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#JobSearch : How to Handle a Job Search During a Pandemic. Great Checklist!

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If you’ve lost your job due to COVID-19 or were in the middle of a job hunt when the coronavirus hit, don’t panic—and don’t give up job searching.

Even though it can be challenging, there are ways you can successfully look for work during a pandemic. Some industries are cutting back, but others are hiring.

Some organizations will need more workers than in the past, and they may need to get them onboard quickly.

Search Indeed for “urgently hiring” and your location to view immediate openings. That will give you a sense of what jobs are in demand in your location.

Below are some tips for job hunting during a pandemic.

Check Your Benefits

Before you start looking for work, be sure that you’re collecting any job loss benefits to which you’re entitled. Check with your human resources department or manager for details on what’s available.

You may be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you’ve lost your job because of COVID-19, expanded unemployment insurance may be available.

The federal government, state governments, and some employers are providing additional unemployment compensation for affected employees. Standard state unemployment benefits are already in place.

In most states, you can apply for benefits online. Check with your state unemployment office website for eligibility and benefit guidelines.

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

Article continued …

Get Ready to Job Search

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t had to look for work in a while, take some time to update your resume and LinkedIn. Be sure to tweak your resume for the job you want each time you apply.

Write a cover letter. Also, take the time to write a cover letter each time you apply for a job. It will help your application get noticed. Not writing one could hurt your chances of getting hired. CareerBuilder reports that 10% of surveyed employers said not including a cover letter was an instant deal-breaker.

Be Aware of the Job Market

Not every occupation and industry will be affected in the same way. The Washington Post reports that the first layoffs related to coronavirus hit the job market last week.3

Companies in travel, food services, hospitality, and event planning have been especially hard hit, as well as those headquartered in areas that experienced the first cases, such as Washington state. On the other hand, the healthcare field is hiring, as are grocery stores and cleaning services.

Workers shouldn’t assume that their industry isn’t hiring.

However, industries like online shopping and delivery have surged, and essential services like healthcare and warehousing are hiring rapidly to meet demand. Some jobs are booming, and employers are actively recruiting candidates for employment.

Amazon is hiring for 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in its fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the demand from people relying on its service.

Walmart is hiring 150,000 new associates to work in stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. These roles will be temporary, but may convert to permanent roles over time.

The company is also implementing a new process expedite hiring for key roles, such as cashiers and stockers. The typical two-week application cycle will be reduced to a 24-hour process.

Job Search Online

During a traditional job search, it can be important to job search and network in person as well as online. In the current climate, however, you’ll want to focus on searching and applying for jobs online on the top job sites, social media, and directly on company websites.

Find and keep track of new job postings quickly and simply by:

  • Taking the time to organize your job search. It will make the process smoother.
  • Setting up job alerts, so you are notified about new postings as soon as they are listed.
  • Using hashtags to expedite your job search.

Consider Work-from-Home Options

With the general uncertainty of a pandemic, you may find yourself in a situation where you absolutely can’t work outside the home. Perhaps you suddenly have young children at home because their schools have been closed indefinitely.

Or, maybe you yourself have underlying health issues that would make you highly susceptible to infection should you leave your house.

The good news is that, if you have an internet connection, you have the capability to search and land work-from-home jobs that will at least supplement your income (and, depending upon your professional skillset, you may even find a work-from-home job that is just as lucrative as your old job).

Check out these tips for finding work-at-home jobs that are hiring now.

Search Top Job Sites

Get started by typing keyword phrases such as “work at home,” “freelance,” or “telecommute” into one of the top job sites.

Search Remote and Gig Job Sites

Also check out websites that list gig jobs, and niche sites like FlexJobs that focus on remote positions. FlexJobs has a list of 20 full remotely companies that are hiring now, as well as a list of the top 100 companies with remote jobs.

Be Ready to Offer Solutions

This is a challenging time for employers as well as workers. If you can show the hiring manager that you’ve got what it takes to help the company succeed, you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

Think about the problems that companies are facing and explain how you’ll solve them. Whether you’re applying to clean public spaces or write code, the way to get hired is to show prospective employers that you have the skills they need. Decode the job listing and emphasize your most valuable qualifications in your cover letter, in the profile section of your resume, and in job interviews.

If you can do your job from home, you may have a better chance than ever of getting a hiring manager’s attention. Many businesses and professional services companies, especially in the tech space, are having their employees work from home.11 hat means a whole lot of eyeballs are on a whole lot of inboxes—and some of them belong to hiring managers. If you have experience telecommuting, this would be good to mention on your resume.

Be Prepared to Ace the Interview

Be sure that you’re prepared for video interviews. Practice interviewing via camera. If you’ve never interviewed via Skype or Zoom, there’s a bit of a learning curve.

Get acquainted with the technology and do a practice interview before you speak with the hiring manager. Pay close attention to the lighting and background as well as how your interview outfit shows up on camera.

Spend Time Networking

Remember that networking doesn’t require meeting in person. In the era of LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and other social networks, you don’t need to be able to shake someone’s hand to make a good impression.

Now is a particularly good time to practice one of the most important tenets of networking: if you want people to help you later, be willing to help them right now.

Write LinkedIn recommendations for former colleagues. Refer friends for open positions at your company. Offer to proofread your friend’s resume and cover letter. It will give you a sense of satisfaction, and it will help strengthen your network for the future.

Upgrade Your Skills

You may have extra time, and if you do, it’s an opportunity to upgrade your skills. There are many opportunities to work on your skillset online, including LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and many other sites where you can learn new skills.

Be Patient and Kind

The coronavirus has impacted many facets of everyday life in addition to the workplace. If you’re not hearing back on jobs as quickly as you’d like, be patient and kind to hiring managers and your networking connections. Everyone has issues to deal with and is doing the best they can during a difficult time.

The hiring process may be longer and different from what you’re used to, but you’ll get there. When you do, take the time to thank everyone who helped with your job search.

Key Takeaways

HIRING HASN’T STOPPED:Hiring may slow down in affected industries, but employers are still hiring.

PRACTICE INTERVIEWING:If you haven’t used video for job interviews or meetings, practice ahead of time.

GIVE TO GET:These are challenging times for almost everyone, offer to help whomever you can. You’ll find people are willing to help you, too.

 

TheBalanceCareers.com |  April 9, 2020 |  ALISON DOYLE

#Resumes :Skills Recruiters Want to See on Your Resume. Recruiters see Thousands of Resumes a Month, So you Need to Make your Resume Stand Out From the Rest.

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Anyone who has worked as a recruiter or hiring manager knows the difficulties in sorting through executive resumes. And as an executive, you may quickly realize you possess very similar skills as your competition when searching for a new job.

Highlighting your best skills and attributes will help set your resume apart from the others. When you combine your tangible skills with writing an effective resume, you’ll have a better chance of distinguishing yourself.

Here are some of the most optimal skills that look great on an executive profile. 

Critical Decision-Making

Being able to make highly critical decisions with limited time and information is extremely valuable. Quick and thoughtful decision making shows you are very aware of any given situation and aren’t just making a random decision just because you have to. You’ve thought through and anticipated certain decisions that may have to be made, so you’re always prepared. This is a key skill for executives in any industry.

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

Article continued … 

Multitasking

There’s a difference between multitasking and doing busy work. Multitasking means you can get multiple jobs done at the same time in order to be more efficient and move business forward. Be sure to explain situations where you had to multitask to meet a strict deadline in your executive profile. Every executive has to multitask at some point, but the best ones will create positive results out of it. 

Team-Building

One of the best things you can put in your executive bio is your team-building experience. Every company wants to hire a team player, whether it’s a lower-level employee or a high-ranking executive. Many executives like to stay tucked away in their office and not talk to others. So if you are actively building stronger teams for your organization, then you’ll stand out. 

Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking just means you think about the past, present and future in any decision you make. You’re also willing to take some risks if the potential reward is high. It’s difficult to display strategic thinking in an executive profile, but it’s a great skill to demonstrate when you have an interview.

Recruiters see thousands of resumes a month, so you need to make your resume stand out from the rest. Highlighting your skillset is one way to set yourself above. Just make sure that the rest of your resume showcases how you utilized those skills for the benefit of your employer.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. 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 |  April 16, 2020

#JobSearch : Déjà Vu All Over Again – Good News, Bad News for Employers and Job Seekers.

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I remember…  with trepidation … the market events in the fall of 2008 caused the real estate crash in 2009 and the resulting rise in unemployment with hundreds of thousands of workers losing their jobs. (I was one of them. As a HR director, I had to write my own layoff letter!)  The recent pandemic is not quite the same, but the impact is eerily similar and much worse for workers who are now unemployed. With luck, this time, the economy will swing back quickly once folks get back to their office or location work sites as cures, vaccines, and plasma infusions are deemed safe and made available to inoculate the general population.

When economic crisis upheavals create market impacts and job losses, it’s best to be prepared for the ‘what ifs?’

In 2009, the bad news was employers laid off, terminated, or furloughed workers with no known return-to-work date.  This was a crisis for the company and its workers. The events affected stability, growth, and/or revenue for the business, but also provided a unique opportunity to enrich the workforce and gain more valuable employees in the long run.  Companies initially targeted ‘slackers,’ ‘redundant,’ or unskilled (untrained) employees in the mass layoffs. Workers able to do the work of others had to cross-train, or who were more productive were more likely to be retained.

Use the lessons learned from the 2009 economic crash to preparing for the current pandemic-related crisis, and/or future events with equitable impact on worker’s careers.

Those laid off or terminated were often the workers with the lowest return on investment (ROI) for the business model.  Unfortunately, it was also a great opportunity to drop what the company determined were ‘troublemakers,’ ‘high maintenance employees,’ and those who had reached a salary ceiling for their job level.

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

Continue of the article:

When the economy picked up again, the company had a choice of rehiring the furloughed workers. In some cases, companies found more productive replacements for the past terminated workers.  Some businesses chose to continue to pay unemployment taxes on furloughed workers and hired fresh employees to train to higher standards and productivity.  This may happen again in 2020. If fresh, new workers can provide a higher rate of productivity after training, the companies could turn a higher profit, faster, and decide not rehiring the furloughed workers is worth the business risk.

The good news is some workers ‘sent home’ during this pandemic event may not have been fired.  Companies recognized some work (telework) could continue if workers had the right equipment and access to work-related applications from home.  The scramble to set the employees up to work from home may result in long-term and increased ROI based on lower overhead costs. This event may help business leaders see the opportunity to keep workers, monitor productivity, and simultaneously reduce overhead costs by continuing to keep employees working at home.

It is bad news for the workers who are permanently laid off or furloughed. The economic crisis does provide opportunities for those who lost their jobs to go back to school, take more technical or trade training, and refresh their resume(s) for more practical or higher-level educational opportunities.

The good news is, even though the furloughed worker may have been highly productive, this is the perfect opportunity to use one’s advanced experience and skills to search for a new career position. Shop for that new job with companies who terminated the ‘redundant’ workers and are looking for that higher productivity employee.  When an employee is laid off it’s the perfect timing to refresh their resume to identify their strongest skills and their greatest weaknesses.

It is vital to showcase on the resume the job seeker’s achievements and accomplishments to document the metrics and capabilities of the worker in past and potentially future work environments.  Review the education section to decide when, where, and what to add to skill sets by taking online classes, going back to schools (colleges, universities – online courses where available), or targeting technical schools for updated trades training.

When economic crisis upheavals create market impacts and job losses, it’s best to be prepared for the ‘what ifs?’ in one’s career path.  Use the lessons learned from the 2009 economic crash to preparing for the current pandemic-related crisis, and/or future events with equitable impact on worker’s careers.  Keep updating one’s work skills, ensure your productivity at work is at its high level and makes a profit (or reduce overhead expenses) for your company. Continue to learn or take training in a variety of skills to make yourself non-expendable to your employer.  If you are not constantly improving yourself, you will not survive or do well in the worst-case economic scenarios of the future.

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

 

FSC Career Blog| April 14, 2020

Are You Showing Your True Personal Brand? Personal Branding is a Larger Aspect of ‘Today’s’ Job Search.

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A major part of a job search involves making your personal brand appear to be what you want it to be. However, executives often make the mistake of gearing their c-level personal branding more toward what they want others to perceive them, rather than showing who they really are. The problem with this is recruiters and hiring managers can see right through it. All it takes is a little bit of inconsistency and your job search could be ruined.

Personal branding is a much larger aspect of a job search today than it was several years ago. Sometimes all it takes is optimizing your LinkedIn profile, while other times you may need to work on your entire online presence to show your true brand.

 

So when it comes to personal branding for senior-level managers, being truthful and honest are the best ways to go. 

Why Some People Are Hesitant To Show Their True Brand

Some people resist demonstrating their true brand because they don’t want the world to know what their personality is. If you haven’t conducted a job search in several years, you may remember thinking your resume needs to follow a certain pattern or standard and shouldn’t deviate from the norm. Times have changed now and hiring managers want to know who they are hiring as a person and a professional. While it’s understandable to be uncomfortable showing your brand, it’s important to also know that differentiation is critical when it comes to being recognized.

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

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A Personality Fit is Important to Employers

When you show some of your personality on your LinkedIn profile, recruiters will get a glimpse into who you are as a person. A solid mix of professional achievements and personal experiences will bode well on your LinkedIn profile and will increase the chances of you getting noticed. The more natural the language in your profile sounds, the better your c-level personal branding efforts will be, especially when you back it up in your verbal language and your resume. Companies prioritize hiring people with good personality fits now, so never hesitate to show a little. 

Your Personal Brand Presents Unique Value

Without c-level personal branding, executives have no real way of standing out among dozens of other job applicants. You have a great opportunity to distinguish yourself with your personality and tie in how your personality offers value to the company. This could mean working well as a team, the ability to think creatively, be a leader or anything else. Professional achievements for executives often seem similar on paper, so your personal brand could be what sets you apart and gives you a better chance of landing the job you want.

Personal branding is a much larger aspect of a job search today than it was several years ago. Sometimes all it takes is optimizing your LinkedIn profile, while other times you may need to work on your entire online presence to show your true brand.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. 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 |  April 13, 2020

#Resume : Why Job Seekers using ‘Free Software’ for Resumes May be Hurting Themselves.

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I sometimes encounter clients who are using free word processing software to write their resumes. This includes Open Office (e.g., Pages; Google docs; Libre; Apache). Why is this a bad practice for job seekers?  Because most businesses require digital resume submissions and the resume must be saved in a file format those businesses use – including the international-standard of Microsoft Office. Job seekers sending out resumes in non-standard file formats are hurting their chances of being seen for their otherwise great experiences and job skills.

The goal of a resume is to stand out in a crowd; use the wording and descriptions to make the resume owner’s capabilities stand out – not the file formatting itself.

Free software is great when you are on a budget or lacking funds, and you are creating files or documents that only you will be using. Job seekers should understand the recruiter may not have Open Office on their computer and can’t download the software because their company may have restrictions on what is on company-owned IT equipment. Job seekers should not expect recruiters to go that extra mile to open the resume in a non-standard file format when they have dozens if not hundreds of other resumes submitted in the more standardized industry-use software to review.

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

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As a recruiter, I have encountered engineers who designed their resumes in a CAD program, graphic artists who submitted their beautifully designed resume in Photoshop or InDesign files (.psd; .ai; .indd – which are expensive software packages), and professionals using Google docs. Unfortunately, recruiters may not have those software packages on their computers, thus they are unable to open the resumes. Recruiters have a choice of 1) trying to open the file with what software is already on their computer, or 2) dumping the resume because they don’t have time to open ‘foreign’ files with so many other job candidates who are ‘following the rules’ of standardized file formats (e.g., Microsoft Office Word).

Google docs may have the file-sharing capability; the file owner may send a link to view the document or file, the recruiter may not have the ability to get past the password-protected firewall – encountering a ‘you need to request permission to access this file from the owner’ message (time the recruiter doesn’t have). Google Docs tends to not share the same formatting parameters. Docs created in Word and then shared with Google docs will have their formatting changed on the Google Docs platform. Google docs add leading line spaces in headers and footers and increase the size of bullets, so an original document resume created in Word at two pages, may result in two and a half pages in Google docs. This may irritate recruiters who are adamant about not wanting to read resumes over two pages long.

Open Office also deletes formatting when converting back and forth. Word documents can have formatting for indexing, Tables of Contents, etc., embedded in the document, but once it’s converted to Open Office – all that labor is wasted to create special formatting because it’s erased in the conversion.

If you are a job seeker and absolutely must use Open Office (Pages), type up the resume, then ‘export’ the document as a Microsoft Office compatible file (.doc) before sending it to recruiters or uploading it into resume databases. This will enable the recruiters to open the file on their computers because it will be compatible with their software. Worst-case scenario, you can use a text-edit program (loaded onto just about every computer manufactured) to compile the resume. While it won’t be pretty (baseline Times New Roman font, no capability for bold or italic text), it will have all your vital experience and job skills information in the text document to load it into any online resume database or job post as an official application.

The goal of a resume is to stand out in a crowd; use the wording and descriptions to make the resume owner’s capabilities stand out – not the file formatting itself. Avoid graphics, heavy use of tables, icons, and multiple fonts or sizes. That resume has to get through the initial firewall of processing in the upload before it can get seen by the recruiter. Use standard-practice software to get on an even playing field.

FSC Guest Author: Ms.Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management, and editing/publishing/print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at : Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at

www.dboyerconsulting.com

 

FSC Career Blog | April 7, 2020

#JobSearch :Ongoing Strategies Every Executive Job Seeker Needs to Consider. How Visible are You on LinkedIn?

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What’s your strategy as an executive jobseeker? There’s no right or wrong answer to the question, and sometimes it takes trial and error to truly figure out what the most effective strategy is for you. Even then, adjustments must be made along the way. Simply thinking you can write resumes that get you hired isn’t the best strategy overall today.

With the digital age we live in, it requires more work and effort to get recognized. Here are some ongoing strategies you should consider incorporating into your job search regularly. 

Always Be Active on LinkedIn

Having a complete LinkedIn profile is great, but being active on the platform is even better. Consider working with a LinkedIn profile writer to get the basics of your profile taken care of. At that point, you can join LinkedIn groups, revisit old connections, post original content, comment on other people’s content and more. The point is the more people who see your name, the more attention you’ll get. Just be sure not to overdo it to the point where people may get tired of hearing from you.

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & type(#career, #leadership, #life) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

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

Continue of the article: 

Be Creative and Insightful With Content You Post

Posting original content relevant to your industry is a great strategy for standing out among the competition. While executive resume writer services can help you put together a solid resume, your expertise is required to write original content. You can post these articles on your website or publish them on your LinkedIn profile. The idea is to be creative and insightful with each post so you’ll earn some credibility with each one. 

Keep Your Name Relevant With Comments on Posts

Find a good balance between the original articles you post and the comments you make on other posts. When you make engaging comments or ask insightful questions, you could spark a discussion with other readers or the writer themselves. People appreciate comments on their articles and you never know when it could lead to something greater. 

Have a Resume Always Prepared

Writing resumes that get you hired today means having various versions of your resume targeted at the companies you’re interested in. Once you’ve researched your targeted companies, consider working with executive resume writer services to have a resume prepared when the opportunity arises. Whether you need to send it to a connection electronically or physically at a networking event, you should always be prepared.

It’s important to have a plan before you start one of the most important events of your life – looking for a job, whether it’s your first job or your next job. Take the time to create a job plan, make adjustments as necessary, and then go after it.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. 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 |  April 6, 2020

 

 

#JobSearch : After Losing Your Job…7 Tips for Job Searching Success.

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Everything has been going along just fine with your career—nothing exciting, but things are stable. But, are they really stable? Do you know what’s around the next corner in your company? And, are you established enough in your career just in case something does happen?

Most companies, many industries, and the economy, in general, are constantly evolving. What does this mean as a worker in this twenty-first century? It means that you have to be prepared for uncertainty and a potential job change.

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), I have partnered with over 1,000 clients in developing forward-thinking, eye-catching, and industry-appropriate resumes and cover letters. Unfortunately, many of those clients contact me only when they have lost their jobs and need to quickly rework a 20+-year-old resume or are starting with no documentation.

Along with needing a new resume, there are other things to consider if you lose your job.

#1 – Don’t be ashamed of the job loss. First, job loss can happen to anyone. Companies, merge, businesses close, and organizational needs change. Tell people that you are actively seeking new employment opportunities. Did you know that most jobs are found via networking and existing contacts? It’s a much better way to find a job then replying to hundreds of job postings online.

#2 – Be sure your resume is up-to-date. Although it was mentioned before, it deserves repeating. If you have let others know that you are seeking a new job and they ask for your resume, it doesn’t look good to make them wait for an updated document. Be sure to include your most recent job and know that you don’t have to list why you left that particular position.

Quick note, even if you update your resume with above, today’s resume is more complexed than it was one year ago. You must have keywords that are picked up today by AI systems & algorithms.

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

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#3 – Get a new email address. Many of us are tied to our job email address, which is obviously gone if you have lost your position. And, home email addresses could be checked by multiple people in the household. Instead, open a new email account that is used specifically for job hunting. Then, you can be sure you will be the only one checking the email account. And, always use your name or a portion of your name as the email address. Don’t use your graduation year, birth year, or other information that could detail your age. Keep it professional and simple.

#4 – Join LinkedIn as your preferred social media outlet. LinkedIn is a professional resource for social media content, updates, company profiles, and job searching. If you already have Facebook, Twitter, and other profiles, then be sure there is nothing out there that could harm your job search. While it is true that everyone has a personal life, it is also true that a quick Google search of your name will generate hits on your social media profiles.

#5 – Attend networking events. Again, most people find job opportunities through contacts they know. If you can attend a local chamber of commerce expo or a local networking group, take the chance and do so. And, if those aren’t available to you, then schedule a lunch appointment with a contact you haven’t seen for awhile. The more people that know you are seeking opportunities, the more eyes and ears are out there assisting you with your job search.

#6 – Never badmouth your ex-employer. Never. Ever. Do. This. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘don’t burn your bridges?’ Well, this rings true when seeking employment. The more you badmouth your ex-employer, the more you are viewed as a critical, sad, and annoying ex-employee. Furthermore, you never know who may know the people and/or company that you are criticizing. It doesn’t matter if what you are saying is true—just don’t do it.

#7 – Take on part-time work, freelance projects, or volunteer opportunities. If you are unsure of your career direction or can’t seem to find the perfect full-time job opportunity, then grab the chance to volunteer with an organization close to your heart, find a part-time opportunity that meets your family needs, or be open to the idea of freelance work. These short-term gigs show future employers that you kept busy during your time away from the full-time workforce and still honed your skills while networking with entirely new groups of people.

Remember that you are not the first person to lose their job and you certainly won’t be the last. By keeping a positive attitude, being proactive, and establishing a network of people that are also seeking opportunities for you, you can be on your way to a new opportunity that may meet your needs even better than your previous position.

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 29, 2020 | FSC Guest Author, by  

Job Search: The Value of Your Online Presence Being Up-to-Date. Your Online Presence is as Vital Today as Having a Current Resume.

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Many executives don’t appreciate the importance of having a positive online presence. And some don’t understand their online presence should always be kept up-to-date. If you’re actively looking for a job, you’re putting yourself in a big hole if recruiters can’t find you online.

Having a clean and updated executive LinkedIn profile is a necessity today rather than a luxury. It’s worth hiring a professional LinkedIn profile writer if you’ve never developed one before, and there are plenty of other ways to develop and maintain a positive online presence. Here are some reasons why it’s so important. 

Recruiters Always Look For An Online Presence

One of the first things a recruiter will do when they receive a resume is to conduct an online search for the person’s name. If you have a negative online presence, or no online presence at all, then your chances of moving to the next step in the hiring process are slim. At the very least, develop your executive LinkedIn profile to the point where it shows up at the top of the search results. That way, you’ll know exactly what recruiters are seeing when they search for your name.

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Tips For Enhancing Your Online Presence

With the high level of importance of personal branding for senior-level managers, there is always room to improve your online presence. Being active on LinkedIn and other social media platforms will increase your visibility. You can also publish original articles to your blog or social media profiles. Joining LinkedIn groups and participating in discussions on professional forums can also help promote your name. Just be sure to think carefully about everything you post online, as anything you say can be used against you. 

Monitor Your Online Presence Regularly

Once you feel comfortable with your online presence, you can’t get complacent. You should always be looking to improve your presence and brand. Monitoring your brand online is critical since anyone can post negative information about you. Do a search for your name periodically and see what results show up. While you may not be able to remove information completely, you can combat it by responding appropriately. You don’t want to let any negativity about you linger online for too long since it could tarnish your reputation.

Your online presence is as vital today as having a current resume. Recruiters and hiring professionals will search for you  online before they offer an interview. It is imperative that your online presence shows your most recent achievements and activities. Do not make the mistake of letting your online presence become stale and out of date. It could cost you your dream job.

 

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 20, 2020

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

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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 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 10, 2020