The Difference Between Social Networking For Business and Personal Use

I'm "friends" with a lot of resume writers and careers industry professionals on Facebook, I "follow" lots of you guys on Twitter, and I'm "connected" with many folks on LinkedIn ... and in the course of participating in these social networks, I've noticed there's sometimes confusion between "business" social networking and "regular" (personal) social networking. Business social networking is more than just using social networks to grow your resume writing business. It represents a completely different mindset and approach to social networks.

What Is Business Social Networking?
Business social networking is social networking for the express purpose of making new contacts for your careers industry business and furthering your business development efforts using social networking tools.

In other words, you're not there just to "hang out," to post pictures, to make random comments, or to garner as many likes as possible. Instead, you're looking to connect with prospects, clients, and influential people who can help you improve your life and business in some meaningful way.

It's Goal Oriented on Both Sides
One key difference between "regular" and "business" social networking is that there's a goal on both sides. You're dealing with clients, prospective clients, media contacts (journalists, bloggers), and careers industry colleagues who all have a goal.

Nobody is on these social networks to waste time (and this includes business networking on Facebook). This completely changes the "vibe" of the whole experience. The idea is to create win/win relationships and situations online as quickly as possible, then get back to business. You might be sharing ideas, information, or content -- but it is oriented towards achieving a specific goal (even if that goal is simply to create a stronger connection with someone).

The Favor Bank Is Important
In the standard world of social networking, the favor bank doesn't really exist. Nobody expects you to like their content back if they come over and like yours. (Except for birthday wishes on Facebook and Endorsements on LinkedIn!)

In the business world, however, the favor bank is a very important thing to keep in mind. If you help introduce a resume writing colleague to a career coach in their area, both the resume writer and the career coach "owe" you a favor. Or if you share their content with your business social networking audience (which might be bigger than theirs), they may feel they "owe you one"

It's not a one-to-one trade. Nobody keeps exact score. But you'll generate a lot of goodwill. Next time you need a referral, a retweet, or a LinkedIn recommendation, they're most likely going to say yes. After all, they want you to owe them in their favor bank as well.

The Long-Term Value of Business Social Networking
Standard social networking is mostly about the "right now." It's about posting what comes to mind, liking what you see, and spontaneous interactions.

Business social networking, on the other hand, can have a much more long-term outlook. You build a relationship with prospective clients long before you try to make a sale. If you're looking for a subcontractor relationship with a resume writing colleague, you follow what they're posting on their business social networks (Facebook business page, Twitter profile, LinkedIn personal profile and company page) and engage with them through those channels.

Business social networking can help introduce you to new people, but it can also help you cultivate and build relationships with people you already know. If you meet a colleague at a conference, or attend one of their teleseminars, follow their business page in addition to friending them on Facebook.

As you can tell, the world of business to business social networking is very different than the layman's social network. There's a goal orientation. Time is more scarce. People are out to help each other and long-term relationships matter.

Brainstorming Content Ideas

A few days ago, I wrote about Career Brainstorming Day 2012. (Join me in Minneapolis, if you're able to!). It got me thinking about brainstorming. Specifically, brainstorming content.

I talk to a lot of resume writers who say, "I'm not sure what to write about in my blog." Or "I want to do a teleseminar, but I don't know what topic will get people interested in attending."

One of the best ways to engage readers is to be innovative.

A couple of the most common ways to generate content ideas is by reading industry publications or doing keyword research.

Those tactics are good and handy to keep in your pocket. But they can get old, too. You may begin to lose enthusiasm because you're writing about the same topics over and over again. The key to fresh, and exciting content is to come up with new content ideas that inspire you.

Here are a few new ways to brainstorm content ideas.

Word Association
Grab those top keywords, the ones that are most popular for your prospective resume clients to use, and make a list. Write one keyword or keyword phrase at the top of a blank piece of paper. Begin to let your mind wander and write down words and phrases that come to mind. Don't filter or judge any idea — even if it feels ridiculous. Write it down! Once you've filled the piece of paper, continue onto another piece of paper and a new keyword.

Don't start writing any articles. Enjoy this exercise until it feels like you've taxed your imagination. Then put the papers away. The ideas will float around in your mind throughout the rest of the day. If you are inspired to write, then sit down and write. Otherwise, pull out the papers in a day or two and grab a few ideas that feel interesting. Start writing.

Random Idea Generator
There are a few fun tools available online. One fun tool is a random word generator. You can have the tool provide a word, or two or three words, and then you use those words to create an article or blog topic. It really forces you to think outside the box and can be a fun way to brainstorm new content ideas.

Visual Representation
Eliminate words from the brainstorming process. Use a visual tool like a magazine, photo album, or a site like Pinterest to view images related to your niche. Let those images inspire topic ideas. You may want to be able to print the images to use as you're writing. Or you can cut them out if you're using magazines for inspiration.

Finding topics and ideas to write about can be a challenge for any resume writer. When it becomes a challenge, it's easy to lose focus and interest in your niche topic. Instead of continuing to use old brainstorming techniques, consider embracing a few new ones. You might be surprised how productive they are.

Morning Planning: Get Your Day Started Off Right

The morning planning session is one of the few time management techniques that just about every self-development speaker and every business coach teaches. From Anthony Robbins to Brian Tracy to David Allen, they all teach one form or another of this technique.

The first 30 minutes of your work day are the most important 30 minutes of the day. It will help shape and guide everything you do for the rest of the day. Spending just 30 minutes on planning can add many hours of productivity to your work day.

So what should you do during these 30 minutes?

Get Motivated: Remind Yourself of Your Long-Term Goal
Start by envisioning yourself having achieved a productive day. Picture yourself achieving your long-term goals for your business. Then come up with a few relevant activities for your day that will help you achieve those goals.

Scan Your Inbox
Scan your inbox for any urgent items. Anything that needs to be done today should be added to your calendar or to-do list. (This tip has some controversy -- some productivity experts recommend NOT checking your email or getting on your computer to check your inbox.)

Check Your Tasks and To-Dos
Check your task list and your to-do list. Filter it so your to-do list actually reflects what you intend to do today. Remove tasks that you're waiting on other people for; remove tasks that you can't make progress on today. When you sit down in front of your task list, you should only be looking at things you can actually take action on.

Pick Your Top Three Things to Accomplish
Choose three things you want to accomplish today. These are the three things that if you get them done today, you'll feel like your day was a success. It's fine to have many smaller tasks. But make sure you choose the three big things you'd like to get done today. Again, go back to your long-term goal. Make sure you're putting items on your task list that will help you get there.

What's Your Frog for the Day??
In his acclaimed book, "Eat That Frog," Brian Tracy talks about the benefits of tackling the most difficult thing in your day first. This helps prevent procrastination in the rest of your day and helps you get a lot more done. It also gives you a sense of success right out of the gate.

Identify your frog for the day. What's the toughest task you have to complete? What are you most likely to procrastinate about today?

Schedule In Workouts and/or Relaxation
Your schedule shouldn't be all work. At some point, you should take time to either relax or to work out. It can be at the beginning of your day, in the middle of your day or at the end, but make sure you give yourself the opportunity to recharge.

Taking the time to plan out your day early in the morning will help you manage your day better, as well as get your day started with a burst of energy. By reminding yourself why you're doing what you're doing, then tackling your frog first, you'll give yourself a powerful motivational boost that will carry you through the rest of the day.

Global Career Brainstorming Day 2012

Career Thought Leaders has opened registration for Global Career Brainstorming Day 2012!

And I'm thrilled to announce that I'm facilitating the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) event! (I live in Omaha, Nebraska, but my favorite college hockey team -- my hometown University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks -- is playing the Gophers that weekend, so I'll be in town. Go Mavs!)

Space is limited to only 10 people, so if you're interested in joining me in the Twin Cities on Friday, Nov. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., register today! The cost is $139 and includes lunch.

Here are the details:

GLOBAL CAREER BRAINSTORMING DAY 2012
Celebrate the Now •  Discover the New  •  Pioneer the Next
Friday, November 30, 2012
11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. YOUR local time

Complete Details & Registration Information:
http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/brain-day-2012/

Sponsorship Opportunities:
http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/brain-day-2012/#sponsorship

Global Career Brainstorming Day — with in-person and virtual events — is a groundbreaking day of discovery as career colleagues join together to define our industry's best practices, identify emerging trends, and set new standards for performance.

Last year's Brain Day event was phenomenal, and the results provide a wealth of information about the now, the new, and the next in careers. To read last year's findings, visit:

http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/whitepaper/.

IMPORTANT: Each event is limited to 10 people only. As such, if you're interested, you need to register ASAP.

All Brain Day events are led by a facilitator, and ideas, comments, trends, and best practices are recorded by a scribe, then aggregated with the information from all other events to create the final white paper publication. Note that each participant's name and contact information are included in the publication, so the visibility you get is vast!

Here are important details, starting with a list of cities and facilitators. If you don't see a city near you, take a look at the information below about the virtual events. We host both so that everyone who wants to participate has the opportunity.

LIVE EVENTS (4 hours)

Atlanta, GA
Daryl Blount, LDS Employment Services

Boston, MA
Jane McHale, Jane McHale Career Services

London, UK
Ruth Winden, Careers Enhanced

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (Twin Cities)
Bridget Weide Brooks, Resume Writers Digest

New York, NY
Barbara Safani, Career Solvers

San Francisco Metro
Facilitator Pending

Seattle Metro (Private Event - The Boeing Corporation)
Ruby Hill, The Boeing Corporation

If you’re interested in hosting a Brainstorming Day event in your city, we’d be delighted! Please read the website for details about how to add a city.

VIRTUAL EVENTS — Phone & Computer (3 hours)

If you're not close to one of our Brainstorming Day cities, attend a virtual event via phone or computer. They're just as much fun, intense, and rich in content as our live events! Register for these events based on the time zone you're in as they run from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. LOCAL time.

Eastern Time - Beverly Harvey, Harvey Careers
Central Time - Don Orlando, The McLean Group
Pacific Time - Susan Whitcomb, TheAcademies

For more information about Brain Day and registration details:
http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/brain-day-2012/

I hope you'll join me in Minneapolis -- OR participate in your local city or in an online event.

Blog Action Day: The Power of We for Resume Writers

Today, Oct. 15, 2012, is Blog Action Day. This annual event (this is year five!) allows bloggers around the world to blog about a common theme. This year's theme is: The Power of We.

Of course, this topic is very relevant to professional resume writers. As a collective industry of careers industry professionals, we have immense power to shape the discussion about the job search and provide hope and inspiration to thousands of jobseekers each year.

This theme is especially relevant this week, as the last month has featured two great examples of resume writers working together -- the National Resume Writer's Association Conference in Charleston last month and the Career Directors International Conference in San Diego last week. At careers industry conferences, resume writers share strategy, tips, and best practices with their colleagues. Information is shared in sessions but also in informal networking and social get-togethers outside of presentations.

When we share information and ideas with each other, we have the power not only to improve our own skills, but the results and experiences of our clients.

When we share information and ideas with the media, we increase visibility about the resume writing profession.

And when we share information and ideas with our clients, we help them become more effective in their job search and careers.

We have a lot of power as professional resume writers — but we get the most out of this power when we share with others. On this Blog Action Day, take a moment to think about how you can use your power and share something with a colleague, a client, or the media today.

Effective Deadline Management for Resume Writers

Deadlines are an inherent part of being a professional resume writer. Most people will have anywhere between one and half a dozen active deadlines in their client work at any given time. Deadlines can be a very useful tool for managing resume projects, but when used poorly, can be a huge source of stress.

Using deadlines well will allow you to work more efficiently with less stress. So what does good deadline management look like?

Learn to Say No
The most important skill you could develop with deadline management is the skill of saying "no." When a client contacts you with an urgent need for a resume, it's tempting to simply say "Yes" -- especially if you need the work, or you're tempted by a rush fee.

For example, let's say a client asks you on Wednesday: "Can I get my resume by Friday?" A good answer might be, "No, a well-written resume takes at least three business days. I can have it done Monday, or we can do a quick triage job to submit it by Friday, but there will be a 30% rush fee for that."

A bad answer would be to take on the task anyway, even though you'd be overloaded.

Learn to say no to tasks that you can't handle.

Schedule Your Work and Deadlines
What goes hand in hand with saying "no" is knowing your schedule. If you don't know exactly how much work you have to do each day, there's no way for you to know whether or not you can take on more work. In order to know whether to say yes or no to a task, you need to be able to accurately gauge your current workload.

Take all your open resumes and task deadlines and predict how much work you'll need to put into them. Then schedule this work out on a day-to-day basis. You now know how packed or open your schedule is.

The next client resume project you get, you'll be able to make an informed decision on whether you can make the deadline. (Or you can set a deadline that works with your existing workload.)

Make Sure Clients Meet Their Deadlines
I saw an example of this on a fellow career industry colleague's Facebook page.

Oftentimes your ability to fulfill on a deadline will depend on your clients meeting their deadlines.

If your deadline is to deliver a first resume draft, and the client hasn't returned their questionnaire (or responded to your questions), you're going to have to either work from the information you do have, or reschedule the client's deadline.

Make sure your client knows what is expected of THEM in terms of meeting deadlines so YOU can meet their deadline. This will help you make informed decisions about delivering current projects -- and whether or not to take on new projects and what deadlines you can agree to.

These deadline management techniques will help you avoid taking on more than you can handle. They'll also help prevent late client projects due to unrealistic deadlines. All around they'll help you reduce your stress level.

Buying a Domain Name for Your Career Services Business

While many resume writers have a website already, there are some folks thinking about starting a career services business who haven't even picked out a business name yet. If you're at that point, think about your website domain name at the same time you're naming your business.

A domain name is the name of your website. For instance, ebay.com is the domain name for eBay.  There are many places to buy domains on the web. You can purchase the domain for a single year or in terms of multiple years. Domain registration is relatively inexpensive, with prices at under $10 per year. I personally use -- and recommend -- 1and1.


The fist step of buying a domain is searching for a name. Here are some tips on naming your site:

• Go with .com — domain names that end in .net, for instance, may be cheaper than domains that end in .com, but most people are going to remember .com. If you have a different ending, you could end up losing customers.

• Spell things correctly — if you want to name your site "ProResumes" and it's already taken, don't misspell words on purpose (example: "Pro-Rez-amaze"). Misspellings are hard for your customers to remember, and if they type in the correct spelling of the domain, you may end up sending them to a competitor's site. (And, in this case, you may be infringing on the copyright of Rez-Amaze.com)

Once you find an available domain that you like, it's time to buy it. You can enter a public or private registration. Public registrations will be visible in the whois.com directory. The whois directory allows people to type in a website and view the owner's personal identity. If you do not want your personal information shown, choose private registration (this may cost extra with some domain registrars -- private registration is the same as public registration on 1and1).

After you have selected the term of your registration (such as 1, 2 or more years) and decided if you want public or private registration, you only need to enter your billing info and complete your purchase.

New Get Clear, Get Found, Get Hired Coaches Announced

Congratulations to the newest "G3" coaches -- Certified Get Clear, Get Found, Get Hired Coaches from The Academies.

• Carol Altomare
• Marti Benjamin
• Jean Cummings
• Kate Duttro
• Julianne Frank
• Stacy Harshman
• Debra O'Reilly
• Mary Schumacher
• Cheryl Lynch Simpson
• Karen Siwak
• Caitlin Williams

The next G3 class begins Tuesday, Oct. 16. You can save $250 on the upcoming program if you register by tomorrow -- Friday, Oct. 5 -- using coupon code FALLG3.

The program is held via teleseminar (90 minutes per week) and is taught by Deb Dib.
Classes are held every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) from Oct. 16 to Dec. 18.

The program teaches coaches, branding strategists, and resume writers how to:

• expand your services to meet growing and changing client needs...and earn additional income
• tighten your clients' messaging ... without compromising quality
• deliver social media/mobile-friendly career-communications
• jump-start and shorten the all-important branding process
• get the attention of harried hiring managers (without resorting to gimmicks)

The cost is $2497 or four payments of $647.
(With discount, the cost is $2247.)

Register for the G3 training here.

Save $200 on "Serious Revenue" Program (Buy By Oct. 19)

Yesterday, I wrote about Career Directors International's Career Innovator Awards. Today, I learned that two of those award-winning innovators -- Susan Whitcomb and Pat Schuler -- are offering a $200 discount on their program if you purchase by Oct. 19.

The Career Innovator award are presented to individuals who have developed a resource, tool, program, or initiative that has added significant value to the careers industry -- either to jobseekers or career professionals.

Susan and Pat's program, "Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients...With Integrity and Heart" earned the 2012 Career Innovator award.

Here's the description of the program:

Susan Whitcomb here! . . . I’ve spent several decades in the career field as a practitioner like you, and have also trained and coached hundreds of career professionals over the last 10 years. During that time, my heart has been broken to see the many talented, passionate professionals who LOVE what they’re doing — in fact, feel called with a divine destiny to do what they do — but are STRUGGLING to make ends meet. And to be painfully honest, I’ve struggled with the same issue in the past!

Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients with Integrity and Heart – Binder and Audio Collection on thumb drive

I wanted to do something about this (and boost my own skills in the process!). I’d heard about several people in our industry who were also in that mode (doing great work but not making the income they wanted) and had worked with the amazing sales coach, Pat Schuler — doing so, they took their income beyond what they had dreamed, landing 4- and 5-figure clients on a regular basis.

The problem was, a lot of people can’t afford Pat Schuler’s $400-600 per hour rates. So I asked Pat to team up with me and create a product where people could get more than a dozen hours of her and my time at what it would cost for approx. one or two hours of her time, as opposed to $7,000 to $8,000! . . . a product that would have a lasting change on the way you do business and enable you to earn more for the priceless services that you offer.

So, if you . . .

• Feel like you’re at a crossroads with your business
• Are a recent startup
• Or perhaps have been doing this for years, but worried that if you can’t find a way to earn more money, you may have to go to work for someone else . . . read on!

You know you make a difference in your clients’ lives, and if you could you’d do this work for free. You’re self aware, and you’ve done a lot of personal growth work.

Are you beginning to suspect that, like me, you have some old beliefs or old habits that are potentiallysabotaging your business success despite the expertise with which you deliver your services? What if the major obstacle in your way is just that there’s a skill set you haven’t yet mastered?

• How many weeks or months of training have you had at actually growing your business?
• How well is that training working for you?
• How often are you getting push back on your fees or programs?
• What percentage of prospective clients are saying, I need to think it over?

These are all challenges that you can master with the Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients … with Integrity & Heart program that helps you conquer self-sabotaging beliefs, that leads you step by step through a process that empowers you to ask for the business from a place of confidence and power without being arrogant or pushy . . . in fact, with integrity and heart.

In about a dozen lively, interactive interview sessions (I love interviewing thought leaders!) between myself and exclusive sales coach Pat Schuler, you can get the skills you need to grow your business and land those 4- and 5-figure clients that would make such a difference to your confidence, your career, and your checkbook. In fact, here’s what a recent beta tester, Robyn Feldberg, said about the program:

I’m really impressed with the Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients … with Integrity & Heart training and genuinely grateful to have been among the first to learn these innovative techniques — things I would have NEVER thought of on my own, and I consider myself a fairly decent salesperson to begin with. I grew up in a family of sales-people, but this program taught me techniques I’d never heard of before, and it gave me usable tools to implement in my business immediately that will inevitably help me reach my revenue goals more quickly. The program also made me much more aware of why it’s important for me to reach my revenue goals.

Robyn L. Feldberg, CCMC, NCRW, “The Abundant Success Career Coach”

Certified Career Management Coach & Nationally Certified Resume Writer

What’s included in Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients … with Integrity & Heart?

• More than a dozen audio sessions on a thumb drive (in MP3 format so you can download to your iPod) covering everything you’ll need to know to land 4- and 5-figure career clients, from mindset, overcoming limiting beliefs, to setting revenue goals, qualifying clients, and asking for the business … with integrity and heart!
• A beautiful binder with approxiately 200 pages of transcripts, for those who prefer to read along while also listening.
• Outlines to bring the comprehensive material into focus.
• Special Bonus: To ensure you implement the program and reach your revenue goals, we’re addingMomentum Monday – Six MONTHS of LIVE monthly calls with Pat and/or Susan on the 4th Monday of the month (we take a break for summer and December).

Pat and I have invested hours and hours of time over a six-month period to make this product powerful. We have finished beta testing and put final touches on production, so the product ships immediately!

If you’re committed to seeing some Serious Revenue in 2012, this will be the key tool to make that happen!

BONUS! PROFESSIONAL MARKETING SYSTEM is included when purchasing Serious Revenue WITH an Academies Certification Program

On top of the Serious Revenue program with Susan and Pat, which covers the selling side of the equation, you’ll also be able to participate in a proven marketing system with a professionally trained and licensed Get Clients NOW!“! facilitator–Kim Avery!

Kim, a graduate of Career Coach Academy and now completing the Job Search Academy program, is an experienced coach AND marketing maven, passionate about marketing and helping you build your practice. She provides foundational marketing education, training on how to build an effective marketing plan, and coaching through the process of implementation. I guarantee you will love her warm and caring style, insight and wisdom, and deep level of competence!

Get Clients NOW! teaches you over 100 tactics and tools for marketing professional services with step-by-step recipes for their use. This systematic, structured program shows you how to design a focused, cohesive marketing action plan that produces results. (Requires that you purchase a copy of the book, Get Clients NOW!)

Step-by-Step Approach

Using the Get Clients NOW! book as a text, you will learn a simple but highly effective step by step approach, straightforward tips, and specific techniques like these:

• What really works to market a service business, and what doesn’t
• How to diagnose what’s wrong with your marketing using the Universal Marketing Cycle
• How to design a marketing program that is suited not only to your business, but your personality, strengths and favorite activities
• How to break out of “analysis paralysis” and determine exactly what you need to do first — and every step of the way
• How to overcome the fear, resistance, and procrastination that block effective action
• How to create a customized, affordable, reusable, and realistic marketing plan
• Ongoing support and encouragement to stick to your plan throughout the program

With both the selling tools you’ll learn in Serious Revenue and the marketing tools you’ll implement in Get Clients Now!, you will have the critical information AND the support you need to get on the right track.

Register here for Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients … with Integrity & Heart audio program (if not registering for CCMC or CLC or CJSS program):

Purchase Serious Revenue: 1 payment of $895 or 3 payments of $299

Use promotional code INNOVATOR when you buy -- and get the program for only $695 (instead of the usual $895). Code is valid through Oct. 19, 2012.
Payment plans are also available.
Learn more about -- or purchase -- the Serious Revenue program here.

Career Innovator Awards Announced

Four years ago the Career Innovator Awards were launched by Career Directors International (CDI) to encourage industry professionals to grow, learn, and innovate. The awards encourage and celebrate excellence and innovation.

Entries have been seen in a variety of areas, such as career management and job search apps, social resume tools, university-development dual career programs, social search strategy books, employment information and job seeker support websites, job search how-to programs, and much more.

For 2012, former winners were once again asked to return as judges in helping to select the winners from the entries received this year. The competition was tremendous and resulted in a tie that led to six total winners (vs. the five typically selected).

In no particular order:

• Jennifer Hay of IT Resume Service for: Twitteresume: The Twitter-Enabled Real-Time Resume 
• Laura Labovich of The Career Strategy Group and Miriam Salpeter of Keppie Careers for: 100 Conversations for Career Success: Learn to Network, Cold Call, and Tweet Your Way to Your Dream Job 
• Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias of Global Diversity Solutions Group LLC for: Multicultural Career Management Program (MCMP) 
• Pat Schuler of The Gemini Resources Group and Susan Whitcomb of The Academies, Inc. for: Serious Revenue: Landing 4- and 5-Figure Clients … with Integrity and Heart 
• Barbara Safani of Career Solvers for: Job Search Mobile Phone and iPad App 
• Chip Cohan of Preptel Corporation for: Preptel’s solution to optimize resumes-based computational linguistics

CDI’s President, Laura DeCarlo states, “It is an honor to see the levels of quality and innovation that our members aspire to; we’re proud to have leaders of this caliber affiliated with our association.”

Full 2012 Innovator Winner application descriptions can be viewed at http://www.careerdirectors.com/cia_2012.htm.

Advanced Resume Writing Strategies from Career Directors International

Twelve years ago Career Directors International (CDI) launched Update Your Resume Month. While there are always great resume writing tips to be had, sometimes the master techniques that are employed by the most elite of resume writers tend to get missed.

Why? Not because they are trade secrets but because they require flexing a lot of creative, technical, and strategic muscle.

Here are some advanced strategies to make the resume jump from the stack:

1. Quote Your Last Boss. A resume is all about saying why an individual is the perfect one for the job. However, it is easy for employers to be jaded about what they read due to the amount of puffery that jobseekers sometimes employ.

Take a look at letters of recommendation, accolades, awards, and letters of thanks from employers and clients to find a quote that represents the value offered for the target job(s).

Consider the difference between a jobseeker writing in the resume:

“Recognized for consistently driving triple digit revenue growth in new territories for five consecutive years.”

or quoting his recommendation letter:

“Tom is a simply amazing sales manager; under his leadership we’ve seen his division’s sales demonstrate triple digit growth for each year he has been in charge. No matter what failing division we give him, he makes it one of the top three nationwide.” – Steve Mills, XYZ Company
The quote lends credibility and can be verified, which makes an employer more trust its validity.

To make a quote stand out, try centering, bolding, and italicizing it near the top of the resume; or perhaps use a text box or other lightly shaded background.

2. Chart the Way to Success. Charts are a lot like the use of color in the resume – don’t add it in unless it makes sense. Using a chart or graph on a resume in relation to a particular job makes sense if the job seeker can show progress in fiscal responsibility, beating colleagues in goals, meeting/exceeding quotas, or simply showing the amount of sales achieved each year.

Why use a chart? Because many people are visual and begin to go cross-eyed after reading line after line of text, no matter how good a job the writer did in making it bite-sized and easy-to-read. A chart will draw the reviewer’s eye and provide a quick summary of top accomplishments.

To create a chart in MS Word, just consult the help menu for ‘insert chart’ or ‘insert graph.’

3. Link to Your Profile or Webpage. It is quite common for employers and recruiters to look for information on job seekers beyond the supplied resume. Make it easy for them by including a link to a LinkedIn Profile or other major web page, such as a web resume or about.me page.

Take steps to ensure such online content is robust and complete. Include information such as further project details, in-depth skills lists, and letters of recommendation or testimonials (with approval from the author).

As always, no matter how visual a resume, there is no excuse for slacking on grammar, punctuation, and content. Every resume should work to present the job seeker’s individual unique selling propositions or brand, key areas of expertise, and the challenges faced, actions taken, and results attained in employment positions.

For more tips, CDI’s Job Seeker Center also provides a variety of free resources along with search tips, more resources from Update Your Resume Month, and information for locating and selecting a professional.

CDI also encourages resume writers and career professionals to spread the word about Update Your Resume Month. This event offers a crucial reminder to job seekers about the value of keeping their resumes up-to-date or simply taking advantage of recording their new experiences as they happen in order to prepare for their next professional update.

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About Career Directors International – http://www.careerdirectors.com
CDI is a global professional association committed to ensuring that career and resume professionals can grow and thrive in a rich, vibrant, exciting, and nurturing environment. CDI is focused on championing the industry’s cause for credibility and visibility; fostering exceptional success in every generation of career and resume professionals; and cultivating the career superhero that exists within each one of us.

Introducing LinkedIn Endorsements

If you work with your clients on creating or enhancing their LinkedIn profiles, you may have seen something new from LinkedIn in the past week or so. Called "LinkedIn Endorsements," the enhancement builds on the LinkedIn "Skills" categories by giving your LinkedIn connections the opportunity to "validate" your capabilities.

I first came across the "Endorsements" option when accepting a new connection request. Up popped this box:

LinkedIn displays the Skills your contact may exhibit, and allows you to either endorse all of them (simply click the yellow "Endorse" button), remove Skills (click on the "x" next to the skill), or add additional Skills (type in a Skill).

You may also encounter a pop-up box when interacting with a connection's profile. It will pull up the individual's name and a single Skill. If you click the blue "Endorse" link, it will add your Endorsement to the individual's profile.

Click on your own profile, and you can see which of your Skills have been endorsed.

Your Skills are listed, along with the number of people who have Endorsed you for each Skill, and their photos (if displayed with their profile).

You can also conduct blanket Endorsements:

You can choose the yellow button to "Endorse all 4" or you can click the individual blue "Endorse" buttons in each square to Endorse a specific skills. Or, you can remove an individual Skill Endorsement by clicking the "x" in the upper right-hand corner of the box.

At the NRWA Conference in Charleston last week, LinkedIn expert Joshua Waldman mentioned the increasing emphasis LinkedIn is adding for Skills. The use of Endorsements to validate Skills is the next step in this evolution. Skills (and validated Skills especially) are useful for recruiters, who are one of the largest audiences funding LinkedIn.

Using Trade Shows to Build Your Resume Writing Business

Because I'm preparing for this week's NRWA Conference in Charleston, I wanted to share with you a couple of tips for using trade shows to build your resume writing business. For most resume writers, you can work one of two kinds of "trade shows" -- job fairs and association meetings.

If you've written a book that other resume writers might purchase (or encourage their clients to buy), association meetings (especially those within the resume writing industry) can be a good way to gain visibility and sell books.

If you're looking to sell your career services (resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, membership programs, etc.) then you can participate in job fairs OR target association meetings or conferences where your "ideal client" hangs out (i.e., a technology conference if you work with IT professionals).

Whether working a job fair or a trade association meeting, attendees are looking for new ideas and connections. It's one of the few times when people are receptive to actually being sold to in person. If you can leverage this opportunity to put your brand out there and communicate what you have to offer, it can boost your resume writing business in unimaginable ways. You can walk away with powerful connections, immense goodwill, more credibility, more brand recognition and, often, actual orders.

Here are a few different ways you can leverage trade shows.

Networking
The most basic way to leverage trade shows is through networking. This is especially useful at job fairs. Build in some time to get around -- wander from booth to booth and introduce yourself. Let others know how you can help them and look for new strategic partnerships. I've made some great connections with recruiters during job fairs.

And, of course, if you are offering resume critique services at a job fair or association event, you want to connect with as many jobseekers as possible. Limit your time with each individual to five minutes (ideally, two minutes or less) -- be prepared with handouts to give them some additional information and your contact details.

Host a Side Event
A much more powerful way to leverage a job fair or association conference is to host a side event. Book a conference room in the same hotel or in an adjacent restaurant or large bar. Then market the event through the trade show's Twitter hashtag, through flyering, through Meetup and through your own email list.

You might offer a short workshop on "Getting the Job" or "LinkedIn for Jobseekers." If you're an author, do an event where you speak for 20-30 minutes on your topic and have books available for purchase.

By taking this kind of leadership position, you'll drastically increase your own brand and credibility. You'll also make important connections. Instead of seeking connections, people will come and connect with you.

Be a Speaker

Related to tip number two -- you can build a lot of credibility and brand awareness by getting on stage. Talk to the event organizer early on about the possibility of speaking at the event as early as possible. Make sure you have a good amount of credibility and speaking experience built up before approaching large conference organizers. I recommend the "Resume Writer's Guide to Profiting From Speaking: How to Use Teleseminars, Webinars, Workshops, and Seminars to Attract New Clients and Generate Revenue." Make sure your talk isn't too self-promotional though -- focus on delivering great value to your session attendees.

Should You Get Your Own Booth?
If you're serious about building your brand, you should absolutely get a booth. If you are critiquing resumes at a job fair, you may be offered a discounted or free booth. (You may be able to negotiate this if you are approaching an association event planner -- because a booth at a trade show can run anywhere from $250 to several thousand dollars.) The investment might be worthwhile because having a booth means literally two days of having business come up to you and listen to your sales pitch.

If you're attending the NRWA conference in Charleston, I hope to talk to you! Come and see me speak or check out my booth!

Job Search Help on Your Mobile Phone? There's an App For That!

Browsing through my Facebook news feed this morning, a post from Career Solvers caught my attention. Hmm...what is Barbara Safani up to now?

It seems she's created an app for job searchers -- available for Android, iPhone, and iPad users.

Here's the app description:
Career Solvers for iPhone. Our Career Solvers app is designed for those who are serious about growing their professional careers. Our app will be a guide book providing proven strategies that every professional should know. Career Solvers specializes in managing job search campaigns for six-figure professionals and executives who know where they want to go, but need assistance uncovering the most efficient path. Our career management programs help clients gain clarity around their professional identity and personal brand. We create targeted, compelling resumes, cover letters, and bios and supplement these marketing collateral with coaching programs that accelerate your job search, get your resume in front of the right people, improve your interviewing and salary negotiation skills, and promote your professional image online and offline. It is our mission to empower you with solutions that enable you to successfully navigate your career course.

I'm working on preparing for my "Write Great Resumes Faster" teleseminar today, so I haven't had a chance to check out the app yet. But I'll be interested in downloading it and giving it a try. Maybe I can get Barbara to answer a few questions about her new app for a future blog post.

Have you thought about creating an app for your resume business?

Firm Asks "Where Are All The 'Good' Subcontract Resume Writers?"

Well, actually, Matt Craven, of UK-based firm "The CV and Interview Advisors" asked on LinkedIn "Where are all the great CV / resume writers."

He wrote:
My problem is finding great CV / resume writers. Nearly everyone I speak to seems to think they are great but then proceed to produce sub-standard work with spelling errors, grammatical inconsistencies, a lack of knowledge of hot skills (therefore a CV which is ill-aligned with industry-needs), weak or clunky language and dodgy formatting. Does anyone have any advice for finding truly world-class CV / Resume Writers interested in earning industry-leading rates of pay?

Because I have some insight into the topic from my work on the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" special report -- as well as "Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships with Recruiters" (which talks about the pay-sharing component of contracting relationships), I gave this response yesterday:


As the editor of an ebook on resume writing subcontracting ("Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor") I may be able to offer some insight to you. In talking with other writers/firms looking for contracting writers, there are a couple common issues:

• Low rates for contracted writing. Because most contracting firms pay their writers between $100-$160 per project (which can be 15-35% of the fee charged), it's hard to find highly credentialed/talented writers who are willing to subcontract write. If you charge your clients 250 British pounds sterling = 400 US dollars, and you pay your writers 30% (a pretty standard subcontracting fee), that's $120. That might seem like a lot, but the Resume Writer's Digest Annual Industry Survey (2010) found that the  “average” resume sale was $509.36 for surveyed writers.

• Many folks who subcontract write fall into a couple of categories: They are looking to build their portfolio of work/get experience, they want to supplement their income while they grow their own resume writing business, they don't like the marketing/pricing side of the business (they just want to focus on the writing), or they want true flexibility in their schedules (with the freedom to accept/decline assignments as they wish).

• As a contracting firm, you want someone who can accept a reasonable volume of assignments, who turns in consistently good and timely work, who will put your clients first (and not flake out if this is a "moonlighting job" and they get busy with their "real job" -- or if they have their own clients) and who will work for a pay rate that still allows you to make money on the "client management" and marketing aspects of the sale. That can be a tough combination to find if you don't know where to look.

• Speaking of that, you might look at how you're getting the word out about your subcontracting opportunities -- some channels are more effective than others. As much as I love LinkedIn, putting a request for writers on here is akin to putting an ad in a newspaper ... and we all know how that goes! You need to "go where the people are" -- reaching out to folks who are already successful as subcontract writers for other firms ... and/or writers who have achieved a minimum proficiency (i.e., certification).

• Speaking of certification -- Lack of standardization of certification and training programs means it's hard to judge a contracting writer's work without wading through lots of samples from "unqualified" writers. While I don't think that all good writers are certified, most certified writers (especially certain types of certifications) are good. The most rigorous certification is the Academy Certified Resume Writer (offered by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark's Resume Writing Academy) -- but it costs over $2000 .... so you're not going to find an ACRW who will write resumes for $100. Or even $200.

• In your case in particular, there are no "local" resume writing organizations -- so to "farm" for writers, you're looking at US-based associations. Most US-based writers aren't familiar with country-specific requirements for resumes and CVs, so there has to be a training component with most writers anyway. You're more likely to find competent writers from the U.S. (just because there are so many of us -- the US resume writing industry has been going strong for more than 15 years!)... but you'll have to teach them the cultural (and spelling) nuances.

What would you think about me creating a database of "vetted" subcontract writers? I've already got a pretty robust database of writers who are interested in the topic (by virtue of them having purchased the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" special report.