Tips on Conducting a Job Search During the Holiday Season Time to get that executive resume polished up! Job searching during the holidays can be turn out to be very productive with a well-crafted plan of approach. If you find that your calendar generally opens as the year winds down, the holiday season can bring to bear an array of opportunities to network and volunteer to meet and connect with new people. If you are between jobs, holiday events can offer the chance to "get some fresh air." Venturing out and talking with people can sometimes be surprisingly energizing. Perhaps [...]

Strategies to Personalize Your Resume Resumes are in some ways like weddings; they come in many sizes, styles, and presentations. However, at the center of both is the desire for your personality to shine through. Your executive resume should certainly convey your career accomplishments, yet it is very refreshing to also pepper in short and brief copy blocks of content that showcase your personal attributes. Make your summary pop with a blend of achievements, value, and personality. For example, if you are a manufacturing executive, a suggested line in your summary may read as follows: “Operations strategist with a well-balanced [...]

Easy Ways to Keep Your Executive Resume Current With most recruiters using LinkedIn to source talent, it is imperative that as a career professional, you maintain a current executive resume as your next leadership opportunity can arise even if you are not in active job search mode. Through social media, you can get a position referral, or a recruiter may reach out to you regarding an opening, whatever the case may be, it is best to be prepared. Keep reading for some useful tips on how to write a current executive resume. Follow target companies on LinkedIn:  In most industries [...]

Not on LinkedIn...You Could Be Missing Out LinkedIn is an essential job search tool for every stage of your career from student to professional, mid-career, or senior-leader level. LinkedIn is just as important as your executive resume in your pursuit of new leadership opportunities or career advancement. Spending 15-30 minutes each week on LinkedIn can enhance your credibility, job prospects,  and create visibility. With 94% of recruiters using LinkedIn to search candidates, you can connect with recruiters who hire for your specialty area, industry, target companies, and geography. Keeping your profile updated with a compelling headline, impactful summary, and experience [...]

Keywords Matter....However, Remember   to Tell Your Story in Your Executive Resume Keywords are great and certainly a worthwhile addition to your executive resume. They add a powerful punch to your professional resume and provide an opportunity for you to articulate subject matter expertise, targeted competencies, a more focused body of knowledge, and so much more.  However, to help achieve greater balance in your CEO resume, perhaps you can incorporate the C.A.R. technique into your resume writing strategy to succinctly convey some of the stories that serve as the foundation for your leadership success. The C.A.R. approach stands for Challenge, Action, [...]

Interview Strategies for Career Changers As we begin to wind down the year, you may find yourself at a crossroads in your career. We all know that with each new year comes new possibilities for us to grow and branch out both personally and professionally. Career-wise, in the event you are embarking upon a career change,  refreshing your executive resume and brushing up on your interview strategies are two critical aspects of an effective job search plan. Knowing how to prepare for an interview when making a career change can vary widely depending on many factors such as the role, [...]

Two Easy Ways to Strengthen Your Executive Resume Current resume formats are visually engaging, focused, and provide a clear picture of your most valuable leadership qualifications. During the process of writing a good executive resume, if you find yourself investing hours into strategizing and deciding how to convey your voice to connect with your audience or what to keep versus what to cut from the final version of your executive resume. Keep reading for some great tips on how to make two easy tweaks to your current resume format to give it a nice refresh. Quantify Your Leadership Contributions: If [...]

Interview Reminders The first impression is a lasting impression. We’ve all heard this before, thus … when interviewing, this is one of the most important facts to bear in mind. Below I have outlined some practical planning tips to help you succeed in acing the interview. Pre-Planning: Dress to Land the Job: Research the company in advance of the interview by using glassdoor.com or on indeed.com to get a feel for the culture. This may help to guide your decision regarding whether a suit or khakis are appropriate attire.  Details matter; take pride in your appearance. Iron out any wrinkles [...]

How to Get Your Executive Resume Interview Ready Writing an executive resume that helps you feel confident and well prepared for a job interview can be an overwhelming exercise. From knowing how to write a current resume that translates your voice on paper, to aligning key areas in your resume with interview responses, to finding the time to invest in an effective job search strategy; there are many pieces to the puzzle to succeed in the job market. When deciding how to create an executive resume that generates interviews, be sure to clearly state how your most marketable value fits [...]

Tips on Formatting and Strategizing Your Executive Resume Structuring an executive resume to achieve considerable traction among hiring professionals can be a little tricky at times. After all, objectively viewing one’s career can be perceived as a challenging activity. However, to compete among today’s pool of leadership candidates, effectively translating a strong message into a marketable career portfolio which may include a CEO resume, current cover letter, LinkedIn profile, or executive Bio is a necessity in the present employment landscape. Although your entire executive resume is important, particular emphasis should be given to the opening body of the document. Remove [...]