Resume Writing & Career Marketing Insider

20 Ways to Use LinkedIn Productively

I just happened on a fantastic article on ways to use LinkedIn for job searching, reference checking, research, and more.  The entire article can be read at http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/15/20-ways-to-use-linkedin-productively/

Some ideas relevant to job searchers include using LinkedIn to help prep yourself for an interview, to get to know a particular company, to express and promote your personal brand, and to help improve your Google results.

While you are reading, you may also want to read about using the LinkedIn profile as a resume http://www.linkedintelligence.com/smart-ways-to-use-linkedin-1-linkedin-as-resume-20/ .  While I certainly would not recommend this as an actual replacement for your resume, it has excellent value as a supplement.

Finally, here is an interesting article on enhancing your LinkedIn profile http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/linkedin_profil.html . This is definitely something that you will want to do if you are considering using LinkedIn in a serious way during your job search.

In fact, I certainly need to kick it up a notch with my own LinkedIn profile http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/1b/881

So, you may wonder why I have been researching all of this. The reason is simple: I am considering adding the development of a LinkedIn profile to the list of deliverables that I produce for clients through my Executive VIP Program. I'm still a few months from rolling the service out, but it is something you will almost certainly see me offering by the end of the summer.

Top Tips For Incorporating Your Personal Brand In Your Job Search

When you think about your next career move, how would things be different for you if you were HUNTED rather than being the HUNTER? Personal branding (the process of clarifying and communicating what makes you and your unique value proposition different and special) allows you to make a name for yourself. It differentiates you from your peers and helps to position you as a leader in your field – as a specialist and an authority who knows how to do a job and fill a particular niche in the workplace better than anyone else.

Rather than finding yourself constantly pursuing jobs opportunities that never quite pan out, sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, and having doors stay locked shut to you, imagine what a positive and secure feeling it would be to have employers and recruiters actually seek YOU out. With some time and effort put into identifying and communicating YOUR personal brand as it relates to your career, this is one of the key benefits you will enjoy.

If you are a professional engaged in a serious job search, it would be almost impossible to escape the issue of personal branding. Everyone is talking about it! And, for good reason. Personal branding can make an incredible positive impact on not only your current job search, but on the success and progression of your entire career. But, just because everyone is talking about it, doesn't mean that everyone is making use of the knowledge. Through personal branding, there is still an incredible opportunity for the forward-thinking professional to position themselves heads and shoulders above their peers and competitors in the job market.

How To Write a Resume

Yesterday, on Yahoo! Buzz, there was a post about 20 top "how to" web searches titled Top 20 Secrets to Advance Human Evolution. Much to my amusement, How To Write a Resume was #2 and How To Write a Cover Letter was #18.

It certainly is nice to have my work validated like that and it definitely made me think that my release of 101 Before-and-After Resume Examples last week was especially timely!

Obviously, the core of my business is professional resume writing and my focus is on providing this service. But, on average, I have over 4500 unique visitors to my website every single day. When I analyze my web logs, I see that the vast majority of these visitors are looking for resume examples and information that they can use to write their own resume. As much as I wish they would -- as much as I am confident that professional writing services would benefit these visitors -- the simple truth is that most will choose to try to do it themselves. I created 101 Before-and-After Resume Examples (a downloadable e-book) in an attempt to provide a very inexpensive resource that would help these visitors to my website write their own resume.

If you haven't already, take a few minutes to check it out. I am really excited ot have finally published and released it. www.before-and-after-resumes.com
 

Establishing Your Focus: The Crucial First Step In Resume Writing

OBJECTIVE: A professional position with opportunities for advancement that will allow me to use the full range of my qualifications.

Wow! Could you imagine an objective that could be any less specific? But, as a professional resume writer, I can tell you that such a nebulous, non-specific resume objective is more common than it is not. This is one of the most frequent mistakes that I see people make on their resume.

Let me ask you: If you don’t know what you want and where you are going, what makes you think a busy employer will take the time to figure it out for you?

Very frankly, they won’t and they shouldn’t!

While I hear it every day, I still cringe when I pick up the phone and prospective clients tell me that “They just want to find a job – any job.”

Using this hit-or-miss, anything-will-do strategy, even if by some stroke of luck you land a position, the job you land would very likely be one that you would be miserable in! You may have the ability to do the job, but it wouldn’t be in line with your interests, your values, and your passions.

When individuals come to me and are not able to express a focus, I tell them very frankly that until they are able to articulate a career target, hiring a professional resume writer will be a waste of their time and money. If I am unable to assist them in narrowing down a focus, I will refer them to a career counselor and suggest that they spend some time defining a focus and setting career goals before we work together on the resume. And yet, so many people TRY to write a resume without a clear focus. Are YOU guilty of this?

Do you have a resume? If so, what I would like to request is that you pull it out and take a look at it with a fresh eye – try to look at it objectively as someone receiving it for the first time might look at it. Is your career focus immediately clear? Within seconds – because that is REALLY all you have – will the recipient come away with an understanding of your job target –of the level and type of position you are seeking – and of exactly where you would fit in their organization and add value? Be honest with yourself? This is really important! If you have trouble being objective, it may help to ask a friend or acquaintance for their impressions after a 10 second scan.

Assuming that you do need to refine the focus of your resume – as most people do – you may be wondering just how to do that.

Is an objective statement the best way to focus your resume? In the past you were probably taught that objective statements were an essential part of the resume. Happily, this is no longer true.

Today, profile or summary sections are used to set the tone and focus for most resumes. Why? Well, think about it: objectives tell the reader what you WANT from them. Profiles or summary sections tell the reader what you OFFER them. This is a subtle but really important difference.

Your resume needs to be employer-centered and focused on how you will meet the employer’s needs, solve their problems, and add value to their organizations. Your resume must be focused, but the more modern way of doing this than an objective statement, is to create a headline statement that is incorporated as part of your summary or profile. Are you having trouble envisioning what a headline statement is? Or, even what a resume profile or summary is? There are dozens and dozens of examples for you to review in the resume samples section of the Distinctive Documents website.

The best job target, of course, is the well-defined one. At the very least, you should be able to articulate and succinctly state the job function that you want to perform and the professional level you are targeting. But even these two criteria are quite broad. To be really effective you should pair those criteria with one or more criteria. For example, other criteria might include the industry you plan to target, the company size or type you are interested in, or maybe the type of product or service developed or sold by the company.

You’ll be using all of this information to create a really strong and focused headline statement and summary profile. But don’t stop there. Your resume is a marketing document! It is not an autobiography. Your resume is, at its very core, an advertisement of the specific benefits you have to offer in relation to a specific type of position. Every word and element in your resume should serve a purpose and should support your job target. If irrelevant or extraneous data that does not support and promote your job target is left in your resume, you will dilute your focus and will almost certainly confuse the reader. Don’t let that happen and don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to include everything about yourself in your resume. Once you know your focus, carefully review the body of your resume and eliminate or reframe everything that doesn’t serve your job target.

And, here is another really key tip: Remember that you are writing to the future in your resume, not about the past. Your resume content should be guided by who you want to be and how you want to be perceived. You need to know your goals and write from those perspectives. If you are involved in a career transition, you need to be absolutely honest and truthful while re-evaluating, re-weighting, and reframing past experience to bring the transferable qualifications to the forefront.

A well-defined target will guide you in your entire job search – in how you prioritize your skills and past experience as a focus for your resume and other job search documents, the people that you contact and network with, and the companies that you research and ultimately apply to.

So, go ahead. Take some time right now – today – to make certain that your resume is clearly, accurately, and immediately conveying your focus and your job target to the reader. This simple step will dramatically enhance your resume and the results it generates. And, as always, don't hesitate to ask for professional resume writing help if you need it.

© 2007 Michelle Dumas
Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her VIP Executive Resume Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources like this one, visit her websites. Michelle is also the owner of http://www.100kplusresumes.com

Resume Writing Solutions for Your Challenging Career History

Do you have a completely unblemished work history? Was writing your resume a breeze because you are perfectly qualified with a model career and educational background?

Or, do you find yourself struggling to prepare your resume...struggling because of some glitch or problem in your background that you don't know quite how to overcome in your resume?

• Maybe you are too old...or too young...
• Maybe you have an obvious gap in your work history...
• Maybe you have changed employers too many times...
• Maybe you are a new graduate with little-to-no relevant experience...
• Maybe you are an executive who needs to explain what appears to be a demotion...
• Maybe you are returning to the workforce after taking some time off...
• Maybe you are trying to change careers and your past experience doesn't relate...

How to Write Your Resume and Market Yourself for an International Assignment

Do you dream about working abroad? Do your short or long-term career goals include an international assignment? Maybe you want to practice your ability to speak multiple languages.

Perhaps you completed coursework or a degree in international business. Or maybe you just want to broaden your corporate qualifications with a more global perspective and multicultural experience.

With an increasingly diverse workforce and global economy, international business experience -- whether that involves frequent international business trips, short-term overseas assignments, or longer-term relocation to foreign locations -- can certainly be valuable as a building block for your entire career.

With more and more multinational firms transferring employees between global locations, your chances of winning a coveted overseas assignment have never been better. But, how do you market yourself for these positions?

As with most job searches, one of your first steps will be to develop your portfolio of personal marketing documents. In other words, you must prepare your resume/CV and job search letters. Do the terms resume and CV (curriculum vitae) confuse you?

The first thing to understand is that different countries use different terms to describe what is essentially the same type of document. In fact, in international circles, the terms "resume" and "CV" are often used interchangeably. But, to complicate the issue, depending on the country you are applying to, the requirements of what to include in your resume/CV and in what format to include it may be very different.

For example, in the U.S. you should never include a photograph of yourself in your resume (unless you are a model or an actor/actress). Likewise, you should not include any information about your birthday, marital status, family status, or other similar personal details. In fact, if you do include photos or personal data, most U.S. employers will simply discard your resume rather than risk a potential discrimination lawsuit. On the other hand, personal photographs and data are expected and often required on CVs meant for European or Asian employers.

In U.S., Canadian, and some other job markets your work experience should be included in reverse chronological order (most recent to oldest). In many other job markets around the world, your experience should be listed in straight chronological order (oldest to most recent).

Clearly, it is crucial that you be aware of the requirements and expectations of the job market you are applying in. You must take the time to research and learn these differences before preparing or adapting your resume for international employers.

In some cases, when you are applying to the overseas location of a multinational company, the decision-makers for the position will be of a nationality other than the location in which you are applying. For example, you may be targeting a position in Hong Kong, and know that the person making the decisions for that position is an American expatriate. In this case, you may want to submit a resume written in the U.S. style which will be more familiar to the decision-maker.

At Distinctive Career Services, our expertise is in creating resumes in the U.S. style. However, our client base is worldwide and our resumes have been used successfully by people all over the globe seeking international assignments based in the U.S. or targeting positions worldwide when they have determined that the U.S.-style is most appropriate. The lesson: do your research and know your audience, then tailor your approach to the expectations of the audience.

Regardless of the job you are targeting, and what country that job is in, if your goal is to go global you definitely want to emphasize and highlight your international travel and multicultural experiences, your foreign language abilities, and any coursework you have completed that is relevant to international business. You can weave all of this into the body of your resume/CV and may even create a separate section to call it out in greater detail.

Finally, above all, be open-minded and flexible. Your eagerness to learn and your adaptability are key predictors of how successful you will be on international assignment. So, don't be afraid to ask questions and adapt to new ways of doing things. Your international job search is not the time to hold tight to your own cultural preferences. Be flexible! If you don't know what is expected or required of job candidates in a particular company or foreign location, ask! Then adapt your approach.

Here is a checklist to help you prepare your international career marketing portfolio:

_____The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified to conform to the requirements of the international job market I am targeting.

_____The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified to conform to the expectations of the decision-maker for the position I am targeting.

_____I have paid particular attention to requirements regarding photographs and personal data and have adapted my resume/CV accordingly.

_____My resume/CV has been translated into another language if necessary and has been reviewed by a native speaker of that language.

_____My resume/CV emphasizes and includes information about all of my previous multicultural and international business experience and qualifications.

_____My resume includes a thorough listing of my foreign language abilities.

_____My resume/CV includes detailed descriptions of my education and training (educational requirements and degrees vary around the world, so it is often helpful to describe your degrees in terms of their local equivalent).

_____The design of my resume/CV had been modified to fit on the paper size that is the standard in the international location I am applying in.

_____My resume/CV has been proofed and is completely free of errors.

_____My resume/CV uses simple fonts and a classic, easy-to-read design.

_____The electronic files of my resume/CV are prepared in standard formats, including Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and plain text ASCII.

_____I have researched and scrupulously followed any guidelines for submission of my resume/CV as described by the company I am applying to.

_____I have sent my resume/CV and job search letter by email when an email address is available, but have followed up with a hard copy by regular postal mail.

© 2007 Michelle Dumas
Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her VIP Executive Resume Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources like this one, visit her websites. Michelle is also the owner of http://www.100kplusresumes.com

7 Tips to Speed Your Long-Distance Job Search

Tip #1: Looking for work can be difficult. Looking for work long-distance is even tougher! Fortunately, the Internet makes long-distance job searching easier than it has ever been before. Using a job search engine is a great way to find and apply for job openings in the geographic area of interest. Job search engines like Monster can usually be searched by state or zip code.

There are also many websites dedicated to job openings in a particular locale. A well-constructed Google search should find many of these sites for you. You can also find leads for good sites to use in your search through various directory sites. For example, here is a directory listing of job search sites categorized by state: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/statejobslist/Jobs_by_State_List.htm   

Tip #2: Modify your resume to avoid looking like an outsider or to give the impression that it would be costly or time-consuming for a company to move you. If you have not yet moved, and your resume still includes a phone number and address from your current home, your resume will almost always be overlooked for an equally qualified local candidate.

When you are targeting a particular geographic area, it is often in your best interest to list a local telephone number on your resume. A very affordable way to do this is to sign up for one of the many VoIP telephone services and request a number that will be local in the area you are moving.

There are also various mailbox and mail forwarding services that will allow you to use an address in the local area to which you are moving, before you actually move there. With a quick Google search, I even found services that will scan and email your postal mail to you, no matter where you are in the world. You may also want to remove the locations of the companies you have worked for from the resume. Just list the company name, your job title, and the dates of your employment to further reduce any red flags that may be raised due to your current location.

Tip #3: Be proactive. Locate and proactively target the companies in the area that interest you. You should certainly post your resume on sites like Monster.com, but don't rely on this technique. It is far too passive. Proactively go after the companies that interest you rather than waiting for them to find you. Try contacting the Chamber of Commerce in the area where you will be moving. They are often an invaluable source of information about companies in the area. Here is a directory of Chambers through the U.S. http://www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory/default.htm
The Verizon Yellow Pages is another great source for finding local businesses that you may want to target: http://yellowpages.superpages.com/

Once you have a list of companies that interest you, research each thoroughly and begin networking to get a referral to each.

Tip #4: Subscribe to and read local newspapers. You can also read many newspapers online: http://www.newspaperlinks.com/home.cfm. Besides giving you an insider's view on the local area and the business climate, and giving you a great source of information on local job openings (the classifieds) reading the local newspapers can give you leads on companies you may want to contact or individuals you should be networking with.

Tip #5: Connections will make all the difference! It can be a daunting prospect to network long distance, particularly in an area where you know few people. But, don't let that stop you! Ask everyone you know for names and introductions to people in the area where you are moving. Networking sites like http://www.linkedin.com are another great way to solicit introductions and make connections.

Shift from a strategy of sending out resumes to an all-out effort to network and conduct information interviews with people at target companies. Plan a trip to the area and line up a series of informational interviews while you are there. Ask for information, not jobs. Your goal with networking is to gather information, get introductions, and make connections. Networking is the single most effective job search technique and this definitely holds true in a long-distance job search as well.

A free account (or premium account for a modest monthly fee) at JibberJobber http://www.bestjobsearchtools.com is an excellent way to keep track of all your networking leads and job search activities.

Tip #6: If you have already moved or are especially anxious to move and need some income immediately, working temporarily as a consultant at a company while you job hunt is a good way to make money, make connections in the local area, and prove your worth. If you have the luxury of taking your time in your job search, you may want to consider doing some volunteer work in the community you have moved to. This is another excellent way to establish the connections you will need to network your way to your next job.

Tip #7: Use a salary calculator to understand the cost-of-living differences. You should be familiar with salaries in the area in which you are looking for work and be aware of how cost-of-living differences might impact your salary negotiations.

© 2007 Michelle Dumas
Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her VIP Executive Resume Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources like this one, visit her websites. Michelle is also the owner of http://www.100kplusresumes.com

How to Write Your Resume to Overcome Age Bias

DO trim your resume back to the most recent 10, 15, or 20 years. Your resume is a marketing document. It is NOT an autobiography. Readers want to know what you have done recently to add value in the companies you have been associated with. Skills, experiences, and achievements from 25 or 30 years ago or more are almost certainly irrelevant at this point. But, if those early experiences are still relevant, you do have options...

DON'T be afraid to mention early experience that is still relevant. Just don't mention the dates associated with it. You might choose to highlight the undated achievements or qualifications in the summary profile section of your resume. Or, another effective strategy is to summarize that experience at the end of your resume. Your description should be concise. Just one or two sentences that begin with the words "Additional experience includes..." will usually suffice.

DO be creative and strategic in how you list employment dates on your resume. Don't feel locked in by the traditional way of including dates. For example, I recently worked with an executive candidate who had three years with his current employer but more than 35 years of progression with his last employer. Traditionally, on a resume, you would show the total span of years with each company and then the dates in each position (illustrating progression). But this method clearly wouldn't work for this client because he began working for that last employer sometime in the mid 1960s - a date that we did not want to include on the resume. So instead, we left off the total dates with each company and just listed dates in each position, going back approximately 15-20 years. Like this:

Employer 1, location
Current position (20xx - Present)

Employer 2, location
Position a (20xx - 20xx)
Position b (19xx - 20xx)
Position c (19xx - 19xx)
Position d (19xx - 19xx)

** Additional experience includes...

DON'T leave dates of education off of your resume unless you have a good strategic reason to do so. One of the most common errors that I see are dates of education left off the resume when they should not be left off. For example, if you earned your degree 15 years ago and began working in your current career track the same year, you will actually raise questions about your age by not including your degree dates. The dates on your degree tend to close the "loop" and eliminate age-related questions in the mind of the resume recipient. But if you leave the dates off, the recipient will assume you are hiding your age and are older than your work experience indicates. On the other hand, if you have shortened your resume to the most recent 10, 15, or 20 years, and your most recent degree was earned earlier than a year or two before that cut off point, it is probably in your best interest to leave the dates off the resume.

DO be proud of your age and the associated experience and perspective that you bring to your employers. Even though - in most cases - you should not emphasize and draw attention to your age, do recognize that you bring to the workplace a value offering unmatched by your younger competitors in the job market. Your self-assurance and confidence will come across in your resume and during interviews.

DON'T forget to fill your resume with achievements and results that illustrate your personal brand and the unique promise of value that you bring to the workplace. Position yourself for the position. Demonstrate through past accomplishments and value add that you are the perfect candidate for the job. When your resume is filled with achievements that illustrate you will deliver a strong return on an employer's investment in hiring you, your age will NOT even be an issue.

DO create a resume that showcases achievements that illustrate the traits most valued in older workers - your credibility, your depth and breadth of experience, your judgment and decision-making abilities, your range of professional contacts, your work ethic and reliability, your emotional stability, and your commitment to company goals. Subtly, in your resume and cover letter, touch on achievements that illustrate a high energy level, strong technical skills, and adaptability to change.

© 2007 Michelle Dumas
Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her VIP Executive Resume Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources like this one, visit her websites. Michelle is also the owner of http://www.100kplusresumes.com