Amplify your resume and career profile to get noticed in 2021!
When I say, “I gotta update my resume and LinkedIn profile,” what comes to mind?
Most people only tend to these elements when they’re looking for another job, and it would certainly make sense to focus your attention on those things when you’re seeking a new position.
However, when you relate to your resume and your LinkedIn profile as key components of your professional brand, you might begin to see the value of tending to these elements on a regular basis. Even if you are not looking for another job, investing in an impactful career profile can yield dividends. Whether it is a customer looking you up to see if you might have something to offer before committing to a meeting with you, or there’s an investor looking to see the firepower behind your company before they open their checkbook, your LinkedIn profile is often the first resource people reach when determining if they’ll play ball with you. Don’t you do that yourself? I rest my case.
Here are 5 easy tips to boost your professional brand in a few minutes:
1. Plagiarize! Job postings have extensive detail on what’s expected in the role; simply cut and paste from that versus writing your job description from scratch. If you have the job description for the position you currently hold, or if you’ve had recent success in landing that new job, simply copy the bullet points from the job description and paste it onto your resume and career profile. “The minute I get a new job, I put that detail on my resume and LinkedIn profile,” revealed one Career Letters client. “That way, I don’t have to worry about it I have trouble remembering what I did last week, never mind the things I did in a role I had 10 years ago!”
2. Acknowledge your accomplishments: Have you been recognized for your work lately? Did you win a President’s Club trip for overachievement? Did you get promoted? Did you join an affiliation? Plug those into your resume and career profile while they’re fresh in your mind. Whenever you update your achievements in your career profile, people notice. Apart from the endorphin rush of getting “likes” for a new announcement, recruiters utilizing AI on LinkedIn will take notice as they search to fill your next dream job.
3. A picture is worth 1000 words: choose a professional picture of yourself. Face it: the airbrushed “Glam Shot” you took in the mall 25 years ago makes you look like you were carved from cream cheese. Unless you’re looking to get a job as a commercial fisherman, avoid profile pictures of you in your wading boots with that big catch in your hand. A well-lit, tight shot of you in professional attire is a good look; spend the money on a professional photographer that paints the picture of you ready for the boardroom!
4. Show the Whole Person: if you are affiliated with any boards or have done volunteer work, make sure that activity makes it on your profile. Hobbies and interests are generally left off the resume, though you might hint at some of those interests by liking certain pages on your LinkedIn profile.
5. Don’t forget about internal profile! Many companies use automated HR programs like Workday and Paychex to automate everything from internal job applications to paid time off. If your company uses an automated HR system, you likely have a profile on there as well. Hiring managers in your own company use the HR system to scout for applicants all the time. Keeping that internal profile updated by migrating elements of your resume onto the site increases your chances of reaching the hiring manager that’s been looking.
Mike Farragher is the CEO and Co-Founder of Career Letters, a professional branding service specializing in resume and career profile remodeling. He is the author of six novels, playwright of 2 Off Broadway plays, and producer of an award-winning TV comedy pilot. Prior to that, he was a VP level hiring manager at Fortune 50 companies and startups in the biotech space for two decades. Check out Career Letters at www.careerletters.com
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