Table of Contents
Part I Some Things to Know about Your Job Search 1
Branding 2
Understanding the Employer's Mindset 5
Knowing What an Employer Wants in an Open Position 7
Matching Experience and "Word Clouds" 8
Transferable Job Skills and Professional Qualities 9
The Sum Total 13
Part II Impactful Resumes 15
Do Job Seekers Still Need a Resume AND a LinkedIn Profile? 15
What Is a Resume? 17
Time Is of the Essence 18
Your Resume Is Your Marketing Brochure 20
Use of Keywords 21
Resume Formats 23
The Dateless (Ageless) Resume 26
Parts of a Resume 26
Accomplishments 35
Other Credentials 40
Use of Recommendations on a Resume 42
Information NOT to be Included on a Resume 44
Testing the Impact of Your Resume 44
QR Codes 44
Dealing with Employment Gaps on a Resume 45
Infographic Resumes 48
Part III LinkedIn 53
Use of Keywords 56
Your LinkedIn Profile - Sections 56
Introducing LinkedIn Optimization 69
How Does It Work … How Does a HR Recruiter Use LinkedIn to Find Candidates? 69
The Goal of Optimization 70
Keyword Location 70
Keyword Stuffing 75
Completeness 75
Connections 77
Compelling 78
Put It to the Test 80
Strategies for Your LinkedIn Profile When You Are Unemployed 81
Which Strategy Would Be Best for You? 84
The Open Candidates Feature on LinkedIn 85
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your LinkedIn Profile 87
What Do You Do with Your LinkedIn Profile after You Get a New Job? 87
Keep Your Profile Current 88
Sample of an Optimized LinkedIn Profile 88
Part IV Cover Letters and Other Written Communications 97
Types of Cover Letters 97
The Cover Letter Success Formula 98
Cover Letters and Career Transition Job Seekers 104
Cover Letters and Recruiters 104
Marketing Emails - Proactively Marketing Your Professional Credentials 105
Thank-You Letters 107
Thank-You Letters When You Are Not Selected for the Job 110
Some Final Words about Written Communications 111
Part V Business Cards 113
Traditional Business Cards 113
Networking Business Cards 114
Resume Business Cards 114
Infographic Business Cards 116
Part VI Sample Resumes and Other Great Resources 119
Appendix: More of "What the Pros Say" 297
