If you’ve been laid off recently or think you might lose your job in the near future, you need to respond strategically and massively. The hard reality about layoffs is that how you respond may depend on your financial and emotional state.

You may have predicted this event and prepared for it, or you may view the layoff as a blessing in disguise if it forces you to make a change you’ve wanted to make for some time. In these cases, it’s time to crank up your search efforts with focus and confidence.

If, on the other hand, you are totally blindsided by the layoff and/or unprepared for it, your first step is to take stock. What is your cash position? Do you feel strong, and can you see the situation as an opportunity to move into something better? Or are you at a loss about what to do next? What kind of support can you get to help you through? What do you have to do to ensure that you survive—financially and emotionally?

While feelings of panic and uncertainty are normal, remember that the most effective job searches are not scattershot approaches but rather targeted strategies that leverage your past experience.

In either situation, a strategic job search is in order. Based on my report, “How to Manage Your Career in Scary Times,” here are eight top-level tips to ensure your response to a layoff is focused and effective.

1. Breathe
Find your center. You are a professional and there is a place for you out there. You will get through this. And the best way to do so is to focus on what you offer and take massive action.

2. Get out the contact list
Make a record of the people you worked with and dealt with. Put that address information into your own system and contact people using your personal email address.

3. Inventory what you offer
Take time to develop a sound understanding of your abilities, skills, experience, and fit. This includes really analyzing your professional background to identify stories, evidence, and data about your job performance that you can use to better market yourself and prove your candidacy. What are you interested in doing next? What is the next logical step for you? Depending on your position and situation, you may be looking to move forward or you may need to focus on where you are most employable.

4. Define your targets
You are not equally valuable everywhere. Define A, B, and C target groups. A is the perfect home for your offering. B is acceptable. C will pay the bills. Use information like job title, organization type, organization size, industry, and market to make your targets as defined as possible.

5. Cultivate multiple channels
Work more than one channel to find those target opportunities. By all means, use online job postings and apply selectively to jobs. But realize this is only one channel. Develop a multichannel strategy and invest your time accordingly. Those channels might include recruitment agencies, professional associations, and, of course, your network.

6. Create channels for people to find you
Nothing is better than receiving a call about an opportunity. It puts you in the driver’s seat, at least for a bit. Ensure your network contacts know what you’re looking for so you are top of mind when they can make a referral. Use social networking sites as another way to accomplish this.

7. Follow the Pareto Principle
This is otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. Analyze your network for the people who are hubs of contacts and information. Who do you know who can hire or refer you? When you’re ready, get in touch with them. And remember, the actions you might resist are usually the most valuable, high-impact ones. In my experience, successful job searches are often the result of that one, correct call.

8. Get out and talk to people
The worst place to conduct a job search is in your pajamas at your family computer. Yes, there are a lot of important activities you can do from your computer, but schedule them outside of prime meeting time. You must get out there—every day.

The post Laid off? Eight effective ways to respond appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

With the increases in vaccine distribution, it seems like the usual ways of networking could be back soon enough. If you need a refresher on how to prepare, check out this list put together by Money Crashers. In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to build your network and connections online.

Here are four tips to help you improve your virtual networking game—and some recommended tools for maximum success.

1. Find thought leaders and influencers
Let’s say you want to find a job as an interior designer. The first step is to follow thought leaders and influencers in the industry. You can find them by searching “interior design” on Twitter and Instagram. One way to make your search more strategic, however, is to use a tool like Followerwonk. Search “interior design” + “blogger” or “writer,” and you will get a list of people who write about interior design, ranked by their number of followers.

See who they follow to grow your network. Through the people you follow, you are likely to learn about important industry news, online events, webinars, and webcasts. Sign up and participate when interesting ones come along.

2. Start listening
Once you’ve found the right people to follow, start listening to what they have to say and gathering the latest and greatest news and insights in your industry. Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Quora, Yelp, Meetup, and Listly. Download their podcasts. Put their names in Talkwalker and Newsle so you get emailed when they appear in the news. Subscribe to their newsletters and YouTube channels, and subscribe to their content on Patreon.

3. Build awareness
Now that you’re aware of them, you can start making them aware of you. The key to successful networking is not to go around begging people for favors and being a nuisance, but to create value for them, too. Retweet their content, +1 their posts, share their content on Facebook, comment (insightfully) on their publications and videos, and include their insights in your content (with appropriate attribution, tags, and hashtags).

4. Connect 
Only then—once you know a little bit about them and have a clue about what’s going on in the industry, and once you’ve created some value for them through retweets and shares and engagement—should you reach out. Friending them on Facebook will likely come across as creepy because it is more of a personal network. But reaching out on LinkedIn and other professional network platforms is totally appropriate.

Lead with a sentence that starts with something like “I loved your article last week about…” And then let them know what you want (e.g., “I’ve written this … and would appreciate your advice” or “I’d appreciate the chance to interview you about your career for my blog” or “I’m starting out in the industry and would appreciate your mentorship. Are you available for a quick virtual coffee meeting?”

If you don’t hear back, send a quick follow-up message about a week later. Chances are the person you’re contacting is busy and misses messages from time to time due to the high volume of incoming requests. Don’t harass the person, though. Stalker is not the impression you want to leave. After two or three follow-ups, it’s time to move on to the next person on your list. But keep the door open by continuing steps 1, 2, and 3. The first secret of success is showing up—even when the room is a Zoom room.

The post 4 Tips and Tricks for Networking Online appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Take these steps to grow your professional sphere from the ground up.

One word that makes professionals cringe is networking—especially now that we’re trying to network during a global pandemic. But a strong group of industry contacts is key to helping your professional development blossom. Granted, if you’re a newly minted college graduate hunting for a job, you have to build a network from scratch, which is no small feat. The bright spot: Learning how to network for a job is a science—if you combine the right ingredients, you’ll achieve a successful result.

Here are six steps to take to build your job search network.

Know how to make your pitch
A key part of effective networking is being clear about your job search goals and the value that you bring to an employer, which is where an elevator pitch comes in.
In a nutshell, an elevator pitch is a sound bite that explains to people who you are, what you do, and what kind of position you’re seeking. Why so short? “People are busy,” says Atlanta career coach Hallie Crawford. Recruiters don’t have time to hear your whole life’s story. So, keep your pitch to less than a minute.

Check out this well-crafted elevator speech from Monster Career Expert Vicki Salemi: “I’m Vicki Salemi, a career expert for Monster. Author, speaker, career coach, columnist, and former corporate recruiter, always interested in speaking with job seekers to help them find a better job—fast!”

Stay organized
As you build your sphere, make sure to keep detailed records of your networking activity: people’s names, where and when you met, and what topics you discussed. You’ll also need to develop a reliable follow-up system. “You need to stay in touch in order to stay on top of someone’s radar,” says Kelly Kennedy, director of career readiness at the University of Virginia Athletics. Keep those who are interested posted on the progress of your job search.

Leverage your alumni network
Your degree comes with a secret weapon: your college’s alumni network. In fact, many schools maintain a list of alumni who have expressed they want to help new grads with their job search. Still, you need to take a tactful approach when reaching out to alums, says Denise Rudolph, assistant director of employer relations and recruiting at James Madison University. “You can’t just send someone an email and expect the person to help you get a job,” she says.

Some guidelines: 1) introduce yourself and include your school year and major; 2) explain how you got the person’s contact information; 3) be specific with what you’re asking for from the person (e.g., “I’d love to hear more about what you do”); and 4) attach your resume.

Expand your horizons
When it comes to how to network for a job, you need to cast a wide net. Wider than you may think. In addition to alumni, you’ll want to tap every networking resource that’s at your disposal. Here’s a list of other sources for finding networking contacts:

• Community job clubs
• Fraternity or sorority groups
• Friends: Local and out-of-town
• High school and college classmates
• Hobby groups: softball team, running club, yoga group
• Managers and peers from your past internships
• Members of your church, temple, synagogue or mosque (some religious organizations also sponsor job search groups)
• Neighbors: Past and present
• Political groups
• Relatives: Local and out-of-town
• Service groups: Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks
• Volunteer groups

Build your circle remotely
In the age of social distancing, you may find you have fewer opportunities to network with people in person. Fortunately, social media can enable you to build relationships with people that you haven’t met—including recruiters at your target employers. (According to a survey of HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management, 84% of employers use social media to recruit talent.)

Specifically, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be powerful networking tools. You’ll have the most impact if you’re using social media on a regular basis—meaning you should be reaching out to new contacts and interacting with people in your network daily, not occasionally.

Rock informational interviews
The informational interview is an often-overlooked—and often misconstrued—form of networking, but going on informational interviews can be a great way to build your network.

The most important thing is to ask meaningful questions when you meet someone for an informational interview, says Jeff Neil, a New York City career coach and author of Informational Interview Handbook: Essential Strategies to Find the Right Career and a Great New Job. “You’re not there to ask for a job,” Neil says. “You’re there to establish a relationship and build rapport.” A good icebreaker: “How did you get started in the field?” “People like to talk about themselves,” Neil says.

The post Build your job search network appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Your 120-character headline (The One Thing That Improves Your LinkedIn Profile), done right, will land a recruiter or hiring manager to your LinkedIn profile. But, even if you’re perfect for the job, you can still get dropped from consideration faster than a Boeing 737 Max without the software fix.

Huh?
Recent scientific research’s proven first impressions are made in the one-tenth of one second.  When that picture is worth more than your first one thousand words, what does your LinkedIn profile photo say about you?

Your LinkedIn profile photo is your first and only chance to make a lasting positive impression. That photo has the power to make or break your online connections. It humanizes you. It may lead to expanded career opportunities and increase your networking reach. If nothing else, it will allow connections to recognize you when they meet you in real life.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself photogenic. Or maybe you prefer to be mysterious. Or you don’t want to be bothered with taking the time or money to do this right. So, you decide you’ll bypass all that just do nothing, and use LinkedIn default.  Think again. LinkedIn members with a profile photo receive 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests.  Will any photo do?

Nope. Not any more than any candidate will.

Read on for the Do’s and Don’ts of LinkedIn Profile Photos and rock your way to your next awesome job!

Don’ts (because sometimes it’s easier to start with what not to do).
Here are some classic bad LinkedIn profile photos image characteristics…

• Blurry
• Poor lighting (shadowed or washed out on face or background)
• Face obscured
• Squeezed (there needs to be appropriate “white space” and no hair or facial parts hacked off) or distorted
• Tiny photo/subject miles away
• Sweaty or shiny-looking face
• Unprofessional photo (alcohol is present, look hung-over, at a party, day-old beard, hankies, other’s body parts in image … the list is endless)
• Screenshot (only 72 dpi – the quality is not there) – use a real photo instead

Photo? What photo? It is not ok to stick with the LinkedIn silhouette or logos when you’re serious about job-hunting.
Some profile photos are so close, but…

Do’s for a Job-Winning LinkedIn Profile Photo
Ideally, use a professional photographer who specializes in professional headshots.  Otherwise, follow these tips for a job-winning profile photo….

• Be Engaging and Professional
• Show your face, your whole face, evenly lit
• Make eye contact with your viewer
• Smile, flashing your pearly whites
• Wear what you’d wear to work (unless it’s a t-shirt)
• Background Basics
• Choose a background that isn’t distracting
• A flat or simple background is best; an artfully blurred background can work
• Bonus points — use a background that contrasts with what you’re wearing
• Warm-colored backgrounds get higher click-through rates, according to some research
• Proper Cropping & Sizing
• Head to shoulders or head to waist
• Your face and body show make up 60% of the frame
• The maximum file size is 8MB, 400 x 400 pixels, and file type must be PNG, JPEG or GIF (click here if you need help properly sizing it)
• Mobile-Test

57% of LinkedIn profiles getting checked out on mobile (according to LinkedIn)
Mobile LinkedIn views centers then crops banners around the image
Check and if needed tweak your banner image to make sure it’s effective in mobile view

Wait! Before You Hit “Publish”
Get feedback on your photo to make sure it’s “saying” what you want it to say about you.
Choose a photo that looks like you, today
Power Tip — run your profile image through www.photofeeler.com
You’re Almost But-Not-Quite Done – Your LI Picture Comes with a Frame…
LinkedIn profile headers form the frame to your picture. It’s a large, visible piece of real estate on your LinkedIn profile. Make the most of it! A well-thought-out banner image takes your profile to the next level.

Deyth Banger, author of How to Talk to Anyone suggests you “Control the frame of the discussion.”  How do you want that banner to position you? Choosing the right photo comes down to what you want viewers to think about you when they view your profile.

Key LinkedIn Banner Considerations
Make sure it’s the right size. The official size of the LinkedIn background photo is 1584×396 pixels.  Not all of that space is usable.  Much of it gets cropped out on smaller screens and mobile devices.  The safe usable space is around 1000×120 pixels at the top of the image or to the righthand side of the image. That does not leave much room for a logo or a call to action, but if you want everyone to see it, regardless of screen size, that’s where it needs to be.
Choose a scene that reflects the type of work that you do, an image of your current location/geography or an emotion that you’d like to impart when someone views your profile.

A good background or cover photo image can include a phrase or a few words that reflect the type of work you do or a call to action to email or call you.
Make sure that your profile photo does not cover the phrase, logo or other copy on all devices/screen sizes.

The image you choose should be crisp and clear
Test and retest your background cover photo before you publish it. Run it by a few friends to get their input to ensure the image you choose gives the impression you want.

If you don’t have or can’t create an image that works, using the standard LinkedIn default is okay (albeit a missed opportunity). That’s better than using an image that gives a negative impression.

The post Ridiculously Easy Job Winning LinkedIn Tip appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Most of us have worked with great colleagues, bosses, and employees over the years who we’d be happy to recommend on LinkedIn (or anywhere, really) in a heartbeat if asked.

Problem is, of course, that sitting down and writing said recommendation always takes more time than you think it will. What should you say that will make your contact stand out—but still sound genuine? Should you describe every amazing skill this person has—or keep it short and sweet?

Don’t worry. We’ve turned that daunting task into a five-step (and five-minute) process. Next time you’re asked to recommend someone, follow this template (complete with sample lines to cut and paste—we won’t tell!).

Step 1: Start With a Knockout Line

As with any good writing, you want to start with a line that grabs your audience and makes them want to read more. (After all, what good is a great recommendation if no one reads all the way through?)

Ideally, this line will show right away what an awesome person your recommended is. Be careful, though, to avoid phrases like “one of the best” or “one of my favorite employees”—while, no, not everyone’s going to be the ultimate superlative, there are plenty of words and phrases that sound just as strong, but less qualified.

“It’s rare that you come across standout talent like Mike.”

“Few people have the opportunity to report to a manager who is also a coach and mentor—but I did when I worked for Susan.”

‘Ridiculously efficient’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Tim.”

Step 2: Describe Your Relationship

Next, you’ll want to give the reader some context as to how you know the person, including your reporting relationship, what you worked on together, and the length of time you’ve known each other. While you don’t have to give all the details (LinkedIn will show the company and both of your job titles on your recommendation), it’s important to let readers know why you’re qualified to give the recommendation. (And, of course, be sure to note that it was a positive working relationship!)

“I had the pleasure of working with Jim for two years at the Smith Company, collaborating on several project teams.”

“I hired Carrie as a freelance designer in 2011 after seeing her online portfolio, and she’s completed six flawless projects for me since then.”

“Mark expertly filled the role of social media coordinator for my company’s marketing team for just over a year.”

Step 3: Share a Standout Trait

If you’re recommending someone, there’s a good chance you think he or she is smart, talented, organized, wonderful to work with, the list goes on. So, there’s no need to use the limited characters in your recommendation to state the obvious.

Instead, think about one or two things this person does better than anything else—or that really stand out to you above others—and focus your recommendation there. You can also ask the person if there’s something he or she would like you to talk about: For example, if she was your executive assistant but is now applying to her first management role, she’ll likely want you to highlight her experience managing volunteers over her organizational skills.

I was particularly impressed by Kelly’s ability to handle even the toughest clients—effortlessly. That skill often takes years to develop among customer service professionals, but it seemed to come perfectly naturally to her.”

“I was always in awe of Fred’s ability to command a room and get people on board with ideas—even people who were initially on completely different pages.”

“Matt’s ability to juggle multiple projects was unlike any I’ve seen before and made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our team.”

Step 4: Add a Touch of Personality

Let’s face it: Everyone wants to hire someone who not only gets the job done, but who’s also great to work with. So, if you can share a tidbit about what it’s like to work with this person or some insight into his or her personality, do so! (Just, you know, know your audience. “Sophie planned the best office happy hours ever!” might not go over so well with her future employers.)

“Oh, and she made sure our Monday morning staff meetings were never without bagels and coffee. Talk about motivating a team!”

“And we still miss her on the office softball league!”

No matter how tense a meeting, Annie made sure everyone left with a smile.”

Step 5: End With Your Solid Recommendation

Finally, it’s always nice to seal your recommendation with a final line that makes it clear that you give your contact an enthusiastic thumbs-up. You don’t need to do much here—think short, sweet, and solid.

“Allison would be an asset to any team.”

“As a team member or a leader, Steve earns my highest recommendation.”

“Any employee would be lucky to have Michelle as a manager.”

Try It!

While we recommend following the steps above to create a new recommendation for each contact, here’s a quick example of how to put them all together (and a template to use if you’re pressed for time!).

That’s it—five steps, five lines, and five minutes to a recommendation that will make sure your contact shines.

The post Your 5-Minute Guide to Writing an Amazing LinkedIn Recommendation appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

8 CAREER RESOLUTIONS TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR

Everybody starts the year off with a list of New Year’s resolutions — which are nearly all abandoned or forgotten by February. This year, keep that January motivation fresh in your mind by adding your resolutions to your work calendar now. Here are some suggestions from career experts about what goals to set for this year.

Make a “greatest hits” list.
“Everyone should take time at the beginning of every year to take stock of what they accomplished the prior year… and put those into writing in a resume-like fashion,” says Monique A. Honaman, CEO and partner at ISHR Group. “It’s much easier to have all of this information ready to go when you need it as opposed to having to create a resume from scratch and remember what you have accomplished for the past 10 years.”

Establish one big goal.
“We frequently spend more time hammering out the daily demands of life such that we forget to focus on the big picture,” Honaman says.  “Everyone should set at least one goal of something major that they want to accomplish for their career each year.” Carve out time for yourself, just as you would for any other appointment, to work on your big-picture goal each week, she advises.

Seek out advice.
“Find a trusted mentor who can help guide you towards your goals with a dash of realism about how to navigate the waters ahead,” says Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and director of the Babson Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program at Babson College. Even if you think you know the ropes, somebody more seasoned could give you advice about navigating your company’s higher-up office politics. Weintraub says this person can be someone at your company or someone highly-regarded in your industry who knows the unwritten as well as the written rules.

Set progress benchmarks.
“Set stretch goals but don’t bite off more than you can chew,” says Roy Cohen, career counselor, and executive coach. To keep your big idea manageable, come up with a few smaller goals that will help you accomplish your big achievement. Taking a class, earning a certification or writing an article for an industry publication could all be stops on the way to your final destination that will help build momentum towards it, Cohen says.

Do a quarterly check-up.
“As is the case with quarterly performance reviews in organizations, take the time to do the reflection of where you are in accomplishing your resolutions by doing your own internal audit in your scheduling calendar by setting up a look at your resolutions every three months,” Weintraub says.

Do a mid-year network check.
“Ask yourself at the mid-year point, who have I connected with this year?” Honaman says. You don’t want to be that guy or gal who gets a reputation for only getting in touch if you need a favor, she says. “Make the investment, and sustain your investment, by building a valuable network.  If and when you do need to reach out, the connection is not cold.”

Acquire new tech skills.
“Learn how to better use technology to support all aspects of your job search,” Cohen says. “The downtime around the holidays is great for coming up to speed on new technology applications or skills that need to be strengthened.” Figure out your weak spots, then find classes, books or tutorials where you can learn or brush up on the skills you need to move forward.

Take stock of your accomplishments.
At the end of the year, give yourself a personal performance review — and since you’re not sharing it with anyone, don’t dodge the mistakes and missteps you made during the year. “Be realistic in what you have done and not done towards moving towards your resolutions. Often failure along the way brings the biggest learning,” says Weintraub. “The key is to learn from past mistakes,” he says, by figuring out what you need to do differently the next time around.

The post 8 Career Solutions to Put On Your Calendar appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

It will be Christmas before too long and the kick-off of holiday networking. If you’re planning on using this time to maintain and grow your professional network (and you should), make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date. Here are 10 areas to check on your LinkedIn profile:

Photo: You don’t need a professional headshot, but you do want to look professional. Choose a close-up of your face. Don’t include pets, children, or busy backgrounds. People who you network with and then want to connect with on LinkedIn will better remember you when they see both your profile and your picture. You want your photo to look like you.

Headline: These are the words that appear under your name. When you create your profile, LinkedIn includes a default – typically your current title and company. But you can change that. If your title is generic and your company isn’t a household name, it might not be clear what you do and what your industry expertise is. You may want to instead choose a more descriptive headline (e.g., marketing professional, finance manager).

Summary: Directly below your photo and brief outline of your experience is space for a Summary. This is searchable, so be sure to include the keywords that you want to be found for – brand name companies, technical skills, functional and industry expertise. Look at other profiles for summaries that you like, and model yours after that.

Experience: If it’s been a while since you have updated your profile, your experience section might not reflect what you’re currently doing. Make sure your title and description of your role is current.

Extras: Don’t stop editing at just the main sections, like Education and Experience. There is a Publications section where you can mention if you have written something – a report for a trade newsletter, a guest blog. You can also add videos or PowerPoint to your Summary or Experience sections to showcase examples of your work. The Volunteer and Interests sections reflect another aspect of your background.

References: You can ask people to write a Testimonial about your work. As a former recruiter, I can confirm that this won’t at all replace actual reference checks, but it’s another way of showcasing your background. It’s also a great way to reconnect with the people from whom you request references. Endorsements are another way to show peer support of your skills (while Testimonials are written references, Endorsements are just checkmarks against specific skills that show someone in your network confirms you have that skill). Be sure to list the skills you want to receive endorsements for so these keywords accumulate on your profile.

Settings: If you haven’t checked your privacy settings in a while, do that while you’re updating everything else. When you make a lot of updates, you want to turn off the notification to your network of changes you make – you don’t want your connections to be bothered every time you make an edit. Then, be sure to turn the notification back on because for less frequent updates – when you post a status update, when you change your title – you do want your network to be made aware. Another setting to look at is regarding your browsing activity — “Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile.” When you look at someone else’s profile, you can reveal who you are, stay semi-anonymous (LinkedIn shows no picture and just a generic industry or title) or anonymous. If you don’t want others to know you’re looking at their profiles, make this setting anonymous.

Connections: The connections that you have determine what kind of new connections you can see (because you are seeing their networks and their networks’ network). So as you update your own profile, think about what connections you’d like to make, and which connections you’ll accept going forward.

Groups: Groups are like-minded members drawn together by industry, role, shared background (e.g., company, alma mater) or shared interest. Groups are a great way of meeting people and staying current. The groups you are in also reflect your own experience and interest. So groups are another area to proactively update.

Contact info: Your email might have changed since you first set up your profile. If you want to know when people reach out to you on LinkedIn or get activity feeds or notices from your Groups, you need to make sure the email connected to your profile is something you check regularly. When I was recruiting, I regularly received very tardy responses from candidates I reached out to on LinkedIn with the sheepish excuse that they don’t check that platform so often. Have the notifications forward to an email that you do check often! Why be present on a platform known for its recruiting advantages if you’re not going to respond!

Don’t just network during the holidays. Plan to follow up and stay in touch. LinkedIn is an ideal platform to do this, so make sure your profile is ready now.

The post Refresh Your LinkedIn for Holiday Networking: a 10-Point Checklist appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

LinkedIn has revolutionized the recruiting world and made it easier than ever to reach out to job candidates directly, whether they’re actively or passively job hunting. With so many recruiters on LinkedIn, this is obviously welcome news to job seekers.

Well, at least some job seekers — the ones who can actually be found on LinkedIn.

To make sure you’re in this position and ensure that recruiters who are searching for people like you find, well, you, read on and follow these three simple steps.

Step 1: Show Up in Searches

Your profile isn’t going anywhere if you’re not showing up in a recruiter’s LinkedIn search. With this in mind, use LinkedIn SEO to your advantage. You know the usual things to keep in mind: Complete your profile, make sure it includes keywords that employers may be searching for, and get recommendations and endorsements, which help boost your profile higher in search results. But another interesting idea, as Larry Kim of Inc. recently shared, is to use LinkedIn more like Twitter — in other words, to add as many contacts as possible — which increases the chances that you’ll be seen and your work will be shared on the platform.

While this isn’t something that will work for everyone (for example, I try to only stick with contacts I’ve had at least one meaningful conversation with because I use LinkedIn more as a way to keep track of professional acquaintances than a job search tool), it may make sense for you to be a bit more liberal in adding contacts in order to raise your profile in search results.

Step 2: Be “Clickable”

Now that you’re higher up in search results on LinkedIn, the next step is to make sure people want to actually click your profile to have a closer look at your experience.

We know recruiters spend almost a fifth of their time looking at the photo when reviewing LinkedIn profiles, so one thing you definitely want to get right is your LinkedIn photo. Make sure it’s professional and expresses your brand, and try having your photo reviewed by PhotoFeeler to make sure you’re sending the right message.

Along with your name and photo, your headline will also show up in the LinkedIn search. This little line of text may just be what convinces recruiters to click on your profile or not, so be extra thoughtful about what you write here. (Hint: Don’t just settle for the default setting of listing your job title!) Elliott Bell offers some exceptional advice on how to be memorable in your headline in this short, 90-second video.

Step 3: Stay Active and Up to Date

Lastly, once you have a recruiter actually looking through your profile, you want to make sure they a) like what they see and b) can tell that your profile is accurate and updated.

To get this right, don’t be lazy and skip writing a summary section. As Jenny Foss explains, “It’s where you get to lay down, if you choose to, an incredible, original first impression to recruiters, decision makers, potential clients, and the universe of other professionals.” As a recruiter herself, here are four things she likes to see in a LinkedIn summary, starting with hooking the reader with an engaging story.

And finally, to allay any concerns that your profile hasn’t been touched in years, and is in fact being used actively, post relevant industry articles to your homepage feed, “like” articles that others have posted, and maybe even write and publish your own articles to be posted through LinkedIn. Or, if you’d like it broken down further, follow this handy plan for what you should be doing on LinkedIn daily, weekly, and monthly to create an active presence.

LinkedIn is a great tool for recruiters to find talent, but it’s also a great tool for job seekers to bring eager eyes to their qualifications. To reap the benefits of recruiters relying on LinkedIn more and more, do what you can to improve where you come up when recruiters are searching, and make sure your profile is compelling enough to click. You never know what opportunities might come your way if you set yourself up to be open to them.

The post 3 Smart Ways to Attract Recruiters to Your LinkedIn Profile appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Social media can be dangerous to your career if not used wisely. We know it, employers know it – hell, even Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges it. Every day, we hear stories of people fired, people hired and people’s lives ruined because of a stupid tweet or thoughtless comment.

The problem is, the things a person shares online quickly become their personal brand – and this includes the bad as well as the good.

It’s a widely cited fact that most prospective employers Google candidates before taking their job applications to interview. But what are the red flags that scupper a hire? What are the cardinal sins of online etiquette? In short, what status updates will get you fired before you’re even hired?

A bad reference

On the web, everyone can hear you scream. In fact they can hear you scream forever and ever, down the digital ages. With tools like the Way-Back Machine allowing you to look at previous iterations of any internet site, plus the ubiquity of the phone screenshot function, literally everything online is recorded for posterity somewhere.

Thus, while Facebook might be a good way to keep all your drunken photos in one place, it also acts as a fantastic referencing system. According to Career Builder, the top no-nos online are inappropriate photos, drug references and discriminatory language. And you will be judged on your past online activity – because why should a recruiter go the trouble of contacting previous employers when they can just Google a candidate’s name?

Tempted to sign off for good? Unfortunately, the reference analogy goes further: if employers Google a candidate and find nothing – no Facebook, no Twitter, no LinkedIn – they are given just as much cause for doubt as otherwise. These days, it looks more suspicious not to be on social media than to misuse it.

TMI

Are you an over-sharer? ‘TMI’ – or ‘too much information’ – isn’t just a concern for teenage girls. Businesses are looking for employees who can separate the personal from the professional, both in the workplace and online. If your Twitter feed catalogues the entire daily grind of your previous role – or, worse, shares information that should be limited to a professional context – then you could be in hot water where both prospective and current employers are concerned.

Another issue to watch out for is volume of online interactions. If someone posts three, four, five updates a day, it’s easy for a hiring manager to question whether they should be working instead. To ensure you turn off no future employers, keep your social media to a maximum of a couple of posts a day and confine yourself to personal topics only.

Not sure what we mean? Read these horrendous, fireable updates and weep.

Defamatory remarks

Critical remarks or personal attacks are par for the course on social media platforms. But did you know that such insults can count as defamation? Whether a post is public or confined to a small group, a Facebook or Twitter update is deemed ‘published’ by a court of law. And published slander is defamatory; you could easily be sued.

Although it’s unlikely that anyone you provoke online will initiate genuine legal action against you, it’s not a good idea to taunt the beast. And do we really need to go through the reasons why patent racism, sexism or otherwise discriminatory remarks won’t boost your job prospects?

Companies that see you bandying insults online will be all too wary of turning that ire against themselves. Don’t give them a reason to fear you. Keep things clean.

Bad spelling

“U beta wotch ur speling,” said nobody ever. But spelling is a big deal, and not just on your resume. A recent YouGov survey of business decision makers revealed that a whopping 56% would reconsider a hire who employed bad grammar and/or spelling on social media.

The simple truth is that bad spelling makes you look at best lazy, at worst stupid. If you can’t be bothered to spell check your tweets, don’t put them out there. And that’s the harsh truth: on the web, you’re judged solely by what you choose to put out there. If that output is lacking, then no number of firm handshakes can help you.

The post Could These Social Media Gaffes Cost You Your Job Hunt? appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

LinkedIn has evolved to become one the most important and most prevalent resources for professional networking available. Used by more than 313 million people on an international scale, it’s no wonder why the social network has, for many professional networkers, replaced traditional forms of meeting and socializing.

Whether you network for job opportunities, sales prospects, or just overall experience, it’s true that LinkedIn can enhance your efforts — but it’s important to acknowledge a few considerations about the platform before you get too deep in your strategy.

1. Not Everyone on LinkedIn Wants to Network

This is a basic rule you’ll need to follow if you want to stay in the good graces of your current and potential connections. New LinkedIn users sometimes get excited about the notion of making new connections and start reaching out to people they haven’t met before. While some users also love the idea of meeting new people and connecting with strangers, others are offended by it and may feel as if their privacy has been disrespected if they receive such a request.

Obviously, you want to avoid such a scenario, as it could irritate a potential connection. Instead, focus on connecting with people you’ve already met or connections of people you’ve already met. Make sure to let each potential connection know how you found them and why you want to connect with them.

2. People Will Judge You Based on Your Profile

Your profile is the first thing your new connection will look at, and if you haven’t met in person before, it’s going to form their first impression of you. I don’t need to tell you how important first impressions are. Building out your profile is the best way to leave your new (and potential) connections with positive thoughts of you.

What exactly makes a good profile? There are dozens of rules and hundreds of nitpicky options you can look at, but the fundamentals are mostly intuitive:

• Customize your profile URL so it’s not just a series of random letters and numbers.
• Make sure your profile photo is a professional-looking headshot where you look your best.
• Fill out your profile with as much detailed information as you can without becoming long-winded and boastful.
• Include personal recommendations from others, if possible.

3. Your Personal Brand Should Be Treated Like a Brand

A brand is a created identity, and while yours should be based on your real personality, it should also be refined and treated like a professional company brand. As you network more on LinkedIn and engage in different discussions with different people, your audience and your network should all receive a consistent experience. That means your image, your personality, and even your language need to be in sync with each other.

Developing your personal brand will give people the consistent, desirable experience they want, and eventually, they’ll want to come back to you to repeat that experience. Connect your LinkedIn profile with your other social media profiles, and widen your audience while keeping your personal brand uniform. It’s good to show some of your unique personality, but do remember that LinkedIn isn’t a place to make emotional or personal updates — it’s a professional network, first and foremost. For more information on building a personal brand, see my article, “5 Steps to Building a Personal Brand (and Why You Need One).”

4. People Will Notice Spam and Advertising

Most connections, and most people in general, hate the idea of being advertised to. The second they understand that a message was specifically constructed to sell them on something, the authority and credibility of the message are immediately destroyed. If any of your messages or connection attempts are seen as spammy or as attempts to advertise your company or personal brand, your audience will immediately turn away from you.

Write specialized messages for your audience — in your profile, in your connection attempts, and in your discussion comments. Make sure people know that you aren’t just trying to reach out to them for artificial connection building or a blind attempt to get more business. Be yourself, and write unique messages with unique content to avoid seeming robotic or impersonal. No matter how good you think you are at subtly advertising, people will be able to detect it, and you’ll lose credibility when they do.

5. A Personal Touch Goes a Long Way

Just like in real life, people on LinkedIn crave personal acknowledgement, and if you give it to them, you’ll wind up in their good graces. You’ll want to start each possible connection on a note of personal interaction; when you request to connect with a new person, write them a message about why that connection is important to you, and include personal details so the other person knows you’re being sincere. Sending the default “Hi, I’d like to connect” message will make you seem distant and unapproachable.

Then, follow up with your connections on a regular basis. If you see it’s someone’s birthday, someone’s work anniversary, or someone’s new job or promotion, send them a congratulatory letter. Take every opportunity you can to build your relationship with tiny personal touches. Over time, your connection will grow much stronger.

6. There Is Real Power in Groups

Don’t just stick to personal profile updates and private messages with your connections. Use the power of groups to boost your potential network and reach people you’ve never met in a familiar setting. Sign up to be a part of as many groups as you deem appropriate. Learn the intentions and etiquette of each group, and get involved by starting discussions and responding to comment threads that are already in progress.

The real opportunity in groups is getting the chance to introduce yourself to new people without the breach of etiquette that comes in blindly reaching out to new connections. In a group setting, people will become familiar with your personality and authority, and it’s highly likely that you’ll attract new connections without any outbound effort. For more on using LinkedIn groups for marketing, see my article, “The Definitive Guide to LinkedIn Groups for Marketing.”

7. Face-to-Face Meetings Are Still Important

Interpersonal connections can’t thrive exclusively on social media. While the digital environment gives us a great platform to start new connections, and easily follow up with ones we’ve already made, face-to-face meetings are still important to build camaraderie and deepen those relationships. It’s not always possible due to geographical limitations and schedule restrictions, but whenever you can, try to schedule a lunch meeting or a cup of coffee with your most important — or your newest — connections.

You’d be surprised how much a face-to-face meeting can mean to a person, even in the digital age. It’s not a mandatory requirement for LinkedIn participation, of course, but LinkedIn members who do connect outside the platform tend to be more successful than members who operate exclusively in the online world.

Don’t let these truths scare you away from LinkedIn; when used correctly, it’s a great tool with few, if any, major drawbacks.

But the availability of such a powerful social network also warrants a new set of rules of etiquette. Once you become more familiar with the way LinkedIn works and the best ways to reach out to more connections, you’ll be able to build your network of professional relationships and take advantage of everything the platform has to offer.

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