LinkedIn – Your Online Resume is Worthless

Not having an effective LinkedIn Profile for your job search is the same as having an ineffective resume that gets tossed into the trash can all the time. STOP letting your online resume (LinkedIn Profile) be thrown in the trash!

LinkedIn provides an extraordinary online tool – your profile – a virtual resume and portfolio for you to do personal branding, self-promotion, and lay out a portfolio of your abilities, skills, and accomplishments.

The entry level account is FREE. This is the proverbial “no-brainer”. So, why are most profiles WORTHLESS? Why don’t professional job search candidates at managerial and executive levels consider this an important part of their job search?

TEST OF LINKEDIN PROFILES FOR JOB SEARCH

I’m in the middle of conducting a retained executive search for a Sales Executive. Like most recruiters, I’m using the search function in LinkedIn to find executives in specific industries and geographic areas. Everyone knows that LinkedIn is a significant tool for sourcing in the hands of recruiters, human resource professionals and hiring managers. I’m only searching for candidates that have flagged their account that they are open to career opportunities. I’ve now reviewed over 400 profiles.

Less than 20% have anything beyond a “skeleton” set of information.

Less than 2% have a decent profile fully completed with extensive descriptions of their accomplishments, an outstanding summary, lots of recommendations, and have their contact information (such as phone number and email address) available.

Less than 1% have taken the time to really leverage all the tools LinkedIn provides on your profile – slide presentations, attaching documents, reading lists, linking your blog and twitter accounts, and on the list goes. It’s absolutely amazing the value LinkedIn provides to job seekers.

As a recruiter reviewing profiles, it takes me about 5 seconds to look at a profile and make a first impression of whether I want to continue looking at it. If the profile is not complete, I will not bother to spend any more time with that potential candidate. You’ve just missed an opportunity which could have been the ideal job to move your career forward after you’ve been out of work for 9 months.

CONFUSION – WORTHLESS LINKEDIN PROFILES

I DON’T GET IT!

WHY DO THE VAST MAJORITY OF JOB SEEKERS HAVE A WORTHLESS ONLINE RESUME (LINKEDIN PROFILE)?

IS IT NOT TIME TO FIX THIS OBVIOUS OVERSIGHT?

HOW MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES HAVE SLIPPED BY YOU BECAUSE RECRUITERS LIKE ME HAVE SKIPPED OVER YOUR WORTHLESS ONLINE RESUME (LINKEDIN PROFILE)?

IMPROVE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE NOW

Brad and I have spoken extensively about the need to fully flush out your LinkedIn Profile as one of the tactics in an effective job search. We’ve talked about it in our weekly Internet Radio Talk Show. You can download the specific episodes about LinkedIn from our broadcast archive.

We even put together a FREE one-page LinkedIn Profile Self-Assessment Scorecard to determine if your LinkedIn Profile is effective in being found by recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers. You can download the Scorecard right now and frighten yourself on your inadequate profile. You might want to also bang your head on the wall a few times over the potential job opportunities for which you’ve been ignored.

Take action right now and fix this simple element of your job search. STOP being ignored. Create a profile that allows you to instantly capture the attention of recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers that are looking for someone JUST LIKE YOU.

Barry Deutsch

Don’t forget to join our LinkedIn Job Search Discussion Group and learn how to improve the effectiveness of your job search through leveraging the tools LinkedIn provides to create a powerful job search profile.

Vital Information Is Missing From So Many Resumes

I receive hundreds of resumes daily from candidates in relationship to the searches we have underway. So many of these candidates actually believe they are qualified for the position. Many may in fact be qualified, however, many of these candidates will never get a call from me because basic vital information is missing from their resume.

I’m not talking about the content of their specific jobs, the accomplishments, or the activities they performed, I’m talking about the basic information the recruiter needs to decide if this candidate meets the minimum requirements for the position.

For example, I recently tested this theory. I sent out an email to my database regarding a search I was conducting. The total email was maybe 6 sentences. I kept it short so that the things I was looking for would stand out in the email. In the email I mentioned 6 times the words “outsourcing manufacturing,” 7 times I mentioned, “contract manufacturing,”  and 4 times I said, “must have industrial manufacturing.” Given all that in just 6 sentences, what do you think I’m looking for on your resume?

Not in your cover letter, not in a follow up email, not on the phone interview, but on your resume, so I will pick up the phone and call you.

For those with an immediate grasp of the obvious you answered, contract manufacturing, outsourcing, and industrial manufacturing experience. Right answer.

How many of the 188 responses I received do you think took the time to include this vital information on their resume? Note that the vast majority, either in their cover letter or reply via email to me, mentioned how perfect they were for this position. If you answered 2 you scored 100% again. Go to the head of the class.

This is so important that I put together a short 5 minute video for you to watch that gives you the details on what basic vital information you need to include on your resume. CLICK HERE to watch this video.

I hope this short video will  help you as you put your resume together. Making sure this information is on your resume will help ensure recruiters and hiring managers don’t put your resume in the trash because it is missing important information.

For more information on resumes, interviewing, and job search help join our LindedIn Job Search Networking Group. Over 3,500 people participate with great articles and discussions. CLICK HERE to join.

To help with your resume, download a free sample cover letter specifically designed to align your resume with the company needs. CLICK HERE to download.

If this was helpful to you, please forward it to your network, mention it on LinkedIn or Facebook so that others can also benefit. Everybody needs to help out in these tough times. Please help others.

I welcome your thoughts, questions and comments.

Brad

Personal Branding Blog Articles in 2009

Learn how to stand out from the crowd – differentiate yourself and grab the attention of recruiters, human resource professionals, and hiring managers.

Below is a list of our best personal branding articles in 2009. I’ve started to see a number of blog authors write postings saying something like “the only solution”, the only tip you’ll need”, the only piece of advice you need to read” and other similar nonsense.

Perhaps these are attempts to be cute with blog titles – no one in their right mind could possibly think they’ve cornered the market on personal branding, job search, and networking advice. That’s just plain silly. There is no one right answer or perfect tactic. There are some best practices you could follow, such as having a good professional picture on your profile, fully filling out your LinkedIn Profile, creating a Google Profile, and so on.

There are a lot of charlatans writing career and job search articles that have no expertise on which to base their advice. Be careful of these scams and poorly written articles that could actually damage or delay your job search. On the other hand, there are some outstanding experts in the blogosphere writing exemplary articles on these subjects. There are individuals who have established their brand, proven their expertise, and give great advice. You should be following them and hanging on their every word. In a few upcoming blog postings, I’ll share with you those bloggers whom I think are worth following.

Here are some of our best articles (measured by readership, tweeting activity, and comments) on job search personal branding for 2009:

Your LinkedIn Profile As An Expanded Multi-Media Presentation of Your Resume

We discuss the various tools LinkedIn provides to enhance the typical resume and provide an extensive portfolio of your expertise, skills, accomplishments, and value. Learn how the “free” tools provided on your LinkedIn Profile Page can dramatically be leveraged to enhance your job search personal brand.

Have You Assessed Your LinkedIn Profile Yet?

We launched a FREE LinkedIn Job Search Profile Self-Assessment Scorecard and it became one of the most downloaded FREE tools we’ve ever created. Over 2000 job search candidates have downloaded this quick one page assessment tool and shared with us the feedback that they now get found more easily by recruiters, human resource professionals, and hiring managers.

Become a Beacon in Your Job Search

Are you a beacon of light in your job search? Do you “stand-out” in your job search. Are you a light unto others in your job search? A significant part of job search personal branding is casting a light so bright that those who are interested in your background will see you long before your peers come into view.

Barry Deutsch

Don’t forget to join our LinkedIn Job Search Discussion Group to learn from others the best practices in personal branding and how to conduct an effective job search.

Have you hit the wall in your job search?

In basketball coaching, we have a phrase we call “hitting the wall”.

My high school girls basketball team was crushing teams in a tournament last week and then they picked the championship round for 1st place to “hit the wall”. We were the better team – we had beat our competitor multiple times last summer, we had worked harder, had better shooters, and tougher defenders. Why did we lose the game?

We lost because we hit the wall. The girls were burnt out from daily non-stop intense basketball during December. We tried everything – taking time-outs, substituting more often, running different plays, switching up our defense more frequently. Nothing worked and we had nothing left in our gym bag of tricks.

This is a common malady affecting teams, especially young teams that lack the maturity and experience of multiple years of basketball competition.

Have you “hit the wall” in your job search?

Unfortunately, if your team “hits the wall” during a game – you’re stuck as a coach. You can sub fresh players, try to motivate them, run different plays, and try alternate defenses. However, as a coach you cannot play the game for them. At some point your team needs to perform. They need to stop the other team and put the little orange ball in the little orange hoop.

Fortunately, if your job search “hits the wall” there is plenty you can do. There is an almost unlimited number of tactics you can use in your job search to find open opportunities, increase the number of job leads and referrals, and expand your network.

What’s the one thing you’ve done differently in your job search since it “hit the wall”? You’ve probably heard that quote from Benjamin Franklin that paraphrased goes something like “If you keep doing the same thing over and over, you’ll keep getting the same results”. Benjamin Franklin called this the “Definition of Insanity”.

Brad and I would love to hear about the one new thing you’ve discovered or learned that has had a positive impact on your job search – something new that you decided to try since whatever you were doing was not working.

What’s the best blog article you read in 2009 that made a difference in your job search? Is there an article Brad or I wrote in the last year that is memorable for you?

What one product did you buy – a book, an audio program, a video course – that turned the corner for you on your job search?

What unique FREE tool – a sample cover letter, a template, a checklist, a scorecard have you plucked off of someone’s site (perhaps even from our FREE Resources Library?) that made a big difference or brought you an Aha moment?

There is a ton of FREE and inexpensive job search materials and content available. Sure – some of it’s a scam and can actually hurt your job search. However, there are outstanding experts in the job search field that have put together an unbelievable range of materials, content, tools, and samples. Are you taking advantage of this avalanche of materials that keep coming every single day?

If you’re not taking advantage of this FREE material and inexpensive products in your job search, then shame on you. Your job search will probably last as long as the average length of time (or longer) as other peers in your chosen field. If you want to reduce dramatically the time it takes to find a great job – then you’ve got to embrace the best practice information available at your finger tips.

Barry Deutsch

Don’t forget to join us in our LinkedIn Job Search Discussion Group for best practices, great ideas, and tips to improve the effectiveness of your job search.

How to Make Sure You’ll Fail to Achieve Your Goals

Don’t write down your goals – that’s pretty much it at a basic level.

NOT writing down your goals is almost a guarantee of failing to achieve them. This is true for your financial objectives, personal life, business career, projects, and perhaps most importantly right now, your job search.

I wonder how many managers/executives conducting a current job search do not have written goals (not tasks and activities) which are revised weekly and monthly.

Who carries these goals with them and looks at them frequently?

I recently read an article posted on a well known blogger’s website, John Chow, that referenced a rumored Harvard study which found that the 3% of the population which makes the effort to write down their goals makes over ten times as much as the other 97% combined.

Although the study was not true, many studies and research projects have been conducted that indicate written goals lead to higher levels of execution, accomplishment, success, and focused effort.

Many candidates struggle in their job search because they work “in their job search” NOT “on their job search”. Michael Gerber, in his famous book, The E-Myth, extended this same concept to the failure of entrepreneurs in building their businesses. Entrepreneurs tend to work in their business instead of on their business – and consequently fail as a result. They spend too much time absorbed by the activities and tasks of their business – NOT the vision, goals, and objectives of what they would like to accomplish.

So – how do you work on your job search and develop appropriate goals that lead you to finding a great job opportunity in half the time it would normally take your peer group? My partner, Brad, and I have developed a simple and easy step-by-step approach that has been proven to dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete a job search. We call this job search structured approach the Career Success Methodology. You read about the details of each of the steps, including building your Personal Success Profile, developing a targeted plan to identify new opportunities, and creating a Compelling Marketing Statement on our website.

We have an extensive e-commerce section with a catalog of products and services to support your implementation and execution of the Career Success Methodology, including a Resume Kit, a comprehensive Home Study Job Search Kit,and other tools to develop a powerful job search.

Best part of our website is the extensive FREE resources we’ve developed for those conducting a job search, including samples, templates, checklists, scorecards, and the audio library from our weekly Internet Radio Talk Show.

Finally, don’t forget to join our LinkedIn Job Search Discussion Group – one of the fastest growing groups on LinkedIn for job seekers. Join the vibrant and active discussion around best practices in running an effective job search.

Barry Deutsch

Social Media Is Good and Bad For Your Job Search

At a recent Vistage meeting of about 20 CEOs  we were discussing using social media as a way to find people. One of the CEOs indicated it is also a great way to eliminate people.

I wasn’t overly surprised to learn that many hadn’t thought about social media for hiring, but I was surprised to learn that many don’t use it as a screening tool. Obviously, after hearing the story from the one CEO, most will reconsider.

Apparently they were in the process of interviewing a candidate for a sales position,  and like most hiring processes it takes a couple of weeks to get through all of the interviews. Over this couple of weeks the company started tracking this person’s Tweets on Twitter and looked up the candidate’s profile picture.

OOPS major faux pas.

Apparently as it was relayed in the meeting, this person’s picture was – let’s just say not professional, and the tweets were completely inappropriate as viewed by the company. The language was foul, the topics discussed rather vulgar, and for a professional sales person raised a lot of red flags.

The company was scared of a sexual harassment lawsuit and how this candidate would communicate with employees and customers. Not to mention what customers would think if they saw this person’s profile picture and followed them on Twitter.

Social media is a double edged sword. I follow Twitter on a regular basis, and I am surprised at how many people looking for a job use inappropriate language, brag about being lazy, tweet about how glad they are about not working, or demonstrate a lack of willingness to be employed. They come across as wanting a job but not willing to work. This is not what a future employer is seeking.

Take care to ensure that you manage  your social media properly and professionally during your job search. Others are watching and listening to you.

If this was helpful to you, it will probably be  helpful to others. Please consider passing it on so they too can benefit. You might add it to your Facebook page, update it on your LinkedIn status, email it to friends or to your network. We all need to help out. One tip can make a huge difference to someone.

Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group and stay connected with the other 3500+ members. CLICK HERE to join.

We offer free recordings of our radio talk show heard every Monday at 11 AM PST on www.latalkradio.com. To listen to past shows on social media, resumes, interviewing, finding the hidden job market and common job search mistakes CLICK HERE to review our library. All are FREE to download.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

11 New Year Resolutions For Your Job Search

It is time to look forward to 2010. Regardless of 2009 happenings and all its trials and tribulations, 2010 is upon us and now is the time to think about how best to approach the year with regards to your career or job search.

Here are some ideas that you might want to consider:

1. If you are actively searching for a job, make a serious evaluation of your 2009 search. What worked, what didn’t, what successes did you have, what are the strong points to your search and what areas need to be improved in 2010? To help you do this, you can download for free our 8 Point Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. This will highlight some of these areas.

2. Dust off the old resume and update it. All professionals should maintain an updated resume. Even if you are not searching this is just prudent. It is useful to ensure when you do need one that it is ready, as it reduces the stress of trying to remember what happened in the past, and helps to identify whether or not you are growing or doing the same thing you did last and the year before that.

3. From the resume, step back and take a look at your career and either update or create your career plan. Remember the 6 Ps – Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. This is true in business and in your career. You should be able to answer some basic questions:

A. What are your career goals for 2010? This doesn’t have to be advancement to the next level. It could be what additional experience, training or skills you would need to reach your goal.

B. If advancement is your goal, are you able to get the right experience in your current company? When you write your resume and find you have been doing the same things for the last 2 years you may need to reconsider. Did you add  to your marketability in 2009? This doesn’t mean in terms of dollars. In today’s market, getting a job without going backwards is a good thing. So are you more employable today than a year ago?

C. What experience, skills, or training, does your boss have that will help you be qualified for their position?

4. Write out a job description that meets your goals for 2010. Include the additional experience you need to move your career forward. For example, manage people, participate in system implementation, additional experience in running a trade show, experience in assisting with union negotiations, international sales experience, these are all examples of some experience to include in a job description.

5. Schedule a  1-2-1 with your boss. This should be a separate meeting from your annual review. Make it clear that this meeting is about you and  your career. Sit down and do some career planning with your supervisor. Discuss the issues in #3 above. Is your manager willing to help you get this experience? If so good, if not, then you have a decision to make. It is possible that your manager may be able to provide some additional experience you never thought about obtaining.

6. Identify at least two organizations you will actively participate in. If you already belong to a professional association then become an active member. Active means attending at least 80% of the meetings, serving on a committee, becoming a board member, etc. Do whatever it takes so that people in these groups get to know you and know you well. These associations are prime hunting grounds for recruiters looking for top talent.

7. Consider serving on a nonprofit board. This serves the community, makes you feel good, helps others, and it helps with getting more people to know you and your abilities. Great referral sources.

8. Consider working with a certified career coach. Highly skilled career coaches can really help. They help you clarify the issues above and assist you in making a plan that makes sense to you.

9. If you are in a job search get an accountability partner. We have two articles available to help you identify the characteristics of a good accountability partner and the duties, tasks and responsibilities of a good partner. (See these two articles).

10. Identify the resources you need in 2010 to advance your career. What books, classes, white papers, etc., do you need to make sure you stay on your career path? There are a wealth of resources and tools, many of which are free on the Internet, to help you with your career plan. (This is NOT The Position I Accepted was written specifically for this purpose).

11. Implement. Planning is great, but absolutely worthless without execution. Set up some 30, 60 and 90 day goals. Once they are achieved, then schedule out the next 30, 60 and 90 day goals. Trying to schedule a year out leads to, “I will do that next month as I still have plenty of time.” Before you know it, the year is over. Short term goals are easier to manage and achieve.

2010 is a great year to take control of your job search or career. There are so many resources to help you, that all you need to do is take control and do it.

For some free resources to help you consider:

• Joining our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. There are numerous discussions and articles to get you started in 2010.
• Download the Skills Assessment in the What’s New section at the bottom of our home page. It starts with identifying your skills and finding out which ones are transferable.
• Download the sample cover letter from the What’s New section at the bottom of our home page. This is a great tool that will align your resume with the company’s needs.

If this has been helpful to you, then please consider helping others by passing it along to them. Consider forwarding the link to your network, tweeting it on Twitter, adding the link to your Facebook, or updating your LinkedIn status. Let’s all try to help others in 2010.

I welcome your thoughts, comments and questions.

Brad Remillard