Crafting Your Resume & LinkedIn Presence to Land Your Next Role
Whether you’re in the market for a new position in good times or you find yourself between jobs, taking the time to create an effective resume and LinkedIn profile could set you apart from your competition.
1. First impressions matter
Your LinkedIn profile and resume are opportunities to influence how potential employers view you, so make them count! Employers will form an instant first impression, so pay attention to every detail. If an employer sees sloppiness — typos, misspellings or incorrect word usage — they will eliminate you from the pool of applicants immediately.
Take time to craft your image by using a high quality, professional head shot and be sure to thoroughly proofread your entire resume and LinkedIn profile. If it’s in your budget, investing in a professional resume editor will set you above the crowd.
While many professional resume writers encourage job seekers to include only the last 15 years of experience on their resume, we do not agree with this approach as it sometimes omits relevant experience or doesn’t accurately reflect your dates of employment. When listing your dates of employment, be sure to include the month and year, which presents a clear picture of your work history and an opportunity to explain any gaps during the interview process.
2. Aim for Consistency
Make it a habit to update your LinkedIn profile and resume regularly to ensure that they are consistent, complete, accurate and up to date. Employers and recruiters rely heavily on LinkedIn profiles so don’t underestimate their importance. Avoid having multiple profiles under the same name, which can send mixed signals and create confusion.
Resumes and profiles do not have to be exhaustive, but they should include your most relevant experience. These days, cover letters are often redundant and unnecessary if your resume and profile are complete.
3. Highlight Your Unique Abilities
Use the background section of your LinkedIn profile to address your special or unique skills, experiences, strengths and leadership style that will set you apart and make you stand out as a desirable candidate. You can use this section to mention the positions you aspire to reach in your career and/or alternative roles that inspire you.
Be sure to identify your niche or specialty. Are you an ace when it comes to a certain ticket size? Do you have a background in vendor, direct, or captive originations? Which asset classes have you specialized in? This information matters and will give potential employers and recruiters a clear picture of your abilities.
4. Create a Well-Rounded Profile
Your experience section should include past employers, and their locations, as well as the role(s) you held at each company. Don’t forget to include your number of direct reports, titles, dates of employment and a description of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
Unaccustomed to tooting your own horn? Use a mix of qualitative accomplishments — such as launching a new product line — with quantitative results, like increasing new business volume by 50%.
Round out your profile by including your relevant education, degrees or certifications, designations (such as CPA, CFA, CPM or CLFP). Mention any formal training you’ve had in sales, credit or leadership as well as any board or volunteer experiences, community and service activities, awards and any other form of meaningful recognition.
5. Cultivate Your Connections
LinkedIn connections matter, particularly when they are relevant to your industry. Take time each day to invest in and leverage your connections. Endorse the skills of current or former colleagues or business associates and encourage others to endorse your skills and/or provide testimonials on LinkedIn.
When it comes down to it, remember that LinkedIn is a social network, so get out there and be social. Follow relevant companies, organizations and news sources on LinkedIn and share articles and information that will be valuable to your connections. Spend time each day engaging with the content your connections post. When a connection lands a new job or promotion, congratulate them! These small actions can build a great amount of rapport within your network.
Finally, use LinkedIn’s settings to reflect that you are open to opportunities when and if you are looking to make a move. Taking this simple step will show recruiters that you are open to learning about new positions without alerting your network—or your employer. Looking to make a move? Reach out to Molloy Associates for a free 15-20-minute consultation.