Resume Writers: Want More Clients From LinkedIn?

You know that LinkedIn is an important website for your jobseeking clients … but are you taking full advantage of LinkedIn's power to connect you to prospective clients for your resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profile development services, and job search support offerings?

Check out this special report from BeAResumeWriter.com:
"14 Ways to Get More Clients From LinkedIn"

Tips include:

1. Take full advantage of your public profile.
2. Create a unique public profile vanity URL.
3. Create a profile badge.
4. Thank people for Recommendations.
5. Create a Company Page.
6. Maintain your LinkedIn account via mobile.
7. Set up a Google Alert for yourself to monitor LinkedIn.
8. Be choosy.
9. Import all your offline and online business contacts into LinkedIn to create your social graph.
10. Share your social graph with other social networks.
11. Share your LinkedIn posts with Twitter.
12. Whitelist LinkedIn in your email filters.
13. Rearrange your Profile sections.
14. Use LinkedIn – don't just be on it!

The guide includes step-by-step instructions for implementing many of the tips too. And it's free.

Colleagues: Like this post? Please share it!

Resume Writers: Are You Easily Distracted?

Are you easily distracted? It's not uncommon -- after all, self-employed resume writers wear a lot of hats, meaning we have to accomplish a lot of different types of tasks each day.

Why is being focused so important in today’s world? What results happen when you are focused? Does being focused make you less stress? Happier? If it’s so important, why don’t people focus more?

Being focused on one thing for a certain period of time allows you to do better quality work, more work gets done quicker, and your creative ideas flow easier. Being focused on one task at a time is less stressful. And being less stressed allows you be happier.

It’s difficult for people to remain focused on one task for a variety of reasons. For one, we live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with TV, radio, cell phones, Internet/ social media, as well as a much larger population that lives closer together than ever before.

It’s difficult to get completely away from all these distractions. Here are some tips to help though:                                                                                                                                      

• When you focus on a single task, avoiding distractions, your brain becomes focused on that task alone. This lets you complete that task much more quickly than if you are trying to complete two or more tasks at once. For instance, let’s say you need to write a blog post, do your bookkeeping for the week and research information for an upcoming speech. The best thing to do is to set aside all but one task. So, for this example, you want to give all your attention writing your blog post. That means turning off the TV, cell phones, social media pings, closing your door and putting all your attention on writing. 

• By giving all your attention to the task without distraction, you can get it done much more quickly and with fewer mistakes. Your work will be higher quality as well. Another benefit to being focused is that your creativity will kick in too. You’ll come up with new ideas associated with the task at hand, whether that's a client resume, a blog post you're writing, or a brainstorming opportunities for passive income in your resume writing business.

• Being constantly connected to others and having many distractions that take away your focus can affect your stress levels as well as your productivity. When you aren’t focused, you don’t get as much done as you could if you were truly focused on the task you’re doing. 

• Focusing on one thing for a certain period of time helps you think better. Having your mind scattered over several tasks at once keeps you from thinking about what you are actually doing. You only have time to complete a task quickly before you must move on to the next one. All the while you are trying to remember everything that has to be done. When you focus, you are able to think about only one thing for that period of time. 

• Focusing allows your subconscious to do the work. Think about when you learned to ride a bike or drive a car. It was difficult in the beginning, but when you began focusing on what you were doing, your subconscious took over and helped you learn. The same is true in your everyday tasks. Once you begin focusing solely on one task, your subconscious helps you do them quicker and easier. 

It’s important to focus on one task at a time to become more productive, do better quality work and be less stressed. Focusing can help you be more creative and have more happiness. 

If you want more tips for getting focused, check out Kelly McCausey's "Managing Bright Shiny Object Syndrome" program. It's free for a limited time, and includes two worksheets and an audio training.

Get your free access to "Managing Bright Shiny Object Syndrome"

What's the Next Big Tool for Jobseekers...After LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is definitely the #1 took for jobseekers when it comes to connecting with your network to find leads, contacts, and opportunities … but it's not the first tool you can use in your job search, and it won't be the last.

An article in TechCrunch talks about a new tool that will help you analyze your existing connections to help you reach the people you want to know. It's called "Conspire," and it analyzes your email (Gmail, specifically) to help you connect to people you want to meet -- and, in particular, it helps you analyze the strength of the connection to the people you already know to make that introduction.

Read the TechCrunch article here:
Forget LinkedIn, Conspire Analyzes Email To Be Your Next Networking Tool

Right now, the app has the strongest successes within the tech community. When I tested it out, it helped me identify people I already knew, but wasn't as successful helping me reach people one connection out. Part of the challenge is that it only uses Gmail right now, and I don't use my Gmail email as much as I do my BeAResumeWriter.com and Resume Writers' Digest emails for work contacts.

For example, I tried Conspire to see how it would do with two of the career industry's top thought leaders. First, I tried Wendy Enelow:

Because I have corresponded with Wendy through my Gmail account (occasionally -- I usually correspond with her through my Resume Writer's Digest email), it found we had a direct connection, although it was weak.

Next, I tried Louise Kursmark … which, considering my connection with Wendy, I should have some sort of connection with her on Conspire:

Nope. Not only did it not connect me with Louise through Wendy, but it didn't show any connection with her at all. (I actually correspond with Louise through my Resume Writers' Digest email account).

So, it's not perfect yet, but it's definitely worth a try. It's another tool in the toolbox for jobseekers … but LinkedIn is still #1. Perhaps as the Conspire network grows, it will become more effective and powerful.

Check out Conspire here. It's free.

Keep LinkedIn From Sending Those "Say Congrats" Notifications To My Network

Got this question from a resume writer:

"Does anyone know how to keep "say congrats" from being sent to someone's network once they've changed jobs? Thank you in advance!! 

Because LinkedIn has several places to control your privacy settings and notifications, this one can be a bit tricky. But here's the answer:

On your LinkedIn profile, click "Edit Profile":

Click on the existing job you're editing in your Experience section (or Add a position). If updating a current position, click the "Edit" button:

After you've made your changes, look in the upper right-hand side of the page and check what settings you have for "Notify Your Network" --

If you do not want LinkedIn to notify your network of the update or addition (and you do NOT want a "Say Congrats" notification sent), make sure the line is RED and it says, "No, do not publish an update to my network about my profile changes."

Want more information? Check out this LinkedIn help page:
http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/78/~/showing-or-hiding-activity-updates-about-you

Want to learn more about LinkedIn?

Profile of an "Average" Resume Writer: 2012

Based on the information compiled from the 2012 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey, here is the profile of the “average” resume writer:

She (the majority of resume writers are female) is in her 50s, and has been writing resumes for 10 years as a self-employed resume writer. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and is a member of both the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC) and the National Resume Writer’s Association (NRWA).

Our average resume writer works from home almost exclusively. She spends 25-30 hours a week writing, and another 15-20 hours a week on administrative and marketing activities. She writes 2-3 new resumes a week, and works on 1-2 updates weekly. Her average package — for which she charges $300 — includes a resume, cover letter, and references page.

Lately, she has added LinkedIn profile development to her service offerings, and she charges her existing resume clients an additional $129 for that. (She has just started getting serious about LinkedIn herself in the last 12 months, updating her own profile, joining a couple of LinkedIn Groups for resume writers, and attending a LinkedIn training webinar to learn more about how to use it.)

She collects payment upfront and uses a combination of a questionnaire followed by a brief phone consultation to gather information from the client.

Her biggest frustrations revolve around marketing her services (especially finding clients who are willing to pay the rates she is charging without too much push-back) and figuring out how Applicant Tracking Systems technology affects the resumes she writes.

As for income, she brings in gross revenues of $3,800-$4,600 each month, and she nets around $44,500 a year after taxes.

Information compiled/analyzed by Résumé Writers’ Digest/BeAResumeWriter.com

© 2013–2014 | Bridget (Weide) Brooks for Image Building Communications

http://www.rwdigest.com

http://www.bearesumewriter.com

Q&A: Will Jobseekers Be Thrown Off If They See This?

I occasionally share the answers to questions I'm asked. Today's is about BeAResumeWriter Pass-Along Materials.

QUESTION: 

I do have one minor concern -- I'm not sure if this is something you address in the (Turn Your Content Into Cash) training, but since your (Pass-Along Materials) are used by other resume writers, what if a client finds the same content from two different career websites? I'm just afraid of losing any kind of credibility if a client happens to find my materials that are the same from another resume writers' website or product...

My response:

With millions of jobseekers out there, the chances that they will see the same content on more than one site is low ... HOWEVER, you have control over what you do with the Pass-Along Materials to differentiate them.

At a minimum, I always recommend coming up with a different title for the content. (That's why I purposely name them boring names.)

Second, rewrite the content as much as you feel comfortable -- certainly the first two paragraphs.

Third, change the format! You can break up the PAMs into different formats -- excerpt into a short article or blog post, record as audio or video, make into a checklist/tip guide, or use as social media content.

You'd be amazed -- do ANY ONE of those things and it will become almost unrecognizable. (I'll be reading along a colleague's blog post and think "hmm, that sounds familiar," but it isn't unless I do a search of the PAM that I realize it was actually content I wrote!

There are more than 4,000 resume writers worldwide, and most of the PAM packages have been purchased by fewer than 250 resume writers, so the chances of the same content being seen by the same jobseeker is very low. And I would hate for you to keep from sharing information with jobseekers because you're afraid that they will see the same information somewhere else. The better chance is that they need the information but aren't getting it from anywhere.

If you're still concerned about it, rather than NOT doing something with it, you can feel free to put *my* name on it and a statement that the information is provided by "Resume Writers' Digest, a trade newsletter for professional resume writers" and then put "edited by (Your Name).

But you can really put your own name on it, especially if you use one of the three "transformation" strategies listed above.

2014 Toast of the Resume Industry Award Nominations Announced

2014 TORI Nominees

In no particular order: 

Best International Resume

  

Victoria McLean, City CV Ltd.
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Ashleyanne Spencer-Smith, Consilium Careers
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Laura Smith-Proulx, An Expert Resume

Best New Graduate Resume

Tamara Dowling, SeekingSuccess.com
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Adrienne Tom, Career Impressions
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering

Best Creative Resume

Ashleyanne Spencer-Smith, Consilium Careers
Laura Gonzalez, Masterwork Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Cheryl L. Simpson, Executive Resume Rescue
Marlene Cole, Pilbara Resumes

Best Accounting & Finance Resume 

  

Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Freddie Rohner, iHire, LLC
Laura Smith-Proulx, An Expert Resume
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Information Technology (IT) Resume

Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC
Adrienne Tom, Career Impressions
Ken Docherty, Docherty Career Management
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense 

Best Executive Resume

Ken Docherty, Docherty Career Management
Sandra Ingemansen, Résumé Strategies
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Sales Resume

Karen D'Anna, Write On Resume Services
Cheryl L. Simpson, Executive Resume Rescue
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Leeza Byers, Byers Workforce Solutions
Donald Burns, Donald Burns' Career Defense 

    

Best Healthcare / Medical Resume

Kristin Johnson, Profession Direction
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Kimberly Robb Baker, Movin' On Up Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering
Michelle Dumas, Distinctive Career Services, LLC 

Best Cover Letter

Barbara Safani, Career Solvers
Sharon Williams, JobRockit
Leeza Byers, Byers Workforce Solutions
Laura Gonzalez, Masterwork Resumes
Rosa Vargas, Career Steering

2014 TORI JUDGES & AWARD DIRECTOR    Special thanks to CDI's Director of Awards for coordinating the TORIs again this year: Robin Schlinger, Robin's Resumes ® Special thanks to 2014 tier one and tier two judges for their hard work this year:  Annemarie Cross - Advanced Employment Concepts Laurie Berenson - Sterling Career Concepts, LLC Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services Jeri Hird Dutcher - Workwrite Audrey Prenzel - Resume Resources Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes Susan Guarneri - AssessmentGoddess.com Barb Poole - Hire Imaging, LLC Laura Labovich - The Career Strategy Group Marty Weitzman - Gilbert Resumes Michael Kranes - Resume Slayer Melissa Cooper - RezBiz, LLC Jill Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge

Have You Heard of the App "Coffee"?

This sounds interesting -- an app called "Coffee" that's designed to help people connect with one another. Like LinkedIn … but only on your iPad or iPhone …

"Coffee Creates Job-Hunting Klatch"

Have you heard of this app? Had any clients try it? What do you think of it?

2012 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey

The Résumé Writers’ Digest Annual Industry Survey is an opportunity for résumé writers to benchmark their progress compared to their peers. The survey was first conducted in 2001.

The 2012 Résumé Writers’ Digest Annual Industry Survey was conducted from February 2013 into March 2013 and the results were first reported in September 2013. One hundred seventy-eight résumé writers contributed to the survey data. They spent an average of 10 minutes answering 20 questions in the survey.

The information in this blog post was excerpted from the "Profile of Professional Resume Writers: Who We Are, What We Charge, How We Work" report published in September 2014, outlining the results of the 2012 survey.

The respondents can be categorized as follows:

Eighty-two percent of survey respondents are self-employed résumé writers. Almost 20 percent of those folks also write as subcontract résumé writers.

The survey respondents are not “newbies.” More than 80 percent of those responding have been writing résumés for more than six years. Almost a fourth of survey respondents have been writing résumés for 11-15 years. Only 10 percent of survey respondents have been in business for fewer than two years.

The pricing data reflects the “veteran” nature of survey respondents. Generally, résumé writers who have been in business the longest charge the most. (Those who don’t charge enough to support themselves in their résumé writing business generally leave the industry.)

Services

The survey revealed that participants write an average of three résumés a week — the same as in 2011. Writer reported spending an average of 24 hours a week on résumé development (including client consultations, research, writing, and finalization).

The busiest month, according to the survey, is January, followed by February and September.

Let’s Talk Pricing

The most common hourly rate cited was $75 in this year’s survey, compared to $50 per hour in 2010 and 2011. The hourly average this year is $90.87, an increase from $83 an hour average in 2011.

The average reported price for a résumé and cover letter in 2012’s survey is $478, down slightly from 2011’s figure of $511. The most frequently cited amount charged for a résumé and cover letter was $300.

Certification and Training

Most résumé writers surveyed are a member of at least one professional association. Memberships included:

• The National Résumé Writer’s Association – 15%

• Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches – 14%

• BeAResumeWriter.com – 13%

• Career Directors International – 11%

• Career Thought Leaders – 8%

• Resume Writing Academy – 6%

• JibberJobber.com – 4%

• The Academies – 4%

Note: No survey was compiled in 2013. The 2014 report details the results of the 2012 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey. The survey is a voluntary report from participating resume writers and is not considered statistically valid.

Resume Writers: Are You Promoting International Update Your Resume Month?

Fourteen years ago, Career Directors International (CDI), registered and launched an international event, Update Your Resume Month (UYRM), to take place each year in September. With summer behind us, and children back to school, it continues to make sense that adults should take this time to conduct a career check-up.

In celebration and support of UYRM, CDI is reaching out to professional resume writers worldwide with the following tips to create a win-win for themselves and job seekers this year through UYRM:

#1 – Decide what to do for the event.

UYRM is rich with opportunities to reach job seekers. Suggested activities for resume writers include:

• Provide special discounts on resume services during the month.
• Coordinate with a local school, library, bookstore, women’s center, or church to offer a free seminar.
• Announce a free teleclass or webinar that is open to the public. (Then, of course, record it to give as a gift via your website in the future).
• Write informative articles and blog posts to be posted on your website or on third-party sites.
• Create a free e-book that can later be made available for sale.
• Provide daily tips during the month via your favorite social media channel(s). (Later this can be made into an e-book).

Whatever choices are made, having something to give provides the professional with leverage to promote and gain publicity.

CDI members will find numerous resources in the member’s section from which to create presentations and information pieces.

#2 – Reach out to the media and the public.
While members of the media don’t want to hear about a story too early, it’s important not to wait too long.

• Write a press release about the offering, using the time-sensitive link to the upcoming UYRM.
• Send announcements out to local companies, non-profits, and organizations who might be interested in letting their staff, students, and/or parishioners know.
• Post signs in community centers.
• Contact local news agencies — TV producers, radio stations, small local papers, and major newspapers.
• Add the event to signature file for emails and blog posts.
• Blog about it.
• Spread the word across social media.

CDI members have access to a wealth of additional resources such as sample letters to professors, announcement press releases, and strategy ideas.

#3 – Most importantly, don’t wait; get planning now.
The biggest challenge for self-employed resume writers, career coaches, and even academic career counselors have is schedule pressure.

Why wait? With a little effort, rewards can be had for your efforts this September!

CDI members can brainstorm and partner with fellow members on these initiatives through 24/7 mastermind communities to reach more people and get more done.

#4 – Give back, but get back too.
While sharing knowledge is fabulous, UYRM also presents a unique opportunity to shed light on the importance of educating the public about professional resume writing. While making a difference with tips, advice, articles, and workshops, remember that this is a unique opportunity to spread the word about the value of hiring a professional resume writer. To many out there in the world, professional resume writing is still an unknown. Give advice and spread the word for a future win-win for future profits, future client successes, and future industry visibility.

Visit the public job-seeker page for UYRM.

Learn more about CDI member benefits for resume writers and career coaches.

About Career Directors International – http://www.careerdirectors.com

CDI is a global professional association that is committed to ensuring that career and resume professionals can grow and thrive in a rich, vibrant, exciting, safe, 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.

Be More Creative in Your Resume Writing Business

You might think that you're already pretty creative. After all, you're a resume writer, and creativity is part of your DNA. But the thing is, most of the time the creative process is not really as spontaneous as some people might wish it was. You can't just sit around and wait for creativity to suddenly strike. Creativity takes a little work and planning.

Here are some ideas:

• Brainstorm on a Regular Basis

It's really easy to get tied down with typical business activities on a day-to-day basis, and that can kill your creativity. After all, it's hard to go from updating your QuickBooks account to coming up with a killer LinkedIn headline without an adjustment period. And it's even harder to go from writing a cover letter to coming up with ideas for an ebook to help your clients in their job search. So it's important to set aside a regular time — each week or each month — to come up with new ideas. The specific timing doesn't matter. The important thing is to take the time out to brainstorm new ideas.

• No Idea Is Dumb

While you're brainstorming, keep track of the ideas that come to mind, and take the stance that no idea is dumb. Sure, some ideas are wacky and may not work, but even a truly ridiculous idea can become genius if given half a chance. During brainstorming, nothing whatsoever is off limits. If you put blocks in your way and start classifying things as dumb or wrong, you will not be able to let ideas flow freely.

• Conduct Research

Once you have some ideas, it's time to narrow them down and start doing some research. It's important that you handle this process on your own. Learn about your idea, test your ideas, and get feedback from others before you move forward too far.

• Take Time Out to Learn Something New

The exciting fact about learning is that you can learn anything new — and it will help you in all aspects of your life. What you choose to learn about today may have nothing whatsoever to do with resume writing or your clients, but it will open your mind to new possibilities. It's important to always be involved with the learning process, whether it's learning a new software program, or learning how to make a square foot garden.

• Get Out of Your Bubble

It's super easy to get caught up in our own bubble. This happens a lot to people who have their own businesses. It can also happen with resume writers, when you only talk to people who agree with you, or who only work with the same clients. I learn new things by interacting with college career center staff, employees of state Department of Labor departments, and new resume writers. Invite new people into the fold on occasion, and get out of your office by going to a conference or something so that you can separate yourself from your inner circle enough to soak in new thoughts about the world and your niche.

• Allow Yourself to Think Big

Dare to dream the big dreams about yourself and your resume writing business. If your mother did not tell you that you are capable of anything, then that's too bad. Because, the truth is, your success or failure has almost nothing to do with your education, or even your abilities. It has to do with the ability to dream and think big -- outside of the world you currently live -- and see the possibilities that are on the other side.

• Only Action Gets Results

Brainstorming, researching, learning, and dreaming only go so far without actions. So, someplace in the creative process should be a plan in which to take action. Actual steps that you need to do to see something through to fruition. It's like anything else you do in life -- if you don't take the steps necessary to make it to your destination, you will never get there. That goes with being healthier, working with a different type of client, and being more creative. You have to practice doing to get results.

• Follow Through

It can be easy to get carried away doing everything and then when things aren't going the way we want them to it's easy to give up. It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. With any idea that you come up with that you want to succeed in accomplishing, you should be willing to spend the 10,000 hours needed to see it through. If you do that, you will not fail.

Creativity isn't a magic thing; it's a thing that you plan to achieve. It's the thing that will get you up every morning working your resume writing business so that you can experience the life of your dreams.

Keys to Meeting Client Project Deadlines

One of the most important parts of being a resume writer is meeting client deadlines. When the major "deliverable" that clients receive is the resume (or LinkedIn profile), their anticipation of receiving the draft is very high.

Here's some ideas:

• Set Realistic Deadlines. The fastest killer of a deadline is overestimating what you can do and how fast you can do it. Always work in a cushion to your deadlines just in case something happens; that way you can avoid stress when trying to meet deadlines.

• Set Deadlines in Stone. Once you set a deadline, tell yourself it is set in stone and you must meet it or beat it. Since you put in a cushion before setting the deadline, that means that you should be able to get done before the deadline — if all goes as planned.

• Plan and Organize Efficiently. Part of setting deadlines is learning to plan and organize efficiently. Set up a system of organization that you do for every resume project. Having systems in place eliminates the problem of forgetting any aspect of your project. (That includes the finalization process — i.e., a checklist where you remind yourself to remove the information in the Properties in Word, for example.)

• Use a Calendar. No one can do anything online without a calendar. Today online calendars can sync with your smartphones so that there is no reason to forget anything. Train yourself to look at your calendar every evening and every morning so that you avoid forgetting anything. Do not rely on your memory.

• Communicate Deadlines to Team Members. If you work with subcontract resume writers, it's crucial that you communicate deadlines to them in a way that they understand the importance of the deadlines.

• Do the Most Productive Thing First. If you are not sure where to start, and you can identify items that aren't order sensitive, then you can start right on them. Sometimes just getting something done can unleash more creativity.

• Baby Steps. Break up all the work into small, bite-sized pieces that you can do a little at a time that will ensure that you meet your deadlines. Setting smaller deadlines throughout the project will also help. (By noon, I will write the "Work Experience" and "Education" sections. By 3 p.m., I will write the Qualifications Profile.")

• Start at the End. Sometimes it's easiest to start writing the resume from the bottom-up. This usually means starting with Professional Affiliations, Publications, or Education and then working your way up to the Experience section, with the Qualifications Profile being written last. 

• Plan Ahead. The first thing you should do for any project is to make plans ahead of time to get the things done that need to be done. They say that failing to plan is planning to fail and nothing can be truer than when it comes to project management (and resume writing). So if you need to write a cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile, and bio, decide what order you're going to write them in BEFORE you start. Believe it or not: Taking time to plan will actually SAVE you time overall.

If you really want to beat client deadlines for the resumes you write, it requires organization, planning, and dedication to be self-disciplined enough to follow the plan you created for yourself to meet your goals. It all starts, of course, with that realistic deadline, and advanced planning. A good project management system doesn't hurt either.

Want more tips on this topic? Check out my special report on how to "Write Great Resumes Faster."

Tips for Getting Caught Up

Self-employed resume writers are ALWAYS looking for ways to get more done -- so check out the tips in this article:
Tips For Getting Caught Up

This is the tip I'm working on most:

What are YOUR productivity tips?

LinkedIn Offers New Tool for Allowing Clients to Export Their Data

As a resume writer, you should be encouraging your clients to "back up" their LinkedIn profile regularly by having them export their data.

LinkedIn is adding a new data export tool to make this easier.

Read about it here:
LinkedIn Announces New Security and Privacy Control Tools

Do you encourage your clients to back up their LinkedIn profiles? Why or why not?

Have Trouble Tackling -- or Finishing -- Big Projects In Your Resume Writing Business?

Do you have trouble tackling -- or finishing -- big projects in your resume writing business?

Me too.

Check out the strategies offered in this article:
5 Simple Tricks for Tackling That Big Hairy Project You've Been Avoiding

For me, accountability partners are important to helping me finish projects. Whether that's "owing" a project to a resume client (there's nothing like a client deadline to keep you accountable!) or asking someone for help, you don't have to do it alone!

Simple Strategies to Improve Your Productivity

Day 2 of the "28 Gifts for Resume Writers" series featured a special report, "Simple Strategies to Increase Your Productivity." (Want to get ALL the gifts? Log into your Free or Bronze account on BeAResumeWriter.com and access it here.)

To complement that report, here are some additional productivity boosters:

• Creating a daily to-do list can increase productivity your by 100%. 

•  If you want to increase your productivity, establish a performance goal that inspires you to take action.

• One habit that many highly productive people confess to is getting up earlier than others. How could you use an extra hour or two? (Sorry, I can't do this one!)

• Find the right tools to help you achieve your daily goals. Finding ways to simplify tasks will boost productivity and improve your mindset. 

• It’s not enough to plan to reach a goal: For maximum productivity, plan how you can maintain your success once you reach it. 

• Make a list of the “time waster” habits in your everyday life. How can you take steps to reduce these? 

• Important tasks are worth doing well. (“Hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur” --Evelyn Underhill) 

• It’s important to keep up with business learning. Listen to podcasts while doing other things, if you don’t have time or to read books. 

• Combine your personal life action list with your work action list for maximum effectiveness!

• If you really want to be more productive, learn to say “no”. (What are three things you can start saying “no” to?) 

• Identify distractions and replace them with new, productive habits. (What is one distraction you can eliminate right now?) 

• Review your “to do” list at the end of the day. If you consistently don’t achieve your daily action goals, reduce the number of tasks.

• “You can prepare all you want, but if you never roll the dice you'll never be successful” -- Shia LaBeouf 

• To eliminate time wasted on meetings, plan them, send everyone an agenda, appoint a chairperson, and stick to your agenda. 

• To increase productivity, eliminate reactivity. Plan at least a week ahead, using a system that you find easy and pleasant to use. 

• When it comes to productivity, find out if it works best for you to tackle your hardest task first – or last. (Everyone is different!) 

• To increase productivity, set time limits on meetings, phone calls, and tasks. Make note of what works and doesn’t and refine these. 

• If you want to increase productivity, resist the urge to multi-task. Focus on one task at a time – and get each one done. 

• Get rid of clutter to increase productivity – and this includes ruthlessly dumping negative, energy-sapping people. 

• Take a leaf from your high school days and work on different tasks in “periods.” This technique can actually increase your productivity. 

• Recognize that “emails aren’t letters, they’re tasks.” Respond, delete, or file accordingly.

• If you want to motivate yourself to be more productive,  figure out what you want to "reward" yourself with -- and use it as an incentive to reach your goal!

• Which apps do you use to boost your productivity? What’s the common denominator in why you like each one? (E.g. easy to use, visuals, etc.) 

• Create an “Action List” – not a “chore” or “to do” list – and learn to think of it that way. The positive wording can work miracles. 

• “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The Sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus” -- Alexander Graham Bell 

• To increase productivity, take the initial time to learn programs or apps you use completely. E.g. explore your email capabilities. 

• Eliminate distractions. Don’t run desktop apps that give alerts about non-productive stuff, such as the latest tweet or email. 

• Use the power of systems and software you already have: For example, use Excel to create a time-tracking spreadsheet. 

• If you really want to increase productivity, do small or unpleasant tasks “right now” instead of assigning them to your To-Do list. 

• To increase productivity, identify your best money-making activities and focus more time and priority to each one. 

• To increase productivity, work smarter by delegating, discarding, and outsourcing more tasks. 

• Don’t just identify money-making activities to increase productivity: Pay attention to each one’s ROI. 

• Ruthlessly eliminate procrastination habits and activities if you want to create more productivity. Do it one habit at a time. 

• “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work” -- Stephen King, on writing productivity. 

• “Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all” -- Peter Drucker, originator of “outsourcing.”

• Follow through and follow up are as important in increasing productivity as planning. Have you found this to be true?

• Keep a notebook or record your ideas via your smartphone and Evernote as they occur, to make the most of creative bursts. 

• To increase productivity, cross half the things off your To-Do list every day and highlight no more than three remaining ones as top priority. 

• “Taking action without thinking is the cause of every failure” -- Peter Drucker, originator of the business “community” concept. 

• Adopt taking a “power period” every day — a chunk of time in which you work on something, allowing absolutely no distraction. 

• Schedule your “power period” for the daily time slot you notice you’re usually the most productive within (early morning, mid-morning, mid-day, early afternoon, late afternoon, early evening, late evening, late night!)

• If "getting started" is your nemesis, schedule your “power period” for first thing in the morning (when you would usually be on Facebook!) 

• If typing slows you down, either outsource written content or learn/brush up on your touch typing using this free resource: http://www.keybr.com/

• To increase productivity, look for external distractions and remove them. Face your desk away from the window, turn off the radio, etc. 

• Try playing classical or meditation music softly in the background. Are you one of those whose productivity increases when you do this? (This is a strategy I also recommend when you are STUCK writing a resume in "Write Great Resumes Faster")

• To increase productivity, take five minutes to print out Google keyboard shortcuts (Windows only): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449 

• When trying to streamline family life, create an Action Station in a central place where family can check schedules, post notes, etc. 

• Answer emails you look at either straight away – or not at all. Don’t promise yourself you’ll do it “later.”

• Track your time at least twice a year. Seeing where you waste it can help you be more productive. (Try https://www.toggl.com/.) 

• Create routines – but make sure they work for all family members. If one isn’t working, change it (or change the time). 

• “Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before” -- Franz Kafka 

What are YOUR productivity strategies?

Writing Well, Writing Brief

Yale writing professor William Zinser said it best:

"Strip every sentence to its cleanest component. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that's already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what — these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually occur, ironically, in proportion to education and rank."

Finding Your Voice as a Resume Writer and Business Owner

As resume writers, we talk a lot about communicating our client's "voice" in their resumes and career communication documents so that it "sounds" like the client, not like us.

But what is YOUR voice as a resume writer and resume business owner? What is the point of view that you use in your client communications and content marketing? It's important to figure out your voice so that you can create a coherent and professional communication strategy. Here's some ideas on how to do just that:

Figure Out Your Core Values
What is it that you want to say to the world? What is it that you feel is important? Do you want your resume writing business to be a beacon of light to your audience, shining down on them, creating joy and happiness? Do you want your business to be a wake-up call and teach lessons for your audience? What do you want your audience to think about when they think of your brand?

Get to Know Your Jobseeking Clients and Prospects
Marketing is all about what's in it for them, not what's in it for you. If you can remember that, for every piece of content you create, you;ll be halfway there. Every story you tell — through the articles you write, videos you create, or press releases you send out — should all be focused with your target jobseeker in mind. The best way to do that is truly understand who your ideal client is by studying them and immersing yourself in everything there is to know about them. How you speak to your audience will be directly related to how well you know them. You'd speak to a stay-at-home mom returning to the workforce differently than you'd speak to a senior executive. So your voice has to be appropriate for the prospects and clients you want to work with.

Identify the Value You Offer Your Audience
You're not just writing resumes. You're helping clients identify what sets them apart from other jobseekers, and then creating interview-winning career communication documents that clearly communicate their value. Keep your value in mind as you work to identify your voice.

Differentiate Your Resume Writing Business From Your Colleagues
No two resume writers are alike, but for jobseeker prospects, it may be hard to tell us apart, unless you communicate your value clearly. How do you express your values to prospective clients? How will you deliver your resume services? What sets you apart? How can you deliver more value to clients while also sticking to — and expressing — your core values?

Decide If Your Voice Is Casual or Formal
Once you combine all of the above, you will need to decide if your target audience will respond better to a casual or formal voice (or someplace in between). How you speak to your audience is a very important factor in determining if they will understand your message.

Determine Acceptable Lingo and Terms
Once you've decided whether your voice is casual or formal or someplace in the middle, you can come up with the type of terms and lingo youíll use throughout your content marketing, regardless of format.

Create Documentation as a Guide
Whether you will be creating your marketing content yourself, or getting help, creating documentation to guide you through the process will help. Be specific about which font to use. Write down the type of words you want to use, too. The terminology, lingo, and jargon is important because it will mean something to your audience and help you get your message across in a way that will produce the results you desire.

Don't Try to Be Someone You're Not (Be Authentic!)
Resume writers who provide personal branding services know that it is important for the client's voice to be authentic. The worst thing you can do as you're creating and developing your voice is to try to be someone you're not. If you are not generally formal, don't even try to be formal. If you'd feel fake being casual, don't do it. Be yourself. If you've chosen your target audience well, it will be easy for you to be who you are and market to them in a successful way using content.

Content marketing is the most effective form of marketing today, bar none. Finding your voice will help make everything easier. You'll be able to not only create content easier, you'll also have a guide to help keep it consistent across all marketing channels.

What are your thoughts about finding your voice as a resume writer and resume business owner?

A Resume Is a Lifetime in the Making

A resume writing colleague is donating a resume for a fundraiser and wondered if I had anything she could use to explain to the silent auction bidders the value of the resume package. 

This is what I sent her:

Picasso was in a park when a woman asked him to draw her portrait. He sketched her and handed her the drawing. When asked how much she owed him, he replied, "$5,000." The woman was outraged. "But it only took you five minutes!" she protested. "No, madam, it took me all my life," replied Picasso.

When you have your resume created by a professional resume writer, the time invested in crafting a custom document is not limited to the effort required to gather information about your job target, previous experience and accomplishments, education, and value to your next employer — although this is significant. It's not limited to the several hours of time (and gallons of blood, sweat, and tears!) it takes your writer to carefully choose each word and phrase for maximum impact.

While there is significant time spent gathering and synthesizing the details of your career and designing a wholly unique and customized resume, the value of your professionally written resume originates in the skill of the writer — talent developed through study of effective resumes, training in modern communication techniques, and thousands of hours of writing experience.

You are also benefiting from what Picasso recognized as his biggest asset — a lifetime of knowledge and experiences. Your professional resume writer knows how to paint a custom word portrait for you that is a snapshot of your career progression and ambition, designed to attract job interviews. More than a few jobseekers have turned a single sheet of paper — their professionally written resume — into the job of their dreams. Will you be next?

How do you explain to your clients why an investment of $500 or $1000 — or more — is worth it?

Resume Writers: Do You Need More Marketing Leverage?

As small business owners, we're told that networking and one-to-one consultations are great ways to get in front of prospective clients -- and then turn those resume prospects into clients.

But there's another way, as Ian Brodie points out in this blog post:
How to Get Marketing Leverage

Think about how you can better leverage your time for more results.

How Headlines Can Get You More Blog Readers

As resume writers, we know the importance of headlines -- LinkedIn Headlines, resume headlines ... but if you have a resume writing blog, you also know that the headlines on your blog posts can help you get more readers to your blog.

Want to learn more? Check out this blog post from Jeff Bullas:
10 Awesome Headlines That Drive Traffic and Attract Readers

This strategy also works for email subject lines.

Avoiding Overwhelm and Getting Things Done

Trying to find focus. Being overwhelmed. Lengthy to-do lists.

All of these are things self-employed resume writers deal with daily.
Here are a couple of resources to help you with them.

The first is this blog post: "How to Eliminate Broken Focus and Overwhelm with Evernote."
I love Evernote. It's like my online memory bank. I keep all my notes there, including conversations with prospective clients, notes from training programs, lists of projects I'd like to get to "someday," and more.

Try Evernote for free.

(You can find out how I use Evernote by reading "Evernote for Everything: How Evernote Can Help You Manage Resume Client Projects, Remember Stuff, and Just Be More Efficient")

I'm going to try the "top 6" strategy.

And check out Jonathan's webinar on Evernote productivity here.

The second is Kelly McCausey's course, "The Power of a Focused Business."

Right now, it's free for a limited time. 
Just use the code "kellysgift" after clicking on the "Order Now" button.

Here's what's included:

• Module #1: The Big Tree Business Philosophy (MP3, PDF)
• Module #2: Target Market and USP (MP3, PDF)
• Module #3: Idea Brainstorming (MP3, PDF, and Idea Brainstorming Worksheet)
• Module #4: What The Heck Do You Know Anyways? (MP3, PDF)
• Module #5: Where Do You Go From Here? (MP3, PDF)
• Module #6: Brainstorming Your Offer Funnel (MP3, Brainstorming Worksheet)
• Module #7: The Secrets of Focus (Webinar Replay)
• Module #8: Branch Development 101 (Webinar Replay)

You don't have to go through it right now, but you DO have to claim your access by the end of the August or you WILL end up paying for it. (I've taken the course myself, and believe me, it's worth the $69. But if you can get it for free, do it!)

You'll get the downloadable audio recordings and PDFs (including brainstorming worksheets) and two webinar replays. Once you register, you'll have access to it and you'll be able to go through it at your convenience.

Go to this page to sign up for the program:
The Power of a Focused Business

Remember to use this code: kellysgift

Combating Negative Resume Client Reviews Online

What do you do about clients who post negative things about your service online? Today's Q&A with Bridget addresses that topic.

In July, the special report, teleseminar, and Pass-Along Materials on BeAResumeWriter.com addressed working with challenging (or pain-in-the-a$$) clients. You can check them out in this Working With Difficult Clients bundle.

I received the following question from a resume writer about clients who disparage you online:

Bridget,

Ever consider writing materials about how to handle PITA clients that give you scathing reviews because they want to showboat their frustration and anger?

The bad review I got from the one guy even went to the Better Business Bureau. As a result of his review, my last 7 thumbtack bids have been declined before they even consider me. for Yelp, I had 24 views and only 2 clicks to my website or calls.

Last night I decided to delete both profiles, which I'll do today. They weren't producing anyway, so why double the whammy with a negative reviews? Plus I had four positive reviews immediately following this bad one and Thumbtack said I could post them there. They did, but Thumbtack won't publish them because they aren't Thumbtack clients, so these four fabulous reviews are lost.  They could have bolstered Yelp, but Yelp has a bad reputation anyway.

I'm going to restart my blog and do my own marketing. I may switch gears from resume writing or expand it. Either way, how to handle a disgruntled client with a bad review is different in many ways from a PITA client. You might consider what to do about it. Especially when you send them the Client Release Form informing them you can sue for disparagement, but there's enough truth in there that you might lose the disparagement case. I'm still thinking about it. 

My response:

Great idea! I will add that to my possible topics list for a future special report.

Online reputation management for resume writers is handled in much the same way we suggest it for jobseekers! YOU control your brand identity and reputation online by creating POSITIVE content so that NEGATIVE content is pushed further down the page. 

When I Google YOU, I should see:

• A "complete" LinkedIn profile (with glowing Recommendations from happy clients)

• Testimonials and samples on your website that showcase happy clients and your best work

• Articles (or blog posts) that demonstrate your competency and expertise

Right now, Yelp and Thumbtack are showing up on the first page of your Google search results -- but unfortunately, I don't think that deleting your Yelp or Thumback profiles will eliminate them entirely (AND deleting them eliminates your opportunity to respond to clients -- both negative AND positive) ... so I would instead make a concerted effort to INCREASE your positive reviews on both sites, while simultaneously REDUCING your dependence on both of them as sources of new clients (Thumbtack in particular).

Thumbtack is the equivalent of our jobseeking clients applying for jobs online. It can work, but it's not a great strategy ... you are at the whim of the person at the other end of the keyboard.

However, for Thumbtack, go through your client database and look for clients who found you through the service -- and were HAPPY -- and ask them to write a review for you.

If you decide to continue writing resumes, the most important things for you to do are:

1. Standardize your client management process so that all clients have the same intake policy (and you don't make *exceptions* for clients -- as you found out with [client name redacted], that is a RED FLAG for a potential PITA client). They either work with you the way YOU want to, or you don't work with them. AND you need to make sure you meet 100% of client deadlines going forward, because that's critical.

2. TAKE CONTROL of your client marketing. In addition to boosting your positive responses on Yelp and Thumbtack, increase the content you have available out there that YOU control. Posting regularly on Facebook, adding at least one blog post a week, writing articles for third-party sites (these have to be UNIQUE content) like Ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com, etc.

You also need to figure out who your IDEAL client is, and identify how to connect with these folks. 

I've attached the "Attract Your Ideal Resume Client" special report (that was your Bronze member special report in April 2014) and I encourage you to work through it!

Hope that helps!!

Bridget

Do You Know Employment Law?

You're a resume writer, not a lawyer. But having a basic grasp of employment law is useful, because it not only informs the resumes you write, but it can help you position your clients appropriately when they have "special" situations.

For example, my clients have included:

• A woman who was two months pregnant and job searching -- and wondering if she should tell her employers she was expecting. (I directed her to information about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act)
• A young woman looking for her first teaching job who had graduated from college two years ago, but was diagnosed with cancer just a month after completing school. (The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 prevents employers from asking medical questions in an interview, but I coached her to answer the question about the job gap in such a way that it would satisfy an employer that her health issues were resolved and she was ready to work!)
• A young man from Nepal who was interested in working in the U.S. (I had to educate myself about H1-B visas!)
• Numerous Army and Air Force veterans. Anytime you're working with a veteran, you should be aware of special consideration for veterans in hiring for federal agencies and government contractors)
• My 16-year-old niece. Her current employer cited a provision in the Fair Labor Standards act that allows employers to pay employees under age 20 just $4.25 an hour for their first 90 calendar days of employment with the company, even though federal minimum wage is (currently) $7.25 an hour.

Having knowledge of federal employment laws especially is important for resume writers, and I've got a Pass-Along Materials package you can share with your clients on the topic:

Jobseeker's Guide to Understanding Employment Law

It's also important to keep an eye on changes to employment law. For example, today I came across this article, "Quinn Signs Pregnancy Discrimination Measure" affecting pregnant women and new moms in Illinois.

Stay informed!