4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Dont Want to Make

4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Dont Want to Make4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Dont Want to MakeAs one of Houstons leading providers of resume and career services, including cover letter and LinkedIn profile help, we see common mistakes people make when building their LinkedIn profiles.And if youre currently in the market for a new job, you might unknowingly remove yourself from consideration based on what recruiters are finding on your LinkedIn profile. You dont have to worry because the team at Resume Spice has your back.Mistake 1 Your profile picture is bedrngnis professional or you dont have one.Not only does a profile picture add credibility to your profile, youre also more likely to be viewed by potential employers if you have a photo.We all want to be taken seriously as professionals, so save the bathroom selfies for Facebook. In the saatkorn spirit, you shouldnt use photos from your wedding, cropped group photos, or photos where your face is obscured.How to fix it Make sure you have a high resolution photo where your face takes up at least 60% of the frame. The background of your photo should be simple, and you should be looking directly in to the camera. Make sure youre wearing what you would wear to work in your photo. And just like that, you have a professional LinkedIn photo.Remember that you dont need to spend a ton of money on professional photos. Most smart phones have great cameras that include high resolution options.Mistake 2 Writing your professional history like its a resume.The employer already has your resume and understands your basic skill sets. Dont just copy and paste your resume into your LinkedIn profile.How to fix it The beauty of LinkedIn is that it gives you an opportunity to not only showcase your skillsets and experience, but you have the freedom to expand upon anything you want. This will give a sense of who you are as a professional and as a person.Mistake 3 DiscrepanciesRecruiters turn to LinkedIn not only to get a well-rounded sense of wh o you are, theyre also looking for any indications that youve been dishonest on your application or in your resume.While your LinkedIn should definitely not be a mirror image of your resume, it should at least include the same general information dates of employment, job titles, and skillsets.How to fix it Do a quick audit of your LinkedIn profile as compared to your resume. Make sure dates, job titles, basic duties, and skills match what youve claimed on your resume.Mistake 4 Overly quirky headlines and/or job titlesIn general, your headline is meant to tell what you do, but it doesnt have to just be your job title. This is beneficial for a few reasons. Your headline is kind of like your personal brand and functions just like a headline in the news its meant to grab attention, tell people what youre about, and spark interest in the subject you.But the downside is that writing an effective headline isnt as easy as it seems.You dont want to be too general. Listing yourself as Team Lead is far too general but calling yourself a Marketing Alchemist or Superhero or Guru is a little to quirky and probably a stretch, depending on where you work or the types of employers you want to attract.How to fix it Take some time to write out what you do in a sentence or two and keep trimming that down until you get to the heart of the message you want to convey.Bringing it all togetherJust like most things you do in the professional world, you want to strike a balance between exhibiting professionalism, while also conveying what makes your skills and background unique. LinkedIn allows you to do that. By following LinkedIns best practices, you can sharpen your profile and increase the chances youll be found or considered further by your next employer.If you would like personalized LinkedIn help and/or more information on all the career services we provide, contact Resume Spice today.

Bobbis Top Tips on Program S Jobs for Military Spouses

Bobbis Top Tips on Program S Jobs for Military SpousesBobbis Top Tips on Program S Jobs for Military SpousesBobbis Top Tips on Program S Jobs for Military Spouses Bobbis Top Tips on Program S Jobs for Military SpousesBy Kathryn Troutman, President, The Resume Place, Inc., andCreator and Program Director, Ten Steps to a Federal Job Certification ProgramPublished achter monat des jahres 15, 2017Bobbi Robbins married to a Marine since 2009, a mother with two small children, and now a graduate student really needed Program S when she and her husband were transferring to Fort Meade. When couples receive PCS orders, Program S gives military spouses high priority for DoD job openings. But like so many military spouses, it took Bobbi years to even discover that Program S exists.MilitarySpouseAppreciationDay milspouse MilitaryAppreciationMonthWhen we moved from Okinawa years ago, I had to figure out what to do for work, and I couldnt get into school, Bobbi says. Colleges, universities and employers often wont make exceptions for military spouses on qualifications, entrance requirements and application procedures. Program S, by contract, is all about military spouses and their unique and challenging professional situations.We recently spoke with Bobbi, who also serves as the Ten Steps to a Federal Job Program Registrar for The Resume Place, to ask her for real-world tips and advice on how to navigate the Program S process. Our framework is the STARS steps, discussed in detail in my book The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses.Star 1 Who Qualifies for Program S?When active-duty military members receive PCS orders (permanent change of station) to a base in the United States, their spouses becomes eligible for program Program S. Even on military bases, most people dont know about Program S. I knew nothing about it until I started to work with Kathryn, says Bobbi. Although the program has been around for nearly three decades, military spouses are not routinely informe d of it.Star 2 Write Your Federal ResumeTheres a difference in the amount of content for private-sector versus federal resumes, says Bobbi. Most military spouses arent thinking about that they picture a one- or two-page resume. And the little nuances are easily overlooked. They dont realize all the specific information you must put in, such as the number of hours per week for each job in your work history.Star 3 Find Your DocumentsRegistering for Program S requires military spouses to present a few documents, including a marriage certificate. You should have the required documents on hand anyway, says Bobbi. The only complication could be if you dont have a copy of the PCS orders. As a spouse, thats easy enough to get.Star 4 Set Up Your Program S MeetingThe process is presented in different ways on different bases, says Bobbi. Believe it or not, one of the biggest challenges is figuring out who the HRO is on your new base just keep asking around. The first time I registered for Pr ogram S, I had to go to an office. But here in San Diego, I did everything electronically, which was actually easier.Star 5 Improve Your Program S RegistryAfter your registration is complete, youll learn what occupational codes were assigned to you. If youre not quite pleased with codes that the HRO assigned to you, its probably because you didnt include some skills or experience, Bobbi says. You should take the opportunity to correct this and resubmit your resume.Star 6 PPP Match NotificationWith a little luck, youll be matched with a DoD opening on base before long. Be aware that you must respond to the notification to maintain your registration in Program S. Star 7 Apply for Jobs on USAJOBSProgram S is like Tinder, the dating app, Bobbi jokes. You may not immediately find a good match. Thats why we tell spouses that even if you are in Program S, you shouldnt just sit back and wait. You still need to go out there and apply on USAJOBS.gov.Star 8 Save a Search for Job MatchesI got m y registration two weeks after signing up for Program S, says Bobbi. They assigned me four job series, and two job announcements came in yesterday via my USAJOBS saved searches for a series I qualified for. Since the agency was not DoD, no match notification came, but the jobs wanted Program S spouses to apply. If I werent also keeping up with USAJOBS, I might not have seen ansicht opportunities through my Program S registration until after the positions closed, which would have been too late.Star 9 Follow-up on USAJOBSFear not If youre properly registered for the relevant job series, Program S will kick in for you even if you apply through USAJOBS. So just keep searching on USAJOBS, and apply immediately for appropriate openings.Star 10 Get Best Qualified and HiredGetting Best Qualified just means youre in the running for the job, says Bobbi. Whether youre applying on USAJOBS or youve been matched via Program S, its the best news you can get on your way to landing a rewarding and w ell-paid federal job with great benefits The Stars Are Lined Up for Military SpousesFIRST-EVER BOOK FOR MILITARY SPOUSES AND FEDERAL CAREERSWhy a federal career for Military Spouses?Great salaries, promotion potential, family friendly, family leave, training and MORE

Top Skills and Keywords for Sales Resume

Top Skills and Keywords for Sales Resume Top Skills and Keywords for Sales Resume