How to Conduct a Covert Job Search Using LinkedInReady to launch a leadership job search? You might be worried that cultivating a LinkedIn presence will announce your candidacy—and blow your cover.However, there are ways to conduct a covert job search using LinkedIn, but only if you tune your LinkedIn Privacy Settings correctly.Here are the 3 key steps to preserving some secrecy for your job hunt, while still getting the mo...

Want to get hired faster? You can avoid one of the biggest job search mistakes by tailoring your resume to what employers are seeking.Companies post job ads all the time that are a gold mine for resume information—but only if you know how to use them correctly.Here are 3 tips for mining job ads for better resume results:1 – Get an idea of the title you'll be applying for.While this may sound odd, your first step is to figur...

So you’ve written and re-written your executive resume, but it still doesn’t feel right to you? Maybe you’ve added metrics and detailed your career promotions, all to no avail. If so, it might be time to up your game—especially if you want to generate interviews.To create a powerful and effective leadership resume, you can find relief from using a concept called the S-T-A-R (Situation-Task-Action-Result) strategy. This meth...

If you're stopping to read this, chances are good that you're not maximizing your LinkedIn Profile in a way that will actually get you hired.Here are 3 common pitfalls to avoid when setting up and using LinkedIn for a job search:1 - Failing to use all the space provided.You’re guilty of this if your summary is comprised of just a few sentences, your work history only includes titles (and no description of your achievements)...

If you've added achievements to your resume, but still feel it doesn’t represent you, it might be time to ratchet things up a notch to get results.A concept called the S-T-A-R (Situation/Task-Action-Result) strategy is a popular and effective method of eliciting and sharpening the information for a resume. It’s aptly named for a reason – your resume must include a description of the situation or task itself!Note: there are...

Somewhere in Resume Writing 101, someone came up with the great idea of listing years of experience as a qualifier. You’ve seen (or used) something like this: “over 15 years of experience in...”It seems to make sense, especially after you’ve spent some time in the industry and you want to show employers that you bring a seasoned background to the table. So what’s the problem?The issue is that it’s really not impressive at a...

I’ve seen an alarming trend among self-written resumes lately, where job hunters are positioning themselves for promotion, but have failed to include any information that substantiates their placement at this level.If you’ve decided that it’s time for the next step up in your career, it’s a good idea to use prominent wording and a resume title that clearly shows your intent.But if you forgot to include supporting detail—or...

Showing your resume around to get feedback? Doing so can be a career-killer, especially if you're blindly taking others' advice.Here are 5 groups you might seek out for an honest, effective perspective on your resume--including some resources that I'd recommend skipping if you really want more interviews:1 - Personal contacts (friends, family, etc.)Unless they are familar with your career accomplishments, this group can onl...

Considering contacting a recruiter for your job search? You’ll need to first understand how this relationship works, then locate and nurture the best sources of recruiters for your field. First of all, your best option is to contact more than one recruiter during a job search. For jobseekers who don’t grasp the overall strategy of recruiting, this may seem confusing. Can’t the recruiter you called just find you a job?...

Recently, I talked with a jobseeker who had been laid off from a company in shutdown mode. A long-term employee, she had been promoted many times, with her recent job involving distributor relations.She was most interested in working for a university near her home. When I asked her what type of job she would pursue, she told me that she’d be applying to their posted career counseling position, since she did have HR experien...