Katherine Burik

Shine! At your next Job Search Video Interview

March 30, 2020 By Katherine Burik

Learn how to prepare for a video interview using Job Search Tips with the Interview Doctor.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video of video vignettes, she prepares for a video interview. See her mistakes and learn best practices. Listen, enjoy, prepare!

Get more Job Search Tips from the Interview Doctor and Interview with confidence. Get your free copy of “Top 30 Most FAQ at a Job Interview” and change how you interview by being prepared for those Job Interview Questions!

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE LinkedIn Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

How to differentiate yourself from others on LinkedIn

March 23, 2020 By Katherine Burik

Explore how your LinkedIn headline can clarify your brand and differentiate you from everyone else.

My goal with LinkedIn is to create a platform to appeal to my potential clients:

I want to be found by using the right keywords in appropriate volume.
I want viewers to understand quickly what I offer, differentiate myself from other coaches, and see a solution to their needs.
I want to engage with my connections so we can find ways to help each other.

Today I had a wonderful conversation with a new connection, Julia Cha, an executive coach specializing in mindset coaching with executives and entrepreneurs. Our practices are complementary. We do not overlap much, but we have similar interests. This conversation hit all three of my objectives at the same time!

Julia gave me some insight into how my profile is viewed. I appreciated the feedback from a fellow coach who knows a thing or two about marketing for entrepreneurs. She had some great suggestions on how to differentiate myself from other job search coaches. Since I believe the same techniques are useful for entrepreneurs and job seekers, I want to share what I learned.

Recently I’ve spoken to several LinkedIn connections who have had terrible, expensive experiences with resumes. I looked at several very expensive, but absolutely UGLY resumes, that cost a LOT of money. One person says she cries every time she looks at her resume.

I know I deliver better value and a better product, but how can I differentiate myself from the other resume writers who can’t do what I do?

Julia suggested that, perhaps what makes my resumes better for executives is that I have been an executive most of my life. I know how to talk to them and what they need because that is my background too. She suggested this differentiates me from other job search coaches who create resumes who never worked at that level.

What a great idea! Clearly, I did not see this myself. This is the kind of valuable insight that comes from talking to your connections!

Here are the changes I am making to my headline and About sections as a result of this insight:

My new Headline also uses keywords but helps the viewer understand immediately what makes me different: C-Level Director VP Exec Job Search Coach ~ Resumes, Job Search Marketing Plans, LinkedIn for Job Seekers, Interviews

Same 120 characters. Different perspective.

In another post I will describe how I add this emphasis to my About section and to the description for The Interview Doctor. I will monitor the number of views to see if these changes have an impact.

I want to thank Julia Cha for the fascinating conversation and the great idea! I can’t wait to see what happens!

What do you think of this change? Which headline resonates with you? Please share in my blog post, because we learn from each other!!

If you want more information about this topic, check out The Interview Doctor’s free job search training, How to Use LinkedIn to Get the Job You Want.

You can also purchase our digital product, How to setup your LinkedIn Profile.

Create a Consistent Job Search Brand

March 17, 2020 By Katherine Burik

Learn why it’s important to create a consistent job search brand.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video, she shares her tips on how and why you should ask questions during/after your job interview and gets you thinking about the type of culture you want to work in. Asking questions can give you insight into the company and are a reflection of who you are and what you bring to the table.

Get more Job Search Tips from the Interview Doctor and Network with confidence on LinkedIn! Get your free copy of the “How to Avoid the Top 5 Mistakes with Resumes” so that you can be sure your resume is the marketing tool that stands for you.

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE Job Search Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

Move Your Career Forward while Staying Safe

March 16, 2020 By Katherine Burik

Learn various ways to move your career forward while staying safe during the Coronavirus.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video, she shares her tips on things to do to move your career forward and keeping active and involved, while staying safe during the Coronavirus.

Visit our LinkedIn Group, Resume and Job Search Tips with the Interview Doctor, or email katherine@interviewdoc.com, if you’d like to chat.

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE Job Search Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

If you have not checked this out on LinkedIn lately, it is time…

March 9, 2020 By Katherine Burik

I’ve been using social media since the mid-2000s at least.

I can’t remember how I got started, but today I have accounts I use regularly on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.I cobbled together the basic minimum to get started years ago, then barreled ahead with content and conversations. I never really considered whether these social media accounts reflected my personal and professional brand in any sort of consistent fashion. Well, maybe I looked more seriously at my personal LinkedIn profile but that is about it.

It is time to take a step back and consider my brand and the persona I present in these social media platforms.

Our brands are reflected in the content we share, of course, but the social media platforms offer a place to lay out your brand in a purposeful fashion in the About sections. Each platform offers this place to describe yourself, although some have other names for this section. Each platform has different rules for the length. Are you taking advantage of this space?

I looked at six places: LinkedIn personal and company profiles, Facebook personal and company pages, Twitter and Instagram. I was all over the place. This lack of focus and consistency undermines the hard work we put in to establish my personal and professional brand at The Interview Doctor. We must fix this situation!

I started with the LinkedIn personal profile since this is where I spend most of my time. The first three lines of the About section are the most important. These lines will be visible on just about every platform: mobile, desktop, laptop and tablet.

This is the beginning of my profile About section:

Like Don Quixote, I tilt at the job search process so companies and candidates can make a better talent match. Connect with me at Katherine@InterviewDoc.com or 330-495-2337 to improve your odds. I can’t wait to hear your story!

On the plus side, my contact information is visible, along with a bit of personal energy. I am not sure I like the first line though. I thought I was being clever to reflect my personal frustration with the job search process in the opening lines with that reference to Don Quixote. I discovered that this is sort of an inside joke since many (most?) people have no idea what this reference means.

Wouldn’t it be better to open with keywords so people will really know what I do, rather than share my frustration through an obscure reference?

Here is what I came up with:

Your goal is finding a career that gives you a spring in your step. Our goal is helping you make that happen. Stop sending resumes to black holes disguised as job postings. Learn a better way to find that job you love! Connect with me at Katherine@InterviewDoc.com to improve your odds. I can’t wait to hear your story!

I retained the contact information and the personal energy. I replaced Don Quixote with a statement about what I do and how I can help. Plus, it is chocked full of my keywords like “career,” “job,” “resumes,” and “story.” I accomplish two things in one paragraph!

I used this philosophy and approach to update all the places in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where I have the opportunity to describe myself and my business. Now they are consistent across the board. Don Quixote is gone, which makes me a little sad, but I strengthened my brand and increased my keywords.

What do you think of these changes?

Have you looked at your About sections in a while to see how you represent yourself, your brand, and your offering? Maybe it’s time!

Learn more about using LinkedIn and other tools to find a job – check out The Interview Doctor’s free training, 5 Tips to Kick off a Successful Job Search or Career Transition.