Brian E. Howard - Motivated Resumes & LinkedIn Profiles: Insight, Advice, and Resume Samples Provided by Some of the Most Credentialed, Experienced, and Award-Winning Resume Writers in the Industry

Motivated Resumes & LinkedIn Profiles

2017 Brian E. Howard. All rights reserved.

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Published in the United States by WriteLife Publishing

(An imprint of Boutique of Quality Books Publishing Company)

www.writelife.com

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-60808-183-7 (p)

978-1-60808-184-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017942563

Book design by Robin Krauss, www.bookformatters.com

Cover design by Ellis Dixon, ellisdixon.com

Editor: Michelle Booth

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Other Books by Brian E. Howard

The Motivated Job Search

The Motivated Networker

Over 50 and Motivated!

The Motivated Job Search Workbook

In Appreciation

I would like to express my appreciation to Natalie Keylon for putting this project in motion. Without her initiative and project management skills, this book would likely still be on the drawing board rather than a reality.

I would also like to express my gratitude to each resume writer who donated their work, time, and insight to the creation of this book. The advice and samples you provided will inspire a lot of job seekers and touch their careers and lives for years to come. You have my deepest appreciation.

Message From the Author

Over the course of my career as an executive recruiter I have viewed thousands of resumes. The majority are terrible! They have a poor appearance, are badly formatted, or the content is utterly unpersuasive (the resume tells rather than sells). A bad resume reflects poorly upon the job seeker and hurts their chances in landing a job. An impactful resume is imperative to a successful job search!

The same can also be said for many LinkedIn profiles. Most are not complete, optimized (so that you can be discoverable by a LinkedIn word search), or compelling. A poor LinkedIn profile also hurts job seekers chances of being discovered for career opportunities. It can also leave a less-than-favorable first impression when viewed by a HR recruiter or hiring executive.

This book was written for all career-minded professionals who want to improve the effectiveness of their job search by creating an impactful resume, LinkedIn profile, and other job-search communication and marketing materials. This book contains numerous samples written from some of the most experienced, credentialed, and award-winning resume writers in the industry. Each resume writer was profiled for experience, credentials, and quality of work. They have graciously donated their work for your benefit.

To make this book as instructive and informative for you as possible, each resume writer who participated in this project was provided a questionnaire about a host of resume writing, LinkedIn, and cover letter topics. Their responses formed the basis for What the Pros Say. Their insight is invaluable.

Many of the resume writers provided detailed responses that were too lengthy for inclusion in the instructional part of this book. However, they are rich with insight and tips! Check out the Appendix, More of What the Pros Say, at the end of the book for additional information.

Brian E. Howard

Table of Contents

There isnt a ruler, a yard stick or a measuring tape in the entire world long enough to compute the strength and capabilities inside you.

Paul Meyer

As you begin to think about your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letters, and other job-search marketing materials, it is important to have a solid grasp of some fundamental elements of your job search and how they will affect the writing and creation of these important materials. This part of the book will help you understand and leverage the power of branding, understanding the employers mindset, transferable skills, and professional qualities. Understanding these concepts and weaving them into your resume, a LinkedIn profile, and your other job-search marketing materials will increase their persuasiveness and lead to more interviews and job offers. Lets start with branding.

Always remember: a brand is the most valuable piece of real estate in the world; a corner of someones mind.

John Hegarty

For a job search, your brand is a statement of who you are as a professional. It identifies you and works to differentiate you from other job seekers. It is imperative that you craft a professional brand for use on your resume and LinkedIn profile. A professional brand announces your distinct talents and what you represent to the marketplace. In essence, what do you want to be known for or found for (especially on LinkedIn)?

The process of branding is discovering who you are, what you are, what your unique abilities are, and communicating them through your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other job search marketing materials.

There are numerous benefits of creating an impactful brand, including:

1. You will differentiate yourself from other job seekers, and gain a huge advantage.

2. You create the initial impression the employer has of you.

3. You can convey your value to the employer more quickly.

4. You can match your skills and value proposition to the employers needs more easily.

5. You can better determine which opportunities to pursue.

The drawback of not having a professional brand is simple: You become a commodity. There is no perceived differentiation from other job seekers. You cannot command a premium and you have reduced leverage when it comes to compensation. Perhaps worse, employers will determine for themselves what they want to see in you. They will cast you in a light based on their own conclusions, which may not be the message you want to communicate. This situation can be hazardous during a job search. Having a succinct brand immediately directs the hiring executives thinking toward what you can do for them.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of creating a professional brand is the self-awareness of your unique skills and experience, and recognition of how they work together to create an impact. You will project the value of your abilities more clearly, resulting in a job thats a good match for your skill set. Branding can also help you set your sights on what you want your future career to be.