Executive Career Insights

Is Your Online Brand Effectively Selling You?

I am so excited to announce that I completed the Online ID Strategist certification program through Reach Communications. It was a very interesting and in-depth learning course about online identification and brand management strategies - tools and techniques for executives, careerists and entreprenuers.

You should know by now whenever you are seeking a new job, new consulting gig or even a new contract, potential employers and recruiters will do a Google search on your name BEFORE they call you...yes, this occurs more than 85% of the time. Based on the information that they find, they would have already formed an opinion about you - good or bad - by the time they meet you or have a conversation on the phone.

My question to you today is...if they "Googled" your name what will they find? Well, here are some things you DON'T want them to find:

1. An outdated or sparse LinkedIn profile
2. A link to an unflattering picture of you at a social event or party
3. Tons of links to other people with the same name like yours (but none of referring to you!)
4. An announcement about your new position from ten years ago
5. Links to incomplete social media and social networking profiles
6. Offensive comments made by you on highly controversial blogs
7. Newspaper or magazine articles that describe and portray you in a negative light
8. Absolutely no information or data about you - you don't exist!

As technology continues to define and re-define how we live work and play, think of your Google results as the new millenium resume. If you are not online, get started today.

Related posts:

Is your online brand confusing employers?

Five questions to help you zero in on personal brand

7 Ways To Rev Up Your Personal Brand

You cannot live or breathe today without hearing about personal branding. By now, you should understand that identifying your own unique personal brand is very critical for personal, business and career success.

After all, who wants to blend in with everyone else? Without a standout, memorable personal brand where would successful people like Martha Stewart, Michael Jordan, Madonna, Prince and Donald Trump be?

Well, let's assume that you have done the hard work, soul-searching and in-depth analysis required to identify your personal brand, now how do you make it a part of your everyday life?

Here are 7 ways that you can successfully exude and promote your personal brand so that it becomes natural perception of who you are - both to yourself and to others who encounter you.

1) Develop and master a unique subject matter – focus on area that you want to learn more about, one that is close to your heart and something that drives your passion. Aim to be that "go-to" person on the topic or area of specialty.

2) Write about it – why keep your expertise and area of knowledge to yourself? Identify online channels and print publications to share your knowledge wealth with others.

3) Take it to the road – partner with professional, social, association and other membership-based groups to offer lectures, seminars and speciatly classes.

4) Create a following – want to consistently share your thoughts with others? Establish your own blog, set up a Twitter account that links to you blog and talk/write to your heart's content.

5) Design a customized email signature – allow others to quickly learn more about you and your value proposition through a distinctive email signature. Don't be afraid to be creative and add your photo, personal brand statement, links to your social profiles, blog and website and your own signature colors and/or symbols.

6) Use personalized note cards/business – maintain a consistent theme with colors, brand attributes and messaging with all your stationery and accessories. Don't forget nice pens that carry your brand message.

7) Prepare a 30-second pitch that sells you – put together a personal introduction that is memorable and compelling - you want to make it easy for people to remember you. Use this pitch in networking events, group presentations, and even social events.

Related posts:

Five questions to help you zero in on personal brand

Personal branding - truly the only way to survive in any economy

Have Your Done Your Job Search Gap Analysis?

I remember when a friend of mine had contacted me for assistance with her resume because she desperately wanted to make a career change. She was burned out from her career as a nurse and wanted to move into the non-profit world.

Her first thought was that she needed to create a good resume that would allow her to make that transition. However, upon further discussion with her, I gently pointed out that unless she had actual work experience - whether it was part-time, volunteer or project-based - I simply could not develop a resume that would position her for a new career.

Are you seriously considering a career change, but keep running into a brick wall because you don't have the right experience?

Don't be discouraged, I have worked successfully with many candidates who were able to make the transition into a new career, BUT it took time, patience and careful planning.

Here are a few things to consider when preparing for a career change:

1) Know The Skill Base: Identify the required experience, skills, qualifications, certifications, training and education that your employers are asking for in your new target job.

2) Develop A Job Profile: Create a table and list the core job requirements that you have frequently noticed appearing in job listings or based on what you have learned from professionals currently working in the field.

3) Highlight Your Skills: Zero in on the qualifications and/or related experience that you already have and make detailed notes on your transferable skills that can be applied to your new career.

4) Uncover New Learning Opportunities: Make a list of competency areas that can be improved or quickly achieved through a short-term program or online learning class.

5) Research Consulting / Volunteer Projects: In many cases, the only way to get experience is to volunteer or partner with someone on an existing or long-term project.

6) Start Connecting: An introduction, referral or third-party testimonial can be instrumental in opening the doors to a new career. Maximize opportunities to attend industry conferences, local networking events and participating in professional associations.

Last, but certainly not least, recognize that it will take time. I remember working with a client who wanted to transition into a marketing career from financial analyst career - she studied the required materials, volunteered with local groups and undertook challenging projects that gave her great achievement stories for her interviews and her resume.

By the time, she reached out to me for a resume reinvention, we had five years of related experience and achievements that perfectly positioned her for a new career!

Related posts:

Simple ways to enhance your career skills

How long will my job search take?

Top 10 Best Practices for Steady Executive Career Progression

With all the information coming at you through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Ping and every other source that you imagine - sometimes it is hard to filter through to what your really need at the moment.

Here are ten previous blogs that can still serve you well today that address key issues in the executive job search, personal branding, online identity and overall career management strategy.

Don't get so bogged down in your job search, so that once you land a job, you stop working at building your executive career.

Revisiting Resume Best Practices

A Strong Argument for Executive Cover Letters

Personal Branding - Truly the Only Way to Survive in Any Economy

How To Get Recruiters To Call You Back

Executive Interview Mistakes That Might Surprise You

How Do You Rank - Digitally?

Blogging To Save Your Career

Transform Your Wins Into "WOW" Accomplishment Statements

Powering Up Your Annual Performance Reviews

Networking for Job Search and Career Management

Maximizing Social Media to Turbocharge Your Executive Job Search

Don't you find it frustrating when friends or family who have known you for years, suddenly say, so kind of work do you do again? Well, imagine trying to launch a job search in today's competitive, crowded marketplace without any online presence or brand reputation.

Whether you like it or not, in order to "make noise" and be found by active hiring managers, eager employers and scouring recruiters, you need to engage a wide variety of social media tools and online networking resources. Here are five, free, easy-to-use social media tools that will take you from invisible to digitally distinct.

 A) Beef Up Your Signature

As you will be conducting a fair amount of your job search through the Internet and email communications, make sure that your email signature serves as your digital business card.

-- Include key information like your title, personal brand statement, phone number, Linked and VisualCV url links.

-- You can even include your professional headshot to make a connection with your email recipients.

B) Maintain An Optimized LinkedIn profile

With more than 40 million members from around the world that includes top Fortune 500 executives and recruiters, you need a robust, active LinkedIn profile to help you nurture and support your professional network.

-- Use a branded headline (title header) to attract visitors and catch the eye of proactive recruiters and headhunters. Make it specific in terms of profession, industry, expertise and geographic location.

-- Take advantage of the update status feature to keep your connections apprised of your career activities and use it as a tool to share information and inform them of mutually beneficial networking events.

-- Request and add recommendations from former colleagues, bosses, mentors and respected professionals in your field. A third-party testimonial can go a long way.

-- Transform you elevator pitch into a compelling summary on your LinkedIn profile. Be sure to use relevant , acronyms and industry jargon as they relate to your areas of expertise.

-- Join groups and get active in the discussion - be willing to share your opinion, expertise and advice. Discussion forums are a very popular place for recruiters when it comes to seeking passive candidates.

C) Be Active On Twitter

Don't just get a twitter account and go silent - even I am guilty of this one at times:) Identify and follow the trend setters and thought leaders in your target industry, but be a giver and receiver of information. If you come across an interesting news article or blog post, don't be afraid to retweet as long as you give the original author full credit.

D) Build An Multimedia Portfolio

Whether you choose to host a website with you own customized url (with your name), design an interactive portfolio or build your VisualCV, you have to provide interested employers and recruiters a variety of opportunities to learn more about you.

-- Depending on your field, upload video to highlight your speaking experience and presentation skills.

-- Include visual charts, Word/PDF documents, and links to showcase published works, articles, white papers, writing samples; you should also have downloadable versions of your resume in standard presentation and text formats.

E) Create A Facebook Profile

Now I will admit that I have two Facebook profiles - one for personal and professional purposes. Why a Facebook account in a job search? It is another venue to promote your personal brand, join company pages, participate in industry and profession-specific networking groups, and re-connect with former colleagues and classmates.

--Keep your profile updated and link your other social media activity to your Facebook to keep the content fresh and current.

-- Take advantage of the "What are you doing" feature and routinely engage others in conversation and discussions.

-- Use advanced social media tools to link your Twitter posts to your Facebook. 

Now all these steps look like a tall order to follow, but keep in mind that if you are unemployed, you will be realistically spending between 35 to 40 hours a week in job search activities. Now, before you make a pact to glue yourself to your computer and Blackberry, remember that your online activities should only be a PART of your job search strategy plan - not 100% of it.

Related posts:

Build and promote your online presence

Are you tweeting?

Going public with your executive job search

Powering Up Your Annual Performance Reviews

Most professionals I know dislike the process of annual performance reviews as much as they dislike job interviews.

Why is this annual routine so greatly disliked and viewed the dreaded moment that you have to come face-to-face with the big boss?

I am thinking that if you spent the entire year preparing for performance reviews and keeping track of your achievements and kudos, you would be in a better position to discuss your value to the company, highlight your contributions, and negotiate a salary increase or promotion to your advantage.

I cannot tell you how many executives that I have worked with who have forgotten their career achievements or lost sight of their major career milestones. While you may have a great relationship with your immediate boss, don't be fooled into believing that he/she will remember how you have excelled or everything you have done in the previous 12 months.

Here are a few strategies to keep in mind that can make your next annual review go a lot smoother:

Keep solid, verifiable records of everything using either a word document or Excel spreadsheet; frequently monitor your career activities and conduct frequent updates at the 3-month, 6-month, 9-month and 12-month marks.

Make sure that your personal career files include the following:

-- Achievements/successes you have made outside the scope of your responsibilities - think in terms of innovation, direct impact to company, areas of improvement, cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency etc.

-- Specific project-related challenges or goals you faced and how you overcame them. (consider the S-T-A-R approach or developing a Critical Leadership Initiatives document)

-- Descriptions of how you have addressed or exceeded individual and management-directed goals from your previous performance review

-- List any improvements you have made to your skills, competencies, and areas of expertise - training courses, advanced degrees or certifications

-- An outline any internal programs, projects or initiatives that you volunteered to lead or were selected for participation

-- Copies of "kudos" emails and letters gained through routine comments and unsolicited feedback from clients, vendors, strategic partners, managers and colleagues

 

Abby M. Locke of Premier Writing Solutions (www.premierwriting.com) is a master resume writer and career marketing architect who helps talented professionals and senior-level executives to achieve career success through cutting-edge, brand-focused career documents, innovative job search tools, and proactive career management strategies.

Part 1 - Does Your Executive Resume Need A Makeover?

With the economy causing a frenzy in everyone's lives, astute senior executives need to make sure that they are more prepared than ever. If you have not looked for a new job in the past five to ten years, you are in for a BIG surprise or shock.

The job search arena has changed drastically and the competition is stronger than ever. So would you engage in a new job search using the same outdated, ineffective resume development strategies? I should hope not.

How can you tell that your executive resume needs to be tossed? Take a close look at your existing resume, it is too short and limited to one-page?

You heard me right - many well-meaning executives are still holding fast to the age-old rule of a one-page resume. While the goal is to keep your executive resume content succinct, concise, and brief, you cannot tell a compelling career success story on one page without squeezing out very essential details and achievements. Furthermore, if your goal is to get 20 years on one page, it will mean downplaying your career progression and leaving out critical information that would make you appear underqualified for senior executive positions.

Innovative, one-page career marketing documents that are acceptable include Networking Resume and Executive Career Biography - these documents summarize key points of your career, but do not and should not replace a two-page, brand-focused, achievement-driven executive resume.

You have a great career story to tell...so tell it and tell ALL of it!

How Do You Rank...Digitally?

Whether you are a technology guru or a marketing executive, you should accept that more than 80% of recruiters and potential employers will "Google" you long before they call you for an interview. Surprised? That's the new world of Job Search 2.0.

Have you ever Googled yourself to see what search results come up? If not, you should get into the practice of doing so regularly.

Why? If there is inaccurate, unflattering information about you floating in the world wide web, you want to catch it before you are actively job searching.

What is funny is that on the flip side - if you Google yourself and nothing pops up - that's just as bad in the eyes of recruiters and potential employers.

One of my colleagues and a personal branding guru, William Arruda offers this food for thought....which category do you fall into?

Digitally disguised: Scary...you don't exist. You have no online identity and anyone researching you come up with zero results.

Digitally dissed: Okay, so we see you, but what we see is not good. Any online information on you is inaccurate, inconsistent, and/or not flattering.

Digitally disastrous: Your name may come up with several search results, but is it really you or someone who has the same name. Are your personal profiles showing you in an unprofessional light?

Digitally dabbling: Good news...there is some relevant, branded information on you - maybe through your LinkedIn profile that ranks high in the Google results.

Digitally distinct: Everyone knows/can know your name. All the search results related to you are relevant, strategically positioned, strongly branded, and send out the message you want to potential employers.

Note: I actually pre-screened a potential, disastrous client by Googling her first. Try this unique tool to learn more about your online identity.

I'm Back On Track...Are You?

Okay, so based on my lack of recent blogging, I realize that I have truly been missing in action...well, not really missing but spreading myself out too thin.

So as the weather has started to drop and we are experiencing cooler nights, my mind has turned to everything that has happened in the past eight to nine months. First of all, I am still in shock that we can reach out and touch December; second, I am can really say that this has been some year for all of us especially in light of last week's events in the financial markets.

If you have suddenly been thrust into a precarious position as far as your job is concerned, please don't panic. Regroup and get back on track.

Well, what does getting back on track mean? It means taking the following steps:

Update Your Resume - September is recognized by many career services experts are the "update your resume" month. Why? Because your situation can change overnight and you don't want to be caught off guard. Focus on everything you have achieved since January - did you get a promotion, gain expanded responsibilities, earn a new degree, training or certification, complete a high-profile project or gain recognition for significant contribution to your company?

If you can say yes to any of the above, start updating your resume right now.

Review some of my earlier blogs to help you with piecing the resume together:

What Happens When Career Achievements Are Not Quantifiable

Resume Profiles: It's All About The Top Third of Your Resume