#JobSearch :Tips to Edit Your Resume Like a Professional. Editing your Resume is One of the Most Important Steps you can Take when Applying for a Job.

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Writing an effective resume is about more than just creating a resume once and distributing it to prospective employers. An executive resume writer will tell you how important it is to review your resume and edit it often. Unfortunately, many people find one of their biggest weaknesses is editing. Hiring an executive resume service can provide the assistance you need, but learning to edit on your own can be invaluable.

Focus on Your Achievements

Many individuals focus on what their responsibilities have been at their jobs, rather than what they have actually achieved. Prospective employers want to know what your skills are and how you have used those skills to accomplish things in your past work history. If you could do it for a past employer, then you can do it for them. Think about the requirements of the job to which you are applying and focus on the skills you need to meet the demands of the position.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

Market Yourself

Your resume is your chance to sell yourself and tell your prospective employers why they should consider hiring you, rather than one of the other individuals who have applied. You may easily tell potential employers what you can do, but you also need to show them how well you can do it. When writing an effective resume, you need to show them how well you have done in past positions. Quantify your value, don’t just state it.

Remove Irrelevant Material

An executive resume writer can go through your resume and help you pick out the items that aren’t relevant to the job for which you are applying. Many people create a single resume and try to distribute it to all of their prospects. However, employers are looking for the best fit for the job. If your resume is filled with information that doesn’t relate to the open position, your resume is more likely to find its way to the bottom of the pile, rather than in the interview pile.

Don’t Give It All Away

A resume is meant to be a snapshot of your work history to get employers to call you. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you don’t give too much away. Make sure you leave them with questions so they want to talk to you. It’s important to make sure you can work on selling yourself at the interview to close the deal.

Check for Common Mistakes

Grammar and spelling errors can be devastating to your ability to get a job. An executive resume service will be able to identify these problems, but anyone with a firm understanding of the English language can go over your resume and point out potential issues. You should also double check names, addresses, and other important information for accuracy.

Editing your resume is one of the most important steps you can take when applying for a job. Writing an effective resume will help set you apart from the other people applying for a job and can increase your chances of landing the job you want.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – March 11, 2021

 

 

 

#YourCareer : Should I Quit or Resign? 3 Questions to Ask Before You Do. Before you Do ‘Be Smart About It’ . A MUst REAd!

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It’s completely healthy and natural to take a step back and evaluate your current job situation occasionally. This is especially true if you used to be happy going to work every day, but now your attitude has changed for some reason. The knee-jerk reaction is to immediately start looking for another job, and possibly even resign from your current position abruptly when things aren’t going well.

However, before you visit the best resume writing service to help brush up your resume prior to resigning, consider these three questions.

1- What Do I Not Like About My Current Job?

Sometimes things aren’t really as bad as they seem, but sometimes they are. Taking a step back and truly identifying why you aren’t happy can help you determine whether the issues are fixable. You may just need to talk to your boss about a particular issue that’s been bugging you for a while. And if it’s been a long time since you’ve received a raise or a promotion, consider bringing it up in a professional way. Don’t simply jump into updating your LinkedIn profile to declare your intentions to find a new job until you know exactly why you don’t like your current job anymore.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2- Is My Salary Comparable to Similar Executives?

The feeling of being underpaid is difficult. Sometimes you would feel better if you didn’t know what other executives with similar experience make. When your executive bio is similar to another executive’s, you naturally expect to be paid a similar salary. Get an idea of comparable salaries by looking at job boards and networking with others. If you truly are being underpaid, discuss the matter with your boss if you like everything about your job other than the salary. If you’re viewed as a valuable executive, you could get a significant raise to stay.

 

3- Am I On the Right Path to Achieve My Goals?

You should have both short-term and long-term goals as an executive. If you’ve been stuck with the same job responsibilities for a while but have higher aspirations, then it may be time to look at a different company to give your executive bio a boost. However, some businesses move slower than other businesses, so if you’re getting valuable experience, you may consider sticking around to see where it takes you. Of course, as with any position, you have to be happy in order to do a good job and put yourself in a better position for advancement.

If you’ve answered all of these questions and still feel like you need to resign, then be smart about it. Get yourself into the best financial position you can, don’t burn any bridges, and get your career documents ready for a job search.

FSC Career Coach:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – March 1, 2021

 

#JobSearch :Insider Tips on Working with a Recruiter. Here are Some Do and Don’ts to Get the Most Out of your Relationship.

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I occasionally get asked about recruiters, if the client should use one, what is the best way to work with them, and what I should expect to receive. Making the best use of recruiters is something that almost all major corporations do now. Taking advantage of someone that is trained to sort through people means less hassle for the company-and why not? Less hassle means fewer headaches for those businesses.

As you work with them, here are some Do and Don’ts to keep in mind to get the most out of your relationship.

DO THIS WHEN WORKING WITH A RECRUITER

  • Be clear about your career goals. When they know what you’re looking for, neither of you will waste time pursuing dead ends.
  • Be professional and polite, even if there’s no job offer. Never burn a bridge. You never know what may come along.
  • Work with recruiters who specialize in your field. Ask questions about their process and their experiences.
  • Let them negotiate the compensation package. You can get their feedback on the offer and let them present it to the employer.
  • Expect them to be your allies in the hiring process, letting you know who the decision makers are and the hot, internal issues.
  • Connect with them on LinkedIn, regardless of the job outcome. Keep those positive feelings about you flowing for the future.
  • Be a network contact for the recruiter. They will remember you positively if you provide a new contact for them when that next great opportunity comes along.

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Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

DON’T DO THIS WHEN WORKING WITH A RECRUITER

  • Worry about how they get paid. That doesn’t affect how they work with you.
  • Use a cookie-cutter approach with every recruiter. Review their website and submit materials appropriately and communicate as they request.
  • Be difficult to find. Be active on social media; consider writing a blog, give presentations, raise your visibility.
  • Think they are the decision makers in the hiring process. They may have input, but someone else is deciding.
  • Think you are the right candidate for every job. You aren’t. But there is a right job out there for you.
  • Think they are career counselors. They can’t review your resume and figure out where you fit in an organization. That’s what a job coach is for.

Remember when working with a recruiter, the company is actually the client—not you! So, if they make a suggestion, take it! They are making it because they think it will increase your chances at an offer.

FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – February 27, 2021

#JobSearch : Identifying Your Strengths & Weaknesses – Where to Look. Question: What can you Contribute for the Job?

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Much of the time a candidate for a job is viewed in terms of what they can contribute to that job. Often, during an interview, you will be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. This is the time to be honest, but make sure you have an accurate view of yourself by looking carefully at the evidence.

Every job entails at least 4 places to look at for this evidence:

  • tasks
  • processes
  • relationships
  • communication 

Tasks are the actual things you have to do on the job. For instance, every certification you possess reflects a strength because you can do that task. If you are applying for a job that uses specific technical skills, those are tasks you need to be competent in.

Processes are the way you go about dealing with your responsibilities. You could utilize a coach to figure out your learning style or go over past reviews you’ve had. Ask a friend who won’t sugarcoat the painful truth to tell you where you need help. Do you make lists that get lost? Commit to too much and let things slide? Get sidetracked easily? Or the opposite; are you so set on doing a task that you miss important signals?

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Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Relationships are important because you do not work in a vacuum. Think about it; even those who work alone interact with somebody in order to do part of their job, right? The way you get along with coworkers affects team projects, workplace atmosphere, and a lot more. How do you react to criticism? To compliments?

Communication is the only way others can understand you. It’s one of my favorite subjects because it involves language for the most part, and I love words. But words have to say what you mean and be understood to mean what you thought you said. I will wait while you read that again…
…because it illustrates a point about communicating. If the people you are writing to, or calling, or trying to reach via your online profile do not understand what you say, it really doesn’t matter how great you thought you said it. This affects your resume because you communicate your appropriateness for the job. It affects your interview, because you communicate how you will be in the workplace. And it affects your workplace because communication is the oil in the gears that keeps the machinery of business running smoothly.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

 

FSC Career Blog – February 22, 2021

 

#JobSearch : No Application Necessary- 5 Tips For Using Social Media To Land A Job In 2021. “It’s not that you should NEVER apply and optimize your resume – it’s about focusing more time on networking,”

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Millennial entrepreneurs Jonathan Javier and Jerry Lee learned the hard way that the traditional career search process rarely works, particularly when you’re searching in the ultra-competitive high tech company landscape. By the age of 25, they’d both landed offers (and worked for) tech giants Snapchat, Google, Cisco and Lucid even though they didn’t graduate from any of the typical coveted target schools. They soon left corporate America to found career search consulting firm Wonsulting with a mission of “turning underdogs into winners.” Their programs are based on a carefully curated strategy that they’ve used to help job seekers land those hard-to-get job offers.

Their techniques are based on the general premise that traditional application processes almost never work, and the smartest path to the job you want is through social media. During this particularly challenging job search market, they offer five specific steps for landing that lucrative dream job.

Their recommendations are based on what they call the “4-tiered job search strategy”—focused on elevating candidates from applying amongst thousands to being referred by someone in the hiring organization’s team or applying directly to the hiring manager (whom you’ve hopefully established some level of connection with already). With this ultimate goal in mind (which virtually anyone would agree would improve success odds dramatically), they offer five specific tips for landing a job in 2021.

Job Search Tip #1 – Develop an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Friendly Resume

The Jobscan article “8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems” explains that the vast majority of large (and even some smaller) companies use these systems to scan incoming resumes. The article explains, “Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.” Wonsulting advises candidates to develop a resume that is specifically tailored to the job description and offers this template as an example of how each section should be defined. In an ideal world, a candidate would develop a warm connection with someone within the hiring organization and share their resume directly, but the ATS is such an important part of the process that skipping this step would be fools play. “It’s not that you should NEVER apply and optimize your resume – it’s about focusing more time on networking,” explains Lee.

 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Job Search Tip #2 – Utilize LinkedIn Search Functions

Boasting over 760 million users (and 260 million active users) reportedly, LinkedIn is a powerhouse social media platform for job seekers, but Javier insists that many don’t fully utilize its capabilities. “One easy way to connect with people on LinkedIn in your dream company is utilizing the LinkedIn search functions specifically connecting with alumni from your university or organizations you’re a part of,” explains Javier. He advises candidates to filter their connections search by company of interest, their location and their alma mater to find specific contacts at their target company with whom they already have points of commonality. With this newly customized listing, job-seekers are now positioned to send personalized invitations to connect.

Job Search Tip #3 – Send a Personalized Invitation to Connect

When sending invitations to connect, Javier warns against doing what everyone else does—sending a connection request without a personalized note. “By sending a personalized invitation, you stand out from the crowd,” insists Javier. He advises job seekers to customize the content of the invitation based on the point of connection or commonality. For example, he suggests this type wording for sending an invitation to connect to an alumnus from your college.

Sample 1 – Hi (Name), hope you’re well! I saw that you graduated from UC Riverside and currently work at Google as a Data Scientist. I’d love to connect with a fellow Highlander!

Sample 2 – Hi (Name), hope you’re well! I saw that you graduated from UC Riverside and currently work at Microsoft as a Product Manager. I also love your story about being a first-generation graduate coming from a POC background. I’d love to connect with a fellow Highlander who shares a similar story!

He also recommends referencing articles or posts they may have written, shared interests or other points of commonality in your personalized invites. The key is finding genuine points of commonality or shared interest and using that as a basis for connecting.

Job Search Tip #4 – Make “The Ask”

One of the benefits of focusing your energies on LinkedIn is that it’s viewed as a networking tool for business, and people often anticipate some sort of “professional ask” so don’t be shy. After all, it’s not Tik Tok or Instagram—people aren’t swapping recipes or posting kids’ cute dances (generally)—so don’t make the mistake of putting in all the effort of getting connected to the right people and then not asking for what you want. “Have an ask, but do it during a coffee chat,” suggests Javier. He encourages job-seekers to decide in advance what they’re really seeking—whether it’s mentorship, honest feedback on a company or a professional recommendation—then make that specific ask towards the end of the coffee chat.

Job Search Tip #5 – Check-In and Stay Connected

As much as we’d love to think that making a connection and maintaining or nurturing a connection are the same thing, they’re not. Don’t make the mistake of going through all the effort of finding the right people to network with only to let that relationship die a slow, virtual death. “The most important part of networking is staying connected with those who have helped you,” insists Javier. Wonsulting even recommends using a spreadsheet (like this sample reach out sheet) to keep track of your outreach—ideally every three months per their recommendation.

With unprecedented unemployment levels, 2021 for many will be their time to pivot into a new role, company or even industry. Finding a new job in this ultra-competitive environment isn’t just daunting but ridiculously stressful too. Indeed, t

Millennial entrepreneurs Jonathan Javier and Jerry Lee learned the hard way that the traditional career search process rarely works, particularly when you’re searching in the ultra-competitive high tech company landscape. By the age of 25, they’d both landed offers (and worked for) tech giants Snapchat, Google, Cisco and Lucid even though they didn’t graduate from any of the typical coveted target schools. They soon left corporate America to found career search consulting firm Wonsulting with a mission of “turning underdogs into winners.” Their programs are based on a carefully curated strategy that they’ve used to help job seekers land those hard-to-get job offers.

Their techniques are based on the general premise that traditional application processes almost never work, and the smartest path to the job you want is through social media. During this particularly challenging job search market, they offer five specific steps for landing that lucrative dream job.

Their recommendations are based on what they call the “4-tiered job search strategy”—focused on elevating candidates from applying amongst thousands to being referred by someone in the hiring organization’s team or applying directly to the hiring manager (whom you’ve hopefully established some level of connection with already). With this ultimate goal in mind (which virtually anyone would agree would improve success odds dramatically), they offer five specific tips for landing a job in 2021.

Job Search Tip #1 – Develop an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Friendly Resume

The Jobscan article “8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems” explains that the vast majority of large (and even some smaller) companies use these systems to scan incoming resumes. The article explains, “Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.” Wonsulting advises candidates to develop a resume that is specifically tailored to the job description and offers this template as an example of how each section should be defined. In an ideal world, a candidate would develop a warm connection with someone within the hiring organization and share their resume directly, but the ATS is such an important part of the process that skipping this step would be fools play. “It’s not that you should NEVER apply and optimize your resume – it’s about focusing more time on networking,” explains Lee.

Job Search Tip #2 – Utilize LinkedIn Search Functions

Boasting over 760 million users (and 260 million active users) reportedly, LinkedIn is a powerhouse social media platform for job seekers, but Javier insists that many don’t fully utilize its capabilities. “One easy way to connect with people on LinkedIn in your dream company is utilizing the LinkedIn search functions specifically connecting with alumni from your university or organizations you’re a part of,” explains Javier. He advises candidates to filter their connections search by company of interest, their location and their alma mater to find specific contacts at their target company with whom they already have points of commonality. With this newly customized listing, job-seekers are now positioned to send personalized invitations to connect.

Job Search Tip #3 – Send a Personalized Invitation to Connect

When sending invitations to connect, Javier warns against doing what everyone else does—sending a connection request without a personalized note. “By sending a personalized invitation, you stand out from the crowd,” insists Javier. He advises job seekers to customize the content of the invitation based on the point of connection or commonality. For example, he suggests this type wording for sending an invitation to connect to an alumnus from your college.

Sample 1 – Hi (Name), hope you’re well! I saw that you graduated from UC Riverside and currently work at Google as a Data Scientist. I’d love to connect with a fellow Highlander!

Sample 2 – Hi (Name), hope you’re well! I saw that you graduated from UC Riverside and currently work at Microsoft as a Product Manager. I also love your story about being a first-generation graduate coming from a POC background. I’d love to connect with a fellow Highlander who shares a similar story!

He also recommends referencing articles or posts they may have written, shared interests or other points of commonality in your personalized invites. The key is finding genuine points of commonality or shared interest and using that as a basis for connecting.

Job Search Tip #4 – Make “The Ask”

One of the benefits of focusing your energies on LinkedIn is that it’s viewed as a networking tool for business, and people often anticipate some sort of “professional ask” so don’t be shy. After all, it’s not Tik Tok or Instagram—people aren’t swapping recipes or posting kids’ cute dances (generally)—so don’t make the mistake of putting in all the effort of getting connected to the right people and then not asking for what you want. “Have an ask, but do it during a coffee chat,” suggests Javier. He encourages job-seekers to decide in advance what they’re really seeking—whether it’s mentorship, honest feedback on a company or a professional recommendation—then make that specific ask towards the end of the coffee chat.

Job Search Tip #5 – Check-In and Stay Connected

As much as we’d love to think that making a connection and maintaining or nurturing a connection are the same thing, they’re not. Don’t make the mistake of going through all the effort of finding the right people to network with only to let that relationship die a slow, virtual death. “The most important part of networking is staying connected with those who have helped you,” insists Javier. Wonsulting even recommends using a spreadsheet (like this sample reach out sheet) to keep track of your outreach—ideally every three months per their recommendation.

With unprecedented unemployment levels, 2021 for many will be their time to pivot into a new role, company or even industry. Finding a new job in this ultra-competitive environment isn’t just daunting but ridiculously stressful too. Indeed, the key to success may not be searching harder but instead searching smarter.

Forbes.com | February 10, 2021 | Dana Brownlee

#BestofFSCBlog : #JobSearch -The 8 Best Online Tools For Your Job Hunt In 2021. A MUst REad!

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I’ve always been a lover of history. I think the past offers something beautiful and mysterious, a connection to those who came before us and their ways. I sometimes catch myself daydreaming about what things were like many years ago. And as a career coach, I inevitably drift over to wondering what it must have been like to look for a job in the past.

Many things about the job hunt haven’t actually changed much with modern technology. Networking and developing your skills have always been integral to finding the right job. Networking, after all, is just a version of cooperation or helping one another out. These types of social supports date back to ancient times to when the stakes were much higher than a salary negotiation. Many experts believe that our social structures have not changed all that much since we were living in small communities as hunter-gatherers, fighting for survival. Networking is part of that survival process, and the desire to connect is hardwired inside all of us.

But obviously new technology has afforded job seekers infinitely more potential to optimize their searches and find the perfect job. While a select number of remote jobs posted in 2020 were location-specific, 80% were available to workers in any location.

I’m sure we’re all grateful that we don’t have to circle classified ads anymore. But what are the best tech tools at your disposal for finding the perfect job?

Here are 8 of the best online tools to help in your job search. 

1) LinkedIn

This is almost such a no-brainer that I didn’t include it. But then I had a thought: how many job seekers are really utilizing LinkedIn to its fullest? LinkedIn offers some amazing features that may not be known to most users.

For a lot of people, LinkedIn is kind of a weekly check-in type of site. You might log on, scroll a bit, give a quick “like” to your middle school friend who got promoted, check your messages, do a casual job search, then migrate over to something more stimulating, like a Buzzfeed listicle or the latest celeb gossip.

If that sounds a bit like how you’ve been using LinkedIn, it’s time to step your game up.

To start, did you know that you can add media to the “Featured” section of your profile? Creators, I’m looking at you. Maybe you’ve done a killer brand video, or you want to share a reel of media appearances you have made. Or perhaps a photo from a keynote you made at a conference.

All of these will make an impact and boost your LinkedIn profile up from being a dusty online billboard of your resume, to a compelling advertisement for your skills and accomplishments.

Having trouble uploading a video because it’s too long? You’re in luck, there’s a work-around for that.

Are you wishing there was a way to combine your networking connections from LinkedIn with your other work contacts? Did you know that you can export your LinkedIn connections as a spreadsheet?

Most people who are doing job searches on LinkedIn just plug in relevant keywords and locations. But the search features on LinkedIn have much more to offer. You can save searches and set up alerts for relevant postings.

If you feel that searching for jobs on LinkedIn is turning up results that are too general, don’t match your specific skills and desires or don’t relate to your connections, you can utilize the LinkedIn advanced search features to filter for much more precise searches for listings.

Even if you treat LinkedIn as your first and last stop in your job search journey, it is worth spending a little more time on the site to really get comfortable with the ins and outs. It can truly be your most valuable online tool.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

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Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2) Glassdoor

Glassdoor is another immensely valuable asset to anyone in the job search, and I absolutely loved my recent interview with their CEO right here. This tool is especially useful when researching potential jobs and employers, or when entering into the interview stage and considering offers with a certain company.

If you are unfamiliar, Glassdoor is a database for jobs listings and applications, as well as a portal where current and former employees can anonymously rate their experience in working for a certain company across many metrics, and provide information like salary and potential interview questions. Through analysis of this data, Glassdoor creates ratings and metrics on specific companies.

If you are interested in the company culture, revenue or size of a potential employer, or you are looking for an inside perspective on what it’s like to work for a certain company, Glassdoor should be your first stop.

In recent months, Glassdoor has also risen to the challenge of addressing the very pressing issue of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. With new products and features, Glassdoor has begun allowing users to share demographic information and rate a company based on its handle of issues of diversity within the workplace.

This is such an essential issue, and Glassdoor is a leader in creating greater transparency and accountability when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion in the job search and in the world of work.

Large influencers like Glassdoor have the power to change workplace culture, and establish new norms in society. It is fun to see them caring about these big issues and taking action!

3) Jobscan Resume Scanner

If you’re reading this article, I have a feeling you’re someone who has put a lot of time into your resume. But did you know that often, when you’re applying for a job, your resume may not even make it to a real person?

This is because many recruiters and hiring managers are utilizing an application track system (or ATS). In my recent book You Turn, I actually refer to applicant tracking systems in a header called “Applicant Tracking Hell”—and there’s a reason for this! Navigating the ATS is challenging, and knowing your resume may never even encounter a human being is disheartening. As a matter of fact, data shows that up to 75% of resumes never make it to a hiring manager.

You may have done a great job of highlighting your professional experience on your resume, but you’re just using the wrong words or formatting. This is where Jobscan comes in. Jobscan uses algorithms and AI to scan your resume and compare it to a specific job listing, giving you feedback on how to best tweak your resume to work well with an ATS.

Here are some things that you might find out have been preventing your resume from getting through the ATS filters:

  • Descriptions of your work experience do not match up to the job descriptions.  Even if you are super qualified, if your resume doesn’t match up with keywords in the job description, you could be preemptively disqualifying yourself. I tell job seekers in my online courses to make sure they sprinkle terminology from job descriptions as though it’s fairy dust throughout their resume. Sprinkle away!
  • You’re not using standard formatting. While clever and inventive ways of formatting your resume may show off your aesthetic acuity, and your creativity with design, they may also prevent your resume from making the ATS cut. Non-standard formatting can confuse the AI, and lead to your resume being processed incorrectly, or not at all.
  • Too much flowery language. You may think that using headings like “Selected Professional Engagements” and “Secondary School and Collegiate Alma Mater” makes you sound smart. But, I hate to break it to you, complicated and word descriptions are not working in your favor when it comes to ATS. Stick with standard headings that will ensure that the ATS processes your resume correctly. Think: “Work Experience” and “Education.”

Trust me, Jobscan ATS will definitely give you a better shot at acing your resume for a specific job description. They even provide excellent resume templates for various careers and roles.

4) Slik email finder

Slik is an amazing AI-based service that was originally designed for those working in sales as a tool to find leads and connect with prospective clients. Slik has become a major asset for many sales professionals, including those on sales teams from Dropbox, DocuSign and Slack. And if the major players in tech-based work solutions are using it, you know it must be good!

Slik offers a range of data-finding services, but one that I’ve found particularly helpful, and is certain to be an asset for you in your network, is their email finder tools.

Gosh, I just love a quick little email finder. I must be a career coach, huh?

Slik allows you to search emails and other data sourced from LinkedIn profiles. You can save searches and compile data. This information can be extremely valuable if you are a salesperson, but also fantastic for anyone who is hoping to connect with a specific person or department while doing exploratory networking or in the hopes of sending a letter of interest.

5) Shapr

One of the hardest things about networking is that you never really know if someone you are reaching out to will be happy to connect, or if they’re truly interested in making the connection and lending a hand in your career journey.

Shapr is an amazing social networking app that takes the guesswork out of networking. It’s designed to connect professionals and help users network in their field with others that are excited and willing to connect.

What makes it so valuable for networking is that all of its users are opting in with the intention of meeting new connections and sharing their ideas and insights. So no more wondering if the person on the other side of the LinkedIn chat is rolling their eyes and exhaling deeply. On Shapr, everyone is there for the same reason: they are excited to network.

Shapr works kind of like some of the major dating apps. Don’t get too excited, this one is for professional connections only! You create a profile that highlights your interests, skills, location and relevant information about your career. You can browse other profiles or search for people that match specific criteria.

From there, a connection is made in a way that will be quite familiar to a lot of folks. You swipe on profiles that you are interested in connecting with. If there is mutual interest, you have a match! From there, you can chat with your new connection, and see if a great professional relationship blossoms.

Shapr is a fresh and modern take on networking, and an excellent way to bolster your professional network.

6) JobSeer

Are you tired of pouring through page after page of jobs that are close to what you want and qualified for, but just not quite right? Well, Jobseer will help you pinpoint the right jobs for you, cut through the wrong ones and stand out from the pack. And, bonus: they help you easily get access to people’s email address!

JobSeer is a free Extension app for Google Chrome that is compatible with most of the popular online job boards. The beauty of Jobseer is that it uses AI to streamline your online job search.

Once you’ve created an account, you can input information into your Jobseer profile that will help you find jobs that are a good match. The first step is your resume. You can upload your resume, or even multiple resumes, that will be scanned by Jobseeker for relevant skills, experiences and qualifications, and compared to relevant job listings to help you find the perfect fit.

Your resume will be utilized in a customized “smart search.” You select job titles that are relevant to your search, and input your skills to help with the specificity of your job search. Jobseer also recommends skills that are matched with the job titles you are searching. You also select other parameters such as location, experience level and job type.

All that sounds pretty standard, but once you start searching, you’ll see the magic of Jobseer.  For each job you select, Jobseer will give you a customized score based on how well you fit the job description. Additionally, you can look at which skills are aligned with the job description, and areas in which you do not fit qualifications.

The information you gather from Jobseer will be relevant not only to help you find job listings that are a great match, but also in tweaking your resume to fit specific job descriptions.

As if that wasn’t enough for incredible features, Jobseer also gives you insightful information about the job and company, including insights on the companies’ size and revenue, as well as a projected base salary for the role that you are exploring.

Jobseer also offers you access to five free email addresses per day, attached to their insights on the job listings, which will allow you to reach out to recruiters and even employees that you already have a connection to.

Check out this quick video to see how Jobseer works, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be quickly adding it to your browser. It will definitely level up your job search game and help you optimize your chances of matching with the right job.

7) Idealist.org

These days, it feels more important than ever to be working for a company whose values reflect your own. If you’re someone who is hoping to work within the nonprofit sector, or to find a mission-driven job, Idealist is a great place to direct your search.

Idealist is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with the goal of connecting individuals to jobs and careers at nonprofit organizations that focus on charity work and social impact.

Their site functions much like other job boards, however, all of the listings they post are from verified nonprofit organizations. You can search for listings based on keywords or get more granular with specific metrics about what types or listings you are interested in.

Idealist also offers resources for those who are hoping to level up their career goals within the social impact space with a higher degree. They have resources for those exploring graduate school, with information to help candidates navigate the application and selection process, and details of programs to assist individuals in finding graduate schools that fit their interests and aspirations.

Idealist is also a great site to visit if you are not necessarily looking for a new job, but want to get more involved in community work or contribute to a cause. They also have many listings for volunteer opportunities, with many options to meet you where you are in your desire to commit time and energy to volunteering. You can even find remote or virtual volunteer work.

Idealist also helps connect users to mutual aid networks. While you might have been hearing this term a lot more over the last 12 months, the spirit of mutual aid goes way, way back. In a sense, it’s about neighbor helping neighbor. There are many different types of mutual aid networks, but this is the common thread: they are spaces for people to connect and share resources. You might financially contribute to a fund in order to support those with need or who have been affected by a crisis, or you can find information on how and where to make helpful donations. Given the challenges of the past year, we would all be served by lending a helping hand to one another.

8) Google

I saved the most obvious one for last. In fact, Google is so obvious, that I think its features are often overlooked in the job search.

To start off, when you enter the job market, you have to be aware of how you appear on a search engine. You should expect that a hiring manager will look you up online, especially your social media. Data shows that 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates. Coming across badly online can really hurt your job prospects, with 54% of hiring mangers admitting that they eliminated a candidate based on their social media presence.

But if you think plugging your name in the Google search bar, like we’ve all done more times than we’d like to admit, is enough, you had better think again.

To start with, you should log out of your Google accounts, and go into “incognito mode,” or a similar private browsing option on your preferred web browser. Google saves your search data, and will give you a specifically tailored Google search based on your past searches and location. You want to see what a stranger would see if they put your name into google.

According to online presence management specialists at ReputationDefender.com, you should Google yourself once a month—that way you can keep track of your online presence, and if something should appear that reflects you in a less than positive light, you can get on it quickly.

Beyond keeping track of how you appear online, Google can actually be a great asset for staying organized and on top of your job search. Google Jobs is actually a super functional job platform that allows you to search for jobs, save specific listings and searches and even set alerts based on job criteria. Google Jobs aggregates listings from most other job platforms, making it the best of all worlds.

However you choose to go about your job search, I hope this brings you up to date on the latest resources to help you put your best foot forward in the brave new world of online job hunting. Dive on in, and happy hunting!

 

Forbes.com | February 9. 2021 | Ashley Stahl

 

#JobSearch : How This Millennial Skipped Applications, Landed His Dream Tech Job Using Social Media. “I would apply to 50 companies a week, and the outcome for each was the same: rejection”

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As Jonathan Javier approached graduation, he knew he had an uphill climb landing his dream tech job. He wasn’t graduating from a top target school and didn’t have the traditional academic background, so he decided to try a radically different approach. He’d already tried the traditional method—applying like crazy and interviewing like your life depended on it, but the response was beyond dismal. “I would apply to 50 companies a week, and the outcome for each despite tailoring my resume to the job description was the same: rejection,” reflects Javier.

“This is when I realized that traditional approaches wouldn’t work. Simply applying to roles when thousands of others were doing the same wasn’t going to cut it, especially with popular tech companies.” So, he abandoned the job boards completely and instead curated an innovative social media strategy instead.

His strategy took some time, but after a year or so of persistent focus, he landed his first tech job at Snapchat, then later used the same strategy to secure interviews or offers from Google, Cisco, LinkedIn, Facebook, Electronic Arts, and more without ever applying. There were three key elements to his social media job search strategy: curating customized connection requests and posts, adopting a humanistic, friendly demeanor and relentlessly following up.

Curating customized connection requests and posts

Once he decided to move his search onto social media (specifically LinkedIn), he knew he had to roll up his sleeves and build the right network. He realized pretty quickly that randomly sending connection requests was a waste of time. In fact, his response rate was less than 5%, but when he pivoted to sending personalized invites, his acceptance rate soared. “I would send a personalized invite to 100+ potential connections weekly from those who shared common ground with me, whether it was the same university, organization or ethnic background,” shares Javier. “Out of those 100+ I sent almost 60% added me back because I’d thoroughly researched how their background related to mine.”

Javier also posted weekly on LinkedIn about events he planned to attend (related to his target companies). “I did this because my strategy was to meet professionals from my target companies and then tag them in LinkedIn posts,” explains Javier. “When they liked and commented on the posts, my hope was that their network would see it, and it worked.” Indeed, fully leveraging LinkedIn features like messaging, content creation and branding were key to his success.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Projecting a friendly demeanor

Making initial contact was critical, but Javier quickly realized that developing real rapport was quite another challenge—one more reliant on EQ than IQ. Indeed, he understood that projecting a friendly, affable demeanor rather than a transactional one would be key not just for prospect cultivation but also for his own mental health during the sometimes-arduous process. “I knew that the more people I reached out to with a humanistic, friendly approach, the more responses I’d get,” explains Javier. “Instead of focusing on those who didn’t respond, I focused on those who did and who supported me.” Javier explains that he’d ask new connections about their story, their experience with their company, and then follow up. He also made sure he maintained a healthy mentality throughout the process. “The job search is a mental game; rejection is redirection as long as you react to it in the right way,” insists Javier.

Relentlessly following up

Virtually any professional who has cultivated strong business relationships through social media will attest that you have to prepare for the long game, and they key to success is really the ability to follow up so that you can move from connection to relationship to opportunity. Javier developed a fairly regimented approach to nurture these important relationships. He explains, “Every 3 months I’d update them with my progress regarding my career and would ask for an update regarding theirs.” Here’s a sample message he would send to a connection to follow up.

Hi (Name),

Hope you’ve been well since we last spoke in (month). Thanks again for all your help throughout my career.

I wanted to give you a quick update on what I’ve been doing for the past 3 months:

·      Update #1

·      Update #2

·      Update #3

It would be great to hear from you (call to action). Thanks, and have a wonderful day.

Certainly, he learned that while social media is powerful, it’s not magic and turning a LinkedIn connection into a job offer requires relentless (but not annoying) follow up and persistence.

Javier had so much success using his method, that in 2019 he teamed up with Jerry Lee (first intern at Google from his alma mater, then hired as the youngest analyst in his organization) to turn their strategies into a business. He and cofounder Jerry Lee developed Wonsulting to teach unconventional methods for landing a dream job using social media. Their motto “turning underdogs into winners” reflects their desire to create new professional onramps for some of the best and brightest who may not have the rare academic pedigree and experience traditionally required for the most competitive positions.

Landing positions at Snapchat, Cisco and Google by the age of 24 is an admirable feat by any standard, and it’s certainly not “the norm.” Perhaps Javier’s smartest move was deciding to stop trying to win a game stacked against him from the start and instead find a way to reinvent it.

Stay tuned: My next article will reveal Wonsulting’s 5 tips for getting a job in 2021.

Forbes.com | February 8, 2021 | Dana Brownlee   Senior Contributor Careers

#YourCareer : Personal Branding – Are you an Authority if Nobody Knows it? You May be the Best at What you Do, But if No One Knows it…You have a Problem.

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As an executive, the assumption is the higher you climb the corporate ladder, the more expertise you have in your field. You may be the best at what you do, but if no one knows it…You have a problem.

People have to realize you are an expert. Your plan for your business, career, or any type of future acknowledgement needs to include ways to show the world you know what you are talking about. It’s all part of branding yourself. The good news is that today, it is easier than ever to establish yourself as an authority: an expert in your field!

Four(4) Ways to Establish Your Authority as an Expert: 

1- Write a book. This is so easy with e-books, because you can self-publish right away and update as needed. And the benefits are huge: you “must be an expert” because you wrote a book or two. It’s also a good way to let potential employers know what your expertise is, and it looks impressive on an executive resume.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2- Be a great blogger. Writing consistent and useful content builds up an audience of readers who welcome your next post because it helps them somehow. If you are sharing your insights and making a difference in your reader’s lives, you are building a reputation for expertise. You are proving your expert status with every post.

This isn’t as difficult as it sounds:

  • Link to content that you found helpful and make some comments then ask for opinions
  • Write a short (250-500 word) post every few days about something in your field
  • Have a mix of news items and evergreen content that is always useful

 

3- Utilize online networks. Whether it’s LinkedIn profile development and posting regularly, guest blogging, or taking thoughtful part in online discussions, there’s an impression being made about who you are. Find niche communities of your peers and connect, offering expertise. Make it a positive and authoritative impression, and there will be lots of good reasons to see you as an expert in your field. Be sure to ask for comments and opinions of others. This should be a dialogue, not a lecture.

 

4- Curate content carefully. Link to authoritative sites or articles, find news in your field, and share your expert opinion on the information. Create a reputable source for research in your industry.

If you do a little bit every day, it slowly builds into an impressive, authoritative presence that gives weight to your online brand. When potential employers look you up online, your expertise comes through. Many people actually are hired based on internet activity that created a relationship and developed respect for the knowledge displayed. The job offer came as a result of the added authority of their online presence. When you think about it, this is marketing. You are in the business of selling yourself as an authority in your field by getting the message out to the people who need what you offer. Anyone who aspires to become an executive or any type of professional needs to be seen as an expert.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:   Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog – February 6, 2021

#JobSearch : How To Identify Your Next Career Move. Very Few People are 100% Sure of What They Want to Do Next.

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Very few of my career transition clients are 100% sure of what they want to do next. Most people either take their transition as an opportunity to take a step back and explore what would be a more meaningful or fulfilling career for them or they come to the coaching with a few potential paths in mind, unsure which would be best for them.

If you fall into either of these categories, there are several exercises you might do to help point you towards the right path. Among these is conducting a “mini-360” to get feedback from friends and colleagues who know you well. Keep in mind that no assessment—including this one—will ever provide the ultimate answer to the question “What should I do next?”

Instead, this exercise will give you data to consider and incorporate with all of the other data that you are collecting that may highlight certain themes for you to explore further in determining what might be next for you. I often compare the career transition process to a treasure hunt, and the answers to this mini-360 can provide both interesting and compelling clues to help you get more clarity and move forward in your search.

This is an easy but powerful exercise you can do in requesting feedback from as few as 3-5 people or 10-20 or more with a brief email. Recognizing that some people will not reply, I recommend reaching out to at least 10-15 people. The more responses you have, the more likely common themes will emerge.

To be clear, I am not advocating letting other people decide your professional path for you—in fact, you want to stay away from what my colleagues and I call “the should’s.” For example, “My parents say I should find something more stable than a startup,” or “I got a law degree, so I should really do something in the legal field since I spent all that money on law school.”

Feedback from others can be helpful since they are likely more to be objective in identifying your gifts and talents that you have either taken for granted or have a blindspot around and don’t recognize the extent to which you are really good at something in particular, whether that’s communication, creativity, or coaching others. This might help you identify jobs or career paths that play to your strengths.

Below are some questions to ask in your mini-360. You can, of course, customize this as you wish.

What three adjectives would you use to describe me?

If most people mention adjectives such as “creative, innovative, and forward-looking,” one might infer that data analytics might not be a good career for you, but perhaps product design or marketing might be. Likewise, if the adjectives are along the lines of “caring, compassionate, and helpful,” perhaps something in the helping professions like teaching, medicine, counseling, or coaching would play to your strengths.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

What do you see as my greatest strengths or talents?

Answers to this question will either make you feel seen, understood, and appreciated or they may shed light on strengths you didn’t even realize you had. For example, someone once told me that I was a risk-taker. I looked at them very puzzled, as I didn’t think of myself that way. I asked them what it was about me that had them see me this way. They responded with actions or decisions I had made that I had never thought of as risky, because they were things that I wanted to do. But they were, in fact, risk-taking. They pointed out that I moved to a foreign country not knowing anyone with only a rudimentary knowledge of the language and left a high-status job in investment banking to do so. I also co-founded a leadership development firm two decades before that was a popular thing to do, while taking zero salary each year, relying solely on my business development skills to earn a living. Sometimes, it takes someone else to show us what we can’t see. We can have blind spots around strengths as much as development areas. Given my appetite for risk, I probably wouldn’t be happy in an opportunity that had limited financial upside.

What competencies, if acquired or developed further, would most benefit me in my career?

Sometimes, a fulfilling career is just around the corner, but there might be a competency—defined as an area of knowledge, a skill, or a trait—that is underdeveloped or missing, the presence of which, would expand your options and make you a more compelling candidate for a particular role or career path. This might involve learning a software program, understanding the regulatory environment in a particular sector, or learning to speak up more. These competencies may also be driven by market trends like digital transformation and the increasing applications of artificial intelligence across sectors.

In what types of situations am I at my best?

Getting feedback on the situations where you are at your best is also helpful to know in thinking about what’s next. Are you at your best presenting to small groups, solving complex problems, or when you’re engaging with clients? The answer to this question can also inform the type of work that would allow you to be in these situations most often. For example, if you’re at your best when engaging with clients, this might point to the professional services sector or a business development or client service role.

What have you seen me get most excited about?

To be fully engaged in your work, it needs to align with your values and interests. If others see you get excited by projects that are global in scale and the latest consumer technology, these interests may point to various target employers. Likewise, if you value collaboration and variety, these values may point to careers in consulting where the work is typically project-based and done in teams.

In what types of jobs or careers would you see me thrive the most, and why? Which ones would I not enjoy, and why?

These last two questions asks the feedback provider to “put it all together” and suggest positions or career paths that might (or might not) be a good match for you based on what they know about you. Hold these suggestions lightly—this is where some projections or “shoulds” may emerge, or if it’s a longtime contact or close family member, they may be stuck in an old image of you. But there can be some good ideas found among these answers for you to explore as well.

The benefit to asking a number of people these questions is being able to step back and identify the patterns and themes that emerge. Notice how they resonate with you. Do they intrigue you, excite you, or repel you? Which ones warrant further exploration? And what additional questions do these responses raise for you? The data you collect here can inform the next step of your exploration that ultimately leads you to your next career move.

Author: Rebecca Zucker

I am an Executive Coach and founding Partner at Next Step Partners, a global leadership development firm that provides Career Transition Services, Executive Coaching,

 

Forbes.com – February 3, 2021

 

#JobSearch : How Does Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume? Accurately Reflect your Expertise? Most if Not All, the Answer is NO.

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One question I get asked every single week by clients is if their resumes have enough branding–specifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO.

 

Your executive brand doesn’t always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what you’ve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand.

To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand?

This may sound like a difficult task to do. We aren’t very good at evaluating ourselves. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – February 1, 2021