What we do with practical while learning
âWhat is your superpower?â is an interview question that feels quite different than the others youâll get asked. But underneath this seemingly silly question is an opportunity to make a great impression. Read this guide to learn why interviewers ask it, and how you should approach your answer. We even provide some examples to get […]
The post “What Is Your Superpower?” Answers, Tips & Examples appeared first on Career Sherpa.
Hiring doesn’ big t stop at the conclusion from the year. Neither ought to you. The week among Christmas and New Year’ s is notoriously sluggish. But that doesn’ testosterone levels mean there aren’ p great articles being discussed. This week’ s overview takes a check out: In case you liked any involving these articles, please adhere to the author/publication. And make sure you share with those […]
The post Summary Weekend: Issue #502 appeared first on Profession Sherpa .
Here’s a list of top job search articles I’ve written in 2022. Popular headlines in 2022 talked about “The Great Resignation”, “Quiet Quitting” and “Career Cushioning”. While these catchy phrases caught attention, they really were nothing new. People quit jobs all the time. Especially when they feel taken advantage of or dislike their work. So […]
The post 10 Top Job Search Articles from 2022 appeared first on Career Sherpa.
Many professionals wonder if consumer services is a good career path since there are so many potential jobs and companies you can work for! This guide dives into this industry to help you determine if itâs the right fit for you. Table of contents What are Consumer Services? Is Consumer Services a Good Career Path? […]
The post Is Consumer Services A Good Career Path? The Full Guide appeared first on Career Sherpa.
Exactly what do you need so that you can know about launching a new new job search or even reigniting your current research? This week’ s overview has articles to assist both. In this problem of Summary Sunday (technically being delivered on Monday), you’ ll find: You should follow these talented freelance writers and experts! And I actually wish you well in the course of the “ lost” few days of […]
The article Summary Sunday: Issue #501 appeared 1st on Career Sherpa .
As a professional, your LinkedIn profile is an essential career tool. No matter if you’re looking for a job or just trying to build your personal brand, it’s important to completely fill out your LinkedIn profile so you can get the most out of the professional networking platform.
In 2023, there are a few things you should pay extra attention to on your LinkedIn profile. If you’re looking for a job this year, make sure your LinkedIn profile includes the following three things:
Don’t let your LinkedIn headline default to your job title and your job title only. Optimize it by packing your LinkedIn headline with intentional keywords. Incorporate your top four to five hard skill sets that directly support the service you provide, and then separate each skill with a vertical line. This will make it very easy for recruiters and your connections to see where you add value.
Why does this strategy optimize your LinkedIn profile? Well, keywords increase your chances of showing up in search results. Because recruiters search for skill sets, those are technically your keywords. The more skill sets you have (and the better your LinkedIn profile is optimized), the higher you’ll rank in relevant search results. If you’re not incorporating the right keywords, you’ll have a hard time standing out against the competition. You might not even show up in a search result at all.
It’s also never a good idea to put “looking for new opportunities” or “currently unemployed” in your LinkedIn headline. Your headline is prime real estate. It’s a valuable piece of your profile. Don’t waste space including these phrases. It won’t help your job search, and it’ll only make you look desperate.
So, to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you can keep your job title in your LinkedIn headline, but make sure to include some of your top skill sets that support your job title too.
Your “About” section, formerly known as the summary section, is not where you write an epic novel about your career story or where you talk about yourself in the third person. It’s where you write a brief, yet compelling story about yourself in the first person. You also want to include your personal branding statement here.
After your personal branding statement, make a keyword-filled list of your top 10 skills and a list of any technologies/software you’re proficient in at the bottom of your “About” section. These should be vertical lists because that will allow recruiters to use them as checklists. They’ll clearly see what your skills are and have a good idea of whether you’re qualified for a certain position or not.
Like in your resume, it’s important to leverage white space in your “About” section. Paragraphs don’t get read. Recruiters skim LinkedIn profiles, and if they see something they like, then they’ll go back and read a little bit more. White space makes it easier to read your “About” section, so avoid big blocks of text at all costs.
To catch an employer’s eye, follow this format in your “About” section. It should prompt them to review the rest of your LinkedIn profile, which brings us to your recommendations…
When you’re looking for a job, what you’re really doing is marketing yourself to an employer, and LinkedIn recommendations are a great way to sell yourself.
LinkedIn recommendations are essentially testimonials of your character and ability. They’re a testament from a credible source saying that you’re able to do what you claim you can. This is why they’re essential to your LinkedIn profile.
If you don’t have any recommendations on LinkedIn yet, don’t worry. You can get recommendations using two different strategies: proactive recommendation seeking and passive recommendation seeking. The proactive strategy involves reaching out and asking someone to recommend you. The passive strategy involves recommending someone, at which point LinkedIn asks them to recommend you back (this way is actually a bit more effective).
Having recommendations on your LinkedIn profile makes you so much more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers. If other people are recommending you for the service you provide as a business-of-one, you must be an incredibly valuable employee, someone who could help a company reach its goals. Make that impression with lots of recommendations on your LinkedIn profile.
If you’re looking for a job in 2023, you can’t afford to have an incomplete LinkedIn profile. So, don’t forget to add these three things to yours!
Need more help with your LinkedIn profile?
Sign up for our FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today to learn how to update your resume and LinkedIn profile the way recruiters want!
Figuring out how to tell a company you have another offer can seem a bit uncomfortable at first. For many job-seekers, they fear that doing this will make it seem like theyâre playing hardball or being rude. But it doesnât have to be that way! This guide will teach you how to inform a potential […]
The post How To Tell A Company You Have Another Offer (Simple) appeared first on Career Sherpa.
Are anyone worried you wonât property a job in the present job market? Or are people worried your current part might be eliminated at some sort of momentâs notice? If therefore, we have a coaching series for you to help check out!
In each of our latest live class, weâll educate you on how to remain employable and relevant inside the job market through these tough times.
We almost all remember 2008. It has been a challenging coming back numerous. Now, weâre painfully returning to the idea of residing through another recession.
With mass layoffs, hiring freezes, and furloughs happening due to financial influences, many are questioning this security and stability of the futures. You may actually be thinking about the relaxing question, âAm I subsequent? â
Inside our 4-week class, youâll learn what you require to fag order towards secure opportunities even while in hard times.
You should take this particular training if:
Join our CEO, M. T. O’Donnell, and Movie director of Training Development and Coaching, Christina Burgio, with regard to this live event collection on Wednesdays at twelve pm ET from The month of january 4th-25th.
CAN’T ATTEND RESIDE? That’s alright. You’ll have entry to often the recording and the workbook following the session!
There are two kinds of job searches: reactive and proactive. Most people use reactive job search strategies, which means they look for job openings and then apply for the ones that interest them. So, when you send your resume to recruiters and respond to job board postings, you are really at the mercy of what comes up.
In a proactive job search, you pick the companies and the jobs you are seeking. This way, you get the job that you chose and worked to get versus just hoping a good job comes your way through the recruiters and job boards.
Before you start your job search, make sure you have a well-optimized resume and LinkedIn profile, since employers will use these to see if you’re a great candidate for the job. Once you’ve updated those, you’re ready to begin your proactive job search.
Here are four key steps in a proactive job search…
There are a number of ways you can identify companies. Start by making a list of 10-20 companies that you think you would love to work for. This is your interview bucket list.
Talk to your friends and colleagues and see who they recommend as well. Note that LinkedIn has a very strong company search feature that can help. Go to LinkedIn, click on the search bar, and hit enter. Then select the “Companies” filter at the top of the page and search. If you find a company that might interest you, click on their profile and see if you’re passionate about a product or service they provide, or their mission.
If you are, then you should probably add the company to your list.
The next step in a proactive job search is to learn more about the organization and determine if it is a place you really want to work. There are a number of ways to do this. The first thing to do is to visit the company website and go to the “About Us” section. You can review the company history, products, and services, and make sure you check out the “News” and “Press Releases” sections to see the latest newsworthy events.
Make sure you look at their blog, tooâif they have oneâas it gives you a good idea of their areas of expertise and corporate culture. Also, check out all of their social media accounts to get a better idea of the company culture, and remember to follow them.
Also, there are a number of excellent tools like Glassdoor that provide anonymous reviews of thousands of companies, salaries being paid, reviews of the corporate culture, and evaluations of top executives. Sometimes they will even show you questions that are asked in an interview. It’s a good idea to research companies on this site and on similar sites during your proactive job search.
Go back to LinkedIn’s company search capability and enter the name of the company that interests you. Note that when the listing comes up, it will tell you how many people in your network are employed there. This is a good place to start and you can reach out to these people for assistance.
Tip: People respond much better when they are asked for advice versus being asked to help someone get a job.
A good message to send to your connections on LinkedIn might be: “I am looking at XYZ as a potential employer and was wondering if you could tell me about the corporate culture there?” You can also send this type of message to your extended network.
Now that you have identified companies that interest you, it is time to identify people who work there. Again, LinkedIn is a great tool here.
Start by identifying the hiring manager and staff in the area you wish to join. Look for people who would be your peers and their managers.
Now see what LinkedIn Groups they’ve joined. This is important because if you join the same group, you can now communicate with them for free without updating your LinkedIn account.
Look to see if they have participated in any group discussions. This is a great way to enter the conversation and start showcasing your expertise. And remember to keep your comments upbeat, positive, and professional.
Do the same for Twitter. Select the contact button under their profile and see if they have a Twitter handle. Follow them and see what kinds of tweets they have put out. Again, a terrific way to join the conversation.
Now look to see if you have people in your LinkedIn contacts that can provide an introduction to them. Ask what they know about the company and if they recommend them as a potential employer. Ask them what they think is the best way to get introduced.
Note that you did not ask them to introduce you, but rather you asked them for advice on how to get introduced. You’re not asking for a favor.
Finally, reach out to the hiring manager. Make sure you have a good 30-second elevator pitch that briefly describes your background and value proposition. And remember that people hire people they like so try to build rapport.
A proactive job search takes discipline so set weekly goals for yourself. The benefit is you will end up in a job that you chose instead of in one you got through happenstance.
Need more help with your job search?
We’d love it if you signed up for Work It Daily’s Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
A few times in my career, I have made the conscious choice to leave a position, and once that decision was made for me. As I read about layoffs, recession, and turmoil in the workplace, I think about these moments.
The Buddhists have a tenant about âimpermanence.â Nothing is permanent or forever. Everything changes moment by moment each day. Working for a company is the same⦠it will not be forever regardless of your choice or someone else’s decision. At some point, you will move on.
When you spend one-third or more each year at work, you will meet many people. Acquaintances, colleagues, and friends will pass through your life. The friends make it difficult when you leave.
I have a few friends who I have known throughout my career. People I talk to regularly throughout my life, and some I have not seen in years. However, I can call or email these people at any moment, and I know they are there for me. Despite leaving them behind when I moved jobs, I am still grateful these people are in my life.
Colleagues who I have not seen in many years are pleasant surprises. Hearing from them at random times, I enjoy the memories brought back with each encounter. I am also grateful when someone thinks fondly of our time together in the past. I take a lot of meaning from these brief encounters.
Thousands of acquaintances have also passed through my life. The world is a smaller place every day, and occasionally I cross paths with one of these people. I enjoy reconnecting with these brief encounters and reliving a part of my past.
âI confess, when the decision comes to move on, I find it very difficult to leave the people. These friends made my time with the company enjoyable. We accomplished some great things! We worked through difficult times and still achieved great results. Even in the darkest of hours, we found ways to have fun and persevere. These connections are the most difficult.
Although I want to believe I will always be in contact with these special people, life creates challenges. I do not see these people often enough, and I do not connect as often as I like. I even feel guilty at times about growing apart. However, the true friends will always be there, and we can drop back into our connection very easily.
If you are left with the difficult choice to move on and do something different, know two things. First, those who really care and respect you will remember your time. They will appreciate the work you accomplished. They will remain connected. They will be your friends for a long time. Second, true friends will be happy and supportive of your decision to make a change. They will congratulate you and support your choice. They may not like it or feel left behind; however, they will understand.
Although you feel guilty for leaving, remember those who mean something to you will remain in your life. When you make a connection, it will not break because you are leaving a situation. The friendship will persevere.
Leaving your friends will weigh upon you in making your decision to leave. This feeling is normal. Embrace it because these people made a difference in your life. Know that true friends will always be there no matter how far apart you grow.
The average amount of time a recruiter or hiring manager will spend scanning your resume is seven seconds. That’s why it’s important to have just the right kind (and amount) of information on your resume.
The phrase âless is more” has often been used for design purposes, but it can apply just as well to your resume. The point is to only keep information on your resume that is clear, simple, and that supports your personal brand. It is a balance of having just enough information to draw the interest of an employer while leaving room for you to further explain during an interview.
The more irrelevant information you add to your resume, the more it dilutes your key message. Employers today also look right through fluff words and are rather annoyed by them.
So, how can you optimize your resume and make sure it contains the precise balance of information?
Try removing these 10 things from your resume today:
Employers today are not that interested in what you want. You need to tell them what you can do for them. The most effective way to achieve this is by replacing your objective statement with an experience summary.
An experience summary is a list of skills you have that are needed for the job you’re applying for. They’re hard skills and transferable skills, not soft skills. By removing that objective statement, you’re able to clearly start proving your value to the employer within the first few seconds they glance at your resume.
We can’t tell you how many resumes start with “Dynamic visionary⦔ We call these “fluff” statements because anyone can make them and they add no real value to your resume.
Keep your message on point and stick to the facts. If you want to express certain traits, demonstrate them with what you have achieved or accomplished. Quantify your work experience. Whatever you do, just avoid meaningless, baseless statements.
Spelling and grammar mistakes are a big turnoff for hiring managers. Triple check every headline and bullet point. Remove or reword any sentence that doesn’t flow. Don’t mix up tenses or third and first-person perspectives.
When in doubt, have a trusted friend or colleague review your resume. That way, you can be sure every spelling or grammar mistake is caught before you apply for a job.
You want every section and piece of your resume to be simplified. Having multiple phone numbers right at the top of your resume makes it feel cluttered and disorganized even before you get to the experience section.
If you must list more than one number, make sure to specify under what conditions the other numbers should be used.
Avoid information that can lead one to discriminate against you, including age, sex, religion, marital status, and ethnicity. This includes the use of photos that should never be on a resume unless your face is an important part of your job (e.g., modeling, TV, etc.). In fact, some employers are forced to ignore your resume if it contains such information because of the chance that they may be accused of discrimination later in the process.
For seasoned professionals, age discrimination can be a very real thing. That’s why you should follow these tips on what to remove from your resume. You want to optimize your resume, not submit an outdated one.
You do not need to reveal your graduating year, the institution(s) you transferred out of, or the high school you attended. You should also remove your GPA if you’ve been out of school for a while or if the number just isn’t impressive.
Keep information on your education specific to the degree received, the major completed, and the institution you attended.
Employers are not interested in achievements or abilities that are not applicable to the job. If you are in sales and you helped develop an Access database to track supplies, that’s nice but not relevant.
Also, be cautious about listing your associations or volunteer work that is irrelevant or may be in conflict with the potential employer. You can find this information while conducting research on the company.
Most employers today expect you to be familiar with basic computer programs, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. So, don’t waste valuable space on your resume listing them. It’s more than okay to remove them from the document entirely.
When choosing which software programs and technologies to include on your resume, think about which ones will help you succeed in the job you’re applying for. Which ones will make you stand out from the competition?
Employers expect you to offer references when requested, which is typically during the latter part of the interview process.
A big pet peeve of recruiters is seeing “References available upon request” on the resume. Do you really know anyone who would refuse to give references?
If you are a recent graduate, most employers do not expect your resume to be more than one page. However, if you have had considerable professional experience, your resume should be two to three pages long. The notion all resumes should be one page is not true, especially in this job market. Resumes need to have enough detail to support your positioning so a two- to three-page resume is acceptable. But, your resume shouldn’t be so long that it works against you.
Your resume has to have a compelling message and be easy to read, so after you have tightened up your content, format it to have a decent amount of white space.
Finding the right balance of information for your resume can make it impactful. It’s not about how long or short your resume is, or how many employers you’ve worked for, but finding the right information and words to present it in the best light to demonstrate that you have the specific experiences and skills the employer is seeking. So, keep in mind the phrase, “less is more” when writing or updating your resume.
Writing an optimized resume is no easy task. By removing these 10 things from your resume, you’ll be that much closer to landing an interview and securing your next job.
Need more help optimizing your resume?
Sign up for our FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today to learn how to update your resume and LinkedIn profile the way recruiters want!
Is the Great Resignation (and/or quiet quitting) still happening? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over four million workers have quit every month, creating an average employee turnover rate of ~47%, so the answer is yes. Some individuals are burnt out or looking for security or more money, but many just want to be valued and appreciated.
Have you heard the saying âpeople donât leave jobs; they leave bad bossesâ? You donât want to be that âbadâ boss taking your team for granted. Instead, be authentic and genuinely care about each of your team members.
Youâve empowered the team to change the world, and now they are working together and meeting the companyâs plans and goals. Alfred North Whitehead said, âNo one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledges this help with gratitude.â
There are many ways to show your gratitude and appreciation and to make the team feel valued and special. Note: Itâs important to remember that everyone is different so tailor and customize to the individualâs preferences. For example, some wonât like public recognition so do something more private.
Below are some scenarios to consider:
The key is to be genuinely sincere. One of the easiest forms of appreciation is to simply say thank you. How often do you say thank you to each team member? Daily? Or when is the last time you handwrote a thank-you note? Yes, handwritten because for me handwritten = personal.
Remember how special you felt when your boss gave you a handwritten thank-you noteâlike a true Hallmark moment? These types of simple yet sincere gestures can go a very long way.
For more information about appreciating your team, follow me on LinkedIn!