It’s Time to Update Your Resume and Your LinkedIn Profile

Brand Career Management Monthly Tip Sheet – September 2018

Hello Everyone,

Happy September –

I hope you’ve had a fun past few months. No matter where you are in the world, you’re likely seeing a change of weather. A new season is upon us and it’s time to get back into some familiar routines. One routine I suggest is conducting an annual résumé check-up and “Why not now?” since September is International Update Your Résumé Month.

To help you tackle this task, this issue is going to focus on tips and advice for updating your résumé, and the LinkedIn Tip of the Month asks you some questions to keep your profile up-to-date. Be sure to take a look at your résumé and profile this September to see if they need updating. If you need help, just let me know.

Warmest regards,

Paula

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LINKED IN – TIP OF THE MONTH
Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Up to Date! When was the last time you really looked at your LinkedIn profile? Take a moment to schedule a 30-minute appointment with yourself in the next week, to take a look at your profile and note things that need to be revised. After that, schedule more time as needed, to follow up on your notes. If you are updating your résumé and LinkedIn profile simultaneously, double check the dates of jobs and education to make sure the data on both is correct and matches (you don’t ever want information on your profile and résumé to contradict each other). In terms of updating your profile, I would ask you these questions:
  • Have you started a new job and if so, is it included?
  • Has your title changed in your current role?
  • Did you earn any new credentials recently?
  • Did you start a new volunteer position?
  • Have you received any awards for your work or volunteerism?
  • Have you added any visual media to your profile?
  • When did you last update your headline?
Maybe there are some areas of your profile that need to be re-considered?
  • Did you ever complete a Summary?
  • Are you missing a profile picture?
  • Did you fill in the Skills section with appropriate keywords (or did LinkedIn fill it in for you)?
Here are some additional tips to develop your profile, referencing archived MTS issues: Speaking of résumé development and LinkedIn, you need to know about a change since Microsoft bought LinkedIn. In Microsoft Word, there is now a feature called Résumé Assistant, which allows Word users to fill in a résumé template by “borrowing” actual content from public LinkedIn profiles. Annoyingly, when LinkedIn added this setting to all users, it set the default as “Yes.” I suggest you go into your Settings & Privacy and select “No” for giving Word access to your profile for Résumé Assistant. Donna Svei gives you all the details you need to know (in text and video) to stop this from affecting your profile content.
USEFUL ARTICLES WITH LINKS
The posts below give advice and tips on updating your résumé – from modernizing your document to sharing the right skills. In today’s electronic age of job search, uploading your résumé into an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is somewhat unavoidable. Marie Zimenoff, CEO of Career Thought Leaders shares updated information to debunk two common myths about ATS. Career Thought Leader Affiliate Kris McGuigan explains some ways to modernize your résumé. As you likely know, it’s important to tailor each résumé to a specific opportunity and to focus your résumé on the skills that matter most to your audience. Below are two resources to help you do that.
UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
See me speak about Figuring Out Your Next Career Move at the Broadneck Branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library on Monday, September 17 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. Please register for this FREE session by calling 410-222-1905. The 3rd Edition of The Essential Guide to Career Certifications is an electronic publication featuring 50+ career industry credentials. Each entry includes the certification name and area of focus, a verified link to the training provider’s website, costs involved, program length, eligibility criteria and renewal requirements. Purchase it online at TheEssentialGuidetoCareerCertifications.com and gain immediate access.
Paula Brand - MS, GCDF, CPRW, JCTC
Paula Brand – MS, GCDF, CPRW, JCTC, Global Career Coach & Consultant | LinkedIn Expert | Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator As an experienced Career Counselor & Coach, my mission is to inspire you to manage your career by embracing LinkedIn! Reach your career goals faster by letting me show you how to use LinkedIn more effectively. By staying on top of the constant changes, I can save you time and make this process much easier. Write to: paula@paulabrand.com or call me at 443-254-8173. If you received this from a friend and would like to receive your own Monthly Tip Sheet, please click here to sign up.

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