12 Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search

12 Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search Your Linkedin profile  is your shop window to recruiters and potential employers, and the first place which potential recruiters will look when they are considering contacting you. Here are our top twelve tips to make sure your Linkedin profile is found by the RIGHT people: 1. Consider your job seeking objectives Like any social networking medium you need to firstly decide why and how you will use LinkedIn for your job search. Before you can use LinkedIn, you need to have decided on what role you are looking for. It is no good branding your LinkedIn profile for a role within a professional practice if you decide you want to go in-house. 2. No typos, spelling or grammatical errors please You don’t need to tell us that on-line first impressions count just as much as face-to-face first impressions. It’s also even easier to make assumptions about someone or some group when working with them on-line rather than face-to-face. Make sure that your profile as well as being error-free is succinct and articulate. Ideally, spend as much time working on your LinkedIn profile as you would your CV. 3. Who do you want to be seen as? Every time you appear on LinkedIn your headline or personal tag line goes with you. Make sure you brand your headline as what you want to be seen as by the on-line community, and especially potential recruiters. It is better to brand yourself for the job you want rather than the job you have. The reason? Recruiters will often search for a specific job title when looking for potential candidates. 4. Write your elevator pitch The summary box in your profile needs to be your personal elevator pitch but targeted at the people you want to see it â€" i.e. recruiters. Your elevator pitch needs to be why you are different and the value you can bring to an organisation. Make sure you include some of the keywords which recruiters are likely to be searching for. Use the second paragraph â€" specialties, to list your specialties as this is a good opportunity to add in keywords as recruiters search on this section. See more at How to Write Your Elevator Pitch. 5. Public Profile and URLs Fight for the right to have your personal name in your LinkedIn profile URL, i.e. “http://linkedin.com/in/yourfullname.” As well as your LinkedIn URL you need to think about other websites that you want your profile to display. Do take the time to put the actual title of the link in rather than leaving them as ‘My company’ or ‘My website’. For example, instead of ‘My Company’ â€" I have written ‘The Efficiency Coach’. Do include links to any profiles you have on social media sites where you maintain a professional presence. 6. Connect up your social networking presence It is very inefficient to manually update all of your social networking presences. Luckily, Linkedin can be used to connect up all of your social networking presences. The application Blog Typepad can pull in a RSS or atom feed from your blog(s) and twitter feed. If you write a wordpress blog, there is an wordpress application which lets you display your blog on your LinkedIn profile. (Although Blog Typepad will do the same thing for you) 7. Recommendations Most social networking sites have an ability for members to collect recommendations and testimonials. LinkedIn is no different â€" and your recommendations are very prominently displayed. Do take the time to ask your clients and colleagues to recommend you on LinkedIn. For example, after I finish a coaching relationship I ask my client if they are willing to write me a LinkedIn testimonial. A bunch of positive recommendations can often be the deciding factor between being rung up by a recruiter. For more, see How to Get LinkedIn Recommendations. 8. Make it consistent Consistency just like integrity and reliability is very important in the on-line world. Make sure the messages on your website, Twitter biography, (business) Facebook page and other on-line sites you maintain a profile on are all consistent. For example you should use the same avatar for each on-line profile. Recruiters will do on-line searches for you, BEFORE they decide whether to call you. 9. Keywords Search Engine Optimisation is very important on LinkedIn. Annoying, but true I’m afraid. Your profile on LinkedIn is about to become your electronic resume. Therefore, all those keywords which you put in the ‘electronic’ version of your CV needs to be liberally scattered through your profile.  For example, do remember to put an industry in your professional summary because recruiters often use that field to search. More on keywords at How to Make Google Love Your LinkedIn profile. 10. Update your status regularly LinkedIn can be your very own micro-PR machine. I’m not sure how many characters LinkedIn will limit you to on the status update feature. Regardless of how many characters you are allowed; regularly tell potential employers and recruiters what you have achieved, or are doing in the course of your normal working life. For example, tell people about great client wins, new recommendations, product or service launches, networking meetings you are attending. Recruiters are looking for evidence that you are keeping your LinkedIn profile active and up to date. Do remember to update the content in your LinkedIn profile regularly. For example, you should refresh your profile at least once a quarter. You are more likely to show up in the LinkedIn updates if you regularly update your status and general profile. If you are actively (and openly) looking for a new role, then sprinkle your updates with phrases such as this: “Sam is looking for a new senior audit manager position in London. Who do you know who may be hiring?” “David is ready for his next senior interim HR generalist position. Who can you introduce me to?” 11. Add more content Boringly you will achieve more with LinkedIn the more content rich you make it. So do use the experience section to explain what each company you worked for did and what you did there. Remember to include any board, advisory or voluntary positions. For the qualification section, do add in context to each qualification you quote, such as why you went there and what value it may or may not bring to your professional or business life. 12. Make sure you are open for business If you are on LinkedIn and using it to look for a job you DO want to be found. Common sense really! Make sure you contact settings are set to include, career opportunities, consulting offers, new ventures, job inquiries, reference requests. Make sure your profile is public, and as suggested earlier, customize your public profile URL so that it contains your name. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Job Hunting Through Online Resume Writing Services

Job Hunting Through Online Resume Writing ServicesWith the widespread growth of internet and business, it is not surprising that online resume writing services are becoming more popular. Employers will choose to get such services because it makes the process easier to deal with. This means that both the employer and the job applicant to benefit from the services. The downside is that the quality of the finished product is not at par with other options.The drawback of online resume writing services is that they can take more time to produce a good job. It is inevitable that you will have to submit a lot of information about yourself and the kind of work you do. This is often where you will find the difficulties when it comes to choosing a provider. It is important to look for companies that offer a higher quality service.A company's professionalism is another thing that you should look for. The company should be known for its superior quality work. The quality of its work should be eq ual to that of a professional resume writer.The end result of the work should be a very professional resume. It should be easy to read, simple to understand and be free from grammatical errors. Such errors may lead to problems when it comes to finding employment. It will also lead to bad impression in the hiring manager.Before you sign up for an online resume writing service, it is a good idea to check with other writers. If possible, contact some of them and compare their services. You can also ask for samples from them.If you do not want to pay to have your resume reviewed, there are a few free services that will offer you their services. These will be websites that offer services for free but require you to pay for their products. If you want to avoid paying for something you can choose one of these free service providers. It is also a good idea to check with a human resource consultant who specializes in job seeking processes.The same way you have to check the credibility of any service, you should check the professionalism of any of the writers who will provide you with a good job. If the writer offers you their services for free, you have to check how they came up with this decision.Only a professional should undertake this kind of project. This will ensure that you will get the best job and make the process easier to handle.

When Do You Know that You are Successful - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

When Do You Know that You are Successful - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Is is money, title, power? No. Experience from studying hundreds of successful people in all walks of life shows me you are successful when: You are working towards, are on the brink, or have met your dream life and career goals while you remain a solid citizen. You are viewed as a “good” person: responsible, honest, and fair. You have not, will not, do not let the business political system corrupt you. The upshot is your co-workers truly like, trust, and respect you and your family members do too. When you communicate which you have to do all of the time with everyone in some manner or another you are deemed as: impressive, memorable, credible, genuine, trusted, liked, competent, confident, comfortable, cool, calm, and collected. You set a good example of personal empowerment and leadership and you help infuse it in others. Money, title, power may be an outcome of success, buts thats not what makes you a success.

7 Tech Tools to Help You Stay Productive

7 Tech Tools to Help You Stay Productive Time is money. However, time can often feel like the thing we have the least of. While it isn’t possible to physically create more hours in the day, we can call on tech to help us get more done, in less time. Check out the apps below that can help you to maximise your day and claw back your time. 1. Freedom First off you have to block out all distractions. Invites to parties, emails offering discounts on the shopping you haven’t started yet etc. Freedom allows you to block the internet and social media altogether, or specific apps or websites of your choice. You simply select the device and sites, decide how long you want this to be blocked for and get to work. 2. Wunderlist The best ‘to-do list’ app out there. As well as allowing you to manage your own progress, the app allows you to share to-do lists with colleagues and assign tasks to individuals. This means you can collaborate seamlessly with your team, ensuring they are constantly up to speed and eliminating the need to constantly request progress reports. 3. Quandoo Finding a great place to eat for a business or lunch with clients can be a tricky task. Quandoo offers an unmatched choice of dining experiences from Michelin-starred restaurants to local favorites. The app uses GPS to show you the eateries in your area and lets you earn loyalty points with those you like the look of. The app covers restaurants across Europe, Asia, Australia and South America, so you’ll never be short of ideas of where to eat wherever you are. 4. Doodle Constantly caught in endless email chains with colleagues and clients trying to find a date for that meeting? Doodle solves this problem, allowing you to get a date in the diary with just one message, meaning you can spend more time on what matters â€" growing your business and keeping your clients happy. Simply suggest the possible dates, send to the participants via the app, email or iMessage and then let them instantly vote on which options work for them. Doodle does the rest, confirming the best date for everyone. 5. focus@will This app is genius. It describes itself as a ‘neuroscience based music subscription service that helps you increase your attention span by up to 400%’. And it works. Put simply, it will curate a playlist specific to you and your needs at that time to help boost your concentration and focus levels. All the benefits of a Spotify playlist without losing an hour creating it. 6. Slack Billed as the ‘email-killer’, this app does just that. It feels like a mix between email and WhatsApp and simplifies messaging with colleagues or clients. You can set up different ‘channels’ so teams or projects are kept separate and all of your documents or conversations for individual projects are neatly filed together. The app has the option to enable push notifications so you’re never out of the loop. 7. Upwork Ploughing time into a task you don’t have the right skills for isn’t productive. Upwork is the worlds largest online workplace, making it faster and easier for you to find and hire talented freelancers from around the globe. The Upwork Messenger App means you can also keep jobs moving while on the go. The app alerts you when jobs have been accepted or declined, and makes it easy to keep in touch with your freelancers. About the author: Gabriele Ottino is the CEO of Doodle, a simple way to schedule events with groups of people.

Resume Writing Services in Poughkeepsie New York

Resume Writing Services in Poughkeepsie New YorkUsing resume writing services in Poughkeepsie New York is an excellent idea for those who have already established a business of their own but want to increase their opportunities for future employment. A well-written resume is the key to a good job opportunity. The best way to get a new job is to be organized, to think ahead and to write an extremely professional resume. With a resume service in Poughkeepsie, you can rest assured that you will receive the very best care and attention in creating a professional resume that will help you land that job you are looking for.When you hire resume writing services in Poughkeepsie New York, they will put their particular skills to work for you in helping you to write a highly effective resume. They will ensure that your professional image is depicted in your resume and they will make certain that the information is conveyed accurately. The professional resume service in Poughkeepsie is well-ver sed in how to create a resume that is both professional and compelling.A resume should not only list your achievements but it should also convey your self-confidence and your professional skills. Therefore, you need to take the time to create a professionally appealing resume that will speak of your achievements and your capabilities. When you look at resumes created by professional resume writers you can instantly see how the resume writer has successfully created a resume that is also compelling. They know exactly what they are doing and that is why you can trust them to write a resume that speaks of your accomplishments. They understand the value of clarity and organization when it comes to making a professional looking resume.Resume writing services are not just about writing a resume, they also understand that a resume needs to reflect your personality. To achieve this, they work with the writer to ensure that the resume reflects your personality and your goals for the future. There are some resume writers who specialize in writing resumes that are perfect for what people are seeking. They can help you craft a resume that is sure to get you a new job.For those who have business ideas or may be considering starting a business, a resume service in Poughkeepsie New York is invaluable. People looking for jobs who are looking for something new to begin a new business can benefit from the resume writing services. However, the most important factor that they are going to do is make sure that the resume is appropriate for the job seeking individual.When you sit down to write a resume you may be quite prepared and confident in your abilities, but what happens if you are at a loss for words? You may find that the resume you've been given is missing words or phrases or does not reflect who you are or what you have accomplished. That is why you should seek out resume writing services in Poughkeepsie New York and speak to a professional who understands your needs and who will help you get your message across effectively.When you use resume writing services in Poughkeepsie New York, they will take the words you have written and add all the necessary format and grammar that will help you best express your thoughts in the most professional manner possible. Resume writing services will help you write a resume that is professional, but it will also help you create a resume that is highly compelling. A well-written resume conveys a message that will connect with people and makes a positive impression on those who will be reading it.A professional resume is the key to success when it comes to getting a job opportunity that you desire. You want your resume to be unique and to communicate your self-confidence, work ethic and your skill set. If you want to get a job and make a career for yourself, you will need to use resume writing services to help you craft a professional resume that will get you the job you want.

Korean Resume Writing - How It Can Help You Find A Job

Korean Resume Writing - How It Can Help You Find A JobWith the current global economic climate being on the nose, there is a higher demand for Korean graduates and students who are looking to have a more stable employment when it comes to their job hunt. This demand can be found in the high-ranking companies and corporations that are using Korean resume writing to make their job search as smooth as possible. This form of resume writing is considered by many to be the most effective form of making your resume stand out from the crowd.Resume writing is an art that is used by companies that want to find people that have the potential to join their organization. They use this form of resume writing to locate people who are perfect for what they are looking for in terms of employee. It is also used by job seekers who want to have a better shot at getting hired or keeping their current jobs.There are many things that one can do to increase their chances of getting hired as well as keep the ir career opportunities. One way to do this is through resume writing. Using this form of resume writing can give you the edge when it comes to the high ranking companies and corporations that use it.This form of resume writing has been found to be very helpful in career growth and professional development. With this form of resume writing, a person can be able to reach their career goals much faster and at a faster rate. There are many forms of professional resume writing that can be found today, but one of the most recognized forms is Korean resume writing.Resume writing is an art that is used by those who want to find people that have the potential to join their organization. There are many companies and corporations that use this form of resume writing to find people who are perfect for what they are looking for in terms of employee. It is also used by job seekers who want to have a better shot at getting hired or keeping their current jobs.This form of resume writing is conside red by many to be the most effective form of making your resume stand out from the crowd. With this form of resume writing, a person can be able to reach their career goals much faster and at a faster rate. There are many forms of professional resume writing that can be found today, but one of the most recognized forms is Korean resume writing.Korean resume writing is considered by many to be the most effective form of making your resume stand out from the crowd. With this form of resume writing, a person can be able to reach their career goals much faster and at a faster rate. There are many forms of professional resume writing that can be found today, but one of the most recognized forms is Korean resume writing.Korean resume writing is used by high-ranking companies and corporations to find people who are perfect for their needs. The benefits of using this form of resume writing include having a better chance of getting hired or keeping their current jobs.

How to deal with job search blues - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How to deal with job search blues I have been hearing lately from some clients that the job search is taking them much longer than anticipated companies are slow in making decisions, and in some cases, they have opted to advance an internal employee after interviewing several candidates. I’ve seen that situation happen many times in my recruitment career and it’s always very frustrating for a candidate who’s put in a lot of time and effort into interviewing with that particular company. If you’ve been in that situation, it could be hard not to get depressed or at least feel very low. When depression creeps into a lengthy job search, the effects are crippling…it’s hard enough dealing with a loss of income and loss of job title. I am not a certified counselor, but my advice in this area comes from personal experience and it comes from the heart. I remember speaking to one candidate who’s just lost his very high paying job and his wife has also just been made redundant. I can imagine how stressful this situation must have been for the whole family. Whether you are knee-deep in a job search, involuntarily unemployed or about to start a search on your own, here are a few things to keep in mind. 1) Get your mind prepped for the long haul: What often surprises most job seekers is how long the job search may actually take â€" yes, the opportunities exist, but in a competitive market where companies want to minimize their job search costs, it can easily take a few months. There might be a lot of open positions, but there are also a lot of candidates looking. 2) Don’t blame yourself but really think hard if you are doing everything you can. It’s hard to avoid doubting yourself and questioning your abilities when the job search seems to drag on and on. Before you start beating yourself up about your age, your degree, your experience or your places of employment, consider your online and offline brand presentation. Is your resume targeted to each position you are applying for? Is your LinkedIn profile complete? Are you actively networking with people who could help you find that next job? 3) Lose the online/computer addiction: Technology is great and can definitely help you in your job search, but don’t become addicted to emails and online job portals as your only source for job opportunities. If your daily goals, include resume blasting and applying for 10 jobs each day, you could be looking for a job for a very long time. And trust me when I say that you’d be better off applying for less jobs but tailoring your application to those you do apply for. 4) Push past feeling uncomfortable, do it anyway: A lot of people feel uncomfortable with networking and even reaching out to people to explore untapped job opportunities. I can relate, but challenge yourself to do it anyway…make a phone call, invite someone for coffee, hold your own networking meeting with employed colleagues, create your personal advisory team, just do it anyway. 5) Take a closer look at that bridge job: It could be a lateral move, a short-term consulting project, a part-time job or a new industry to offer your expertise. 6) Connect and stay connected to others: Your personal job situation may only affect you and your immediate family, but you are NOT the only one going through it. Find support groups through professional networks and other associations…the more you disconnect from others, the more you will become isolated and depressed. 7) Get help. If you’ve had several unsuccessful interviews, it is highly likely that your interview technique is to blame. Get some help and get it quick, unless you plan to spend the next 6 months with no income. Don’t wait until you’ve had 20 unsuccessful interviews and your confidence is completely lost before you get some support. If you’d like some help, please email me on Margaret@interview-coach.co.uk and let’s talk! The longer you wait, the more difficult it is going to get, so why wait? To those of you still searching, still hoping and still trying, keep pushing and pushing until you reach success. I wish you luck!

Its All About Me

Its All About Me day three hundred and eleven, originally uploaded by Allyson Kalie, found via kind over matter. Im writing this post because Ive been challenged to. Challenged to put myself first, to practice what I preach, to hold myself accountable, to be driven by the accolades enthusiasm of my readers (hint, hint), and to hope to give everyone in Internetland a first-hand account of starting something that scares you. No, were not talking about vampires, monsters, upside-down roller coasters, or The Dark. Were talking about Me Time. Whats scary about Me Time, weirdo?, youre probably wondering right about now, as Me Time is definitely not as scary as vampires upside-down roller coasters (although Luke thinks Im wrong on the latter). For me, its partly The Fear of Stopping, partly The Fear of Not Getting It Done, partly The Fear of Not Being All Things To All People. Its ridiculous, but Ive been dreaming of a bubble bath for 3 weeks. 3. Effing. Weeks. And not once have I gotten in the tub. Why? Because I needed to make phone calls. Because I needed to make photo albums for my family from the wedding. Because I needed to clean the kitchen/living room/bedroom (Luke cleans the bathroom, bless him). Because I needed to update my blog. Because I needed to write my newsletter. Because I needed to not be tired for my coaching session in 90 minutes. Because I needed tosee where this is going? As a life coach who is big huge, even on celebration, I dont practice what I preach. Not to say that I dont have intentions to celebrate, or take a mere 30 min to soak in the tub. I do. Great intentions, actually. And sometimes, it so happens. It does! But not always. Because, sometimes, there are Things That Need To Get Done. But here I am, worried about burnout from my 40-hr/wk day job, the 5 clients Im coaching this summer, the 3 group coaching sessions Im starting as early as next week (eek!). And while the coaching keeps me going makes me so very happy, its a whole damn lot on my plate all at once. So, in talking to my coach this week, I realized that The Fear of Burnout/Overload/Making Something that Makes Me Happy Having It Make Me Unhappy was really real. And the light underneath the surface that was glittering shining below me was self-care. I need to treat Me Time as if its an appointment. Wait, thats not even good enough. I need to treat Me Time as if its a client session. Because those are sacred to me. My Me Time will come on Sunday mornings, when I make myself wake up early (read: between 9:30-10a, as opposed to noon on Saturdays because Im a 16-year-old trapped in the body of someone twice her ago) so I can go to bed at a half-decent time be fresh for the week. For a minimum of 90 minutes, a maximum of 3 hours, Ill keep my phone off, stay away from the computer (two EXTREMELY scary thing), and do whatever I want to recharge my batteries feed my soul. Whether its running in the park with Luke, reading the Times while listening to music, doing my yoga tape, wrecking my journal or soaking in a bath its all OK. Not only is it OK its necessary. Ill keep you guys posted on the process, because I feel like the first months gonna be especially hard. So please offer your comments, your encouragement, your suggestions and your experiences. Extra points to those that start something scary this week, too (if you let me know about it, Ill so link to you on my future posts). Im looking forward/scared out of my mind at not being Superwoman just be Michelle for a mere 90-180 minutes/week.