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Personal Branding

Make the Most of LinkedIn

by Susan McClain

LinkedIn is a popular way for employers to find potential candidates for open positions. According to the Society for Human Resources Management over 90% of recruiters rely on the site. That is why having a professional LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. A good LinkedIn profile not only helps you find work, it can also build your reputation, so take control of it!

Ten ways to make your profile effective and professional:

  • Take advantage of the Headline section that shows up under your name.
  • Set the tone of your profile summary by personalizing your message with a statement in the first person.
  • Describe your work experience by providing compelling information.
  • Take advantage of the “Add to profile section” such as: “Interests,” “Associations,” “Volunteer” and “Certifications.”
  • Think about what sections you want made public.
  • Be honest about your education, experience, and skills.
  • Upload a professional photo.
  • Build your network keeping in mind the goal of connections is in the quality – not quantity – of people in your network.
  • Get recommendations: Recommendations are public votes of confidence and because of that it is one of the factors that employers look at when evaluating potential candidates.
  • Proofread: Nothing says unprofessional and lack of attention to detail like grammar and spelling errors.

 

Get YOUR resume noticed!

by Leslie Rothman

Resume submission and review has changed dramatically with the wide use of technology as the first step in the hiring process.  As a result, the way you craft your resume needs to change as well. When you are asked to complete an on-line application that requires filling in text boxes, your submission is going into a database that will use a search engine to make “best fit matches” with the employer’s position. 

Here’s How

To get your resume noticed work on these three things;

  1. Make your resume customized and relevant to the position you are applying for
  2. Construct the employment sections with well written and informative content
  3. Create a positive visual impact

Customize

Key places on the resume to customize for a desired position.

Professional Summary

We no longer use an objective – a well crafted Professional Summary is the way to go.  Containing a few sentences (2-5 lines) it summarizes what you’ve done and highlights your strengths /  how you add value. For example;

20+ years of progressive leadership positions in product development and manufacturing management in high technology industries. Skilled at complex problem solving, product innovation, high level customer relations, engineering strategy development, and selecting and retaining top engineering talent.

Below this add some of your content expertise bullets, matching the language you see on the posting.  Change your expertise bullets as needed for different positions.

  • Strategic Planning and Tactical Implementation
  • Highly proficient with Viso and Excel

Qualification Highlights

If you are looking for work that is different or a shift from what you’ve been doing, instead of content expertise bullets which you may not have since this is a new direction, highlight 3-5 of your relevant, transferable skills that match the position requirements. For example;

  • Relationship builder – easily develop rapport and ongoing relationships with people of all ages and backgrounds using excellent listening, questioning and observation skills.

Employment Section

Construct each employment description with well written and informative content. Instead of describing what the company or product does, creating a long list of tasks, (or worse) copying your job descriptions under each position held, give a brief overview of the position and bullet 2-5 of your accomplishments or successes in the role. 

Employers are interested in your specific contributions, the value add you brought to the tasks. For example:

Marketing Account Executive, ABC Advertising – Manchester, NH  4/14 – 6/18

Developed and implemented a wide range of marketing activities for computer graphic companies nationwide.   Served as point person for existing accounts and in charge of business development in New England territory.

  • Through excellent customer service, quality products and timely delivery, increased new customer accounts by 20% while consistently maintaining established client base.
  1. Note the use of action verbs and the absence of words like “responsible for”.
  2. When possible, quantify results or use language that gives the scope of your work.
  3. Customize the accomplishments you decide to highlight, choosing the ones that you think are most relevant to the position you are applying for.
  4. Match your words to the posting when possible.  In the bullet above, use customer service if the posting contains that language, but change it to customer care if that’s what you see in the posting.  These are sometimes referred to as key words that the search engines pick up.
Visual Impact

Using these techniques will give your resume a much better chance of being selected from the database or pile.  Now your resume may be printed out, or emailed to others and how it looks starts to count.   A resume that is not too dense, with white space and a visually appealing format can make a difference.    If the resume is visually unappealing and looks hard to read, the reader may pass it over or do a quick scan, and all your hard work in customizing and agonizing over the details will go unnoticed. 

By incorporating these approaches into your resume, you increase your chances of getting your resume noticed.   Remember, no one resume fits all; customization and relevant content are the name of the game!

 

“Get YOUR resume noticed!” is a copyrighted publication of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC and cannot be copied or printed without express permission of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC.

5 Tips for Job Search Success

By Leslie Rothman and Susan McClain

Have you been looking for a new job for a while and getting nowhere?

Our 5 tips to increase your success

1) Apply Promptly

…within a few days of job being posted. In today’s labor market there will likely be many applicants. Regardless of the end date for accepting applications, organizations begin reviewing submissions right away and may not go deeper into the pool if they get a large volume of applicants or find several strong candidates early on. 

2) Craft a GREAT Cover Letter

… not a standard, generic one. By using the same cover letter for every job application you lose the opportunity to articulate why you are a great match and what appeals to you about the position. Make the links explicit, describing specific ways your experiences match what the position requires. If there is no request for a cover letter, add it as the third page of your resume so that it will be seen when your application is parsed or opened. Great letters help you stand out and demonstrate you have put in the extra effort.

3) Find a Connection to the Organization

…  for any position you are seriously interested in. Always apply as instructed but search your network to find someone connected to the organization (past or current employee, vendor, consultant, etc.) who will pass along your resume with a good word to the hiring manager, effectively getting you out of the “black hole”. Always apply as instructed, then find the side door entry.

4) Skill Building Focus

… take the opportunity during this unprecedented time to build skills in your field, expand your knowledge, or try out new areas of interest. In your resume, note on-line classes you are taking or have completed, and in your cover letter, highlight your learning/self-improvement activities. You will add to your “tool kit” while demonstrating your initiative and self-direction, traits that are increasingly important for employers hiring people who may be working from home.

5) Increase Linkedin Activity

… spend time selectively expanding your connections. Reach out to people you have lost touch with and even people in your field whom you may not know. Personalize your connection note by explaining why you would like them to be part of your network. Other ways to engage; post relevant articles, message contacts to see how they are doing and to provide an update on yourself. Join relevant groups and then participate in the conversations, comment on posts, and reach out to connect with group members that impress you.

Use these 5 strategies and improve your job search success!

Coming Soon, Fall Workshops: “Capitalize on the Pandemic Pause” and “Search Approaches for Career Shift/Change”

Is Age Working Against You?

by Leslie Rothman

As job seekers prepare for interviews, a common fear among the young and old is that their age will be held against them. In reality, age is usually not a factor and the reason for not being selected is due to a mismatch of work experience, motivation or attitude relative to the job requirements.

Although age-associated biases do exist, most interviewers understand the legal ramifications of asking age-related questions and avoid them.

For the interviewee, a concern over age can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, generating enough anxiety to create an obstacle to interviewing success. It can also be an excuse which hides the true reasons for lack of success in interviews.

Strategies to help you handle this concern:

1. Demonstrate behaviors that dispel beliefs
2. Separate “over or under qualified” issues from age
3. Assume age is your asset, not a liability

Address Stereotypes

Rather than trying to change a bias, focus on common stereotypes that accompany it:

Regarding older workers

  • You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – not adaptable and unable to learn
  • Older people aren’t up with current technology
  • He/she is just looking to ride it out until retirement 
  • They’ll tell you how to do your job, because they’ve been there

Regarding younger workers

  • Young people are irresponsible
  • They don’t have a clue, but they have an attitude
  • A young person won’t stick it out – and I’ll have to hire and train again

Address potential concerns by preempting them. Create your own list. Ask friends about negative beliefs that they’ve heard. For each belief identified, come up with a specific example that demonstrates how your behavior is different, such as how you’ve successfully adapted to a variety of work environments or changes in work situations. Develop a response that demonstrates ongoing interest in learning new ideas and incorporating new approaches.

If you’re a younger applicant, have examples that display perseverance, commitment, and responsibility, in a past work or school situation. Be ready to incorporate them into responses to interview questions such as:

  • Tell me about your strengths
  • Why should I hire you?
  • How would your co-workers describe you?
  • Tell me about yourself

Be honest with yourself and others. If you really aren’t responsible or up with new technology, don’t bend the truth. Instead, develop an actionable plan for improving in these areas.

Recognize Mismatch

Acknowledge when your qualifications may not fit the position requirements and separate this from your feelings about age bias.

A younger person recently told me she believed her youthful appearance (i.e. age) was being held against her. When I asked about her work experience, she admitted she had been a stay-at-home mom and had no outside-the-home work experience (no easy-to-translate track record). This was at the heart of her lack of success, not her youthful look.

Similarly, when a position requires 5-8 years of experience and an individual with 20 applies (and happens to be the age of 50) the issue is most likely that the applicant has significantly more experience than the skill, responsibility or pay level of the position.

Identify Positive Attributes

Think about positive attributes of your age, and develop responses and examples that demonstrate them.

For the more senior applicant

  • Maturity – emotional and intellectual
  • Seasoned – broad understanding of organizational politics, variety or depth of experiences
  • Sense of Self – clarity about what is important, balance, self-awareness
  • Role model – less need to prove self, eager to support others

For the younger applicant

  • Energy and Drive – a desire to accomplish a lot
  • Fresh Ideas – a willingness to explore totally new perspectives
  • Positive Outlook – a belief that that anything is possible

These exercises will help you believe and sell a strong, confident and upbeat image – young or old.

To quote Henry Ford, “Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t – you’re right.”