5 basic ingredients to maximize career change

Ready to maximize career change and find that new role you seek?

In talking about maximize career change in today’s job search, there are many more options than ever before.

Maximize career change with a quality LinkedIn Profile

One of the first questions I ask people who inquire about working with me is if they already have a LinkedIn profile if I haven’t already discovered their profile. There are still people who don’t. In addition, your LinkedIn profile should be optimized with details (not job description details) of how you:

• solved problems
• grew revenue
• increased sales
• improved productivity
• led implementation of new enterprise systems
• instituted culture change
• motivated staff
• creating new training programs
• improved onboarding effectiveness

Did you know that your LinkedIn profile (if done right) will be seen by more people than your resume ever will be? It is crucial to do it correctly. As a Certified LinkedIn Profile Writer, I can help you improve your LinkedIn profile

Branded email address

Gmail is evolving into an excellent email management system in addition to being free. Set up an email address with your first and last name (middle initial if that doesn’t work). Personally, I don’t like numbers in email addresses. Inevitably, those emails end up in my spam filters. But you need an email address to apply online. You almost always apply online in some phase of your job search.

Way for hiring managers to reach you by phone in daytime hours

If your cell phone is not allowed at work, that’s ok. Keep it with you anyway and use it during your lunch period. Employers who need to reach you are not going to wait to call you until you get home from work or your errands. Be accessible and have a professional message.

Access to computer daily

Sounds intuitive but many people fail to keep a computer at home even if they work on one all day. Tablets and phones are great but they don’t replace a computer.

Microsoft Word

People will tell you there are other products but 98% of offices use Word. Professional resume writers create resumes in Word because it is the standard in the corporate world and small business world. You can buck the system but this is one of those times you need to use a product that people can read. If you email a Google doc or some other odd format, it will be distorted. Yes, many times you also need a text resume but those start in Word. Once you hit the interview, it still helps to have a well-formatted paper copy with you.

Basic computer skills

You can’t avoid online job search, online applications, or online networking.

Too Basic for your Jobsearch?

These may seem too basic for many of my readers but every day I hear from potential clients who range from professionals to production staff throughout the country who tell me that they don’t have one or all of the above. Perhaps they only use a computer at work, used their work email, or had a company cell phone. Perhaps they have had their position for 15 – 20 years and never needed to worry about a job search before. Whatever the reason, they are struggling.

Computers are going to be part of our lives for the future. You will most likely use one in your next job even if you weren’t using one before. If you are still employed but ready to maximize career change, think about how you would handle a job search.

Need help? Hire me, Julie Walraven, Certified Master Resume Writer. I can take the pain out of writing your resume and even make it fun. We work together to discover those forgotten contributions and position you to win your next role. To find out how, Click Here.