Have you touched your resume since college? Have you heard over and over how important it is to have an accurate and active LinkedIn account?
There’s no better time than the new year to make these changes. So, if you’re looking for a new job or trying to make important connections, the following is essential.
Even if you aren’t actively looking for something new, your resume should always be up-to-date and ready to send at a moment’s notice.
Your resume isn’t meant to be a list of every job you’ve ever had. So as much as you loved that lifeguarding job in high school, chances are it’s time to let it go.
Your resume should typically reflect no more than your past 10-15 years of work experience.
Not only do you want to purge old details, you want to add what’s new. Update your resume with your current place of employment or recent education credentials. Also, don’t forget to add any additional skills or certifications you’ve acquired.
Resumes should be tailored and crafted to the job or employer you want. Be familiar both with the industry and your target company. Do a little research and use language that shows you are familiar with this space and can handle yourself appropriately.
As you advance through your career, the items in your resume should change position. For example, when you first graduated, your educational experience was likely the focus of your resume. However, if you’ve been working for quite some time, the focus is more your positions and places of employment rather than where you went to school.
Adjust accordingly. If you need to move work experienceto the top and drop education further down, do it.
We don’t need to spend a lot of time here. Reread what you wrote. Fix spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting so everything is consistent.
In our digital age, you can guarantee employers aren’t granting interviews off resumes alone. Hiring managers will search online and investigate your social presence.
One of the best ways to put your best foot forward is to have an updated LinkedIn profile that is just as current as your resume. While many of the principles above also apply to your profile, here are a few additional changes you should make.
If you’re 7 years into your career and still using your college graduation picture, it’s time to change. Also, make sure it’s professional. It shouldn’t be something you’d use on Facebook.
As you change your profile picture, update your headline and summary. This is often the first thing people will learn about you when they come across your profile. This isn’t where you outline your entire career. Rather, quickly summarize your professional accomplishments or what you do.
This is different than Talk the Talk. This deals more with using the right terms to improve the chances people will come across your profile while searching specific positions or candidates. One of the best ways to identify the right keywords is to search current job postings in your field. Incorporate those keywords into your summary, skills, and job history.
If possible, it’s always a good idea to include examples of your work on LinkedIn. If you’re a writer, include a recent article. If you’re in advertising, is there a campaign you can point to?
Also, ask current and previous clients and colleagues if they’d be willing to leave a recommendation on your page. Much like your online purchases, we always feel more comfortable when something is reviewed and has a high rating.
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