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Keep Your Resume Up to Date

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If you are like most of my clients, you find it difficult and overwhelming to stay on top of your resume.

What does it mean to keep your resume up to date? What do I track? If you want to remain open to future opportunities, land a promotion, and maximize your earning potential, check this out.

I work with many clients who call me in a panic and tell me that a posting just came out and the deadline is in a few days. When they dig out their last resume, they realize that it is 10+ years old and does not contain current skills, education, or achievements. Many clients try and pull everything together quickly resulting in a scattered resume that is not persuasive or professional.

To keep your resume up to date, try these tips.

Keep a document on your desktop and track your projects. Make notes of dates, scope, and results. While the project is fresh on your mind, note project duration, budgets, costs, your role on the project, how many collaborated with you, and quantifiable results. You can also send details to yourself via email using Resume in the subject line.

I recommend tracking anything that you do that is out of the ordinary such as stepping into a leadership role. When you are going after an internal promotion, include details of times when you may have served as “Acting Supervisor” when your supervisor is away. In addition, keep a list of ALL education. Note down lunch and learns, internal trainings, seminars, workshops, and formal course work. Although we do not write “lifelong learner” on a resume, it is important to prove to the potential employer that you value professional development.

To PROVE your skill set, keep a file of your achievements. Did you win any awards or commendations? Receive an email from a happy customer? How about a card of thanks or letter of appreciation? Did you save your company or client money in some way? If you are in sales or leadership, track your numbers. Did you increase profits? Reduce labour hours? Increase customer satisfaction?

Key to keeping your resume fresh is to save a current job description. In fact… save a job description for each position you have held. A job description will help jog your memory and provide some foundational language for your resume update.

It is an overwhelming prospect to gather all the documents required to update your resume at the last moment and under pressure. Take the time to get prepared now so that you can concentrate on preparing for the interview you will land with a killer, up to date, and persuasive resume.

Did you read my last post that offered up 6 tips to consider if you’ve been promoted or downsized and need to rewrite your resume? Check that out and more posts as they are published!

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6 Tips if You’ve Been Downsized or Promoted and Need to Write Your Resume

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Have you been downsized and need to write a resume? Did an opportunity just pop up for a promotion and you need to update your resume? Does your current resume just need a shine and polish?

Before you get get started here are 6 tips to help you write a killer resume.

1. Have your current job description in front of you.

Although your current job description is probably not complete and may be out of date, it will contain information about what kinds of tasks you do every day. The job description or role responsibilities are a great starting point to develop persuasive language and remind you of what you actually do! And while you’re at it, check out this post about old school resume writing tips you’ll want to drop!

2. List any projects that you have worked on.

Special projects may be outside the daily scope of your work. Projects are an excellent way to prove your skill set. As an example, a trades person can create a “Project Page” to define scope of work. A project page contains full and detailed information about work performed and is used outside the resume as a supporting document. I recommend keeping a file on your laptop to note your out of the ordinary projects and achievements.

3. Professional experience section.

This is the meat of the resume. Start with a list of all companies going back 15 years. The company does not need a full list of all your jobs going back to babysitting or lawn mowing as a teenager. UNLESS, you are applying to become a Police Officer or Fire Fighter. Most police and fire fighting organizations want details of all paid employment. Don’t forget to update your LinkedIn profile too.

4. Quantify, quantify, quantify!

It’s not enough to list your daily tasks. You must PROVE your skill set using specific and measurable achievements. There are many ways to quantify achievements. For example, an administrative professional who compiles reports would define how many reports, how often, what kinds of reports, how many pages, and the results of the reports.

5. List all education relevant to your goal.

I have found that many clients have a narrow view of education and only want to list college degrees or trades certifications. Start by listing all courses, seminars, lunch and learns, and online courses. Then narrow down the list by deleting irrelevant courses. You must list the governing body, course name, and date. If you hold certifications that expire, note the expiration dates. By the way, anything expired should be removed from your resume.

6. Volunteer experience can help you land an interview!

If you don’t volunteer, now is the time to start! Companies appreciate candidates who are community minded. Briefly outline your achievements and what you accomplished. If you “Run for the Cure” talk about how much $$ you have raised, how often, and your role on the team.

Once you have gathered all the relevant material, you will be ready to hand the info over to a professional resume writer or tackle it on your own. And now that you’ve got these tips under your belt, check out the blog about what to wear to your next job interview. 

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Your Personal Bio: Boring or Brilliant?

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With the social media frenzy long upon us, it is crucial to develop powerful business relationships. A key component of constructing lasting, profitable connections is the ability to engage others with persuasive images and copy to create a network of people who know, like, and trust you.

A personal bio creates a first impression, helps build your brand, and allows you to differentiate yourself from the crowd. If you do not have a current personal bio, you need one!

When to Use a Personal Bio

  • For social media profiles in the summary/bio/about section. A 2000 character bio is used in the summary section of LinkedIn and a micro version of 160 characters for Twitter.
  • On websites and blogs on the “About” pages for visitors to find out about you, not about the topics you are writing about or your product.
  • To book speaking, presenting, or training gigs and is often used as an introduction. The personal bio may be used in the organizations’ newsletters, brochures, email blasts, and their social media.
  • When looking for employees or contractors, employers often search on line for a bio.
  • To include with any publications such as e-books, books, reports, news releases, brochures, programs, or guest blogs.

4 Steps to Crafting a Brilliant Personal Bio

  1. Be Authentic

Your bio must be a true representative of who you are and what you can do. Use adjectives to give the reader a sense of your personality, temperament, values, and ethics. Spice your bio up with power action words, avoiding “ing” passive verbs.

  1. Establish Your Credentials

Your bio needs to persuade someone on why they should trust and work with you. What expertise do you bring to the table? Include formal credentials such as degrees, diplomas, or certificates. Use informal credentials to describe your experience that makes you an expert in your topic. Keep in mind your target audience and try to get their attention.

  1. Showcase Your Expertise

To demonstrate that you are an expert and leader in your field, share books or articles you published, awards achieved, and recognition you received. Let others speak for you to establish credibility and trustworthiness. What will impress your target market and provide the “WOW” factor?

  1. Keep It Short

Your bio should be one or two paragraphs long and written in the third person. Ensure that you include the most relevant and persuasive facts in the first paragraph to capture the readers’ attention and establish your expertise and credibility. Today’s readers are on information overload and may only read the first part, so grab their attention at the outset. To help you prioritize your notes, follow the “Inverted Pyramid” method.

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Take the time to put together a concise, thoughtful, organized, and convincing bio to help you develop your personal brand. An effective, authentic bio will pave the way to establishing a network of connections who know, like, and trust you. A brilliant bio is an effectual tool to generate a tribe of evangelists who will generate leads, send referrals, and buy your products.

If you need help developing a bio that works, please call Cathy Moleschi at 778 878 6210 or fill out the contact form today!

 

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The Top 8 Advantages of Blogging for your Business

To Blog or Not to Blog?

This is not a question. It is vital for all business owners to BLOG on a regular basis. Do you ever ask yourself what is a BLOG? Do you ever wonder what the fuss is all about? How often should you post a BLOG? What should you write about? There are many advantages of blogging for business that all professionals and owners need to know.

But first.

A BLOG or a web log is an online journal or article on the internet. In a BLOG you can include pictures, links, video and as well as text allowing you the ability to be very creative.

I recommend posting an article at least once per week in order to fully gain the benefits of blogging. Your content should contain interesting, useful information that your target market will be likely to share.

To Blog or Not to Blog: The Top 8 Advantages of Blogging

1. It is free except for the time it takes to write and post an article.

2. A BLOG drives traffic to your website giving you the opportunity to promote your product to your target market.

3. A BLOG creates fresh, quality content for your website keeping your site Google friendly.

4. A BLOG can be used to inform or teach your customers and staff about your product and company.

5. A BLOG sets you up as an expert in your field and helps you build trust and a solid long term relationship with your current and potential markets.

6. A BLOG helps you increase your potential market by giving you access to people that traditional marketing does not provide.

7. A BLOG increases SEO optimization by the inclusion of key words, phrases and links. Once your website is optimized, potential clients looking for your services will be able to find you more easily.

8. Most importantly…….. a BLOG is free! As part of your overall social media and marketing plan, a BLOG is very affordable and works.

Many business owners become stalled, wonder what to write about and stress about perfect grammar and spelling. My advice is to put pen to paper and write about what you know.

Just set aside 10 minutes a day to free write ideas that your customers care about. After you get some ideas down, pick one and write three short paragraphs.

After you have written the three paragraphs, CAREFULLY check for grammar and spelling and have it proofed by a grammar nerd friend before posting it on your website, business fan page, twitter and all other social media platforms that you are using. Send it out via MailChimp or a similar email service provider to further spread the word.

Start your BLOG now and sit back and reap the benefits.

Feel free to contact me for additional information. Good luck and happy blogging!

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Your LinkedIn Profile Headline: Dazzle or Fizzle?

Does your LinkedIn Profile heading have pizzazz? Is your headline a true representation of who you are, what service you offer, and what you can do? Does it inspire the reader to continue reading?

Many professionals are stuck in a rut and only have their name and job title. Your headline is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and it is simple to jazz up!

Your Linkedin headline is the first opportunity to persuade possible clients and connections to read your entire profile. Most professionals, if they even have a headline, list their job title. Do NOT just describe your job! Include in your headline words that describe the benefit of your skill set and let your personality shine!

Not everyone will want to do business with you, so add in a snippet of your character to attract the clients and connections  you want. Remember to keep it professional and showcase your talents and skills within 120 characters!

To get you started thinking about how to increase the effectiveness of your headline…

Here’s a few before and after examples

Fizzle

Kevin Knebl – Speaker and Author

Dazzle

Kevin Knebl – Social Selling & Relationship Marketing Speaker/Author ★ The Most Positive & Encouraging Guy On Earth ★ 1450+ Recs ツ

Fizzle

Brian Tilbury – Millwright and Welder

Dazzle

Brian Tilbury – Experienced, Reliable Certified Millwright & ‘A’ Level Welder Serving with Integrity The Fraser Valley And Beyond.

Fizzle

Cathy Moleschi – Writer and Business Consultant

Dazzle

Cathy Moleschi – Experienced, Productive, Persuasive and Creative Writing/ Marketing/Sales Professional

Distinguish yourself from your competition and invest a little time in developing a LinkedIn headline that will draw people in, create valuable connections, increase sales, and motivate a team of evangelists who will send you referrals!

First impressions are everything, in life… but especially in business. Does your current LinkedIn profile inspire and motivate people to contact you? An optimized profile could easily pay itself back in just ONE new project, client or job!

Call me at 778 878 6210if you need some dazzle in your LinkedIn profile and let’s have coffee.