As the Great Resignation has indicated, many people across all fields and at all levels are less happy at work. If your options for growth are limited, your compensation package does not reflect your contribution, the work environment is toxic, or you no longer feel a challenge, it might be time to consider a move. Other reasons to go may be a change in the company’s direction, market concerns, or the company’s values no longer align with yours. If you experience these or similar negative signs at work, it is time to evaluate your current situation. Take time to carefully weigh the pros and co ..read more

When building a network on LinkedIn, you want to be interesting and engaging. You certainly don't want to be a nuisance. The default for your notifications should be "No" don't automatically share my page updates with my network. However, if you have been tinkering with your profile and you are not sure, now is a good tine to verify that setting. Before making changes to your profile, such as a new picture, adding an accomplishment, skill, or polishing the language, visit your privacy settings. It is simple. I will walk you through it with a few graphics. Log into your LinkedIn account. Look ..read more

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Years ago, a resume was a “one-resume-fits-all” solution. The resume simply said, “This is who I am, what I have done, and I hope you like me.” That was effective in an environment in which that type of resume was the norm. Employers were accustomed to weeding through non-relevant data to find what they needed. Perhaps your resume is stuck in the past. Today, the old-fashioned resume won’t make the cut. To compete, your resume needs a new strategy. Sharpen your message to include accomplishments with measured results and each time you send your resume, align it with your job target. To be eff ..read more

Each week I hear the phrases, “After the pandemic it will be like…” or “Past COVID, we will…” and I wonder why are we acquiescing to this holding pattern. We are pausing major aspects of our lives waiting for normalcy to return. There may be the worry of the stability of the next job we take. We are waiting for that right time, that time when we have a better sense of what is around the corner. Life is always unpredictable. Layoffs happen in all seasons. In some cases, we are led to believe things are fine right up to the day when things are not fine, and we are without a job. We did not see ..read more

Many job candidates spend more time on the subject line than the email message. There is so much on the line with a subject line that it can lead a candidate to analysis paralysis. This can turn a fifteen-minute activity into a dreaded task. Ideally, your subject line will beacon the recipient to open your message. A blank subject line is asking for the message to be deleted or marked as Spam. Step up and write a professional subject line. If a colleague referred you, you might write, “Chris Jones referred me to you” as a subject. When responding to a job posting, write the name of the job an ..read more

One of the most common issues I see with client's prior resumes is a lack of accomplishments with measured results and the omission of scope of authority. Without those items, your resume will look like a job description. If you are being recruited by a company without competition and they ask for a resume as a formality, that type of resume may be adequate. In situations where you are competing against other candidates, you need a compelling resume. That means you should scrutinize what to include and what to omit. Load Your Resume with Accomplishments This is the cardinal rule for all job c ..read more

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According to an Influential Executive February 2019 study, 54% of Fortune 500 CEOs have at least some social media presence. Half of the CEOs studied have a LinkedIn profile. Only 14% had a publicly searchable Twitter profile. Less than 1% had an Instagram or YouTube profile. Why Tap into Social Media? Social media has potential to be a broadcast channel and a branding vehicle. Executives active on social media and with appropriate strategic messaging create an image of a modern, accessible, and transparent leader. In an era of heightened skepticism in corporate and political leaders, improvi ..read more

What Are the Best Ways to Enhance Your Resume? Many job candidates ask what they can do to make their resume even stronger. They often ask which “buzz words” and resume designs get interviews these days. Some candidates sprinkle their resume with unncessesary words, such as “successfully,” “independently,” and “effectively.” Another tactic is to load the profile with over-used phrases such as, “results-driven,” “self-motivated,” and “proven track record.” None of those tactics will enhance your resume and often they are a distraction. You must have a clean and sophisticated resume design, but ..read more