Are LinkedIn Resume Writers Worth Hiring?

Consider hiring a LinkedIn resume writing for your job search

The use of LinkedIn changed the landscape of the modern job search. The same is true for the employment field. Today, job seekers can use networking sites to reach a wider group of employers in their field. Your best source for this is LinkedIn.

Daily, the team at Bettered get questions from candidates regarding LinkedIn resume writing. Our answers, along with those of other experts, help individuals to understand the purpose of LinkedIn and how it can help you navigate your job search. By joining LinkedIn and posing questions or readings the answers to others’ posts, you may be able to gain an advantage over other candidates.

LinkedIn resume writers for students, professionals and executives
You should absolutely consider using LinkedIn resume writers. It will help you stay in the potential recruiter and/or hiring manager’s mind as its very effective. Successful linkedIn resumes created by LinkedIn resume writers are found with a professional photo of the individual, their education and related professional experience. Profiles should list your qualities, skills, and accomplishments, personal websites (if any) as they pertain to your job search – somewhat like the opening summary of a resume.

Staying ahead of the competition with LinkedIn resume writers
Anything that can help you stay in the potential recruiter or hiring manager’s mind should be utilized. Job seekers seeking LinkedIn resume writers recommend a professional photo, a career summary of your qualifications and skills, much like the opening summary of a resume. Be certain to include accomplishments. There are a several LinkedIn resume writers that offer excellent LinkedIn makeovers at a reasonable price. We’d suggest checking out our resume writing services if you’d like to learn more.

What is the “value” of working with LinkedIn resume writers?
It would depend upon the company or individual, including their credentials, years in the business, partnerships, and success rate. Candidates looking for assistance in writing their LinkedIn resume and honing their job interview skills would do well to determine if the company they want to hire is a member of an industry organization, such as the PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers), and if the company writers are certified as CPRWs and CEIPs. Next, they should determine if the company is a resume writing or job interview partner with any major company, for example the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Are they a member of the BBB? Do they guarantee results (be wary of those sites, it’s impossible to guarantee results when the actual job hunt is in the individual’s hands). If an individual has trouble organizing their professional data and ‘blowing their own horn’, they would do well to hire a LinkedIn resume writer. It takes the strain off by providing a fresh perspective, and results in a document and marketing plan that’s professional and proven.

What should a modern LinkedIn resume look like?

First and foremost, a LinkedIn resume should convey your value proposition to an employer. To do that it should contain:

1. Opening Summary: with one (preferably two) quantified and relevant accomplishments for your new career goal, an overview of your skill set, willingness to relocate, language skills (bilingual, multilingual), and any pertinent certifications.

2. Accomplishment section: Here, you should list by company name, your quantified accomplishments (do not repeat those from the opening summary). Make certain your accomplishments dovetail toward the new position.

3. Professional Experience: Don’t go all the way back to the first day you started working. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t go back more than 10 to 15 years. Include only those job duties that are relevant to the new position you seek. Begin each bullet with an action verb. Be specific in your verbiage, not general.

4. Education and Affiliations: Include college and post college work. The above organization allows a hiring manager to quickly scan your LinkedIn resume and determine if you should be invited to interview. No hiring manager will scan a three to four page resume looking for data. It’s important to remember that a modern resume is as long as it needs to be, provided it contains only relevant information for the new job search. Cut out the extraneous material.

As you can see by the above, LinkedIn resume writers can be valuable during your job search. LinkedIn is a perfect (and free) resource to get your personal brand noticed by employers. Take the step today to improve your job search and land more interview by collaborating with Bettered.

Learn how to rewrite your resume

Crafting a succinct and attractive resume that contains well-prioritized data is one of the major challenges facing candidates today. Not only will an applicant’s resume be competing against hundreds of others, it must clearly portray the candidate in the most favorable light and as the most appropriate choice for the opening. In order to do this, several resume rewrite pitfalls must be avoided:

1. Choose the appropriate resume format

 The first impression a resume makes on an admissions director or hiring manager is generally the most lasting. Large blocks of uninterrupted text, small margins, text that is very small, or an abundance of bolding, italics, and “designer” fonts make documents difficult to read. Only one font (preferably Times New Roman or Arial) should be employed and never in a point size lower than 11. Bolding should be left to the header information (name, address, phone number, email) and subheadings within the document (Profile, Work History, Education). A candidate’s industry or field will determine whether the resume formatting method will be conservative (i.e. Physicians, Teachers, CPAs, Individuals Seeking Admission to Graduate Schools, etc.) or more stylish (i.e. Marketing Professionals, Artists, Performers, etc.).

2. Target and relevancy to the job

 An effective resume rewrite should indicate to the reader within seven seconds, or less, the candidate’s targeted position and qualifications that match the opening. It’s not enough to list schooling, work history, and activities. Admissions directors and hiring managers will not thoroughly read a resume to cull needed information – candidates must provide this data quickly and effectively. Qualifications Summaries should include information as what is sought (a position or entrance into a university program) and the candidate’s qualifications that are related to this. Employment History, Accomplishments, and Education should build upon what is provided in the Qualifications Summary.

3. Write a career summary

 In today’s economy hiring managers are not interested in what a candidate wants (i.e. Seeking a position that will fully utilize my college education and provide for sufficient advancement within the industry). Rather, they seek candidates that clearly state what they can do for the targeted company in terms of cutting costs, increasing profits, and enhancing productivity. Hiring manager’s take note of applicants who place the company’s needs above their own.

4. Highlight your “hard skills”

 A resume rewrite should reveal the candidate’s professional & academic background as it applies to the targeted position or program being sought, and in reverse-chronological order (the last job worked or school attended is listed first within that section). If Education is an important qualification it should be presented before Work History, not dead last on the document. If real-world experience is valued, then it should come before Education. If special skills, such as IT, are at a premium, they should be showcased immediately after the opening summary, not left to the end of a two-page resume rewrite.

5. Quantify your accomplishments

Hiring managers and admissions directors will not read every line of a resume to determine what a candidate has to offer, especially if it’s buried within dense blocks of text. Applicants must provide special sections indicating professional or academic achievements and these must be quantified. It’s not enough to write: Increased productivity within the division. Hiring managers and admissions directors will find this self-serving. A better way to present the data is to write: Increased productivity 58% within three-months of hire by retraining staff on latest accounting software. Providing percentages/dollar figures and time frames strengthen achievements.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume RewritingCover Letter WritingSalary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

6. Exclude non-relevant information

Hobbies and interests unless directly related to the current job search should never be included – such activities do not enhance candidacy. Additionally, birth dates, religious affiliations, race, social security numbers, and marital data should never be included.

7. Keep the length appropriate 

There is no one correct page length for a resume rewrite. The document is as long as it has to be in order to provide a clear and effective picture of the candidate. Professionals with many years of experience will most likely have two pages. To cram this data into one page or exclude important information in order to reach an arbitrary length will only dilute candidacy. The key is to provide only that data which is relevant to the current career goal. When this rule if followed, appropriate page length is always reached.

8. Come off as professional

Modern resumes are business documents and should never be personalized with use of “I’ “my” “we” or other personal pronouns. Additionally, the tone of the resume rewrite should always remain professional and businesslike – slang is always excluded.

9. Avoid redundancy if possible

Once information has been provided in a resume rewrite, whether it’s in the Qualifications Summary, Career Accomplishments section, or Professional Experience section, it is not repeated elsewhere. Hiring managers and admissions directors soon tire of redundancy and feel the candidate is padding the resume to reach a certain page length.

10. Check for spelling or grammatical errors

Once a spelling or grammatical error is detected by an admissions director or hiring manager, they will stop reading the resume. A potential employers trust in that person’s abilities is forever lost. This is also true when dates of employment or education are obviously incorrect (i.e. a recent college graduate listing the date of graduation as 2019 instead of 2010), or when verb tense does not match dates of employment (i.e. current jobs have duties listed in present tense; previous jobs have duties listed in past tense).

In a tight job market, candidates worry about everything from the font choice on their resume to its size. They wonder – “Should I put my LinkedIn url on my resume or should I only include my email?” They worry about whether they have enough experience or too much or not the right kind.

All of it matters, of course. However, one of the first, and most basic, things all jobseekers should be thinking about is the best resume format for their background. Basically, there are three. I’ll go over each here.

How Should a Resume be Formatted?

It’s important to bring out your important qualities first. However, it’s equally important to minimize any negatives you have. And don’t worry, no one has a perfect background. That said, there are three basic resume formats:

  • Reverse-chronological
  • Functional
  • Combination

Reserve-Chronological Resume Format: The Hiring Manager’s Preferred Choice

If you have a consistent employment background with no gaps or job hopping, then this format is ideal for you. In the Professional Experience section you begin with your most recent or current job and move backward from there. This format shows a hiring manager your career progression. That you moved from an entry-level customer service position to team lead and then to supervisor. It’s an efficient and elegant format. However, not everyone can use it. Which brings us to the next choice.

Functional Resume Format: Skills are Showcased

Job hoppers and those who’ve been unemployed for long periods tend to gravitate toward this format.

In it, you’ll have a skills section following your opening summary. If you’re an accountant, the skills might be Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Taxation, Reconciliations. Whatever you do best. Beneath those subsections you’ll list bullets, stating your responsibilities and any achievements you did for that particular skill. Following that will be your Professional Experience section. Here, you’ll simply list your employers, titles and dates of employment.

The trouble with functional formats is that hiring managers know immediately there’s something amiss in your background, so they tend to dismiss you without really reading your resume. Functional formats make it difficult for them to know where you learned your skills and where you achieved those great accomplishments. If they can’t figure it out, they’ll move on to the next candidate.

Therefore, it’s always best never to use a functional format. There’s a better way even if you’ve had many jobs or you’ve been unemployed.

Combination Resume Format: The Best of Reverse-Chronological and Functional

This resume format also focuses on skills more than where you gained them. However, there is an important difference between it and a purely functional resume. In the Professional Experience section, you’ll include bulleted sentences beneath each employer stating what you did and what you achieved. No different from a reverse-chronological resume. In the skills section, which goes before Professional Experience, you’ll list your most important skills/knowledge/abilities for the targeted job. The hope is that the employer will be so impressed with your relevant skills, which showcasing before experience, that by the time they get down to that section, they won’t care that you’ve held many positions or that you’ve been unemployed.

One other thing to remember is to also write an accomplishment-based resume, not a task-focused one no matter what format you use. Accomplishments are what get you noticed. They separate you from the rest of the applicants.

Need Resume Formatting Services?

Feeling daunted and not sure where to start during your job search? See our cover letter writing , resume editinginterview prep coachingLinkedIn makeover or salary negotiation services. Our certified resume writers excel in 40+ industries and can provide cover letters and resumes that will get you the interview.

Like all industries, professional resume writing and career coaching has its detractors.

A recent article in US News makes the case against hiring a career coach and resume writer to do the work.

What’s Wrong with Hiring a Professional Career Coach and Resume Writer?

The article poses these points:

  • It’s unethical, much like having someone write your college application essay.
  • Employers use resumes not only to determine work history, but to see if applicants can organize their thoughts and write clearly.
  • A professional resume may cause an inferior candidate to be hired over a superior candidate, based upon the professionally-written resume.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

What’s Right About Hiring a Professional Career Coach and Resume Writer?

Bettered’s team is comprised of many professional resume writers, CPRW to be exact. CPRW stands for Certified Professional Resume Writer, a certification granted through testing by the PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers). We’ve created more than 10,000 resumes for professionals at every stage of a career, from entry-level to CEOs and in every industry.

Equally important, some of our staff have also been the hiring manager. We look at resume writing from both sides of the table. Here’s our take on what the article said:

Professional Resume Writing is Not Unethical

Likening it to someone writing your college application essay is comparing apples to oranges. Unless the individual in question is seeking a position in which writing is one of the main job responsibilities – or that person wants to be a resume writer – having the document professionally written makes sense. It’s not only about using proper grammar, which educated people should have mastered. It’s knowing what a hiring manager is looking for. A resume isn’t a biography or a simple listing of what you’ve done professionally and academically. It’s a marketing tool. Trust us, if you know little about marketing and branding yourself in this new employment market, you can’t compete – no matter how well you write. 

Why should an accountant, banker, financial analyst, systems analyst or anyone else with specialized knowledge struggle to write their own resume? That’s like fixing your own car to prove you can. Unless you’re trying to get a job as an auto mechanic, you’re wasting your time.

Employers Use Resumes to Assess an Applicant’s Ability to Organize Thoughts

Not all hiring managers care. Many want to see if the individual has:

  1. A steady work history
  2. Results (accomplishments) of their tasks
  3. Steady progression in their career
  4. The academic background they’re looking for in a new hire
  5. The professional background they’re looking for in a new hire

Hiring managers spend no more than 7 seconds (if that) on an applicant’s resume. They don’t have the time to ponder every sentence. They want the information presented so that we don’t have to search for it. Unless you’ve studied resume writing and have done at least 50 resumes, you can’t possibly produce an excellent product. There are not many candidates who would want to take the time to learn to do it correctly, especially if it’s not their field. Even if they have great qualifications, submitting a resume that doesn’t highlight their most important strengths could keep them from getting an interview. Is it worth it?

A Professional Career Coach and Resume Writer May Help an Inferior Candidate Get the Job

Only if it’s for a position where writing is one of the main tasks, and probably not even then. Let’s use common sense. An IT professional has years of experience in programming, software, systems security, etc. If that experience matches the job requirements, that individual will be called in for an interview. Having a professional resume writer arrange the data so that a hiring manager focuses on it immediately is what’s important here. The core skills are the same. A professional career coach resume writer can’t – and won’t – manufacture data so that someone gets hired.

No Resume Will Get You the Job – Only an Interview

Another fallacy in this article is the belief that someone will get hired on the resume alone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Someone who can’t string two words together on paper isn’t likely to do well in an interview. If they’re completely unqualified, they’d never be invited to interview in the first place.

With today’s economy still struggling and unemployment stubbornly high, the wise job seeker uses every tool in the arsenal. One of those is hiring a professional career coach and resume writer when you believe you need one or want one. You can’t be an expert at everything. A professional career coach resume writer knows what hiring managers want to see and what kind of resume will generate an interview.

Do you? Are you willing to take a chance that you may be wrong?

Feeling daunted at having to create a cover letter, resume, or LinkedIn profile? We offer resume editing services by career strategist who excel in 40+ industries and can provide cover letters and resumes that will get you the interview. We also offer interview prep coaching for job seekers.

Whether cover letters are essential to your job search or not (some hiring managers and recruiters believe they are), many candidates believe there’s no correct or wrong way to write one. That’s wishful thinking and it could result in not being considered for a position.

Cover Letters Must Be as Stellar as Your Resume

In an article on Robert Half Finance & Accounting, stellar cover letter fundamentals are discussed. These include:

  • Make your stellar cover letter specific to the job being sought.  This is invaluable advice. As a hiring manager, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received letters for openings in bookkeeping, teaching fine arts, healthcare, IT, etc., when I was actually posting for a resume writer. I knew that the candidate simply recycled a cover letter for another position. Did that individual actually think I wouldn’t notice it wasn’t for the job opening I had offered? Probably. Unfortunately for that candidate, I passed on the cover letter and resume.
  • Don’t repeat your resume in your cover letter. Few things are more irritating than reading the same verbiage and facts again and again. Your cover letter should introduce your most relevant skills/knowledge/abilities to a hiring manager or a recruiter as they pertain to the position. You should dovetail what you know and can do to what the position requires. The resume builds upon this information; it doesn’t repeat it.
  • Use key words. Many, if not most, companies use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to screen resumes and cover letters before a human being even sees them. If your cover letter and/or resume doesn’t contain the appropriate key words for the position, you’ll be rejected immediately. What are key words? For an accountant they might be: Accounts Payable, Account Receivable, Reconciliations, IRS Audits, etc.
  • Length matters. No stellar cover letter needs to be over one page in length. If yours is, shorten it. A cover letter is a sneak peek into your most relevant skill set for a particular job. It’s not a biography of your life or work history.
  • No mistakes. In addition to using spell/grammar check, you need to proofread carefully. There are many words that spell check will never catch because they aren’t misspelled, simply misused. Examples of this would be: manger instead of manager, from instead of form, massage instead of message.

A Few Other Stellar Cover Letter Tips

Two other things we would recommend:

  • Use the job poster’s or hiring manager name for the cover letter salutation. If you don’t know what it is, Google the company or check LinkedIn. Never address a cover letter to ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ – or worse – ‘To Whom It May Concern’. That’s tantamount to addressing it to “Dear Occupant’. It also shows lack of attention to detail.
  • Don’t start by telling what the job poster or hiring manager what the company does. Letters that begin with Bettered is the leading internet provider of resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, etc. etc. and it has proven to be…” doesn’t help the company understand who you as a candidate. It’s the candidate the recruiter or hiring manager need to know more about.

Feeling daunted and not sure where to start during your job search? See our cover letter writingresume editing, interview prep coaching, LinkedIn makeover or salary negotiation services. Our certified resume writers excel in 40+ industries and can provide cover letters and resumes that will get you the interview.

The answer depends upon the cover letter. Companies usually receive dozens daily from applicants. Some are one sentence long, stating the obvious. “I want to apply for this position.”

Others go into more detail, telling me about my company’s products, philosophy, history, etc., etc., etc. Some cover letters even state that the company will only survive if I consider hiring that particular applicant.

Do recruiters actually read cover letters?

  1. Don’t waste your time sending any recruiter a cover letter that tells them you’re applying for the job. You’re wasting your time writing that and their time asking them to read it. If you’ve submitted a resume to them, they know what you’re doing.
  2. Please don’t ever tell a recruiter what their company is about. They know. They work there. They have information about its operations that you couldn’t begin to understand or appreciate. You won’t impress them with this so-called information. Again, you’re wasting their time.
  3. Applying for a position with a veiled threat that the company will not survive without your expertise is not the way to impress the recruiter. Most will laugh. All will delete your cover letter/resume and will move on to the next candidate.

If the thought of creating a cover letter proves challenging, our resume writers can help. Skilled in 40+ industries, JC Resumes experienced writers can also assist with your LinkedIn profile makeoverresume writing, cover letters, and interview prep coaching.

A well-written cover letter can make your case for candidacy and will compel the hiring manager or recruiter to read your resume, delving deeper into your background.

Do hiring managers read cover letters?

  1. Always address your cover letter to the hiring manager. If you don’t know the name, find it. Do an internet search of the company. Call its HR department. Ask. If that fails, then don’t make the mistake of addressing the letter “Dear Sir or Madam” or worse “To Whom It May Concern”. You might as well write “Dear Occupant”. Leave off such salutations and state what position you’re applying for – something like this: RE: Job Opening #4581C – Administrative Assistant—Then move into your opening paragraph.
  2. If you have addressed your letter to the hiring manager, the opening paragraph should always state what position you’re seeking. If you’re targeting a large company they may have dozens of job openings. Don’t make them guess as to which you’re seeking.
  3. The body of the letter comes next. Here, you want to prove you’re qualified and that they should ask you to interview. You do this by dovetailing what you know/have done to the job requirements. You can use a T-style letter. That is, on the left you’d have a column titled “My Abilities/Experience”; on the right, the column would be titled “Job Responsibilities” (stating the duties of the position for which you’re applying). Again, dovetail the information in the two columns.
  4. Every cover letter should end with a proactive statement, stating that you’ll be following up. Don’t expect the hiring manager to do so, especially in this job market.

Do employers read cover letters?

Yes. Your cover letter shouldn’t be more than one page in length. It should get to the point quickly, stay on point, provide a glimpse of your background and entice the hiring manager, recruiter, or any company to read your resume.

If you have a cover letter like that, it will enhance your resume and candidacy.

Resume Objectives. Necessary or Not?

In today’s competitive job market, objectives have mostly been replaced by the far more effective Tag Line, which is your professional title or goal, and a Skill Set, which lists your qualifications to fill the job. Each should provide concise and specific data to the hiring manager in terms that emphasize what you can do for the targeted company.

Many times, I’ve encountered clients that insist an objective statement is necessary on their resumes.

“If I don’t use one, the hiring manager or recruiter won’t know what I want,” they often claim. Or, they may state, “How else will I get the job I deserve?”

Resume Expert

For anyone who wants a job, whether it’s the one they’ve dreamed about or a way to make a living, including an objective statement in your resume isn’t the way to get it. Why?

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

A Resume Objective Statement Tells the Hiring Manager What You Want

Your dreams, your needs, your desires. Guess what? They couldn’t care less. They don’t have the time to consider an applicant’s aspirations. They want to know – within seven seconds or less – what you can do for their company. Mainly: How are you going to make the company money? How are you going to save the company money? That’s all that matters in the modern economy.

Can you help improve a company’s, bottom line?

In your resume, you need to convey that you’re the perfect candidate for the position. You do that not by having an objective statement of what you want, but by including a strong opening summary that dovetails what you know and can do to the employers’ needs.

Hiring Managers Dismiss Resume Objective Statements 

By using a professional title in the opening of your resume – something like Certified Public Accountant, CEO, Systems Analyst, etc., you will be stating who you are and what you want in terms of your career.

Your tagline can be specific – Telecommunications CEO. Or it can be generic – Accounting Professional.

It might showcase an objective – Candidate: MBA Program; Candidate: First Grade Teacher

Whatever you use, it should be germane to your job search, and you should follow it with your skill set. What is a skill set? Specific qualifications that you have, which are required in the job posting.

As an example, those for an Accountant might include: Accounts Payable/Receivable, Audits, General Ledger, Reconciliations

A teacher might use: Grades K-5, CBEST & MSAT Certified, Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential 

Placing your skill set directly beneath your Tag Line at the beginning of your resume provides the hiring manager with invaluable data.

Use a Resume Objective Statement at Your Own Peril

If you do insist on using one, these are the kind to avoid:

  1. Ones that demand a certain salary (Let’s face it, you haven’t even been called in for an interview. What right do you have to demand anything?)
  2. Ones that address your needs – eg: ‘Seeking an interesting position in the Accounting field with great growth potential’ (Here, you’re telling the hiring manager what you want, not what you can do for the company)
  3. Vague statements that fail to target specific industries or jobs – eg: ‘A full-time position with benefits.’ (The hiring manager might very well ask, doing what?)

Remember, if you make the resume all about you – what you want/need/demand, it’s unlikely you’ll be called in to interview.

If you make it about what you can do for the targeted company, you’re more likely to be seen as a potential candidate.

Tips for Maximizing your LinkedIn Profile Rewrite

A recent article on our blog listed steps on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile for recruiters. Here are a few tips rewrite your LinkedIn profile:

  • Your picture. Make certain the photograph is professional. No vacation shots, please. The picture should capture your personality and professional position/industry. For example, someone in a creative field wouldn’t be wearing a suit. A banker wouldn’t be dressed in a tie-dyed T-shirt.
  • Your professional headline. This is what your audience will view first. Make certain it describes you perfectly. It cannot be vague. For example, if you’re a CPA who specializes in tax-related issues, your headline should state that and will read something like this: CPA specializing in taxation and IRS audits for corporate and private clients. Make certain your title is one you want your audience to search for.
  • Share your updates. This will generate audience interest and will encourage readers to view your profile. The article states that you should share updates one to three times daily for maximum results.
  • Get recommendations. You’ll have more credibility when colleagues and other professionals recommend your skills, knowledge, and abilities.
  • Get endorsements. An endorsement differs from a recommendation in that anyone can endorse you. A recommendation is from someone who knows your work firsthand. This doesn’t mean that endorsements aren’t as important. They are. The more endorsements you get for a specific skill, the more you’ll turn up in search engines, which enhances your visibility.
  • Create a custom URL for your profile. This will optimize search results in Google. Generally speaking, you’ll use your full name for your custom URL.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

Don’t Forget about Character Limits When Rewriting LinkedIn Profiles

LinkedIn has character limits for each field. They are:

  • Headline – 120 characters
  • Summary – 2000 characters
  • Experience/Position Title – 100 characters
  • Experience/Position Description – 2000 characters
  • Skills & Expertise – 61 characters
  • Status updates – 700 characters
  • Groups – 50 groups max (choose your groups wisely)
  • Education/Degree – 100 characters
  • Education/Activities & Societies – 500 characters
  • Education Description – 1000 characters
  • Additional Information/Interests – 1000 characters
  • Honors & Awards – 1000 characters

If the thought of creating a LinkedIn profile proves challenging, our resume writers can help. Skilled in 40+ industries, JC Resumes experienced writers can also assist with your LinkedIn profile makeover, resume writing, cover letters, and interview prep coaching.

Updated article coming soon!

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

Feeling daunted at having to create a cover letter, resume, or LinkedIn profile? Our certified resume writers excel in 40+ industries and can provide cover letters and resumes that will get you the interview. We also offer interview prep coaching for job seekers.

Having a creative resume is a hot thing right now, but is it really a good idea? It would be best if you had something that is really eye-catching and shows off your creative side to stand out from the crowd. But do recruiters think this is too much or will it help you land the job? Here are some tips to assist you, should you decide to create a “resume work of art.”

Do employers like creative resumes

When creating a resume, know your target audience. If you’re sending it to a company like Google, then by all means think outside of the box; however, not every company will appreciate the creativity and may even prefer to see a “clean version.” It’s a good idea to have two different versions just in case.

Submitting creative resumes to employer ATS

Most companies use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System).  The key to a good resume is to make it through the ATS and make it to the next step in the process. When candidates create a flashy resume, often times the system is unable to pick up the keywords, thus throwing them out of the process. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you it might be a good idea if applying online to use a standard resume and mail your creative resume in; this will cover your bases.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

Keep creative resumes clean and easy to follow

Recruiters tend to believe that a creative resume is hard to follow. The whole point of the resume is to showcase your skills and also what makes you a fit for the position. When the recruiter has a difficult time locating your skills he or she will toss them in the trash. Recruiters look over a resume in all of 60 seconds.  If they have to spend longer than a minute just trying to understand the layout…you better forget it.

Keep in mind creative resumes are a fun way to stand out of the crowd, but can also have a negative impact. While you should have fun showcasing yourself, remember to keep your information clean, readable, and relevant!

Interested in Learning How to Reenter the Workforce?

Whether you’re a parent who’s taken time off to raise children, experiencing a layoff due to covid 19, or find yourself without recent professional industry experience and job due to personal reasons. You need to understand how to craft your resume for maximum impact and how to prepare for an interview.

The most important step before re-entering the workforce is to update your skills before you look for a new job. I would add to that, learn new skills for the new economy and reality.

You Can’t Always Rely on Past Experience when Re-entering the Workforce

If you’ve worked in the manufacturing sector, you know those great-paying positions are long gone. Many will not return. Rather than chasing the few that remain, look to a relatively stable industry such as healthcare for new opportunities. Search job postings to determine what education and certifications you may need. On your resume, list the ones you’ve obtained and those you’re seeking. With more and more employers using scanning software to screen out candidates, you’ll need to include industry keywords so you won’t be excluded from an opportunity.

Your Resume Should Maximize Strengths and Minimize Weaknesses

One of the weaknesses, understandably, will be the amount of time out of work. Countless Internet articles state how employers worry about how the long-term unemployed can adequately fill a new position. Skills get rusty. Knowledge becomes dated. You already know to sharpen your skills and knowledge before you apply. However, how you present this data to an employer is critical.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you..

Functional versus Reverse-Chronological Resumes for Reentering the Workforce?

You may read well-meaning advice about using a functional format. That is a resume style in which you list your skills first without ever stating where you gained or used them. This section is followed by your Professional Experience. Here, you would list only your former employers’ names, locations, and various job titles you’ve held. Absolutely no other information is given.

Avoid functional formats at all costs. Here’s why:

  • You’re forcing the hiring manager to guess where you gained/used your skills and knowledge. Most won’t bother. They’ll move on to the next candidate who gives them a clear picture as to what was achieved at each position.
  • Hiring managers know job hoppers and the long-term unemployed use functional formats to hide gaps in work history. You’re not fooling anyone with this design.

“But wait,” you might say. “A regular resume style will show I’ve been unemployed for some time. It’s the first thing an employer will see.”

Not if you opt for another type of format.

Use a Combination Style Resume to Re-Enter the Workforce

A combination format is one that uses the best of the functional and the reverse-chronological style resume. After your opening summary, you’d include your education (if you’ve acquired recent certifications or a degree in a new specialty), followed by a skills section. However, rather than simply listing your skills, you’d also include the company where you learned and used them. This gives the hiring manager a more complete picture of how recent your knowledge is and what you actually did with what you know. It’s one thing to say that you reconciled bank accounts without mentioning whether you did that a year ago or fifteen years in the past. It’s quite another to say you caught a $1500 accounting error and resolved it – in your company’s favor – with the company name clearly listed. Information like that not only shows you have the skill but you used it to your former employer’s benefit.

Following the skills section, you would then list your work history, with bullets of your tasks and results of them beneath each employer. Yes, you will still have the employment gap, but it will be softened considerably by the new resume format and the achievements you’ve showcased to re-enter the workforce.

Returning to the workforce is rarely easy. However, you can reduce the time spent in searching for a job by updating your skills, acquiring new ones, and using the correct resume format.

What Audience Are You Trying to Reach?

This is probably the most important determination to make. If you have no idea who your audience is, what position you’re seeking, or what industry you’d like to thrive in, the readers of your profile won’t know either. You need to be specific to reach your targeted audience. For example, if you’re an engineer, it’s not enough to simply state that. Hiring managers, recruiters, and potential clients will wonder – what kind of engineer? Civil, mechanical, software, biomedical? The list goes on and on. As you can see, just about everything is a specialty these days. You need to let your intended audience know exactly who you are and what you can do. Need help? We have written an article on how to rewrite LinkedIn profile for beginners.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

You Must Stand Out When Optimizing Your Profile for Recruiters

One of the best ways to capture a recruiter or anyone’s attention is with a visual. In this case, it would be your headshot. Although the video shows a profile with a casual photo, I caution against that, unless you’re in a field that’s laid back and everyone wears sweats or jeans to work. If you’re in a conservative industry, such as banking or finance, you should wear appropriate clothing in your photo. That’s not to say you need to have on a suit and tie; however, an embellished tee with the logo of your favorite rap song isn’t the way to go.

The title you use in your profile is also important. If you’re a CFP (Certified Financial Planner), you should put that designation in the title and use other keywords from your profession so that you’ll be found more easily in an Internet search. The video shows a profile for a CPA/Tax Accountant and begins with the words “fun-loving”. I’d caution against that too. It sends the wrong message to recruiters. Accountants aren’t supposed to have fun, especially with your money. Reading that would make me very cautious. Again, use language that’s appropriate to your profession. If you organize lavish birthday parties for children, ‘fun-loving’ seems right.

Your LinkedIn Profile Summary Needs to Tell Your Story for Recruiters

Recruiters want to see what you can do and how you’ve achieved it. This is the place to list your most recent/relevant/quantified accomplishments as they pertain to your targeted audience. Nothing superfluous here. Remember, there are character limits for each field. What’s more, you don’t want to waste any of this valuable real estate with words that can’t be searched. Even if you’re proud of being a choir director at your church, unless that’s the next position you’re seeking, leave it out.

Maximize Your LinkedIn Work Experience for Recruiters

Again, use keywords as much as you can, you’ll get more hits from recruiters that way. Be certain that you state the results of what you’ve done, rather than list them as tasks. When you’re in a profession where thousands of others do similar work, the only thing that will set you apart will be what you’ve achieved on the job. That basically means, how much money you’ve saved your company or how much money you’ve made it.

Pay Particular Attention to Your Skills and Expertise

This is where you’ll get endorsements from colleagues and clients, so consider your expertise and skills very carefully. Don’t list everything. Narrow it down to the core of your abilities that your targeted audience or recruiters will be searching for.

Just as it takes time to build a business, client list, or career, it will take time to perfect and optimize your LinkedIn profile for recruiters. However, your ROI in terms of time spent will be well worth it when the endorsements and invites to interview start pouring in.

Learn how to make your resume stand out from the crowd

When it comes to resumes, disregard what you’ve seen on television or in the movies. Scented paper, glitter, and glamour shots on your resume are not going to land you an interview. Instead, your piece of art might end up in the shredder or on the HR department’s wall of shame.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out how to rewrite Linkedin profile for beginners or Resume Rewriting and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

So how do you make your resume stand out?

  • Make sure your resume has a relevant career profile at the top of it. This brief summary will spotlight your skills and accomplishments. Besides your contact information, this section will be the one of first things that a hiring manager will see. So grab their attention by letting them know why you’re more than qualified for the job.
  • Tailor your resume to the position you are applying for. You can do this by looking at the job description and requirements and showing how your experience relates to the position for which you are applying. It also doesn’t hurt to list all relevant skills in the strength and expertise section of your resume.
  • Don’t just give a description of each of your jobs. When you get to your professional experience, highlight your accomplishments at each job instead. This is a great way to sell yourself and give potential employers even more evidence that you would be a valuable asset to their company.
  • Make sure you thoroughly check your finished resume for errors. There’s no doubt you’re a very intelligent person, but sending a resume filled with typos and grammatical errors could make you look really bad. If you’re not sure about your resume, have a friend or family member look it over before submitting it. And whatever you do, don’t rely on spell-check.

The certified resume writers of Bettered can ensure that your resume speaks volumes about you and your professional experience. If you need help on how to address a layoff on your resume due to covid you can learn more about our resume editing services today. We are here to help you stand out during your job search.

Sure you don’t have to put everything on your resume, but you shouldn’t lie either. This is especially true in the case of being laid off due to covid-19. In your eyes, a layoff is automatically a negative thing. But with today’s uncertain economic climate, many employers understand that some businesses have been forced to let some of their best workers go because money has been tight. Therefore, being laid off shouldn’t automatically be perceived as a negative thing by potential employers.

While it’s not necessary to mention a layoff in your cover letter, you should be honest about it on your resume. You don’t have to spell out that you were laid off in that specific position. Just list the dates you were employed and the relevant job duties.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

If an interviewer asks why you left, be honest. Let him or her know you were laid off and why. Maybe it was due to the company’s downsizing, restructuring, merger, or the covid-19 pandemic. Let your interviewer know this and then let her know what your strengths were in that position.

Don’t use this time to gripe about what you didn’t like about the company or your old co-workers. This will only make you look negative.

Take the time to talk about any constructive things that you have done during your layoff. Tell your interviewer about some classes you took, or the time you spent volunteering in your community. This can illustrate your resolve despite tough circumstances.

If you need help preparing for an upcoming interview, Bettered™ can help. Learn more about our interview prep coaching and resume editing services today.

Common resume mistakes you should avoid at all costs during your job search

You’ve submitted your resume time and time again, but you just can’t seem to land an interview. So what is the problem? It could be your resume. Sure things might look good to you, but maybe you’re missing some very critical mistakes. Here are a few the most common resume mistakes that should be avoided:

1. Long-winded paragraphs

Long paragraphs are great for a research paper. They aren’t great for resumes. Employers are bombarded with common resume mistakes. They don’t have time to read each one thoroughly. So instead of writing long paragraphs about each of the jobs you’ve held, use bullet points to draw attention to the duties you performed.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting, Cover Letter Writing, Salary Negotiation Coaching and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

2. Sending generic resumes to potential employers

Resumes aren’t like those Magic Gloves that you can buy from the drug stores. One size doesn’t fit all. The resume that you used for your last job might not work for a new job opportunity. Before you submit your resume, take the time to tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying. Employers want to see why you are the best fit for the position. You can clearly demonstrate this by pointing out relevant skills by avoiding this common resume mistake.

3. Using the wrong fonts

Again, employers might have to look at a large number of resumes. The last thing they want to read is flowery fonts or fonts that are way too small. Stick with fonts that are easy to read and make sure the font you use is no smaller than 10 points. This is considered to be huge red flag and a common resume mistake job seekers make often

4. Typos

You might have the right experience for the job, but an employer might not be able to focus on that if your resume is filled with typos. When it’s time to check your resume, don’t just rely on your computer’s spelling and grammar check function. Have someone else look it over before you submit it. They can probably catch mistakes you might have missed. If you know someone who is a grammar whiz, have them look over your resume as well. Then you can feel confident about your resume instead of feeling embarrassed later.

Need help on how to make your resume stand out or looking to optimize your LinkedIn profile for recruiters? Our resume rewriting professionals at Bettered™ can help. Learn more about our resume editing services today.

Taking notes during an interview

When going in for a job interview, there are a number of things you can do to impress a potential employer. You can dress in your best business attire. You can also be on time. Make sure you have the best resume format. You can even dazzle them with your qualifications. But there is one other thing you can do to let employers know that you truly are interested in the job and their company. One other thing is taking notes during the interview.

By bringing a pen and notepad with you to your interview, you can take notes about the things you learn about the company. You can also jot down advice your interviewer offers that could help you down the road. Another benefit of having a pad and pen is that you can write down the main points you want to cover during your interview. Having those points can help you stay on track.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Rewriting and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you.

Make sure you let the interviewer know that you are planning to take notes before the interview starts. This way, the interviewer won’t be taken by surprise when you whip out your notepad and start jotting things down. Also, don’t spend the whole interview with your head buried in your notebook. Just jot down the most significant points and look up at the interviewer from time to time to indicate you’re listening. Not only will they see that you truly are interested in the job, but they will also know that you’re not distracted by other things.

If you need help preparing for an upcoming interview, Bettered™. can help. Learn more about our interview prep coaching and resume editing service today.

Job Interview Preparation Tips

When you think about it, a job interview is similar to a first date. You and your potential employer will meet for the first time. You’ll try to woo them with your polished appearance, extensive job experience, and your brightest smile. The employer might try to woo you with the benefits of working for them and the promises of professional development. In the end, the employer has the tough choice of deciding if it’s better to pursue a professional relationship with you or someone else.

But what’s different about a job interview is that you actually can prepare for it. Potential employers actually prefer that you are prepared, whereas your date might think it’s kind of creepy that you know way too many details about them. Potential employers like to interview candidates who are composed and well-informed. The last thing they want to see is someone fumbling around for answers or someone who doesn’t have a clue about what their company does.

Editors Note: Countless studies have shown that professionally-written LinkedIn® profiles and resumes get more interviews. Check out Resume Editing and LinkedIn Makeover to see which of our services is right for you

Make sure you make a great first impression by preparing for your interview well in advance. Here are some helpful interview preparation tips that just might help you land your next opportunity:

Practice for an Interview

By rehearsing some interview questions before your big day, you can have a general idea of what you’re going to say and prevent yourself from getting off track. Go online and search for some common interview questions. Also, do some research on current industry trends and formulate some questions around them. Then sit down with a friend or family member and have them play the role of the interviewer. They can let you know if your answers are good or if you need to say things in a different way.

How to Dress for an Interview

Get your outfit together a couple of days before your interview. This way, you won’t be scrambling to throw something together at the last minute. If you’re not sure about your interview outfit, put it on and let a friend critique it. They can tell you if you have too much going on or if you’re dressed for success.

Job Interview Research

It’s imperative that you learn what you can about the industry, the company, and the position for which you are interviewing. Don’t just limit yourself to the Internet when you do your research. See if it’s possible to talk to some people who work at the company. They can tell you more about the work atmosphere and the ins and outs of the position that you’re interested in. Also, try to learn more about the company’s products or services and goals. You might be able to use that information to respond to an interview question.

Do you have a big interview coming up? Bettered™ can help you prepare for it with our interview prep coaching and resume rewriting. Learn more about them today!