The truth is that most college graduates struggle with finding a job. The majority of college career centers lack the resources to meet the individual needs of the over 2 million college students who will graduate with a bachelors degree in 2021 seeking entry-level jobs. 

If you want to prepare for a successful job search and take advantage of job opportunities, here are 5 college grad job search tips for success. 

Start Online Networking — Now

If you haven’t already, start building your network to leverage the power of networking in 2021 and beyond.

Often, it’s about the people you know and who they can introduce you to. Studies show that 70-80% of jobs are filled directly through personal referrals. Networking is a key part of any successful job search. You don’t need to wait until you are working to start building your network.

So, start developing your network now. Start by building relationships with people that you come into contact regularly. This may include fellow students, teachers, professors, and advisors on campus. If you volunteer or work in a job or internship, there are several opportunities to build your network.

Job Search Tips for College Grads

While the job market recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, here are a few important things to keep in mind to position yourself for job search success. 

Mindset & Attitude for Job Search

Be flexible when considering your options. Entry-level jobs are just that, entry-level. Your first job is the first career step. It may take a couple of steps to figure out what you really want. Don’t get too bogged down trying to land the “dream job.” Your career path will evolve as you build experience, skills, and knowledge about your career passions to create new goals.   

You’ll also need to be resilient and determined. While some industries are thriving (technology, accounting, finance, supply chain, logistics, marketing, human resources), others are still recovering (hospitality, travel, entertainment). Keep your fundamental goals in mind.

Consistently work your job search and career marketing plans to achieve the best results in the shortest time. 

You’ll Need a Modern College Grad Resume 

Your resume is probably one of the most important career marketing tools you’ll need for a successful job search. Yes, I said “Career Marketing” tool since essentially that is what you will be doing — marketing yourself.  

Keep in mind that the modern job search is driven by technology. This means your resume must highlight your unique qualifications for your career target, separate you from your competition, and get you past the applicant tracking system (ATS) software. You’ll need to include the appropriate keywords and keyword phrases that illustrate your skill and experience for all job applications. 

Yes, I said “skill and experience.” Even college graduates seeking entry-level positions have relevant skills and experience to draw upon. Whether it’s academic projects or coursework, volunteer experience, or community involvement, there are several areas to explore to find, and highlight, valuable experience.      

Finally, your resume must have strong visual appeal to connect with human recruiters and hiring managers. 

How To Include Internships (Paid and Unpaid)

One of the most common questions that college graduates have is “Where do I put my internship experience?” This is a good question. Unfortunately, like with many things in resume writing the answer largely depends on you, your situation, and your career goals. 

For some clients, internship experience warrants a whole section due to the depth of experience, the number of internships involved or other unique sets of circumstances. 

In situations where you had one internship, aligned with your career goals, and you have other work experience, you can include the internship in the work experience section.

Other internships are narrower in scope and duration and may fit better in the Education section. As I said previously, there are so many variables, no client situation and background are an exact match.  

The bottom line here is whether your internship is paid or unpaid, it’s work experience. If it’s relevant to your career or job target — include it. Your volunteer experience, community leadership, and other areas may also be valuable to highlight your qualifications in your college grad job search.  

Build a Professional Image and Leverage the Power of LinkedIn 

Let’s face it, the world is becoming a digital landscape. This is true for both the workplace and the job search. 

According to LinkedIn, there are more than 100 million job openings every month, with 35 million of them being filled by applicants through LinkedIn. Without a doubt, this professional social media platform is one of the best ways to find a job.

LinkedIn is the “professional” social media network and the “place to be” to market yourself to potential employers. To maximize your career and business opportunities, build a professional profile on LinkedIn that communicates your unique combination of skills, experiences, passions, and personality. Keep your message professional, LinkedIn is not the place to relive your partying escapades. 

You’ll need to dig in and learn how recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to find candidates like you. As a starting point, you’ll want to focus on your Headline, About, Education, Skills, and Experience sections. These are all relevant for most college grads seeking entry-level jobs. You’ll also want to use a photo that presents you in a professional environment. Appear as you would want to appear while meeting a potential boss for the first time. 

Think of LinkedIn as your digital billboard. There is so much to unpack but you can find more tips and insights on LinkedIn here.    

Best Entry-Level Job Sites for College Graduates

In this technological age there is no shortage of career websites for college graduates to search for entry-level jobs following graduation. I’ll list a few of my favorite entry-level job sites below. 

As I mentioned previously, LinkedIn is an amazing resource and the place to be for all things professional. In addition to networking opportunities, LinkedIn is job search database, it serves as a digital resume and a social network all in one place. Build a strong, keyword-optimized profile to market yourself and be found by recruiters and hiring managers. LinkedIn has so much to offer that it ranks as the #1 place to find entry-level jobs for college graduates.   

Indeed, is second on my list since it is the largest job search engine in the world. The portal is so large that it offers something for everyone, including entry-level job seekers and college graduates, and provides extensive search criteria.  

Another online search option that you may not have heard of is Google. Google has built a very powerful job search engine pulling jobs from many popular sites including Ladders, Zip Recruiter, Career Builder, LinkedIn, Military.com, Glassdoor, and Monster. Like both LinkedIn and Indeed, you can search, sort, save, and set job alerts in the portal. For many, Google will save you time since you no longer need to check all the different job search portals. Be aware, you will not find Indeed listings among your Google results. So, you’ll need to continue to check Indeed if you want to see their job postings.   

Another great job search hub is FlexJobs. This is an excellent resource for college graduates. FlexJobs specializes in remote, work from home (WFH), and flexible jobs including entry-level and early career experience level positions. FlexJobs is a fee-based service that utilizes the revenue to create a great user experience by ensuring positions are legitimate, providing product discounts, and job search support services. 

You can follow this link to find a few more online search options and additional resources.

Career Services Professional for College Grads

Searching for entry-level positions after graduating from college can be complicated and exhausting. The differing perspectives of grads and parents can create stress that isn’t good, or helpful, for anyone. Instead, cut down the stress, reduce the time spent in your job search and optimize your employment options by hiring a pro. 

EZ Resume Services is a full-service career firm offering tailored services for college graduates and entry-level job seekers. Whether you need help to clarifying career goals, identifying relevant skills and experience, or creating exceptional career marketing materials, we can help. 

Schedule a complimentary session with me. We’ll discuss your situation and create a plan to move forward.

The post Five College Grad Job Search Tips For Success appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

Recently, I heard an example of one job seeker who had sent off their resume 50 times and had secured one interview. This can be discouraging to your job search efforts! However, this scenario hasn’t happened just to one person. It has happened to many people who experience difficulties during a job search.

GOOD NEWS

The good news is, this jobseeker recognized that they needed help and sought assistance. Whether you’re in the job market by choice or due to circumstances beyond your control –  there are specific areas that you should focus on to increase your chances of success!

10 KEY JOB SEARCH ACTION ITEMS

Here are the top 10 things to do when you are looking for a job.

1. Get Your Financial House In Order – You’ll be in better shape to make a change if you’re on a sound financial footing. As you start this process make sure a financial evaluation is part of your plan.
2. Change Jobs, Change Careers or Change Direction? – Do you want to change the company you work for or change your career path entirely? Review your options and consider them realistically.
3. Develop a Plan – Take time to establish goals and organize your activities. Outline a strategy and then use your plan to create a weekly list of activities. Review and update your plan to make sure you are moving forward.
4. Recruit Support – You don’t have to go it alone in your job search. Ask your family and friends to support you. Use the services offered by your city, county, or state employment office. Consider professional help offered by a resume writer or career consultant.
5. Marketing Material – If your direction forward involves a job search, you’ll need a resume and cover letter at the minimum. Based upon your job target and career level, you may need to update or create a LinkedIn profile.

More Job Search Action Items

1. Networking – One of the best ways to get your foot in the door is through people you already know — and the people they know. Make a list of all the people you know who can help you with your job search.
2. Social Media – Review your current social media profiles for any potentially negative content. In today’s job market, recruiters and hiring managers regularly check social media to screen candidates.
3. Job Search – Plan to invest time and effort to reach your goal. You need to network, research jobs that are not posted publicly as well as review online postings. You also need to ensure your effort is productive. Remember – stay positive and focused.
4. Interviewing – Take time to prepare for interviews by researching the company. Outline how your skills and experience make you the ideal candidate. Prepare, practice and plan for each interview so that everything goes smoothly.
5. My Search Isn’t Working – First, figure out where you’re lost or stuck in your job search. Is your resume getting interviews? Are you getting offers after your interviews? You have to identify the problem before you can find a solution. Consider seeking guidance from a resume writer or career consultant.

STRATEGY & PLAN

Most important, make sure to develop a plan and strategy to achieve your objective. Your plan becomes your roadmap. Work your plan and strategy to create opportunities. Prepare and practice to take advantage of the opportunities you create.

NEED HELP?

Are ready to get your job search moving and find the job that fits you best? If so, schedule a complimentary session with me to get started.

To Your Success!

Rob

The post 10 Key Action Items for A Successful Job Search appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

The reality is that the modern job search is complicated by evolving technology. Technology makes it easier for job seekers to apply to TONS of jobs via the internet. However, on the receiving end, it requires more effort to receive and sort through the large volume of resumes received. To handle the volume in a systematic, organized, and impartial manner, technology is used to receive and filter resumes. The key is to understand how sending your resume with technology can work for you – not against you.

HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY READ MY RESUME?

The vast majority of companies utilize Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software to receive, review and store resumes. But that’s not their only function. The primary technological benefit hiring managers and recruiters get from ATS is that the systems filter candidates OUT. The ATS system reads your resume and compares it to the job description. If your resume is not ATS friendly or keyword optimized to the job description, you will be filtered out before a human ever reads it – regardless of your qualifications.

PASSING THE TECHNOLOGY FILTER

Understanding the challenge you face is only half the battle. But, if you’ve come this far and you “get it” – you’ve come a long way. Now, to pass the ATS test, you need to focus on three key areas to improve your results. Let’s review each now.

#1 – KEEP IT SIMPLE

If you need to write your resume and don’t know where to start, the internet has thousands (if not more) free templates to help you. The problem is most cannot be read by ATS systems. Stay away from fancy fonts, graphics and formatting – keep it simple. Use standard fonts such as Calibri, Arial or Verdana. Keep your headings simple (Skills, Work Experience, Education) and well-organized with the appropriate white space around each section for definition. List your work experience in chronological order, or you risk confusing the ATS system and being filtered out.

#2 – KEYWORDS COUNT

As I said previously, the ATS compares your resume with the job description looking for a specific keyword match. Keywords can be skills, abilities, credentials or other qualities that the job description contains. You should review the job description to identify the keywords included. Look for hard and soft skills. Keep in mind that hard skills are usually more important than soft skills. But a mix of both is important. Once you have identified the Keywords needed, find a way to include the ones that apply to you on your resume.

#3 – TAILOR EVERY RESUME

Remember, the ATS wants specific keywords to see a match. Therefore, to increase your chances of passing the ATS filter, you must tailor every resume for every position. Yes, this is time-consuming and a lot of work. But it’s necessary if you want the job. Why? Because in today’s job market, jobs with the same titles can require very different skills and abilities (keywords) from different companies. Even positions with the same company but in different departments can require different skills.

TAKE-AWAY

The bottom line, sending your resume and waiting is no longer an option. Technology can work for you or against you. If your resume is effectively communicating your skills, abilities, and qualifications and you are applying to positions you are qualified for, you should expect 3 calls from every ten resumes you send out.

NEED HELP

Ready to get your job search off the ground? Schedule a complimentary session here. We’ll discuss your needs and ways that we can help you.

To Your Success!

The post Three Key Reasons You’re Not Getting Calls After Sending Your Resume appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

Now, entering 2021, some industries, such as healthcare and technology, are experiencing strong demand while others, such as hospitality, travel, and entertainment continue to struggle. Depending on the field you are in, you might be lucky to find a job within a few weeks of looking for one. Or, if you are like a lot of people, it could take months to find the right job fit for you.

Finding a job can be a full-time job in itself.

If you are tired of spending time chasing mediocre job listings and going to interview after interview with no luck, there is a solution for you.

A job search strategy job worksheet can help streamline your job search process and get you faster, more positive results in your job search. It can also help to identify why your resume is not getting any calls from recruiters and employers.

Keep reading for more information about how this tool can help you find your perfect job.

What is a Job Search Strategy Worksheet?

A job search strategy worksheet is a tool to help you find the job you actually want and one that will be a much better fit for your needs and skillset. It helps bring clarity and focus to your job search.

It helps you identify the jobs that are well suited for you, allowing you to focus on jobs that are a good fit versus spending time and effort pursuing jobs that are not a good fit. 

You can either print out the job search strategy worksheet or fill it out on your computer. Either way, take the time to review and complete one to remove the guesswork, stress, and frustration from your job search. 

The Power of Writing It Down

Writing down your career goals is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself as you start your job search. Goal setting is considered by many to be an important first step to career success.

Use the job search strategy worksheet provided here, to write down your career goals and conduct a career self-assessment. It will help to clarify your strengths, weaknesses, goals, areas for improvement, career interests, and values—all important ingredients you need to consider when choosing a specific job or career target.  

It also touches on the power of visualization. When you complete your job search strategy worksheet, it will help you create a picture of your perfect job. Once you have, envision yourself in that picture.

Tips for Completing a Job Search Strategy Worksheet

Are you ready to get to work and develop your job search strategy? Start with these easy steps as outlined on the job strategy worksheet and build a winning strategy for your job or career target.

Objective

The first step in a job search strategy worksheet is to write down the main objectives that you want to realize in finding a new job. Now, writing down something generic like, “I need a job, any job,” won’t work. You need to be more specific.

For example. Is it to meet a certain salary requirement? Is it to work for a company that aligns with your values and passions? Or is your main career objective to work for a company where there is plenty of room for internal upward movement?

Whatever your main objectives are, write them down. This will help focus your energy on the companies that will help you satisfy the goals you have set.  

This is a good time to also list the things you DO NOT WANT in your next job or career. Identifying your objectives will save you time and energy since you will stop applying to positions that do not align with your career goals.  

Location Preferences

The next step is to identify where you want to work. This is critical. Are you willing to relocate? If so, where? Across the country, within the state or across town? Are you willing to endure a commute, or do you plan to rely on public transportation? Perhaps you are interested in remote work only and want to live by the beach?

Whatever you decide, once you define your location preferences for your job search, you can focus on jobs that meet your specific requirements.

Eliminate any job that does not meet your location preferences from consideration and dedicate more time to jobs that fit your needs. You may decide to weigh some factors more heavily than others.  

Professional Skillset

Write down all of the competencies that you have to offer potential employers. Think skills, experience, and knowledge. List the things that you bring to the table that would make you a strong candidate for your ideal job or career.

Are you excellent at corporate communications? Do you have a history of completing projects on time and meeting deadlines? Are you able to multitask on a variety of projects?

List out all your relevant job experience, education, training and certifications. Use this section to see where you thrive professionally. 

This section can also help you identify parts of previous jobs that you do not enjoy. Highlight areas that you want to avoid in your future job. This can include things like meeting with customers or making presentations. 

Personal Skills and Strengths

List your personal talents and superpowers (soft skills) that make you unique and a valuable candidate to hire. In 2021, highly desirable soft skills include adaptability, work ethic, creativity, active listening, teamwork, and others.

Are you creative? Do you work well in teams? Are you a problem solver? Do you get along with people easily?

This is very important to figure out. Keep in mind, employers want to hire candidates who are well qualified for a position. But they also want to hire someone they get along with who integrates well with the team and organization.  

Personality matters just as much as job experience for some positions. 

Career Interests

Next, list what kind of position you are seeking.

Do you want a full-time position or are you looking for something more temporary or part-time? Are you someone who likes to be in the same position for a long period or do you prefer to be promoted and move up the ladder at a rapid pace?

Identifying the type of career you want – not just the type of work you will be doing – will help you narrow your job search down to something that aligns with your career goals.

Ideal Company

This is the part of your job search strategy worksheet where you list the ideal qualities of the company you would like to work for. 

Ask yourself these questions.

What type of company would you love to work for? How important is a company’s culture to you? Do you like when a company has a strict hierarchy, or do you prefer a company with more open channels of communication?

Another factor that may be important to you is the type of work that your ideal company does. For example, if you are passionate about the environment and clean energy, it would probably be difficult to work for an oil and gas company. 

Some job seekers put a high priority on working for a company that aligns with their values. You want to work for a company that you feel good about. Write down the criteria that are important for you.

Qualifications Needed

What are the qualifications that your job target requires? Do some research so that you have a good understanding of the skills, experience and qualifications needed for your dream job.   

Does your job target require someone bilingual? Maybe your job target requires digital and graphic design experience?

Knowing and understanding the qualifications of your dream job can help you make more informed decisions about the skill sets you need to win interviews and get hired. List the common skills, experience and qualifications required for your job or career choice. Generally, at a minimum, your qualifications should be a 70%-80% match for the positions you pursue.

Preferred Job Title or Function

This is where you consider all of your input and start to develop a job or career target. Need help? Use the online Skills Matcher to help you identify career options that might be a good fit for your skills.

Consider your professional skillset, the qualifications needed for your ideal job target, and companies that align with your values to create an actual list of potential jobs. Focus your efforts on the jobs on this list.

Preferred Salary 

What is your preferred salary? Are you willing to negotiate? Are you willing to take a pay cut to start at a new company?

Again, do some research upfront so that you have a general idea of the salary or pay rates as they apply to your search. Two resources that may be helpful to you are O*NET and PayScale.

Be prepared and know what you are willing to accept when it comes to salary. Being prepared and informed will help you position yourself for success when it comes time to negotiate.

Contact Us Today to Jump Start Your Job Search

The job search can be challenging, but it can also be extremely rewarding once you find that perfect job. 

Completing a job search strategy worksheet can help you discover what the perfect job looks like for you.  

If you are ready to get your career search off the ground and find the job that fits you best, reach out to us here at EZ Resume Services.

Sign up for a complimentary session to go over your career goals and let us help you find the pathway to your perfect career. 

The post Advance Your Career With a Job Search Strategy Worksheet appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

We spend way too much of our time at work (by some estimates, one-third of our entire lives) to spend it in roles that we don’t find fulfilling.

Making a career change can be incredibly difficult and scary, though. For this reason, many people never end up taking the leap.

Is it time for you to make a change in your career? A personal marketing plan helps you focus on the job and companies that you want to target. It also helps you to understand the value you offer to potential employers as well as identify skill or ability gaps. This will help prepare you for a successful job search or career change.

Here are five reasons why a personal marketing plan will help your career transition go more smoothly.

1. It Can Lead to Business Success

If you are a job seeker that is changing careers, a personal marketing plan can help you be more successful. Having a formal plan written down on paper can completely change the way you look at the process and how you execute. It brings clarity and focus to the things that are important to your future growth and success.

2. It Can Help You Understand and Achieve Your Goals

It’s hard to achieve your goals if you don’t exactly understand what they are. As a first step, start by outlining what exactly it is that you are looking to achieve in your career change and in your new industry. Think, job, industry, company, location, culture of the organization, all the things that are important to you.

Once you understand what your goals are, then you can start breaking them down into the steps it will take to achieve them. Until you have clarity, it’s all too easy to be swimming in a pool of uncertainty.

3. It Can Guide You to Research Opportunities and Trends in the Industry

Making a career change is a very big decision. Before you make the decision to take a leap, it’s important that you understand your career options to determine if your new career path will be the right path for you. You need to be able to answer the questions, “Will you find the work fulfilling and will it fit your needs?”

As we have witnessed, industries can change radically in short periods of time. So, if you grew up wanting to pursue a certain job, or career, it could actually be completely different at this point.

Industry Trends & Opportunities

Developing a personal marketing plan, as part of your job search, will essentially force you to research the industry trends and opportunities in front of you. The information will help you make an informed decision that’s right for you, pointing yourself in the right direction.

If you are making a major career shift into a totally different industry, it’s important to do as much research as possible. Be sure that your expectations for your new career are based on facts, not a lack of understanding or misinformation. The research phase is one of the most important steps in this process. After all, you’re better off finding out that a career path leads to nowhere now while you still have other options versus pursing it now only to find out there are no jobs later.

4. It Will Help You Understand What You Bring to the Table

To create a personal marketing plan you need to conduct a self-assessment to identify skills and abilities that you can leverage for your next job or career.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. So, when you conduct your analysis this will help you clarify both for you and enhance your self-awareness. The key here, is to then identify which skills that you’ve obtained that are transferable skills. In other words, what skills have you used successfully in your past or current job, that you can use in your future job or career.

Transferable skills can be hard, soft, or technical skills. Make a list of those that are transferable as well as examples of how you have used them in the past. These examples will help you as you market yourself and prepare for interviews.

5. It Will Make You More Confident in Your Career Change

Confidence is essential when you’re making a big change in your life, no different making a career change. Many people opt to stay in their comfort zones and not take risks for fear of failure. While fear can be a strong force, it is a sad reality that many people stay in an unfulfilling job that they do not enjoy simply because they do not have the confidence to make a change.

Do you want to build confidence in your ability to successfully make a career transition? Here’s how.

Getting Started

First, stop daydreaming and start taking real steps to put together your personalized marketing plan. The process will help bring clarity and focus to the value you have to offer potential employers, your career options, and together, form an action plan that you can use to guide your career transition.

Second, when you create your personal marketing plan, the self-assessments will give you a clear picture of where you are and what you have to offer. This picture will bring clarity as you will see things that don’t fit, skills, values, traits, experiences that you don’t have. At the same time, it will sharpen your focus on the skills, values, traits, experiences, and talents that you DO HAVE, which is even more powerful.

Consider Your Career Options

With newly acquired clarity and focus, you should now start listing career options for consideration. Develop of list of jobs that includes work that you want to do, as well as skills and talents that you have. Research each of the jobs on your list to identify options that meet the majority, if not all, of your needs and wants. Research might indicate that you need additional training or education. Consider this and plan for it accordingly

Understanding what you’re trying to achieve and where you trying to go, as well as the tools that you already have and that those that you can pick up along the way, can seriously boost your confidence. Think about it, why would you be confident if you didn’t have a plan?

The process of developing a clear, objective personal marketing plan guides you through the stages to bring clarity and focus on your career. The career consideration and research stages engage the critical thinking necessary to make an informed decision. Together, these steps plus the prospect of a better more enjoyable career future build confidence and energy.

A Personal Marketing Plan: An Essential Tool in a Successful Career Change

Creating a personal marketing plan when you plan on changing careers can help you to achieve the success you’re after. But, it’s not an easy process for everyone. Need help? Click here to learn about my career transition coaching services.

When you’re looking to change careers, you’ll also need a professional resume and cover letter. Check out our resume and cover letter services to see how we can help to create the documents you need. Highlight your skills, accomplishments, and goals.

NEED HELP

Are you ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary session with me. We’ll discuss your situation and create a plan to move forward.

The post 5 Reasons Why Career Changers Need a Personal Marketing Plan appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

Are your job search efforts applying through dozens of job boards getting you anywhere? Does it feel like you’ve applied to hundreds of available positions but still haven’t heard back about any of them?

Job seekers working solely through the job boards may be struggling because an estimated 85% of available jobs are filled through networking. That’s right, it really does pay to know the right people. 

Fortunately, you can take your job search to LinkedIn, a platform where networking and job opportunities spanning 200 countries and thousands of recruiters collide.

How do you use LinkedIn to power your job search and land that interview? Keep reading for seven simple, easy-to-follow tips that will help you leverage LinkedIn and get the job of your dreams. 

1. Connect With Peers, Employers, and Coworkers

We tend to think of social networking and job hunting as two separate things. When it comes to LinkedIn, the goal is to do a little bit of both.

Connect with the people you went to school with, any employers you’ve worked for, and any current or former coworkers. If you’re wondering, “How do I use LinkedIn to find a job in 2021?” remember that networking is key.

By connecting with others on LinkedIn, you open lines of communication to them and the people they know. Your network connections, may know of an open position or have one to offer themselves and discover, through your well-curated LinkedIn profile, that you’re perfect for the job.

(While you’re at it, don’t be afraid to ask people to endorse your skills. For example, if you list “writing” as a skill and a professor connects with you on LinkedIn, ask them if they’d be willing to vouch that you are, in fact, a strong writer.)

2. Perfect Your LinkedIn Headline and About Section

The first thing anyone will see on your LinkedIn profile is your profile photo. The second is your LinkedIn headline and About section. Together, these three things are key to grabbing the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. Both the headline and About section only allow for a small number of characters, which means that you really want to take advantage of the keywords that make waves in your industry.

If you don’t have a ton of professional experience under your belt just yet, use words like “aspiring” and phrases like “working toward a career in” followed by your dream job.  

3. Translate Your Resume to LinkedIn Formatting

So, you’ve gotten some help putting together a phenomenal resume. Now it’s time to translate that resume into LinkedIn formatting, which allows you to add to your story without being too repetitive.

Remember, you don’t need to describe every class you’ve ever taken or every task you’ve ever performed at a job. Recruiters may only spend 7 seconds looking at your resume and you should assume the same goes for your LinkedIn profile. Stick to the experience that is relevant to the field you want to enter.

Use short statements and bullet points to organize your text. In this digital age, many users will view your profile on mobile devices with small screens. So, you want to make it easy for them to read your content. Don’t use big blocks of text as they won’t get read with the reader moving on to the next candidate.

4. Learn How LinkedIn’s Job Search Function Works

How does LinkedIn help you find a job? Well, there are two ways but both are powerful.

The first is that a recruiter finds your profile while searching LinkedIn looking for great candidates whether they’ve applied for the position or not. The second is that, like other job boards, LinkedIn gives you a platform to search for current job postings, many jobs posted on LinkedIn are ONLY posted on LinkedIn, not on any other job boards.   

Ultimately, you want to be in that first wave of applicants as soon as a job is listed. One way to do that is to follow the companies you admire and want to work for so that you get notified of any updates they post, including job listings. You can also subscribe to job alerts that will also notify you when a job listing in your field goes live.

Remember, the stronger your profile, the better your job search results will be. 

5. Join LinkedIn Groups In Your Field

Asking to connect with people you don’t know in real life can be viewed as a bad thing. However, there are still ways to connect with people in your field even if you’ve never worked with them.

Look for LinkedIn groups in your field and join them so that you can participate in industry-wide conversations. Comment on posts made by other members and make your own posts to share your insights, opinions, and skills. This allows you to build trust and credibility with people who potentially may be looking for someone like you either now or at some future time.  

6. Use LinkedIn to Prep For Your Interview

As I mentioned earlier, recruiters use LinkedIn to seek out qualified candidates. As a result, they tend to have their own LinkedIn profiles that are helpful when preparing for your interview.

Do some digging and see if you can find out if your recruiter will also be your interviewer. If you do track down your interviewer, learn about their career path, experiences, interests, and skills. This can help you think about responses to their questions that will really engage their attention and help you stand out.

In the end, the question isn’t just, “How do I search for jobs on LinkedIn?” It’s also, “How do I use LinkedIn to nail the interview and land the job?”

7. Impress Recruiters With LinkedIn Articles

LinkedIn is more than just a job board. In a way, it functions as a professional social media platform, as well. That means that you have an opportunity to curate a “feed” that shapes your professional image.

Reading and sharing innovative and groundbreaking articles in your feed is a great way to stay ahead of the curve. However, you can also use LinkedIn to write your own content, which can really catch the attention of recruiters and companies. If you feel like you have something impressive to add to the conversation, don’t shy away from that “Write Post” button!

Master the LinkedIn Job Search and Network Your Way to a Job

Landing a job without knowing the right person isn’t always easy. That’s why I recommend tuning into the LinkedIn job search and perfecting your profile so that it can do some of the work for you. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s networking opportunities and make the connections you need to break into your field.

Are you not sure what your dream field is yet? Are you uncertain about how your experience stacks up? Schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation with me so that we can narrow down your aspirations and the qualities that make you a perfect candidate. 

The post The 7 Simplest Ways I Succeed With a LinkedIn Job Search appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

LinkedIn is a professional business network consisting of both job seekers and businesses that currently has over 722 million members. According to LinkedIn, there are more than 100 million job openings every month, with 35 million of them being filled by applicants through LinkedIn. Without a doubt, this professional social media platform is one of the best ways to find a job.

Today I’ll show you how to use LinkedIn strategies to find a job. These strategies have helped my clients improve their LinkedIn profiles and have raised their visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. But first, let’s see why LinkedIn is an excellent place to find a job.

Is LinkedIn a Good Place to Find a Job?

In this digital age, LinkedIn is the social media platform most companies use to search for candidates and recruit them to fill their hiring needs. One reason is the ease of accessibility, as it allows recruiters and hiring managers to search through hundreds of potential candidates with the click of a button. That means someone who has a strong, optimized LinkedIn profile is far more likely to be seen than someone who does not. For companies focused on LinkedIn, you are not even in the running if you don’t have a profile.

I recall the days job seekers would go from business to business, leaving their resume. Today, with the current world situation, most, if not all, companies on LinkedIn have transitioned their entire recruitment process online (advertisements, interviews, screening). This is another reason why LinkedIn is the best place to find a job and move your career forward.

Now, how do you use LinkedIn to find a job in 2021?

1. Profile Photo

Back in the day, I would dress up and make sure I looked my best when leaving my resume or going to an interview. Which made sense since I wanted to give my best first impression. In the age of social networking, the first impression a hiring manager gets is of your profile photo. 

So, if you want to stand out, in a good way, and make a positive impression, you need to have a professional photo. This doesn’t mean you need to find the best photographer in town and pay a huge sum of money for a package, I actually had a local photographer take mine in a 15-minute session that was very cost-effective! How should the picture look?  

•  400×400 pixels (To meet LinkedIn’s picture guidelines)
• High quality and High resolution
• Friendly smile

Having a professional photo will leave recruiters and hiring managers with a positive first impression of you as they search for candidates on LinkedIn.

2. Write an Intro (LinkedIn Headline)

Have you ever practiced your opening lines before meeting a potential employer? On LinkedIn, your headline is your “pitch.” Your headline is a short introduction to who you are and what you do. Don’t rely on the default description, that only blends you into the crowd. Stand out by communicating your uniqueness (skills, talents, strengths).

For example, instead of Training Professiona, at Company XYZl

Add some context that describes your expertise, like:

Training & Development | IT Software Trainer & Technical Writer | Organizational Development | | Project Management | ATD Certified | Technology Guru

The added details provide a much more effective picture of who you are and what you have to offer.

3. About Section Update

The About section is the next key area a hiring manager or recruiter will look at when reviewing your LinkedIn profile. Being found on LinkedIn is all about keywords and optimizing your profile for strength. The About section is one of the most heavily mined sections for keywords. If you leave the section blank, you essentially are invisible to recruiters and hiring managers.

Your About section should highlight who you are as a person, your values, your passions, and your career story. Create the content in short snippets not long blocks of text. Weave keywords relevant to your target throughout. Writing a LinkedIn profile is similar to writing a resume but not the same.

Need help? Click here to learn how we can help you.

4. Custom LinkedIn Profile URL

LinkedIn has a handy feature that allows you to personalize your LinkedIn profile URL. What do I mean? When you create a LinkedIn profile, you are assigned a URL (web address) with a bunch of random numbers and letters.

You can edit the URL to just your name, making it look much more professional. If you have a common name you may need to work on it a bit. Personalizing your URL will make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to remember where to find you. Plus, it will fit and look much better on your resume, cover letter, business cards, etc.

To do this, follow these steps. Go to your profile, Edit public profile & URL and Edit your custom URL. Don’t forget to save.

5. Expand Your Network

Because LinkedIn is a social media platform for businesses and job seekers, having a large number of network connections increases your visibility.

Begin by connecting with former and current colleagues. You can also connect with people in your career area or industry. Engage in conversations and interact with posts that interest you.

I also suggest that you follow businesses that you are interested in joining in the future. Engage and interact with the companies posts as well. The LinkedIn algorithms will pick up on the activity and raise your mutual visibility. This will be a good thing to have happen when the company posts job openings.

6. Ask Past Employers for Endorsements

Another strategy that is helpful is to connect with people you have worked for previously. They can endorse you by leaving short feedback about your previous work. LinkedIn users with positive endorsements have more chances of landing a job than those with none.

7. Be Active in the Online Community

II don’t post as often or engage on social media as much as many of my colleagues, but if you want to be noticed by recruiters or hiring managers, you need to be active. Being active involves liking posts, sharing information, or posting on topics where you get to showcase your expertise.

Always aim for original content when posting. You wouldn’t want someone to call you out for using their content! 

8. Be Easy to Find

I find using SEO tactics also aids in being found. Research the top keywords for your industry and use them in your posts. Keywords can be topics of interest that are relevant and popular in discussion forums. Remember, LinkedIn is powered by keywords and the algorithms. If you are unsure what to use, try reviewing the topics and discussions that your peers are having. More serious content writers online even employ the services and tools offered by companies specializing in SEO marketing.

9. Show Your Work Experience 

Work experience is appropriate for both your resume and LinkedIn profile. However, neither of these are historical documentation tools. Therefore, only illustrate work experience that supports your job or career target. You can take a broad-brush approach on LinkedIn versus a very tailored approach with your resume. But you don’t need to go back to the beginning of time. If it’s not relevant, you don’t need to include it.  

10. Optimize the Strength Meter

Your aim is to get to All-Star Status, as this status is the minimum level you need to increase your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. It’s not difficult to achieve so the sooner you get started, the better. Here are some of the requirements:

• Add a LinkedIn profile picture
• Add three positions to your Work Experience 
• Be Active
• Connect with 50 people

If you follow the previous steps, you will achieve it in no time.

Now You Know How to Use LinkedIn Strategies to Find a Job

I can confidently say that by following these 10 LinkedIn strategies, you will increase your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers searching for candidates to fill their openings. Keep these tips close, so you always know how to use LinkedIn strategies to find a job. Now it’s up to you to get your dream job!

If you need help with your resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile, contact me today! As I have first-hand experience helping clients find jobs on LinkedIn, I know everything hiring managers are looking for in candidates. Get the extra push your LinkedIn profile needs by using EZ Resume Services.

The post How to Find a Job Using 10 Top Proven LinkedIn Strategies appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

Conducting a quick, efficient job search hasn’t always been the easiest task. Now, with the market being so competitive within the past few months, it’s easy to find yourself discouraged with the results of your job search efforts.

If you’re frustrated while finding employment opportunities, then it’s time to re-evaluate your job search strategies. When it comes to finding a job, there are a couple of ways you can improve your job search results. From enhancing your digital presence to networking with the right people, here’s what I’ve found works.

1. What Are the Best Job Searching Strategies? Start With Digital Presence

First on my list of the best job search strategies is maintaining a strong digital presence. Like it or not, recruiters and hiring managers routinely search for candidates on social media, primarily LinkedIn where profile strength matters. But also, employers are checking your personal social media profiles to evaluate you as a candidate. Be mindful of your activities online and manage your online reputation carefully!

2. Professional Networks

Add networking to your list of one of the best job searching strategies available. Networking can provide access to the “Hidden Job Market” which are jobs that aren’t posted online. Connecting to employers in this way allows your network connection to provide a strong introduction or first impression that cannot be made through a resume alone.

3. What Are the 5 Steps to Success in a Job Search? Don’t Forget a Staffing Agency

If you’re asking yourself, “How do you successfully find a job,” don’t forget to consider contacting a staffing agency. Not only can an agency help you find a job that is perfectly suited for you, but it can also coach you through what you need to do to succeed. While working through a staffing agency may not sound like a great option, the bottom line is that they will put you to work and many temporary assignments lead to permanent positions.

4. How Do You Successfully Find a Job? Update Your Resume

From writing cover letters to utilizing specific keywords to match a job description, there are a lot of variables that need to be in place for you to get contacted for interviews. Résumé writing is a strategic process that requires a high level of objectivity and strategic writing. If you need help with your cover letter and resume, I would love to help.

5. It’s Time to Learn a New Skill

Last but not least, if you want to increase your chance of finding a job, I encourage you to use this time to learn a new skill or brush up on some you haven’t used in a while. Whether it be learning a technical skill or brushing up on your video conferencing technique, use your time on a skill that will help you in your job search.

Tips for Re-Evaluating Your Job Search Strategies and More

Whether you’re looking to improve your job search strategies or are simply looking into my resume services, I want to help. I know how difficult applying for jobs can be. But fortunately, I’ve put together the perfect platform to help ease the process. 

Let me help you with your career goals. Feel free to visit the Contact Us tab to book a complimentary session with me where we can discuss your current resume, career goals, and more.

The post 5 Tried and Tested Job Search Strategies I Recommend Constantly appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

Did you know that the average person changes jobs 10 to 15 times throughout their career? With so many people changing careers, it’s important that they be prepared for whatever job they want next. But how?

A personal marketing plan helps you focus on the job and companies that you want to target. It also helps you to understand the value you offer to potential employers as well as identify skill or ability gaps. This will help prepare you for a successful job search or career change.  

Follow this guide for an example of a successful personal marketing plan to attract the best job offers. If you want to achieve your career objectives and amplify your personal branding in your job search, this guide is perfect for you. 

How Do You Write a Personal Marketing Plan?

Like with any marketing plan, you need to figure out what makes you unique and valued. Start by answering this question, “What is my unique value proposition?” 

Your value proposition is what separates you from the crowd. It’s what makes you stick out in a crowded job market. Is it your skillset, your experience, or how you brand yourself (how others see you)? Maybe it’s your values and your accomplishments?  

This is an opportunity for you to write a marketing plan that distinguishes you from the competition.  

Start by writing about what makes you unique, showing the value you bring to a job and to potential employers. This should be done as a self-inventory. If needed, ask a small number of confidants who can be honest and objective. 

Your personal marketing plan should also show your job and career goals. You want to be able to convey what your career objectives are in the long run. This is a critical part of developing a personal marketing strategy. 

It’s important to set measurable goals when you create your personal marketing strategy. This will help you build a timeline of where you expect to be in 6 months to a year.

Identify Your Target Job

Your marketing will depend on identifying your target job. You need to know what job you want to build an effective resume, highlighting your skills, experience and accomplishments for the job.  

When you identify your ideal job, your plan should be built to align your skills and qualifications to those needed to do the job you are targeting. List 2–3 job titles that you want to pursue as well as your final career objective.  

How Can I Effectively Use Place Marketing? 

Now that you have started to develop a personal marketing strategy and you have identified your target job, it’s important to consider place marketing. 

Place marketing is the action of marketing yourself to future employers in the place(s) they will be looking for candidates like you. Place marketing can be an effective strategy to increase your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. You want potential employers to find you in the places they are looking, these days that means LinkedIn. 

For example, on LinkedIn, you should build a profile that highlights your skills, experience, education, training, experience, and achievements. This enables you to market yourself to recruiters and hiring managers in the place they look to find candidates for positions they seek to fill.

Simply put, you want to market yourself prominently in the marketplace where recruiters and hiring managers shop. This is how you can use place marketing for your career and be found for jobs online.  

5 Top Components of a Career Marketing Plan? 

Here are 5 components of a career marketing plan to effectively highlight your value to potential employers searching the market for candidates. 

The 5 key components are listed below.

1. Strategy 

The first component is developing a strategy, or plan. Start by listing the skills, experience, and accomplishments, that you have, that will most effectively showcase your value for your career or job target.  

Search your current inventory of skills and accomplishments for examples that include facts, and numbers that you can use to tell your story. If you lack skills and experience for your job or career target, there are ways to acquire them. You may need to volunteer and learn by helping others. You could also take classes or training programs through a local college or online. Showing actual examples of your work, whether it be social media management or working in construction, can be very powerful. 

So, the first goal is to define your strategy to help you market yourself for your job or career goal. The strategy will help you create a timeline and a blueprint for success in getting the job you want.  

This is the first step in building your personal marketing plan template to help you achieve your overall goals. The next component is Communication. 

2. Communication

Another valuable component of an effective personal marketing plan is communication. If you want a specific job, you need to figure out how you are going to effectively communicate your value to potential employers.  

An accomplishments-based resume tailored to your career or job target is only one way to effectively communicate your ability to meet an organization’s hiring need. Another way to showcase your value is through LinkedIn, your billboard online. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is well-optimized and professional. A third way to communicate is through networking. Networking can be one of the most effective means to communicate who you are and what you have to offer.

How will you communicate? Who do you know that can help you?

3. Brand

Another component of marketing is your brand. Your brand is who you are, what you do and how others see you. Your brand is what makes you distinct from other job seekers you are competing against. It showcases the value you bring to a business and the principles you hold or share with that business. 

The stronger your brand is the more effective it will be in helping you to stand out. In today’s digital age you want the high visibility that a strong brand will help you achieve versus the invisibility of a weak brand.

Check here for tips on how to better understand your brand. What does your brand say about you?

4. Budget

As you move forward in your career, you need to consider and plan for expenses to help you grow and maximize your career potential.

Expenses could include further education, training, and certification programs. Another area to consider is leveraging a professional to help you market yourself through résumé writing and personal branding. Whichever course of action you choose to pursue, you will need to consider the time and expense to become the candidate of choice for your selected job or career target.  

What education, training or certification programs will you need to complete? Will you hire a professional to help you build your personal brand and career marketing materials? Are you willing to commit to the time and investment needed? 

5. Research

The final component is research. You need to research what skills and abilities employers seek to fill their open positions. Research the job descriptions listed on the company’s website, job boards (like Indeed) and on LinkedIn. What requirements do you see (hard, soft, education, certification, etc.)?  

You also need to research the companies you want to work for. Research their mission, vision, value, and culture. Learn about their challenges, opportunities, and focus areas. Identify key players in recruiting as well as potential supervisors or managers in the areas you would like to target.

Use the information to tailor your marketing strategy and stand out in a crowded job market.

Now You Have a Personal Marketing Plan Example & More

After reviewing a sample personal marketing plan as well as the components of marketing, you should get started on building your plan today. Create a career marketing plan using the worksheet here, that helps you get the job you want. 

Start by listing information, responses or action items as outlined in each of the 5 component areas. Work and update your plan daily.

Need help? Visit our website to see how we can help you. Or, schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me to review your situation and get started on your career now.

The post If You Need a Personal Marketing Plan (Example Included), Read This appeared first on EZ Resume Services.

But what is a career path? A career path is a sequence of jobs that can lead to better jobs or next career steps. The path may or may not be linear but usually involves vertical growth or advancement.

What Is an Example of a Career Path?

Career paths will typically move you through a particular industry or organization. Sometimes larger organizations will have designated career paths and defined steps needed to move from one role to another.

For example, if you started a career path in customer service, you might start as a customer service representative. From there, you might become an account representative or do inside sales. After that, you might specialize even further in the product or service then become a team or sales manager.

How Do You Create a Career Path?

As you consider a career path for yourself, first identify all the roles within that particular field. You may want to do some research by reviewing job postings from companies or online searches.

Next, list out the skills required for each role and figure out where you fit in. Do you have the skills needed to move from one role to another? Will you gain the new skills required in the course of your work or will you need additional training?

If you will need additional training, research your options. Training can be offered by the company or in some cases, outside the company. Training could be anything from online coursework to certifications.

What Are the 6 Career Paths?

Career paths usually fall into career “clusters.” Clusters are groups of careers that are similar. While the career paths for individual roles may vary, the skills and personality type required may have a lot in common.

Below are some of the major industries and some considerations for each:

1. Arts and Communication

Careers in this cluster require creativity and innovation. Career paths include advertising, journalism, and broadcasting.

2. Business, Management, Marketing and Technology

If you enjoy leadership, organization, or planning, this might be the right career fit. Career paths include accounting, human resources, sales, marketing, and finance.

3. Engineering/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology

People in this career cluster are mechanically inclined and enjoy solving problems. Career paths include architecture, mechanics, repair, and construction.

4. Health Sciences

This field includes caring for others who may be sick or understanding diseases. Careers in this field include dentistry, medicine, and therapy.

5. Human Services

For people who love working with other people, this career cluster requires friendliness and cooperation. People working in human services want to make things better for others. Career paths include education, law and law enforcement, and social services.

6. Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences

This career cluster has roles for people who love being outdoors and are interested in the natural world. Career paths include agriculture, earth sciences, and wildlife management.

What Is a Good Career Path?

For each individual, a good career path aligns with their skills, personality traits and preferences. Career goals can be fluid. You do not need to know exactly where you will end up, however, it helps to identify the industry in which you want to work.

Some industries have many interrelated paths, so if you begin in one and find that it is not a good fit, you can make a change and leverage some of your transferable skills.

A lot of this may have to do with your personality type. Some enjoy people-oriented industries and working with clients. Others are more numbers- or task-driven.

To help you understand if a career path is a good fit for you, read job descriptions for roles that interest you. As you read the job descriptions, ask yourself if you can do the job but also, will you enjoy the work? Doing work that is fulfilling and enjoyable goes a long way to creating a career path that is a good fit for you.

What Is The Career Path For You?

By choosing a career path, you can start to look forward to future opportunities. As you develop a resume and cover letter for your career path, you’ll want to consider how to best market your skills, credentials and talents for your industry.

Now that you have identified a career path that fits your goals, you may want help making your resume stand out. We can help you create a personalized resume that will get you more interviews. Contact me today to get started.

The post What is a Career Path and Why Should You Create One? appeared first on EZ Resume Services.