t sure how to optimize your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is such a valuable tool to have, whether you’re actively searching for a new job or not. Just having a profile that’s up-to-date will help you get recognized, and you can continue working on it to build your personal brand. If you need any help with your LinkedIn profile, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for assistance.
