resume

Your paper resume should be consistent with your LinkedIn Profile

December 4, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Joe called the other day for help preparing for an interview. He sent me his resume and I looked him up in LinkedIn. Was this two different people? Joe’s resume was nothing like his LinkedIn profile.

Which was the correct reflection of Joe’s experiences?

Resumes are not the same today as they were even as recently as 10 years ago. Resumes are almost a marketing piece, something you leave behind at an interview. But it is still important that this tool reflect your brand.

Your brand is the full picture of who you are. Everywhere people look they should see the same consistent brand describing you – your business cards, your resume, your LinkedIn profile. Otherwise you miss opportunities and risk leaving the wrong impression.

Remember the many ways LinkedIn is used – to get noticed, to network, and to learn. Do not delude yourself. LinkedIn is the first place employers look when they get a resume or when they meet someone while networking. When they run back to their computers or pull out their smart phones and look you up on LinkedIn what will they see?

Your LinkedIn profile is your career home base. If it doesn’t reflect who you are then you are missing opportunities to get noticed, network, and learn. This is true whether you are looking for a job or not.

The LinkedIn algorithm sends you useful information but only if it understands what you value. If your LinkedIn profile does not reflect who you really are then you could be getting all sorts of goofy information from LinkedIn.

People connect with you to share what you know. Or rather they attempt to connect with the person they see on LinkedIn. If that profile does not describe who you are and what you bring to the table then you could be missing people or getting odd requests to connect that do not make sense.

You learn by interacting with people who share your interests. If your profile does not reflect your interests and experiences then you will not connect or interact with people who can enhance your life

There are lots of reasons to have a LinkedIn profile that is consistent with your experiences. Take a few moments to create a consistent brand!

Don’t Fill A Resume, Create It!

August 7, 2015 By Katherine Burik

Seth Godin, noted marketing expert, has a fascinating blog, Create a vacuum, don’t fill it.

Seth points out that it is “tempting to sell with bullet points and an overwhelming amount of data.” But it is not the data that sells. It is the story that sells.

Finding a job is about telling your story in a compelling fashion that makes your story compelling.

I have a number of clients right now in the midst of their job search. In their struggles they reached out to me. A look at their resume showed lots of bullets describing what they did in their last jobs. The titles match the jobs they seek, sort of. But the resume and their LinkedIn pages are bland, lifeless.

Nothing about the paper matches the fascinating individuals I spoke to. Nothing about their personality or stories leaps out to even intrigue potential employers. And they are stuck. I believe selling themselves “with bullet points and an overwhelming amount of data” is related to their stuck job searches.

I find a correlation to running my own business. We had a website with lots of information, tons of bullets to prove how smart, experienced, and energetic we are. But none of that matters unless I connect with someone. Until I connect with someone I am just one in a million other folks with websites and bullet points.

I am nothing without sharing my story. My story is more than a website, more than a bunch of bullets. My stories demonstrate what I can do for you.

We added a marketing expert recently who showed us how to make our case more compelling. We changed our website to highlight the stories. We helped hundreds and hundreds of people over the last eight years. Now the website shares our stories. Now people begin to take notice. The reaction has been immediate. Go figure.

Job search is marketing. In the same way that bullets and information on my website did not show me off at my best advantage, my clients will only attract attention when they share their stories. The stories are compelling. The stories make the difference.

How are you describing yourself? Bland bullet points of information? Or does your resume and LinkedIn profile tell the story of how you solve problems or fill a vacuum. What story are you trying to tell?

Do you need help improving your Resume? Ready to up-level your resume?

If so, check out our Resume-In-A-Box tool. This easy to follow, do it yourself, resume upgrade tool will help you improve your resume.

Why does everyone have a different opinion about resumes?

June 2, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Why does everyone have a different opinion about resumes? It is kind of funny. People viewing resumes have a visceral reaction when they pick up a resume.

how to write job resume — Tom Mosser – “A Golden Retriever at the Museum” www.tommosser.com

I could create a resume that looks beautiful to me. Perfect even. But the next expert looking at that same resume would be compelled to pick up a red pencil.

What looks good to some people doesn’t look good to others. Even hiring decision makers have their own pet peeves. What is a job seeker to do?

Ask yourself two questions:

Does your resume look good to you?
Does your resume convey the information and impressions about you that you want to convey to the view?

If you answer yes to both questions, then move on to the main portion of your job search.

A resume is a tool. You can get a job without a resume or with a resume that some expert thinks could be improved.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ~ Margaret Wolfe Hungerford

If your resume is not pleasing to you, then change it. Solicit opinions from people who have hiring experience. They are likely to know what hiring professionals are looking for.

But does it really matter? As long as the resume is easy to read, contains the information you want to convey about your background and fit for the job you want, and is readable, don’t worry. The resume is useful as a handout – it conveys information. A perfect resume is not the end goal. Your real goal is a job and that takes networking, research and the ability to talk to people.

With that said, we love to give our opinion about resumes and make the changes that help your resume stand out because it says what you want it to say. Just let us know.

Using QR Codes In Your Job Search

June 26, 2012 By Katherine Burik

Every aspect of your job search should be strategic. You can use QR codes strategically to consolidate all information about yourself into one digital place. You can insert your QR code on your resume, on your business card, in your signature on Email, on your LinkedIn profile, and Facebook page. People scanning the QR code will have access to the information you want them to see, such as

Contact information
Top Google citations, all in one place, verified so you can be sure the citations reflect you positively. In this way you control to a certain extent what the viewer sees and learns about you.
Links to your website and other Internet locations that display or reference your work product
LinkedIn profile, particularly a way to offer the viewer insight into the contacts you have in common

What are the advantages for you as a job seeker?

Your personal QR code can make you look like a technical wizard, whether you actually are technically oriented or not. You will look like you understand the latest technology, whether you do or not.
You can control what the viewer sees about you to make sure you show yourself in the best possible light.
Your personal information is consolidated in one place.

What does QR information look like?

Perhaps you are curious about what someone sees when they click on your QR code. We recommend getting your QR code through a service that is designed for job seekers. This is a screen print of what shows on a mobile phone when you scan my QR code.

The QR code puts your contact information into the hands of people who want to connect with you, enhancing networking possibilities which increases the chances to find the job you love.

Your personal QR code notifies you when someone is looking at your profile, giving you feedback about which companies and individuals are interested in you. Then you can follow up. You can see which elements of your job search strategy are most effective.

If you want a QR code of your own, Contact Katherine Burik or Dan Toussant at The Interview Doctor, Inc. to get started! In the meantime, check out our QR codes!

Dan Toussant

Katherine Burik

Check out our white paper on QR Codes:

https://interviewdoctor.com/?p=2668

How Can I Make My Resume Stronger?

August 28, 2011 By Marta Goertzen

Want to know a great little trick to differentiate your resume?

Provide a thumbnail sketch of each past employer.

That’s it. That will give your resume an edge. Go back right now to your resume, and write a brief summary of each past employer. Include:

1. Industry,
2. Types of products made or services provided,
3. Revenue or sales volume, or
4. Number of employees, and
5. What makes this company notable.