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We often mention the concept of a job search strategy on our blog, because it really sums up all of the avenues you need to travel down in order to land a new position.
However, it has come to our attention that some of you are unaware of what an effective job search strategy really entails.
You cannot simply take your existing resume and cover letter, change around the information and fire it off to hundreds of companies and somehow believe that you are practicing an effective strategy. This is probably the worst strategy, second to not applying for any roles at all.
So what does it take to engage in an effective job search strategy? We’ve broken it down into 10 key points.
As we just mentioned – you should never fire your resume off to hundreds of positions and hope for the best. Job hunting is all about quality over quantity.
Anyone can send off their resume, but only the people who really and truly want the role and know they are qualified for it, will take the time to customize their resume and cover letter to the posting to express their in-depth interest.
In order to successfully customize your resume and cover letter for the right position, you have to find the right role for you.
Keep in mind that you are not looking for the role that you want the most; you are looking for the role that you are the most qualified for. Unfortunately job hunting is not about what you want; it is about what you can offer.
Once you’ve narrowed down the type of role that is right for you, it’s time to narrow down the right industries. Just because everyone says you’ll get a higher salary working for an oil and gas company, that doesn’t mean that you should only target that industry.
Think first – do you have any understanding or knowledge of the oil and gas industry? If your answer is no, you will not be chosen for a role in this industry.
We recommend focusing on industries that you have previously worked within, or industries where you have contacts that can help you through the process. Your list of compatible industries does not have to be narrowed down to one or two; this is a list that will continue to grow as you gain more experience.
Research is an incredibly important aspect of job searching. Most importantly, researching the companies you plan to apply for positions with. Your knowledge of the company and their needs will be a great asset for you in the interview process.
Taking the time to research the company’s background, read their annual report, and review their past media coverage is the best way to show the hiring manager that you are heavily interested in the role.
Tie that in with your qualifications which meet all necessary requirements, and the hiring manager will see that you are the perfect person for the job. Though you cannot express your knowledge of the company in the resume, you can definitely mention it in the cover letter. This is a great way to get your cover letter noticed.
While you’re working on the cover letter, you should also incorporate keywords from the job posting into both the resume and cover letter. Keywords for any job posting are easily identifiable throughout the requirements and qualifications section of the posting.
You want to mimic the language and wording from the job posting in your own documents to show the hiring manager that you have taken the time to customize your cover letter and resume for this specific role. Integrating the right keywords will also help you pass any keyword scanning systems that the company may be using.
So you’ve got the right keywords in your resume, but that’s really only the first step of many. Now that you’ve thoroughly read the job posting, you need to determine why you are the perfect fit for this role. Take those reasons and craft them into an effective value statement.
The value statement will appear as the introduction to your resume, and should tell the hiring manager why you are qualified for the role. Then you should also throw in a highlight or achievement that will spark the hiring manager’s interest and intrigue them enough to read through the rest of your resume.
One of the biggest problems with most resumes is that they only focus on day-to-day tasks. Yes the hiring manager wants to know what you did in your last role so they can see what your qualifications are, but they also want you to wow them.
Anyone with a similar professional background to yours that is applying for this role will have completed similar daily tasks. It is up to you to include your achievements that show your ability to take initiative and go above and beyond, as this is the information that will set you apart from the rest of the applicants.
Another piece of information that is probably missing from your resume is the process improvements that you initiated and implemented. Improving processes is something that many people do naturally in their workplace, but they never think to include it on their resume.
We all enter a role and decide to do things in a slightly different way because we can see the inefficiencies and the bottlenecks that need to be eliminated. These experiences are great highlights in a resume to show the hiring manager how you improved the company’s overall operations.
Now that you’ve identified your keywords, created your value statement, outlined your achievements and process improvements – it’s time to put this information into a well formatted and professional resume. The content that you’ve prepared is great, but you still require a professional format.
It is as simple as adding bold underlines to each section in order to separate and better organize the information for the hiring manager.
In certain industries, you can get creative with your format, colours, and design, but we recommend keeping it simple and professional to ensure that the document is aesthetically pleasing, and to allow the content to stand out.
Next up – take all of that great content from your resume and add it into your LinkedIn profile. Think of this as your online resume, because many hiring managers will attempt to find you on LinkedIn after they’ve received your application.
A bare and unfinished profile may instigate the hiring manager to toss your resume aside, but a complete and informative profile will definitely impress them.
This online resume space also allows other hiring managers and recruiters to view your career history and contact you for potential opportunities.
Congratulations, all of your job search documentation is complete. Now it’s time to network. It is easy to network with past employers and colleagues, but you should also take it to the next level and network with recruiters specifically within your field and industry.
Many recruiters specialize in certain fields and industries, so you want to pinpoint the ones who are generally hiring for positions like the one you will be applying for.
Connecting with a recruiter and building a relationship will allow you access to these job postings and could easily lead to your next role.
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When attempting career transitions, one of the most difficult aspects is explaining to an employer how the skills from your current job can apply to your new one.
Since many employers are looking for people with exactly the right skills and qualifications, it can be hard to get noticed when your experience doesn’t completely match what the employer is looking for.
While this can be difficult – it is certainly not impossible, and with the right tips, your resume can really make you stand out from the crowd.
First, read the job description and tailor your resume specifically to the qualifications necessary.
Use the exact wording from the job posting to show that you have read it carefully and are not just sending out your resume hoping to get whatever you can find.
If a potential employer sees that the language used in your resume completely reflects the language used in the job listing, they will know that you took your time and considered the job carefully. That will help create a good first impression on your new employer and significantly increase your chances of getting an interview.
Once you’ve found the exact wording to use, highlight accomplishments at your job that reflect those specific qualifications.
For instance, if an employer is looking for someone who is an “excellent communicator,” you may highlight something like being the liaison between a client and the company, and becoming the point person for that client to address any questions or concerns.
Even if this isn’t something you’ll be doing at your new job, it shows that you possess a skill that is highly desired and not necessarily teachable. Since a new employer can teach you many aspects of your new job, it is important to show that you possess these inherent skills.
Another good way to highlight your experience and skills for a given position is to write a personalized cover letter explaining these skills.
Since this will be your introduction to the hiring manager, it is best to take your time and really explain how you would be good for this exact position. Don’t use a form letter or something that feels canned; really take the time to make sure this letter reflects the skills you learned in your current career, and how it will apply during your career transition.
This cover letter will be your best opportunity to introduce yourself and explain why you are making the career change, what personally interests you about this new career, and what your goals are going forward.
While career transitions are difficult, they can be extremely rewarding. So be sure to take your time, make your resume accurately reflect your skills and experience, and make sure that it completely fits what the employer is looking for.
If your resume shows that you are serious about this transition, and that you took the time to make sure it was the best it can be, it will reflect positively on you. This can only increase your chances of getting the interview and (hopefully) lead to your dream job.
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Finding a job is hard enough as it is, but what many of you don’t realize is that you are often making it harder for yourself.
Many of you probably have a great value statement that is catching the Hiring Manager’s attention and they are reading through your resume… but then they see something that makes them toss your resume to the “NO” pile.
You have no idea, but this is why you’re not getting called for interviews, you are turning the Hiring Managers away.
For many others, you are getting the calls for interviews, but somehow that second or third interview never comes around.
Even when it does, it just doesn’t turn into a new job opportunity. You’re constantly left in dead ends, and you don’t know what you’re saying in those interviews to scare these companies off.
One key thing to remember is if you are not succeeding in your job search – it’s your fault. You’re either not putting in the effort, not getting the credentials, not applying to the right roles, or simply talking yourself out of the job.
So it’s time to take accountability for your actions, and figure out how to NOT talk yourself out of a job.
We’re not saying that entrepreneurs can’t become great employees, we’re saying that identifying as an entrepreneur is not favourable on a resume. When a Hiring Manager reads “Entrepreneur” or “Owner Operator” or “Founder” or “President” – what they really read is “I prefer to work for myself, not for other people”.
This probably isn’t the case, you genuinely want to close down or sell your personal business and obtain gainful employment within a company, but the Hiring Manager will doubt your intentions and your ability to take orders from your superiors when you’re used to running the show.
Change your title – If you were running a business where you contracted out your services to other companies, call yourself a “Contractor” or “Consultant”.
If you oversaw all operations for your company, call yourself an “Operations Manager”. You need this title change to get you past the resume review stage, and then you can clarify your role as an Entrepreneur when you’re in the interview stage.
During an in-person interview, you can show the Hiring Manager how genuine you are about joining the company, and explain why you no longer want to work for yourself.
Everyone knows that employment gaps on a resume are never a good thing. However, many people believe that if they just ignore the gap altogether, it will not become obvious to the Hiring Manager. They are so terribly wrong.
An employment gap will always be a red flag bursting off the page of your resume, and if it is within the last five years of your work experience, you have to do something about it.
If you took a leave of absence for personal reasons such as a Maternity Leave, Medical Sabbatical or Personal Sabbatical to tend to family circumstances or anything of the like – state it on the resume. It is far more understandable for a Hiring Manager if you are up front about the time you’ve taken off work, rather than trying to hide it.
If you’ve simply been unemployed most recently and haven’t found a new position, there are two ways to illustrate this in the resume.
One – If you’ve completed any personal projects for colleagues, friends or family in this time period, you can include it on your resume and call yourself an “Independent Contractor”. This tells the Hiring Manager that you’ve been out of work, but while looking for a position you have kept busy by completing small projects.
Two – Take a course, any course. Upgrade your skills by taking courses at your local community centre, or go back to school part-time or full-time if you have the option.
This way, you can move your education section to the top of your resume and show the Hiring Manager that, most recently, you’ve been upgrading your skills. This looks much better on a resume than saying you’ve been doing absolutely nothing since leaving your last position.
Never ever say anything negative about a role or a former employer. You want your resume to convey positivity, and you want the interview to be a positive experience. Therefore, all negative remarks or experiences are forbidden. Only focus on the positive, and spin everything in a positive direction.
It goes back to the famous interview question, “What would you say is your biggest weakness?” and we all know that the correct answer is to pick a weakness that can also be viewed as a positive attribute.
Enforce the same idea in everything that you write on your resume and say in an interview, everything must remain positive in one way or another.
If you are able to remain positive, the Hiring Manager will see a certain level of maturity in your character when you do not complain or rant about former employers or the work ethic of former colleagues.
This positivity will also show the employer that you will add positivity to their team atmosphere and maintain a healthy working environment.
If you are not currently employed, but are currently looking for work, chances are that you were dismissed from your last position, or resigned under negative circumstances. Whatever the reason may have been, don’t talk about it in your interview, and definitely don’t mention it on your resume.
Back track to the point on positivity – dismissals and resignations are not positive experiences. You don’t want to shift the focus onto why you left your position, you want the focus to remain on the contributions and benefits you provided while in the role.
This is also true for dismissals that were out of your control. If your company downsized, you are telling the Hiring Manager that you were not valuable enough to keep.
If the management team changed, you are telling the Hiring Manager that you were not adaptable enough to conform to the new corporate culture. If the company was bought out, you are telling the Hiring Manager that you are easily replaced.
In all instances, reasons for dismissal or resignations will hurt you more than help you. Eliminate them from your resume, and don’t mention them in the interview.
This is a valid question; many Hiring Managers will ask this question in the interview.
They may also ask those who are currently employed why they are seeking a new position. Our advice is to briefly state the reason, and follow it up with a positive remark about how grateful you are for the experience you obtained with the company and what you were able to offer them in your time there.
If you are currently employed, you can explain to the Hiring Manager that you are looking for a new challenge within a company where you can grow.
Also mention that you would prefer to give your current employer as much notice as possible so that you are able to tie up all loose ends and leave under good terms. When you are proactive about maintaining a positive relationship with your former employer, it tells your prospective employer that you will treat them with the same respect.
Now carefully scan your resume and pinpoint the problems that are preventing you from getting call-backs. Take our advice, and you’ll see the results!
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We can all thank search engines like Google for the heavy importance that keywords carry in all aspects of the electronic world. Resumes are no different.
Gone are the days of printing out your resume on fancy “resume paper” and mailing it off (or hand delivering it) to a Hiring Manager. We are a paperless society, everything is done electronically, and that means that we are up against far more competition.
There are many obstacles involved in the resume writing process, and determining the right keywords to include in your resume is definitely a big one. Especially with the advent of keyword scanning systems that many large organizations and corporations are using to weed out unqualified candidates.
What is a keyword scanning system? It is an electronic system that automatically scans your resume for keywords that are present in the job posting. Your resume must score a certain percentage of keywords before a Hiring Manager will review the document.
Though keywords are important, they shouldn’t send you into panic mode. You know what you do for a living, which means you know what keywords are commonly used in your industry. You really just need a process to refresh your memory of these keywords when putting together your resume.
We’ve created a three-step process for you to follow to ensure that you’ve integrated the right keywords into your resume, in order to pass the keyword scanning system, impress a Hiring Manager, and dominate your competition.
You have to see what’s out there. Though you may be applying for a handful of targeted roles, you should still be reviewing up to 10 job postings in your field. With each posting, you should compare and contrast the similar terms and keywords that are appearing throughout the posting.
Different companies and industries may use slightly different keywords, but it should be easy to identify the commonly used phrases.
Next Step – Insert these commonly used phrases and keywords into your resume both in a bulleted keyword section, and also throughout your value statement and professional experience. This will ensure that the keywords flow as part of the overall theme and focus of the resume.
If you are not already a member of LinkedIn, become one… now! LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable resource when you are in the midst of your job search, and is a key component that you will need in order to dominate your competition.
The beauty of LinkedIn is that you have access to the career history of millions of professionals at your fingertips.
By using the search function, you can type in the job title for the position you are targeting, and find other professionals who hold similar roles. You may even find someone within the company that you are hoping to apply with.
By reviewing their career history, you will be able to identify the keywords used by those already performing the role, as well as the keywords that the company prefers as they’ve previously hired these candidates to fulfill this role in the past.
Similar to the process involved with job postings, we recommend reviewing the profiles of at least 10 professionals with a similar career history and academic background as yourself, who are now in the role that you are targeting. If they are employed by the company that you are applying to, that’s just an incredible plus on your side.
After you’ve identified the keywords that are commonly used in your field and industry, it is time to integrate them into your resume. Notice I said integrate and not input.
Inputting keywords basically means you need to make sure the words randomly appear throughout your document. This would be helpful to pass the keyword scanning system, but what about when the Hiring Manager is viewing the resume? This is where you need to integrate the keywords by providing examples, achievements, and results.
A simple way to input keywords into your resume is to add them into your bulleted keyword section (most likely titled Areas of Expertise).
If the keyword is mentioned here, it should definitely appear again in your Professional Experience section, and this is where you have to make it count.
The keyword should be explained as a “cause and effect” statement. This type of statement will show that by implementing your skills with this keyword, you were able to benefit the company by achieving results.
For example, relationship-Building: “Utilized effective relationship building skills to acquire up to 50 new clients annually and achieved a revenue increase of 30% per year.”
We integrated the keyword, Relationship Building, and demonstrated how that skill led to benefits for the company.
Don’t you think that example is far more effective than simply saying you have exceptional relationship building skills? It all comes down to the proof – you must provide examples of achievements in order to impress the Hiring Manager.
The next time you are targeting your resume for a specific role, take the time to follow these three steps to determine the required keywords and improve your resume. This could be the last push you need to get your resume noticed.
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Now most of you aren’t in professions where you view resumes on a daily basis, so just take our word for it – the majority of resumes out there, are terrible. We hear the same sentiments from recruiters and hiring managers; most people just don’t know how to write a good resume.
We spend a lot of time on this blog telling you what you should do to improve your resume and your job search strategy, but now we’re going to take some time to tell you what you shouldn’t do – because you’re probably already doing it.
We’ve outlined 19 of our biggest pet peeves on resumes. This list outlines red flags and common mistakes that have stopped your resume from being short-listed. Even if you think your resume is pretty alright, keep reading, we know you’ve made at least one of these errors.
Now let’s get started, we’ve got a long list to get through.
Before the hiring manager reads a single word on your resume, they see your format. The problem is, with many resumes, there’s no format to look at.
If you don’t have so much as a bold line under your contact information and separated sections of experience and education, you basically haven’t tried. You opened a new document and just started typing without paying any attention to the visual presentation of your resume!
First of all, have you even included your contact information at the top of your resume? Seems like a silly question, but we’ve seen resumes that lack even these basic details. If you did include your contact information, did you include the right information?
Your contact information says more about you than you think. Ensure you have a local address, a professional email address and one personal phone number listed.
Your resume needs a title! A title will eliminate the ambiguity of what role you are applying for. In one line you can sum up your qualifications and your intentions. We always recommend including the title of the position you are applying for, as well as the title of your current position.
An objective statement is passé and does not conform to current resume standards.
An objective statement is telling the Hiring Manager what you want out of the role. To be frank, the Hiring Manager does not care about what you want; they care about whether or not you’ll be a good fit for the role. Therefore, you should eliminate your objective and instead discuss the value you will bring to the role.
If you are using the same resume for multiple positions, the Hiring Manager can tell. In order to increase your chances of being noticed, you must customize the keywords and introduction of your resume to suit each individual role.
If you’re not taking the time to customize your resume, you can bet that someone else is, and they are getting the call-backs.
If your resume doesn’t have a keyword section, you are basically doomed. If a Hiring Manager is personally reading (skimming) your resume, they will be looking for keywords.
Many times, you have to pass a keyword scanning system in order to get to the Hiring Manager. If keywords are not present on your resume, you can count yourself out for that job opportunity. You should be including the keywords present in the job posting, as you know that is what employers will be looking for.
Follow instructions! If the employer asks for a two-page resume, don’t send them five pages.
If they ask for a PDF file, don’t send them a Word document. Nothing will make you look worse than your inability to follow simple instructions. This is a dead giveaway of your work ethic, and Hiring Managers will not be impressed.
Resumes are never written in the first person. Didn’t we all learn this in high school?
A big reason for this is the constant repetition of “I-phrases” throughout the resume. Imagine reading multiple resumes a day, each with the same “I did this” and “I did that” phrases. The boredom would be overwhelming.
We get it, nobody likes writing a resume so they try to find an easy way to get it done quick. Many people resort to copying and pasting their job description into the resume. This is the worst idea.
The job description is a generic list of tasks that the person is required to do. That means, that anyone who fulfills this role, will be required to complete these tasks. There is no originality, no achievements and no contributions.
Resumes that go over two pages in length, are never as strong as resumes that maintain two pages or less.
Your resume is guaranteed to be viewed by more Hiring Managers and Recruiters if you stay within the two-page mark. Exceeding this limit means that you are unable to be concise and pinpoint your strongest achievements.
You can tell the Hiring Manager that you did all kinds of amazing things, but without the description of examples, it all just sounds like fluff.
Examples are a great way to show the Hiring Manager what you’re capable of, instead of telling them. This will resonate much stronger with the reader.
Along with examples comes proof. If you tell a Hiring Manager that you increased sales year-over-year, but don’t bother saying how much you increased sales by – there’s no proof.
Your numbers quantify your achievements and catch the Hiring Manager’s attention.
If you’ve left off certain positions in the experience section of your resume, this is a red flag to Hiring Managers and Recruiters.
What are you trying to hide? A gap in employment is never a good thing, you must tell the reader what you were doing in that time. If it was Maternity Leave or if it was a Personal Sabbatical, the Hiring Manager needs a brief explanation. If you leave it unknown, you will not be shortlisted.
A popular trend is to include a short company synopsis for each company you’ve worked for. This is not a bad idea, however you must integrate yourself into that synopsis.
Don’t tell the Hiring Manager how great your former employer was, tell them how great they were due to your contributions and involvement.
When restricted to a two-page limit, why would you waste space repeating yourself?
If you completed similar tasks in multiple roles, mention them once under the most recent role, and leave it be. Do not copy the exact same line under each role because the Hiring Manager already understands that you have that capability. Use that space to tell them something new.
Be specific with your dates! We’ve already mentioned several times that ambiguity will never help you on a resume.
If you were in a contract role for only three months, make that clear on the resume. If you simply list the year with no timeframe, you look like you have something to hide. Include the month and year that you entered each role, along with the month and year that you left each role.
If you’ve chosen to use a functional resume and listed all of your different skill-sets at the top of your resume, you will not be shortlisted. There is nothing more frustrating than a functional resume.
It’s great that you’ve told the Hiring Manager how diverse and adaptable your skills are, however they want to know when you obtained these skills and under what context.
Education sections generally lack one of two pieces of information. Either the candidate includes the name of the school they attended, but neglected to include the course or program name. Or they included the course or program name, but did not include the school’s name.
Your academic details are not complete without both pieces of information.
You can easily date yourself by including your references at the bottom of your resume. This is an incredibly outdated practice in the world of resume writing.
Another common mistake is including “References Available Upon Request” at the bottom of your resume. Requesting references is no longer an option for employers, it is a requirement. Therefore, letting them know that your references are available upon request is simply redundant.
If you got through this entire list of 19 warning signs and you are not guilty of committing a single one of these mistakes… well then you’re probably already gainfully employed and not looking for work. For the rest of you, examine your resumes and get rid of these mistakes.
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Getting hired is hard work; that is no secret. Not only do you have to work hard in your current role to prove that you add value to your team, but you also need to show your inherit value to potential employers in the most effective way possible to get noticed.
On top of that, with the job market now in an online realm, there are hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applicants for a given position.
There are some tricks to get your resume on the shortlist though. However, if you plan on embracing our tips and tricks, you will have to abolish the practice of firing off hundreds of resumes to any position you think you might want, and focus on applying for each role individually with a targeted strategy.
What exactly do you mean by title? The title line of your resume should appear below your name and contact information. You should have one of two variations.
1) The title line can state that you are “Targeting Opportunities in:” or “Targeting Opportunities as a:” and each time you apply for a role, you can include the specific job title into the title line.
2) The second option is to keep a standard title line that maintains a happy balance between your current role, and the role you want to attain. I recommend including both the job title of the role you are applying for, along with the job title of your current role. For example, if you are a Receptionist seeking a role as an Executive Assistant, your title line would read “Receptionist | Executive Assistant”.
Your value statement is the introduction of your resume, and easily the most important section that the Hiring Manager will read.
Why so important? This is where you catch the reader’s attention. If you don’t have their attention here, your resume will not move to the shortlist.
When a Hiring Manager is reviewing a pile of resumes for the first time, the main focus is to weed out the applicants who are not qualified for the role. So you can imagine, the most important piece of information to convey in the value statement is to show that you are completely qualified for the role.
This is why the value statement must be revised, customized and targeted for each individual role.
You must tick off as many boxes as possible, in regards to the items listed in the job posting’s requirements section. These items often include years of experience, academic background, and industry expertise.
While you’re thoroughly studying the job posting to target your value statement, you should take some time to make a list of keywords that you notice throughout the position description and requirements.
You should include those keywords into your value statement where possible, and also create a table of keywords titled “Areas of Expertise” to list the keywords in an organized fashion. Keyword integration is important for two reasons.
1) A Hiring Manager will be glancing through the document to find the keywords that are present in the job posting, and if they don’t see them, they will move on to the next resume.
2) Another common tool used by Hiring Managers is keyword scanning systems. This means that a Hiring Manager won’t even lay eyes on your resume until it has passed an automated keyword scanning test. The best way to overcome that obstacle is to ensure your resume incorporates the right keywords.
Many job seekers often use their cover letter to provide a synopsis of their past positions and what they learned from each role… DO NOT DO THIS!
If the Hiring Manager wants to know a synopsis of your last few roles, they will get that information from the resume. The cover letter should be used to highlight significant achievements.
While reading the job posting, think of three achievements or experiences that you’ve had in the past that relate to the role you are applying for. Then provide a synopsis of those three points in your cover letter and relate it back to what they are looking for in their next candidate.
As we mentioned before, you must abolish the practice of using the same resume and cover letter for hundreds of postings. While you’re at it, you should show the employer that you’ve created a custom cover letter and resume just for them. You’d be surprised how many people don’t do this.
You can go onto the company’s website and read up on them. Find out if they’ve been covered in the media, what their mission statement is, and what they’re all about. Then incorporate this information into the cover letter.
The goal is to show the Hiring Manager that your experience makes you a great fit for the role, but that your personality is also a great fit for their corporate culture, and you’ll fit right in with their team. This is a huge plus on your side, and if you convince the Hiring Manager, your resume will be on the shortlist.
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We tend to focus a lot on LinkedIn, when it comes to professional networking to benefit your career.
This makes the most sense because LinkedIn was developed for this exact purpose. Many other social networking websites are just that – social networking websites, and not professional networking sites. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use other social networks to help you expand your professional network.
When looking for tips and ways to grow your network on Twitter, you will immediately find many services, applications and websites that allow you to sign-up for free trials that are sure to expand your network.
However, we like to keep things organic, and focus on building your Twitter network by developing relationships and contacts with the right people in your industry.
Without further ado, here are our 7 mighty methods to grow your network on Twitter.
Starting off at the basics – the very first step in growing your Twitter network is to connect it with one of your other networks.
Twitter allows you to connect with contacts that you already have in your e-mail address book, or even your connections on LinkedIn. Either one of these options is a great way to find connections that you’ve already made, in a new online setting.
Who are you? Put together your short bio on Twitter. This bio should include a professional picture of yourself (something similar to your LinkedIn profile picture), as well as a description of who you are.
Between your full name and your Twitter username, your potential followers don’t know much about you. This is where you can change that. In your bio, you should mention what you do for a living, what your interests are, and what you are striving towards. This will set the tone for your stream of tweets.
Keyword searches – Also keep in mind that when people are conducting searches on Twitter, they will be directed to the profiles with the search terms in the full name, Twitter username or bio.
This is where you should use keywords that you want to be associated with such as “Business Development Consultant” or “Marketing Specialist”.
Twitter’s List function allows you to create lists of Twitter users with different purposes. We recommend starting off with two key lists.
The first list should focus on companies, employers and recruiters in your industry/field. When a job posting comes up with one of the companies, or if a recruiter is currently searching for a potential candidate, they are likely to tweet it.
Keeping a list of these employers and recruiters will assist you in staying on top of current openings, as well as staying up to date with company information. If you are determined to work for one of the companies, chances are you will be interviewing for a role with them.
A great way to make a lasting impression in an interview is to show your in-depth knowledge of the company itself. By following them on Twitter, you can stay updated with company activities to ensure you don’t miss a beat.
The second list should focus on influencers in your industry. This could be professionals that you look up to, or even senior level executives at your current company, or companies you hope to work for.
These influencers will likely be tweeting about current issues and challenges in your industry/field, and following their tweets is the first step in establishing a connection with them.
Now the whole reason you got onto Twitter in the first place was to build relationships, so now it’s time to do just that.
The first step in building a relationship on Twitter is to follow the person in question. Once you press the Follow button, their tweets will appear regularly in your Twitter Feed.
The second step is to Re-Tweet any of their tweets that you find interesting and would like to share with your own group of followers.
You can also Quote their Tweets, and add in your own commentary when re-posting for all of your followers to read. If you have feedback that you would like to direct back to the person in question, then you can Reply to their tweet with an @ Mention.
Though Twitter is all about remaining in the public eye, you can also privately respond to the person through a Direct Message. Direct Messages are a great way to initiate a conversation with a potential connection and show your genuine interest in what they have to say.
So far, we’ve really focused on who you should follow and how you should reach out to them. After reaching out to them, you are hoping that they will follow you, but what about what you can offer them? This is where you have to put some thought into what you plan on posting in your own Twitter Steam.
We recommend being as helpful, and as consistent as possible. If you read an interesting article or blog post regarding your industry or profession, tweet the link to the article with your thoughts.
If you come across an inspirational quote, share it with your followers. Offer helpful advice from your own life experiences and anything else that you think will be interesting to your audience of followers.
Along with what you are posting, it is also important to think about when you are posting on Twitter.
Twitter is all about timeliness, you can’t fall off the face of the earth for weeks at a time, because your followers will forget about you. This doesn’t mean that you have to send out a tweet every hour on the hour, it just means to keep it up to once a day at the very least.
Now that we’ve established who you are, who you’re following, who follows you and what you have to offer them – we can take it to the next level.
There are many other ways for you to get more involved in Twitter, and one of the most popular ones is Twitter Chats. You can find out about these chats by searching for them on Google, or even by paying attention to the influencers that you’re following as they’re most likely involved in them as well.
What is a Twitter Chat? A Twitter Chat is a designated time where people with similar interests discuss a topic by including the exact same #hashtag in each of their tweets to ensure they are added to the chat’s stream of tweets.
This is a great way to meet even more people in your professional network and because you met them in the world of Twitter, following each other is the next logical step.
You can set up alert emails to be sent to you when people are tweeting about keywords that you’re interested in, such as “Accounting Jobs”. An easy (and free) way to do this is to sign up for Twilert.
This is a web application that sends you e-mail updates of tweets containing the keywords that you’ve chosen to follow. This is also a great way to discover new users who tweet about topics you’re interested in.
Social networking is no longer just a pastime, it’s a whole new world where people are making connections and building professional relationships online instead of face-to-face. Don’t get left behind, get in on the action, and use these tips to help you get started.
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Any recruiter will tell you that they are signed on to LinkedIn.com every single day. Why? Because recruiting has taken on the saying of “out with the old and in with the new”. When LinkedIn came onto the scene, the entire profession of recruiting instantly changed.
Instead of using traditional methods to source candidates, they now have hundreds of thousands (and now millions) of candidates right at the tips of their fingers. Without having to leave their desks, they are now able to view the professional background of all of these potential candidates based on their LinkedIn profiles.
So why haven’t you ever been contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn?
We’ve outlined 6 ways to optimize your profile in order to grab the attention of recruiters.
Creating a profile on LinkedIn is the first step in the right direction, but you also need to make yourself current.
This means that you should be actively involved in the LinkedIn community. You can post updates regarding your career, share links to interesting articles you’ve read, or link your Twitter account up to your LinkedIn account so that your tweets are shared with your connections.
It doesn’t take long to browse through LinkedIn to find some atrocious profiles.
Having an incomplete (or completely bare) LinkedIn profile, is just as bad as submitting an unfinished resume for a job posting. This will always hurt you more than help you. As soon as you sign up for a LinkedIn account, they automatically walk you through the steps of completing your profile.
Aim to have an 80% completeness score, to start off, and then later you can add more information into the profile.
LinkedIn does not confine your information to a two-page limit the way a resume will, but that does not mean you can include every single position you’ve ever had.
You will easily lose a recruiter’s attention on a lengthy profile page, the same way you would lose it in a 5-page resume. You must remain concise! Outline all of the key pieces of information, but make sure you still have something to say if you’re asked to expand upon each point.
The new and improved LinkedIn profiles now offer a Skills & Expertise section where you can include in-demand keywords into your profile.
Once you start typing a common keyword, you will see a drop-down list appear with common keywords to choose from. This is an incredibly easy way to incorporate effective keywords into your profile.
If you’re really at a loss for what the keywords for your role are, look up job postings that are similar to your position. Throughout the responsibilities and requirements sections, you will easily be able to pinpoint the common keywords that are used across a variety of companies, and then incorporate them into your profile.
This tool provided by Google allows you to see which keywords yield the highest number of searches. It seems like a small detail, but “Client Relations” and “Client Relationships” could get you two very different levels of results. This is a great way to know that you’ve made the right choices in regards to the keywords you’ve included.
First things first – this isn’t Facebook. This is a professional networking site, and you must look professional in your photo.
You should be wearing something you would wear to work or to an interview, and have a warm smile on your face (it doesn’t have to look like a passport photo).
Once that is all taken care of, make sure the background you choose has no distractions, and ensure the photo is from your shoulders up. If you’ve ever had a professional headshot done, this would be a great use for it.
Many people opt out of the Linkedin Profile Photo either because they don’t have a professional photo to upload, or because they don’t want people to know what they look like. This is a poor decision.
Including a photo into your LinkedIn profile instantly increases your visibility on LinkedIn by 7 times. Also, by having a friendly face at the top of the page, the recruiter will see you as a person, and not just text on a webpage.
You could have the greatest LinkedIn profile in the world, but if you don’t have any connections, it won’t get you very far. Building up your network of connections is one of the most important tools on LinkedIn.
A great way to get started is to use your e-mail address book to find contacts who are already members of LinkedIn. You can also use the “People You May Know” tool to connect with friends, family members, and colleagues from past or present.
Another great way to meet professionals on LinkedIn is by joining groups.
There are a multitude of groups on LinkedIn for every field, profession and industry. You can browse through the groups and choose a few that really relate to what you are looking for. By actively participating in groups, you can easily build new relationships which will lead to more connections.
Instead of waiting around for recruiters to find you, why don’t you take the lead and connect with some recruiters.
By conducting a people search in LinkedIn, you will be able to find recruiters within your targeted industry and field. It is completely acceptable for you to reach out to them and request a connection. Don’t be shy – LinkedIn is all about expanding your network.
You will notice that the LinkedIn profile begins with a Summary section. Treat this section the same way you would treat the introductory value statement on your resume.
You want to immediately tell this recruiter what your current job title is, what your industry focus is, how many years of experience you have, your academic background, and a brief highlight of achievements. This will catch the recruiter’s attention and intrigue them enough to continue reading through your profile.
When you appear in search results on LinkedIn, the recruiter will see your picture and your headline, and that information must be interesting enough for them to click on your name. The headline will also help you appear in search results for specific keywords.
Instead of listing your headline as your current role, such as “Senior Chartered Accountant at KPMG”, list your headline as your strongest keywords, such as “Accounting | Auditing | Management”. Your current role is already listed in the information box at the top of your profile, so focus on the keywords that will get you noticed.
Before sending out a mass message requesting recommendations from your former employers and colleagues, start off by providing recommendations for them.
If you’ve taken the time out to improve their profile on LinkedIn, it’s far more professional when you ask for a recommendation in return. Many LinkedIn users will respond automatically by providing you with a recommendation as well, without you even having to ask.
Be sure to request recommendations from professionals that you maintained a relationship with over time. You want the recommendation to reflect the depth of your relationship with this colleague, and not to sound like a generic statement.
Also, always send a thank you note to anyone who provides you with a recommendation. They’ve helped you improve your visibility on LinkedIn, which may just land you a new job one day.
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For most industries – numbers are the most important part of your resume. Now this may be obvious for a sales resume or a management resume, but really numbers apply to everyone. They quantify each of your accountabilities and achievements, and therefore add credibility to your experience.
Numbers do not only apply to revenue increases, as many people assume. You can include numbers for a full multitude of points on a resume:
Do you get the point?
Numbers and percentages can refer to money, clients, team members, files, products, locations, and many more options. Now if you’re not inclined to include numbers in your resume just because we say so, well here are our Top 3 Reasons to convince you.
When you tell a Hiring Manager that you grew the client base substantially, they are thinking “that’s great, but what do you consider substantial?”
When you include the specific number, you are automatically clarifying what you consider substantial. Whether you grew the client base from 0 to 15, or from 100 to 150,000; the Hiring Manager can now quantify your achievements.
Quantifying your achievements is incredibly important when referring to increases that you propelled in your position. Your numbers are something to be proud of, and if you don’t include them, the Hiring Manager may automatically assume that they were not impressive enough to highlight.
If for confidentiality reasons you are unable to include exact figures in your resume, we recommend using percentages. This way, you are still able to give the Hiring Manager a rough quantity that you were able to achieve.
Numbers will provide context to your role and your accountabilities. This is especially important for candidates in management roles.
If you managed three departments, and each department had 45 employees each, the Hiring Manager needs to know those numbers, as it will impress them.
This is also true for clarifying the number of your direct/indirect reports, again this provides context to your role. Another area where context is important is the description of the company where you were working.
When working for smaller and unknown companies, a company description is often helpful for the Hiring Manager to better understand your role.
Your previous employer may be a lesser known company, but their numbers can still be impressive. You can include numbers such as the annual revenue, full number of employees, number of locations, etc.
This way, even if the Hiring Manager has never heard of this company before, they will already understand the scope and depth of your role within the organization.
Quantifying your achievements and providing context are also two concepts used to catch the Hiring Manager’s attention through your content, but in this section, we’re referring to visual representation.
If you were tasked with reading 100 resumes a day, you would eventually start skimming the documents for important information.
In the process of skimming, it will be numbers that will pop out at you and catch your attention.
This is an added benefit to including numbers on your resume. If the Hiring Manager is skimming through your information and sees figures such as “$4 million increase in revenues” or “managed a team of 60 staff across 5 locations”, they will automatically stop to learn more.
It’s human nature, if you scroll through this post, you will easily be able to point out the numbers, because they stand out amongst the rest of the text.
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