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  • Job Search Tip: Before You Apply, Do This 10-Minute Company Check

    You found a job opening that looks terrific. The title fits, the salary looks promising, and you meet most of the qualifications. Ready to hit Apply? Not quite. Before spending an hour tailoring your resume and cover letter, spend ten minutes doing some initial research on the company. It’s one of the simplest ways to make your job search more effective. Three Things Worth Checking 1. What does the company actually do? Don’t settle for the description in the job posting. Visit the company’s website. Who are its customers? What does it sell? What problems does it solve? The answers will help you explain in your resume and cover letter why you’re a strong fit. 2. What’s happening at the company right now? Search for recent news. Is it expanding, launching new products, changing leadership, or laying people off? Any of these developments could affect the opportunity. Employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor can add context, too, though any single review should be taken with a grain of salt. 3. Do you know anyone who works there? Check LinkedIn for current or former employees in your network. A conversation with someone who knows the company could provide valuable insight, and perhaps even an introduction. The Bottom Line A job posting tells you what an employer wants. A little digging helps you understand what you’re getting into and how to make a stronger case for yourself. Ten minutes of research could save you hours of wasted effort. Or help you recognize an opportunity that’s even better than you thought. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • Job Interview Tips: Stop Telling Employers You're a Problem Solver. Prove It.

    “I'm a great problem solver.” “I work well under pressure.” “I'm a strong team player.” Sound familiar? These are things job candidates say in interviews every day. And they're almost meaningless. Not because they're unimportant. But because anyone can say them. Employers don't just want to hear what you're good at. They want evidence that you can solve their problems. Show Them What You Mean Instead of saying you're a problem solver, tell a short story about a problem you actually solved. For example: “Our customer complaints had doubled, and nobody could figure out why. I reviewed the data, identified a problem in our order-processing system, and worked with our operations team to fix it. Complaints dropped 40% over the next two months.” Now the interviewer really knows something important about you. You've demonstrated initiative, analytical ability, teamwork, and results. Without having to claim any of them. The Bottom Line Before your next job interview, prepare three or four stories about challenges you've faced, what you did, and what happened as a result. Interview coaches call it the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. You don’t need the acronym. You just need the stories. They don't need to be dramatic. They just need to be real. Don't just tell employers what you can do. Show them what you've already done. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let's talk.

  • Job Search Frustration: Applying for Jobs But Not Getting Interviews?

    You’ve applied for dozens of jobs. Maybe hundreds. You’ve spent hours searching job boards, submitting resumes, and writing cover letters. But you’re not getting interviews. What’s the solution? Apply for even more jobs? Not necessarily. One of the first things I look at when helping someone whose job search has stalled isn’t how many applications they’ve submitted. It’s the kinds of jobs they’re pursuing. Are You Targeting the Right Opportunities? A job title can be misleading. Two companies may advertise positions with exactly the same title but expect very different qualifications, responsibilities, and levels of experience. A Director of Marketing at one company might lead a large organization and manage a multimillion-dollar budget. At another, the same title might describe someone who handles everything from marketing strategy to posting on social media. If you’re applying based primarily on job titles, you may be chasing opportunities that aren’t as good a match as they first appear. That can mean a lot of wasted effort. One Question to Ask Before You Apply Before investing time in an application, ask yourself: Can I make a convincing case that I’m qualified to do this particular job? Not just that you’ve held a similar title. Or that you’ve worked in the same industry. Look at what the employer actually needs someone to accomplish. Have you solved similar problems? Managed comparable responsibilities? Delivered the kinds of results this employer is looking for? You don’t need to meet every qualification. Job descriptions often include wish lists, and some excellent candidates don’t check every box. But you should be able to identify several strong reasons why this employer would want to interview you. If you can’t, consider whether that application deserves your time. The Bottom Line I’m a strong believer in applying for jobs online, especially when you have a carefully tailored resume and cover letter. But applying indiscriminately isn’t a job search strategy. A successful job search requires knowing which opportunities deserve your attention and then making the strongest possible case for each one. Don’t measure your job search by the number of applications you submit. Measure it by the quality of the opportunities you pursue. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • Job Search Frustration: Is AI Rejecting Your Resume?

    You apply for a job you're well qualified for. You submit your resume. And then? Nothing. Not even an interview. Increasingly, job seekers wonder whether artificial intelligence (AI) rejected their applications before a human being ever saw them. Sometimes automated resume screening plays a role. But the reality is more complicated than the frightening stories circulating online. What's Actually Happening? Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to collect, organize, and manage applications. Some systems offer AI-powered tools that help recruiters identify promising candidates. Others rely on simpler searches, filters, and screening questions. In many cases, an application is screened out by a knockout question, such as work authorization or required years of experience. Or it simply doesn’t surface when a recruiter searches the database for specific terms. And sometimes the silence has nothing to do with your resume at all: the role drew hundreds of applicants, or it was filled internally. There's no universal AI robot reading every resume and deciding who deserves an interview. But there is something you can do to improve your chances. How to Make Your Resume Easier for ATS to Recognize The most important step is simple: describe your qualifications in the terms the employer uses. Suppose a job posting asks for experience in financial forecasting, but your resume describes that work only as budget planning and analysis. A recruiter might recognize the connection. Some screening systems might, too. But why leave it to chance? If you have financial forecasting experience, say so explicitly. The same principle applies to job titles, technical skills, certifications, and specialized terminology. Read the job description carefully. Identify the qualifications that matter most, and make sure your resume clearly communicates the ones you possess. This isn't about stuffing your resume with keywords or trying to fool a computer. It's about making your qualifications unmistakable. The Bottom Line You can't control how every employer screens applications. What you can control is how easily software and recruiters recognize why you’re qualified. Don't make employers guess whether you have the experience they’re looking for. Make it obvious. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let's talk.

  • Job Search in the Age of AI: What Employers Need to See

    Almost every job seeker I talk with lately raises some version of the same worry about AI. Will employers need fewer people with my skills? Is my experience becoming less valuable? How do I compete when a language model can do some of the work I've spent years learning? Those are reasonable job search concerns. Here's a question I encourage job seekers to consider: What can you contribute that goes beyond the tasks AI can perform? Your Job Is More Than a List of Tasks Think about a marketing manager who has spent years preparing reports, analyzing campaigns, and developing presentations. AI can now help with much of that work. What about deciding which markets to pursue? Recognizing why a campaign isn't connecting with customers? Persuading skeptical colleagues to support a new strategy? Those responsibilities require judgment, experience, and an understanding of people and organizations. The same distinction applies across many professions. AI may help a financial analyst prepare a forecast. But someone still needs to evaluate the assumptions and recommend what the company should do. A language model may help a project manager produce a schedule. But someone still needs to resolve conflicts, make difficult tradeoffs, and keep a team moving. Rethink How You Present Your Experience If you're job hunting, don't limit your resume and interview answers to describing the work you've performed. Show employers how you've made decisions, solved problems, improved results, and helped other people succeed. Ask yourself: When did my judgment make a difference? What difficult problem did I solve? How did I help my organization accomplish something important? Look for specific examples. Whenever possible, describe the results. Instead of: "Prepared monthly campaign performance reports." Try this hypothetical accomplishment: "Spotted why a product launch was underperforming with younger buyers and shifted 30% of spend to new channels, lifting conversions 18% in one quarter." The first describes a task AI can now help with. The second shows judgment and impact. And pay attention to how the jobs you're targeting are changing. The skills employers value today may not be identical to those they valued three years ago. Increasingly, that includes using AI well. If you've used AI tools to work faster, improve quality, or take on more, say so, and be specific about how. The Question Worth Asking Nobody can predict exactly how AI will reshape every profession. Some jobs will change substantially, and some tasks will disappear. Still, experience doesn't become worthless simply because technology changes. The challenge is to understand which parts of your experience remain valuable, which new skills you need, and how to communicate both to prospective employers. Don't build your job search around proving you can do yesterday's work. Show employers how you can help them succeed tomorrow. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let's talk.

  • Why Your Resume Isn't Getting Interviews (Even When You're Qualified)

    You have the experience. You have the skills. You meet the qualifications in the job description. So why aren't employers calling? Here's something I see regularly in my work as a career coach: Being qualified for a job and giving an employer a compelling reason to hire you are two different things. A resume can document an impressive career without making a persuasive case for hiring the person behind it. Responsibilities Aren't Accomplishments Consider a resume that says: “Managed a team of 12.” That tells us something about the candidate's responsibilities. Now compare it with this hypothetical example: “Rebuilt an underperforming team of 12, cut turnover from 30% to 8%, and delivered a $4M system migration two months ahead of schedule.” That's better. We see someone who recognized problems, took action, and delivered measurable results. Of course, every claim must be accurate. But most experienced professionals have accomplishments worth highlighting. They simply haven't learned to tell those stories effectively. Think About the Employer's Problem Before applying for your next job, ask yourself this one question: What problem is this employer trying to solve by hiring someone for this position? Perhaps the company needs to improve operations, launch a product, reduce costs, or strengthen a struggling team. Look for clues in the job description. Think about where you've solved similar problems. What did you improve? What did you build? What changed because of your work? Those are the accomplishments for your resume. Make Your Value Impossible to Miss Recruiters may spend only seconds reviewing your resume initially. Don't make them hunt for reasons to be interested. Put your strongest and most relevant evidence in your professional summary and the first few bullets describing your recent experience. Remember, a job title tells an employer what position you held. An accomplishment shows what you contributed. There are many reasons qualified candidates don't get interviews, including competition and hiring priorities. But how you present your experience is something you can control. Don't just show employers that you've done the work. Show them what could be better if they hire you. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let's talk.

  • How AI is Changing the Role of Mid-Level Managers

    Your job used to be translating strategy into action. AI just learned how to do part of that. So what’s left? For years, much of mid-level management has been built around moving information through an organization: Synthesizing information. Writing status reports. Coordinating across teams. Preparing presentations and updates. Running alignment meetings. Translating directives from senior leadership into action. AI is increasingly capable of handling parts of this work. It can summarize, synthesize, draft, schedule, analyze and report with remarkable speed. That doesn't mean mid-level managers are disappearing. But it does mean the job is changing. If much of your value comes from moving information between people who can increasingly access, summarize and interpret that information themselves, it's worth asking what else you bring to the organization. The Work AI Doesn't Do Well The most important parts of management were never really about information flow. They're about situations like these: The talented employee who has become disengaged but won't tell you why. The tension between two teams that keeps showing up as missed deadlines. The executive directive that makes sense in the conference room but doesn't quite work in the real world. The strong performer who needs to hear something difficult without becoming demoralized. The employee who is ready for more responsibility but doesn't yet recognize it. These are management problems, but they aren't primarily information problems. They require judgment. Trust. Empathy. Persuasion. Context. Sometimes courage. AI can help a manager prepare for a difficult conversation. It cannot build the relationship that makes the conversation possible. It can identify patterns in employee data. It cannot walk into a room and sense that something isn't right. It can suggest ways to resolve a conflict. It isn't responsible for getting two people to trust each other enough to actually resolve it. Your Value May Be Moving This is an important distinction for anyone worried about what AI means for a management career. The question isn't simply: Can AI do parts of my job? Of course it can. A better question is: Which parts of my job become more valuable when AI handles more of the routine work? For many good managers, the answer is what I've come to think of as the invisible work of management: coaching, mediating, interpreting, persuading, developing people and making judgment calls when there is no obviously correct answer. Those skills can be difficult to capture in a job description or quantify on a resume. But they may become increasingly important as AI takes over more of the administrative and informational work surrounding management. What Should You Do About It? If you're a mid-level manager, take a hard look at how you describe your value. Does your resume emphasize meetings, reports, coordination and process? Or does it show how you develop people, influence decisions, resolve problems, improve organizations and exercise judgment? That's more than a resume question. It's a career question. The goal isn't to compete with AI at the things AI does well. It's to become better at, and better known for, the things that require something more. Your job may be changing. That doesn't necessarily mean your value is disappearing. But you may need to define that value differently. Paul Freiberger is a career coach, resume and LinkedIn writer, and founder of Shimmering Careers. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • The Only Job Search Guide You Need

    Book excerpt: There must be some people who enjoy the job search. After all, there are people who wait with gleeful anticipation for the chance to dive into their income taxes every year. In the end, though, you don’t have to love the search. You do, however, have to be good at it. STEP 1: DECIDE TO DECIDE Before you make any first step, you make the decision to move your foot. The same thing happens here. You can spend a lot of time dreaming about your dream job, but that gets you nowhere. Or you can decide to take the first step toward that dream job, and that gets you a little closer to your goal. Yes, just a little, but that’s all a first step can do. If you’re not ready to start walking down this road, stop. The fact that it’s a journey of small steps doesn’t make it an easy journey, and it’s no crime to decide that, for now, it’s better to wait. Do, however, think about the following list and what it tells you about theurgency of the decision. If you disagree with most of the statements, something needs to change. • You get paid to do what you like to do. • You get paid to do what you’re good at. • You can be yourself at work. • You look forward to going to work—not necessarily always, but a lot of the time. • You don’t feel burned out at the end of the day—most of the time. • You don’t see work as an intrusion on what you want to be doing. • You don’t have separate work and non-work identities. • Your job brings out the best in you. • You enjoy your work environment, and you like most of the people you work with. • You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not at work. • Your work doesn’t drain you; it gives you energy. • Your work rewards you in ways that matter to you. • You tell people about your work and feel good doing so. • Your work may be hard and it may be challenging, but, most of the time, it’s fun. • Your job allows you to maintain what feels like the right work-life balance. If you’re on the fence, unsure of what direction to choose, remember this: People tend to underestimate what they can accomplish. They fear failure from attempting feats that may be beyond them, but that kind of thinking may be the biggest failure of all. Aim high and you may miss, but when you hit, you’ll achieve things that lowballers never do. No one ranks success in life by the percentage of goals you reach. Imagine a minor leaguer who’s hitting .357 but refuses to move up to the big leagues because his batting average could drop. Of course, don’t be unrealistic. Don’t strive for a Nobel Prize in physics if you have trouble understanding quadratic equations. But aim higher than you think you can reach. You’ll find your quest feels sweeter and your life more energized—and you may even succeed. Ask yourself: • What should I strive for long term? What do I believe I can achieve, and what lies a level or two above that? • What can I do now to build toward my long-term goals? • What am I good at? What professional skills—such as finance—do I have right now? Am I better at originating programs, implementing them, or maintaining them? • What skills would I like to have? Do I need new skills to reach my goals and, if so, what am I doing to obtain them? Fantasy or Reality? Isn’t the idea of a “dream job” more fantasy than reality? Not at all. Finding the career that fits the real you is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. Excerpted from The Only Job Search Guide You’ll Ever Need (Career Upshift Productions, 2018) by Paul Freiberger Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • The Facts About Starting a Career in Health Care

    Guest post by Ashley Lipman Good news: the healthcare industry is expected to grow almost 20% by 2024. That makes health care one of the fastest growing industries in the country, and it’s a great way to make a living while helping others. As the population continues to age, we need more qualified health care workers to meet this demand for care. Working in this health field is becoming a popular choice since you don’t need years of education or experience to get started at many levels. Many positions only require an associate’s degree or less, and it’s easy to find training in your local community. From nursing to technicians, these positions are great career paths that don’t necessarily require a lot of barriers to entry. Even if you do decide to go to medical school with dreams of becoming a doctor or something more specialized, there are a lot of things to know about this industry. If you’re thinking about starting a career in healthcare, review these facts. Know Your Expected Wages First, you’ll need to realize that while health care is a high-paying field in general, this isn’t the rule. There are many positions that won’t necessarily make you much more than other minimum wage jobs. That’s why it’s worth taking the extra time to gain your education and experience prior to jumping into the field. To become an RN, you’ll need 2-3 years of education, but this will open you up to more income in the future. On the other hand, positions like patient care technician or home health aid are considered entry-level, and won’t come with this same higher income. Understand the Physical Demands Being in the healthcare industry comes with a set of physical demands. While office jobs might require you to sit all day, you can expect to be on your feet for hours on end if you’re dealing with patients. That’s why many educational programs require a physical before you get started. You’ll be expected to lift up to 100 pounds, manipulate equipment, and help lift and adjust patients. You’ll also be expected to work for longer periods of time without a break. When dealing with a high volume of patients or emergency situations, it’s unlike you’ll have time to take time to refresh. You’ll need to feel prepared and able to meet these physical challenges. Get to Know the Schedule If you’re someone who doesn’t like to wake up early or stay up late, the healthcare industry isn’t for you. Many patients require around the clock care. Unless you work in a limited hours facility, you can expect to work late nights and on weekends. Hospitals and care facilities don’t take days off. They’re open 24/7, even during emergencies. You’ll likely spend holidays and events away from your family, and you can expect to work long overnight shifts from time to time. This means you’ll be able to give better care to patients, but it is a sacrifice. You Need Passion Because there are so many parts of working in health care that are less than desirable, you need enough passion to make up for it. It’s easy to get burnt out if you’re forced to work long hours, complete complicated internships, and do tasks that might not always be pleasant. That’s why you need to have a true passion for helping others. If you want to help make the world a healthier place, working in healthcare might be right for you. It’s not enough to see the rising stats and think you might be able to stick it out as a nurse or even a specialized doctor. Not only will you need to put in the time to educate and train yourself for the high-earning positions, but you’ll also need to be prepared to be motivated even when the going gets tough. Is Health Care Right For You? Now that you know what to expect from working in the healthcare industry, it’s time to ask yourself if this field is right for you. If so, click here to read more about finding jobs at hospitals, medical centers, and more. With so much job growth expected in the near future, choosing medicine can be a great way to feel confident in your career. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • Navigating the Informational Interview

    Not every interview in your job search is a job interview. Consider the informational interview. An informational interview is a chance to meet briefly with someone in your field and talk about that person’s company, her career, and the industry as a whole. It’s as simple as that. It’s also a crucial facet of a best practice job search. Unlike a job interview, the informational interview lacks a predetermined structure. In most job interviews, you can expect to be asked a series of questions, many of them predictable. Compared to a job interview, an informational interview is a formless void, but that’s not a bad thing—it’s just like any social interaction. When you’re meeting some friends for a couple of drinks after work, you don’t have to arrive with a prepared conversational agenda. It’s wide open. You set the agenda. That freedom can leave people feeling even more at sea than they would if faced with an actual job interview. The idea that you’re free to talk about anything puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. Unlike a job interview, where a bad interviewer is quite capable of sabotaging what could have been a good experience, you’re the one who determines if the informational interview will be a success. When you walk into an informational interview, you should know a good deal about three things: 1. The Industry: You should know something about the industry from the very start. 2. The Company: You should also already know something about your contact’s company, if only because it ended up on your list of desirable employers. 3. Your Contact: There are three sources of information you can safely use to learn more about your contact. First, there’s the company website and any biographical information published there. Second, there’s the interview, article, or posting that led you to this contact to begin with, if that was the case. Third, there’s LinkedIn. No one will be shocked to learn that you took the time to consult a professional network in preparation for an informational interview. You can and should engage in some small talk. It breaks the ice. Here are some other questions you can consider asking: What is the outlook for this industry or profession? What changes have you seen over the course of your career? What specialized education or training is required? How has that changed? What skills or talents have you found most useful? How has that changed? How do you see that changing in the future? Are there possibilities for advancement within this position? What qualities have been most important in that respect? Can you describe your average workday and your key job responsibilities? What are the best and worst things about this position today? Is there a team effort or approach to your work? In what ways does this job affect your life outside of work? There is only one absolute taboo: Don’t ask for a job. That’s not why you are here. When you asked for the interview, you entered into a sort of contract as to its terms. Keep your side of the bargain and you’ll stay on friendly terms with your contact. If you break your promise, that is not likely to be forgotten. On the other hand, do not hesitate to ask about things that are specific to your employment situation. It’s fair game to ask how your existing skills and education fit into the field and how you can improve your prospects in the future. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • What You Should Expect in a Job Offer

    What to do before accepting the job You’ve run the gauntlet of the job search and come out in one piece. In fact, everything has gone so well that an offer is on the way. All that’s needed is the quick finalization of a few details, and you’ll have the offer in hand. What should you expect to see? The first and most important answer to that question is contained in the question itself. What should you expect to see? For it to be real, an offer has to be in writing. Nothing else will do. Employers should understand this. A written offer is just as important to them as it is to you, and they should recognize your legitimate need to have something you can rely on before committing to a big change. A simple email will do, provided it spells out the offer’s terms. Before you get to the written offer, however, there are other issues to address, and they can often be handled when you’re told that an offer is coming your way: •What’s the time frame for a response? Presumably, you’re happy about receiving an offer. You may be downright thrilled. Still, the offer may determine what your working life will be like for years to come. It deserves a thorough look, which doesn’t imply second thoughts about the job. Rather, it’s a sign that you take it seriously. •Is the offer self-contained? In other words, does it make reference to documents—details of a benefits package, for instance—without actually including them? If it does, you’ll need to decide if you can accept regardless. •Who’s your point of contact? Different companies handle the hiring process in different ways, and the person handling things now may be a completely new face. Find out who you should reach out to for further discussion or for answers to your questions. With those preliminaries out of the way, what should you expect? Given the variability of company offerings, it’s impossible to specify every question that might apply to a given offer, but here are some highlights: Compensation This one’s obvious, but there are still wrinkles: If you’re salaried, base compensation may be straightforward, but is a provision for bonuses spelled out? Are there performance-based variables? If you’re hourly, when does overtime kick in? If you’re commissioned, how are commissions structured? When are they paid? Is there a draw against commissions? Is there a base salary? For every type of compensation, other than those inescapable taxes, are there deductions? How often are you paid? Benefits Benefits come in two varieties, but both are enormously valuable. Some benefits, like health insurance and retirement plans, have clear monetary value, and the more information the offer contains, the better. In some cases, benefits may be subject to a vesting period—a time before they become truly yours—and that variable can have important consequences. Other benefits, like vacation time, telecommuting options, holidays, sick days, maternity leave, and paternity leave, may be harder to valuate, but they’re equally important. In terms of quality of life, they may even be more important. Again, you want as much information as possible. Companies will often leave the details until later, but it may be worth asking some questions and getting a copy of the benefits handbook. Responsibilities The ideal offer would contain a complete job description, but most fall short, with many of them simply detailing the job title you’re going to assume. If you haven’t already seen it, a look at the official job description can help avoid any misunderstandings. Timing Once the offer is made, the clock starts ticking. First, there’s the deadline for accepting the offer. Next, there’s the start date. There should be some indication of your expected schedule once you’re on board, along with the specification of any probationary period. Conditions Finally, not every offer, even a written one, is unconditional. There may be contingencies, like background checks or drug tests, to be satisfied before your start date. They’re mere “formalities,” of course, at least according to whoever is keeping things contingent, but they’re quite real. Make sure you know what still needs to be done, and ask about timing. Contingencies are only formalities, until you meet one that trips you up. At that point, even a small detail can ruin your day. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

  • Career Benefits of Volunteering

    How Good Deeds Help Your Cause, Boost Your Skills and Add a Spark to Your LinkedIn Profile Volunteer work often involves skills and responsibilities that translate nicely to the workplace, but people tend to neglect those activities and say “it wasn’t a real job.” Volunteering as a Big Brother was challenging and satisfying for me. I connected with a delightful young man and watched him grow. In addition, this activity led to unanticipated opportunities including a board of directors membership. Volunteering makes you feel productive and useful, values that are key to career success. How can volunteering help you? Developing and improving key skills. Forcing you to expand your network. Building confidence by showing that you can always learn and apply yourself in different ways. Presenting opportunities for you to market yourself. My clients impress me with how much they do, not only in their career but also by volunteering to help others. Some serve as elected city officials; others teach children to read in their spare time (even if they have no spare time). I’ve had clients who work on suicide-prevention programs, or create fundraisers for worthy causes. Another benefit of volunteer work is that you can talk about it on your LinkedIn profile. If you have experience as a volunteer, you can add a section to your profile that reflects that experience, and it’s something that’s not done often enough. LinkedIn reports that 41 percent of the professionals it surveyed viewed that experience as a meaningful part of the profile, and 20 percent of those surveyed claimed to have based hiring decisions on a candidate’s volunteer activity. One great advantage of LinkedIn is that it allows you to link to material that can’t be easily incorporated into the traditional resume and cover letter. In the “additional information” section, you can include links to your website, a company site, your Twitter account, and anything that is relevant and persuasive. If you have a professional blog, include a link. If you belong to industry associations, include those links as well. There’s even a spot for outside interests, and, while a section dedicated to hobbies and the like is rarely a good choice for a paper resume, it somehow fits well in the virtual world. Your LinkedIn profile is not set in stone. If you get a new job, been involved in a major project, or recently accomplished something of note, update your profile. If nothing else, a profile that’s current says you’re engaged and interested in your career and not just coasting along on automatic pilot. When your profile hasn't been touched in years, those qualities are not so evident. There’s a lot more to LinkedIn than your profile, of course, but, without question, this is the place that starts putting LinkedIn to work. Ready to get strategic about your career? Let’s talk.

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