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LinkedIn Tips: Are You Building Your Executive Personal Brand with LinkedIn Comments? Great 2 Min Read!

March 14, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Your executive LinkedIn profile brings you more benefits than simply the ability to connect with other professionals. When you incorporate LinkedIn comments into your job search strategy, you can give your online presence a boost, naturally grow your network, demonstrate your expertise and always be at the top of the mind of other professionals. Of course, the type of comments you leave makes a difference as well, so never post anything negative about anyone.

Here are some effective ways LinkedIn comments can help with your c-level personal branding efforts:

Comment On Original Articles

Part of your LinkedIn profile development may be to publish original articles periodically. It’s a good strategy to implement and you’ll notice others have a similar strategy. One way to earn even more credibility is by commenting on those articles by your peers. You should only write a few short sentences about the article, stating what you liked most, what you agreed with, what you found or anything else you deem to be appropriate. The author will appreciate the time you took to comment on it and will likely return the favor at some point.

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Be Active in Group Discussions

LinkedIn groups are also a great place to build your c-level personal branding. People who actively comment in groups can demonstrate their brand and what they represent as a person and a professional. The biggest challenge with LinkedIn groups is finding the ones relevant to you and your job search and knowing who to communicate with. You never know whom you may encounter in these groups, but active communication can open up many doors.

Always Look Out For Updates From Connections

When your connections post significant updates, don’t hesitate to comment and congratulate them on an achievement or start a discussion with them. Also, be sure to post updates on your executive LinkedIn profile as well so people have the opportunity to comment on your updates. You don’t want to go overboard with your updates at any given time, but it is valuable to post an update once a week or so. When your connections see you comment on their updates, your c-level personal branding efforts will get a boost since they believe you have a genuine interest in what’s going on in their professional life.

Something as simple as commenting on someone’s original article can go a long way in boosting your c-level personal branding efforts and can promote great discussions. Being active on LinkedIn can tap you into the hidden job market in many different ways, so schedule time every week to make sure you are staying current and active on this all important branding platform.

FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog | March 14, 2020

Starting New Job: The Top 10 Mistakes Made by New Hires.

March 11, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We know that starting a new job can be a bit overwhelming and mistakes can be made, especially in the first month when new hires are still getting the lay of the land. And whether or not it’s fair, judgments are made about new employees—often very quickly.

So, if you’re new to your role or you know someone who is, here is an onboarding checklist of 10 mistakes to avoid.

Not showing up early enough

Arriving late for work sends an immediate negative message and a warning sign to your manager and coworkers, but showing up right on time can often mean cutting it close to being late. A best practice: why not show up early for your first couple of months, which will broadcast that you are reliable, eager to be there, and you’re are a team player? Showing up early also affords the opportunity to get to know your new coworkers more quickly, both on a personal and professional level.

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Isolating yourself

As the “new employee on the block,” you might be struggling to adjust, but it is important to resist the urge to keep to yourself. It’s very important to proactively get involved as much as possible at the beginning of a new job. Make it a point to have lunch with your new coworkers, regularly switching it up to meet and get to know new people. Be friendly and helpful and let them see the real “you.” By doing so, you will both accelerate your learning curve and get to know your new coworkers. Special and meaningful relationships will result.

Being afraid to ask questions

Let’s admit it: no one knows everything. Especially not new employees. Thus, there is absolutely no reason for you to start a new role and feel like you need to immediately prove that you were the right person chosen for the job; you did that during the interview process. It’s much better to dive in and ask questions. Seek the advice, answers, and opinions of those who are more experienced. This is how you learn. One of the smartest people in history, Albert Einstein, once said: “The day you stop learning is the day you start dying.” Nothing could be truer.

Being negative or engaging in gossip

Bringing positivity to the workplace is an awesome way to assimilate into a new work environment. Make an active effort to avoid negativity and the archetypical malaise and gossip around the water cooler. The last thing you want to be labeled as is as one of those actively disengaged employees.

Failing to ask your boss how to best communicate with him/her

All bosses are different in how they prefer interaction with their employees. So why not ask them upfront? Do they prefer email, voicemail, instant messaging, a weekly meeting, or the always healthy in-person drop by? Do not assume your new boss communicates like the other managers you had before. Ask.

Taking on too much work

There is an enormous gulf between trying to impress your new coworkers and burning yourself out with work volume. Relax. Rome was not built in a day. It’s much better to focus on work quality than quantity. After all, the number one reason people quit their jobs is stress/burnout. Your company wants an employee for the long term!

Ignoring corporate culture

This is a big and very common error that can negatively affect the impression you make on your new colleagues. Rather than fall victim to culture blindness, actively seek to discover the following aspects of your new workplace culture:

What are the organization’s beliefs, values, goals, and strategic mission?
How do things get approved?
How do people dress?
What are the office politics? (Often difficult to identify without the help of a trusted coworker or boss).
What are the unwritten “policies” that you would not find in the employee handbook?
What are the organization’s policies vis-à-vis social media and the internet?
How about the policies and expectations regarding personal cell phone use?
What are the organization’s policies on being able to work remotely, as well as having flexible work hours?
What are the absolute “No-Nos” of the culture or the acts and behaviors that are highly discouraged?
What are the most common roadblocks to getting things done, as well as the corresponding workarounds?

Discovering the answers to these kinds of topics will hyper-speed your assimilation to a new work environment, delivering you to profound success.

Not writing things down

When onboarding new employees, companies shower them with a waterfall of information, from new names and faces to tasks, assignments, technology, and even your boss’ preferences. It’s hard to remember everything, but having to be told the same things multiple times will make new hires look bad.

Numerous studies have shown that writing things down creates better retention of information, so it’s smart to take notes on everything during your first few weeks. For complex instructions, it’s always good to have notes you can refer back to later anyway. Writing things down also demonstrates an extra effort to your new coworkers and boss that you are engaged and care about doing a good job.

Talking too much about your last job

You definitely do not want to be the person who is referencing their old job repeatedly. Simply put, the re-hashing of your old job to your new coworkers becomes stale pretty quickly. People might also interpret your remembrances as longing to have your old job back, which is obviously not the message you want to send.

Failing to take initiative

There are always ways to go above and beyond what is expected. If you aren’t showing that initiative from the very beginning, it’s a missed opportunity to make a positive impression on your new boss and coworkers.

Start before you start. For example, prior to your first formal day, proactively ask your manager for recommendations on how you can prepare for your first day. Ask for reading materials about the company, its products and services, and employee communications such that you can prepare to onboard (e.g., notes from town hall meetings, employee newsletters, annual reports, a new hire checklist, etc.).

Once you start the new job, be quick to offer help to others. If meetings are optional, such as town halls or brown-bag lunch and learn, make it a point to attend. Seizing learning and development opportunities is an awesome way to establish yourself as a go-getter and accelerate your career and personal growth.

Onboarding new employees are hard for companies, but it’s even harder for new hires! Whether you’re about to start a new job or you have no plans on leaving your company, bookmark this onboarding checklist so you have it just in case! Being aware of potential pitfalls makes it much easier to avoid them.

FSC Career Blog Author: Kevin Sheridan is an internationally-recognized Keynote Speaker, a New York Times Best Selling Author, and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of Employee Engagement. For six years running, he has been honored on Inc. Magazine’s top 100 Leadership Speakers in the world, as well as Inc.’s top 100 experts on Employee Engagement. He was also honored to be named to The Employee Engagement Award’s Top 101 Global Influencers on Employee Engagement of 2017 & 2018.

Having spent thirty years as a high-level Human Capital Management consultant, Kevin has helped some of the world’s largest corporations rebuild a culture that fosters productive engagement, earning him several distinctive awards and honors. Kevin’s premier creation, PEER^®, has been consistently recognized as a long-overdue, industry-changing innovation in the field of Employee Engagement. His first book, Building A Magnetic Culture, made six of the bestseller lists including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is also the author of The Virtual Manager, which explores how to most effectively manage remote workers.

Kevin received a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School in 1988, concentrating his degree in Strategy, Human Resources Management, and Organizational Behavior. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded and sold three different companies.

Links:

www.kevinsheridanllc.com

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Email: kevin@kevinsheridanllc.com

FSC Career Blog | March 11, 2020

How Old is Your Executive Resume? Simply Updating will Not Do.

March 10, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

If it’s been a while since you looked for a new job, you likely haven’t updated your resume during that time. Depending on how long it has been, simply making updates to it won’t be sufficient. When writing an effective resume today, you have to take into consideration how it looks digitally as well as on paper.

And a lot of the resume writing strategies that applied a decade ago should be avoided now. Recruiters and hiring managers will be able to easily tell if your resume is dated, so here’s how you can rework yours to catch it up with modern times.

Old Resumes Need To Be Reworked Completely

Any professional resume writing service will suggest rewriting your resume completely if it’s close to a decade old. Sometimes it’s best to start with a blank document so you won’t be tempted to operate under the same framework as your old resume. But when you’ve only written a couple of versions of your resume, and none of them have been recent, how do you know where to start? An executive resume writer is a good resource since they are up-to-date on what should and shouldn’t be included.

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Resume Writing Strategies To Consider

Old resumes didn’t typically highlight a job applicant’s personal brand. Today, personal branding is essential to include on resumes, since it’s what sets you apart from the rest. It can be difficult to do this if you’ve never done it before, so there’s no harm in working with an executive resume writer for assistance.

Keywords, formatting, hyperlinks and more should also be modernized in your resume. With more employers using applicant tracking systems to help them filter through resumes, it’s essential to include proper keywords and phrases to ensure your resume gets recognized. Targeting is also highly recommended when writing an effective resume. Employers can spot a general resume quickly, so do your research and demonstrate your knowledge about the company and their needs in yours.

Outdated Details Should Be Removed

Details like where you live, professional references, outdated expertise, an objective statement or other personal information don’t belong on resumes anymore. Of course, if a specific employer asks for this information, then you should have it handy and ready to provide it to them. Nothing demonstrates an outdated resume more than including these types of details, which most employers aren’t interested in.

Keeping up with the times is difficult today in the fast-paced world we live in. It’s especially difficult to do so if you have held the same job for many years and need to put together a resume quickly. Take time to consider whether your resume may be out-of-date before you start your job search process.

FSC Career Blog | March 10, 2020

How Social Capital Can Benefit Your Executive Job Search.

March 8, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Developing and maintaining relationships is critical in the professional world. We’ve all heard about the importance of networking when it comes to a job search, which also ties into social capital and c-level personal branding. When you help enough people get what they need, the favor will eventually be returned to you when you least expect it.

People in your network may be able to offer a tremendous amount of value to you in different ways, so there’s no harm in asking for a favor if it’s done so appropriately. Just be sure you’ve built up enough social capital before doing so.

How to Start Building Social Capital
You can’t have social capital if you don’t have a trusted network of professionals. Start by focusing on your LinkedIn profile development and building your list of connections. Reach out to former colleagues and classmates to see what they are up to. But you don’t even have to stop there. Talk to people every chance you get, whether it’s your neighbors, people you encounter at different events you attend and more. As you start growing your list of connections, you’ll be taking steps in the right direction to build your social capital.

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People Value Connections and Relationships
One thing about networking and c-level personal branding to always remember is people value relationships. So you shouldn’t simply ask a connection for help finding a job. They will be more likely to help you if they’ve developed a good professional relationship with you over a period of time. You can do this by reaching out periodically via your LinkedIn executive profile, talking to them over the phone or even meeting with them in person occasionally. Staying in touch even when you don’t need to ask a favor is valuable and will strengthen your social capital.

You Never Know Who Can Help You Reach Your Goals
Being genuine in your c-level personal branding efforts can pay dividends in the long run. You never know when someone you cross paths with can benefit your job search efforts, so treating everyone with the same amount of respect is important. The more you give, the more you will receive in return. Small daily actions to continue developing your social capital may lead you to opportunities you never thought were available otherwise.

Job searches today involve many different elements, so you want to ensure all bases are covered. Social capital is very valuable for executives. Make sure to remember at the end of the day it is all about relationships.

FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog | March 8, 2020

Get Beyond the Pile: Three Ways Your Cover Letter is Hurting Your Chance for a New Job.

March 4, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For many people, sending a resume is one thing. Then, when you read the job posting and it asks for a cover letter, you just kind of put one together and hope for the best.

Rather than doing this, it’s better to take some time on this document. Putting time in on the front-end will save you time and effort for each future job opportunity. However, even though you think you have a top-notch cover letter, here are three cover letter mistakes that I consistently see from clients that really hurt their chances of landing that job interview.

Your cover letter format is different than your resume format. The fonts are different, headings don’t match, and the consistency just isn’t there. When the formats don’t align, it looks like you are not consistent with anything. This is your first impression and shows that you don’t have attention to details. Instead, copy and paste your heading from the resume to the cover letter file and ensure fonts, colors (if used), and formatting is the same. This shows cohesion, organization, and alignment with your documents.

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(Want more tips? Download our TOP 5 Resume Tips to GET THE INTERVIEW in Today’s Competitive Job Market. Click HERE to access the free download NOW!)

You addressed the cover letter “To Whom It May Concern.” I like to think of this as the ultimate deal-breaker. If you can’t take the time to find out the appropriate contact person or even just say, “Dear Human Resources Manager,” then you are not worth calling in for an interview. That may sound harsh, but hiring managers need to find an easy way to weed people out and this is one of the easiest. To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir or Madam are old-fashioned and tired phrases that shouldn’t be used in today’s job market.

Every paragraph starts with the word “I.” After you write your cover letter, quickly scan the left margin and count the number of times you used the word “I.” If it’s more than twice, then you need to rewrite some of the verbiages. Remember—it’s all about the employer—not you. By starting with the word “I,” you are making it about yourself. Use the you-attitude and think of what you can do for the company and how your skills will help them. Mention things like “your company,” “your needs,” “your unique vision,” etc.

Remember that the cover letter is one of the first items that an HR Leader(recruiter) reads. Make a great first impression so they are interested enough to keep reading and find out more about your skill-set and how you can successfully impact the organization.

FSC Guest Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, an MBA from Lakeland College, and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University. She LOVES helping people position themselves for today’s job market. She can help boost your confidence by creating a resume that helps you land your DREAM JOB. Visit her website @ https://www.feather-communications.com

FSC Career Blog | March 4, 2020 | FSC Guest Author, by Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, Freelance Writer

What Should I Be Adding To My LinkedIn Profile?

March 3, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

This is a common question I hear, “I don’t know if this or that should be on there” or “I wasn’t sure so I just downloaded/copy/pasted my whole resume to my profile.”

While you want to establish the information you add is relevant to your brand and impactful, you don’t want it to be a duplicate of your resume. They are meant to complement one another. You want your reader to see a little more of a human side to you as well. Think of the LinkedIn profile as the friendly, humanized version of your resume.

Here are some things to think about when building and adding to your profile:

☑Fill out all the sections. Don’t leave anything blank. Fill in the volunteer, certifications, languages, projects, honors, awards. You can add PowerPoints, photos, samples of your work (I have these on my profile) coursework, and things you have done in your career.

☑Add a profile photo AND a background cover photo (get rid of that blue LI background!). This makes it uniquely you. I love seeing customized background cover photos on LI profiles. They definitely add personality and/or help brand the client by having a photo of the company, service or product they represent.

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☑ Write a headliner that sizzles. Instead of “Account Executive”, write “Account Executive specializing in the development of groundbreaking sales and service strategies internationally”. Add a little zing to it. Get your reader interested. Some even call the headliner “prime real estate” meaning it’s a great place to add keywords and branding that help direct LinkedIn’s algorithms to your profile. Get as clear and focused as you can. Add buzzwords if you know what they are. Not sure? Find jobs that interest you and notice the same words listed over and over? Add them. Don’t neglect this section.

☑ Create an About section that speaks to the reader. That section used to be more formal and many people wrote theirs like a biography–3rd person, boring, etc. These days, it’s all about the conversation. Get them interested in what you have to say. Write in the first person. It’s OK to be a little more human here. People expect it—and love it.

The About section should be engaging, interesting, and conversational. Think of it as if you are speaking to someone at a networking event. How would you speak? What would you say? You’d keep it professional but interesting, right? You want to tell a story about why you do this type of work and what makes it interesting. Be enthusiastic.

☑ Add Content! Make sure to add descriptions of what you do at your job. Add your daily responsibilities as well as your accomplishments. This is where I see clients fall short. They add their company and job title but nothing else. LinkedIn rewards content. While you don’t want to copy and paste chunks from your resume, you also don’t want to leave critical information out. Rewrite those areas but make sure to add content to your roles.

What were you most proud of accomplishing? What projects have you worked on that added value? What is interesting about where you work?You can also add numbers and percentages. If you are hesitant about sharing exact figures, you can say, “increased revenue 87% in two years”. Adding numbers adds to your credibility and gives the reader a glimpse of what you have done.

☑ Get a recommendation. A recommendation or two on your profile livens it up and gives you more credibility. What good do thousands of connections do for you if you don’t have one recommendation? It might feel awkward, but once you’ve asked it’s done and guess what? You’ll most likely get that recommendation!

☑ Create an endorsements section. Complete the skills and endorsements section and pin the top 3 that related to your job hunt. Again, these are key with algorithms and recruiter searches as well.

When all of this is done, remember the key to a strong LinkedIn profile is engagement. The more you use LinkedIn, the more it rewards you by showing your profile in recruiter searches. Reach out, plan on getting on LinkedIn 10-15 minutes every other day and watch it go to work for you.

FSC Career Blog Guest Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog | March 3, 2020

Don’t Make These Resume Mistakes. Great Two(2) Min Read!

February 27, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether I am working with a CEO, a customer service manager, or a teacher, I consistently see the same resume mistakes over-and-over again. Remember—if you haven’t written a resume in five or more years, things have changed!

Please see the list below for the most common resume mistakes and how to avoid them.

Tip #1 – Don’t include personal details. Believe it or not, people sometimes include photos, marital status, and personal hobbies. Photos and personal details allow individuals to pre-judge you BEFORE you even get to the interview. Stay with professional information and documentation.

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Tip #2 – Don’t include SO MUCH information. I understand that your work history is important and it’s difficult to know where to ‘draw the line’ with what is and what isn’t included. However, including everything makes NOTHING stand-out. Focus on what that particular employer needs to know about you. Keep the information concise and on-target for your desired positions.

Tip #3 – Beware of strange formatting. Don’t decide to utilize three different fonts, some clip art, and various colors. It’s very important to be consistent with your formatting and to give your resume a clean, cohesive, and consistent appearance. Remember – a recruiter or hiring manager is most likely only reviewing the document for about 5-7 seconds…you do NOT want that person to be distracted by formatting.

Tip #4 – Ensure space is utilized. Your resume contains prime real estate and we want that real estate to work for us. Put a header at the top of your resume instead of the word “Summary.” Mention your past positions or future desired positions by stating something like, “Executive-Level Administrative Assistant” or “Entry-Level Accounting Professional.” And, don’t include things like hobbies and volunteerism if you have more pertinent and relevant information that is DIRECTLY related to your future roles.

The tips listed here are just the start of things to consider when crafting your updated resume. If you are still unsure of how to include certain information or what sections you need to use on your resume, I’d love to chat – click HERE now!

FSC Career Blog Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, based in Colfax, Wisconsin, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop eye-catching and dynamic resumes for today’s marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resumes for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management.

FSC Career Blog| February 27, 2020

#ResumeWriting – How to Not Appear OLD on Your Resume

February 26, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Now that you have decided to rework your resume and start applying for new positions, it’s important to set-up your resume correctly so that you don’t appear old and out-of-date in today’s job market. And, yes, I agree that age shouldn’t be a factor and experience count for a lot. However, we all know that age discrimination can and does happen in today’s world.

Whether you are 40-years-old or 65-years old, there are some ways to list dates on your document so that you don’t hinder your job search with your age.

Tip #1 – Only go back 10-15 years with your job history. Frankly, anything prior to that is most likely not relevant and if you start detailing your work history all the way back to 1982, people will start to calculate your age. The most recent work history tends to be the most relevant to your future roles.

Tip #2 – List only the month and the year or the years only in your work experiences. You don’t have to list exact dates. And, more importantly, if you have changed jobs extremely frequently in the past few years, you can also choose to just list the years only. It’s a way to be concise and also allows you to eliminate the look of a ‘job-hopper.’

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Tip #3 – Don’t put dates on education. Whether you graduated last year or three years ago, it doesn’t matter. And, if you start to list that you graduated in 1990, you begin to date yourself and your experiences. The ONLY time that I put the dates with education is when someone hasn’t graduated yet and has an anticipated graduation date.

Tip #4 – Don’t list old technical skills. If you decide to include a technical section on your document, choose only those programs that are aligned with today’s workplace. Don’t mention that you are proficient in AOL (yes, that does happen) or Lotus Notes. Instead, focus on the programs that are used at the target company and software that is utilized NOW.

Tip #5 – Include volunteerism and community engagement from TODAY. That’s great that you were the football team captain and participated in 4-H during the 1990s. If you don’t have any community engagement since that time, then eliminate that section. And, again, things from 20 years ago are most likely no longer relevant to your job search.

FSC Career Blog Author BIO: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, based in Colfax, Wisconsin, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop eye-catching and dynamic resumes for today’s marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resume for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management.

FSC Career Blog Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish- Owner, Feather Communications

Author of Getting Back in the Game: How to Build Your Resume After Taking a Break

NEW Free Download: Cover Letter Tips Checklist That Gets INTERVIEWS! Click HERE!

Free Resume Download: TOP 5 Resume Tips to GET THE INTERVIEW in Today’s Competitive Job Market. Click HERE!

Website Link: https://www.feather-communications.com/

FSC Career Blog | February 26, 2020

#BestofFSCBlog : How Often Should I Be Posting (job boards) Resumes for My Job Search?

February 19, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When searching for a new career position, the job seeker has two options – as an active search or passive candidate. A passive candidate will update their resume, ensure their LinkedIn profile is robust and complete, and post their resume online to the big resume databases (e.g., Monster, Indeed), but then sit back and wait for folks to find them.

An active candidate will update their resume constantly (especially if still employed) and consistently post to open positions. They will also upload resumes into company resume databases, regardless of whether the business has an open requisition that matches their skills. The purpose of loading resumes into company databases is to help recruiters ‘harvest’ skills of qualified candidates from their ‘resume farm’ when that new job requisition is posted.

An active job seeker should be seriously networking with friends, peers, co-workers, clients, and industry group members. Statistics seem to support networking will result in hires for about 65% of the time. It’s also productive to be a part of a trade group or industry organization. For instance, MeetUp.com has trade groups from computer geeks and coding programmers to quilters and writers and website designers and marketers. Members in these network groups join to learn something new or interact with like-minded folks. Recruiters may pop in to scope potentially qualified candidates for future positions. The human resources organization, SHRM, has job opening posted on their website, as well as monthly meetings for continuing education credits, where sometimes as many as a few hundred HR-related members will show up, including recruiters.

Sales reps should track top clients’ point of contact – not just to respond to work-related communications, but to develop friendships beyond work. If the job seeker is an amazing salesperson or customer service rep, that customer will remember you and maybe a great source for industry job openings – as well as being able to provide work referrals.

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One overlooked source is state employment agencies. The Virginia Employment Commission is an example. Job seekers can visit the website, create a profile, upload a resume, and post to positions online or wait until an employer reaches out. Some companies post open jobs to this resource to save recruiting costs (its free to Virginia-based companies). Other companies use this option to ensure Affirmative Action Plan goals by postings jobs to reach the minority, disabled, and veteran job seekers.

There is nothing wrong with driving around a geographic area and looking at businesses located within the desired commute. Alternatively, use Google maps to search. For instance, a Computer Scientist with a desired commute of no more than an hour from Gloucester uses the search term ‘Software Development.’ They may find a few software or IT companies in Gloucester, as well as a dozen potential employers in Richmond, Williamsburg, and Newport News.

So, the answer to the question, “how often should I be posting my resume into databases?” is varied. If you are unemployed, and a serious job seeker, then your full-time job is ‘looking for work.’ You should be posting resumes to job announcements and uploading the resume into company resume databases (ATS) for between 10-20 resume uploads and applications daily. Your goal is to get your resume into as many company databases as physically possible to increase the potential for ‘being seen’ by recruiters.

If you are a passive job seeker, then post your resume to the big databases once and ensure your LinkedIn Profile is ‘open for inquiries from recruiters.’ Both active and passive job seekers should revisit resume databases every 30 days to update (just add a line or space) by reloading the ‘updated’ resume to ‘trick’ the system into thinking it’s an entirely new resume. (Most job board or resumes systems push resumes down in the results queue as they age.)

How long should a job seeker expect to search for a position? If you have a well-written resume and are posting to the perfectly matched job descriptions and getting phone calls from employers for interviews (and you interview well), there is a loose standard for time expectations.

Before the 2009 market crash, during the economic boom, the expectations were an average of one month of job searching for every $10K in salary expectations over $40K annually. The present economic environment is similar, so if the job seeker is looking for a minimum of $60K annually, then about two months would be the average search. To reduce that time factor, it’s vital to post hard, post fast, and apply for the maximum daily time allowance daily. It usually takes about a week for valid job inquiries to come back from most recruiters who are actively searching for keywords and phrases in the resume.

FSC Guest Author: Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, and editing/publishing/print-on-demand consulting in the Hampton Roads and Richmond metropolitan areas. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

FSC LinkedIn Network | February 19, 2020

Number of words, including title and POC info: ~829

SEO Key Words for web post:

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Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner 20+ years, with her own consulting firm (CEO) in Hampton Roads and Richmond, VA. Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry. She is the author of 822+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender study, genealogy and family lineages, quotes for motivation and self-improvement, and Adult Coloring Books. Her books can be found on Amazon.com under Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.

#Leadership : 10 Must-Follow Company-Onboarding Techniques.

February 6, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Effective employee onboarding is about more than making them feel welcome. It can help employees feel like highly productive and valuable contributors to your mission and success from the start. Plus, when employees have a successful onboarding experience, they’re more likely to feel like members of your team, and this can contribute to employee retention.

Some of the best onboarding processes are unique, creative and a little bit unexpected. If it’s time to change up your onboarding program, you might find the inspiration you need from these 10 effective techniques.

1. Get coffee

During a new hire’s first few weeks with your company, have them get coffee individually with all of their future team members. This works especially well with small businesses, where relationships are crucial. Enjoying coffee outside of the office setting helps to take some pressure off, letting a new employee communicate freely and get to know your staff in a low-pressure setting.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Send them on a scavenger hunt

Give new hires a list of tasks, like finding an employee who’s been with the company for over a decade or who likes to cook. This can make for a fun icebreaker activity. If you have multiple new hires, you can make this into a competition.

3. Schedule team meetings

Any new hire’s first day will most likely include meetings with human resources, orientation sessions and new-hire paperwork. But you should sit them down with different teams so that each member can introduce themselves and explain how they contribute. This is a valuable strategy in companies with many different teams that work together. New employees can simultaneously put faces to names and gain an understanding of how each group works internally, as well as how the company functions as a whole.

4. Take them to lunch

Have a new employee’s manager or team take them out to lunch during their first week. This can make for a valuable team-building experience, since you’re likely to see more of an employee’s personality and learn about their interests when they’re not physically in the office.

5. Schedule a happy hour

Create a more casual setting with a happy hour during an employee’s first week of work. Invite the whole team to the fun get-together.

6. Give them a meaningful gift

Give new employees something that ties them to the company, ideally some sort of gear or clothing that features your branding. If there’s a certain laptop bag or travel mug that all employees use, make sure the new hire gets it. You can even buy printed stickers and give them to new team members. These company-branded gifts can help bind an employee’s personal brand to the business, establishing a valuable connection.

7. Schedule a one-on-one meeting

During the first week, budget time for a new employee to meet with the CEO for a check-in. This will make the them feel valued right away, which can further help build their emotional ties to your organization.

8. Set them up right

It might sound simple, but take the time to ensure that employees are set up with all of the right software, a functional email account, login accounts and passwords and Slack channels. Ideally, do this before they arrive for their first day. If new employees lack these important tools, it can lead to frustration, delays and a slow start.

9. Help them set up their calendar

Navigating a new calendar isn’t always simple, so help with the setup to ensure that new employees have the tools they need to succeed. This is a great time to talk about meetings, conference calls, remote work, an employee handbook or any other helpful communication or information that new hires should have.

10. Give them some immediate goals

Don’t hold off too long before letting people get started in their new roles. Give new team members some immediate projects to work on and goals to meet. Even if these are smaller projects or part of a training program, employees will feel more useful and productive if they have work to do from day one. This also gives you a chance to learn about an employee’s work style and to give them some feedback and establish a working relationship from the beginning.

When you put some careful thought into your new employee onboarding process, you can transform it into a useful tool that helps you learn about who you’re hiring. Plus, your new hires can learn about your company and its teams. Workers can tell when their hiring process has been carefully planned. Remember, team members aren’t only focused on making a good impression. Many of the more savvy new employees will be looking to see if your company can make a good impression on them during the onboarding process, too.

Entrepreneur.com | February 5, 2020 | John Boitnott