4 Tips to Prepare Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile for the Job Search

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By Lisa Hutchinson

Topics: Your Resume, Career

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4-tips-to-prepare-your-resume-and-LinkedIn-Profile-for-the-job-searchThe fall hiring season is here, and job seekers like you are dusting off resumes and LinkedIn profiles in preparation. Fall is often the busiest season for hiring managers, which means there's plenty of opportunity. 

It also means increased competition. Whether you’ve been searching for a job for some time, or you’re just thinking about finding something new, you need to make sure your job applications will stand out.

Looking for a job? Let Liberty Staffing connect you to the jobs you want. Apply today!

These days, your resume and LinkedIn profile are interchangeable. More and more employers look at both when making a hiring decision. 

Liberty Staffing would like to provide you with these four tips to prepare your resume and LinkedIn profile in no time. 

1. Do Some Resume Housekeeping

Your resume and LinkedIn profile are equally important when it comes to seeking out new employment opportunities. Both function as a quick survey of your skills and experience.

You’ve likely heard that your resume should reflect your most recent job experience. In fact, resumes shouldn’t go back more than a decade in most cases. A LinkedIn profile is a little bit more like a curriculum vitae, but you still want to highlight your most recent and relevant experience.

Don’t be afraid to refresh either. You can remove older work experience, or jobs that are no longer relevant. If you’re switching fields, this is especially important.

Take a moment to update your skills as well. If you’ve learned something new, be sure to add it. If the language around certain skills has changed, you’ll want to check that the terms you use are in line with those used in your industry.

2. Think about Keywords

One of the reasons to update your skills section on either your resume, or your LinkedIn profile, is because terminology often shifts. Job titles may change, and skill descriptions do, too.

This has, in part, to do with keyword searches. When hiring managers are sifting through applications, or LinkedIn profiles, they want to be able to identify candidates that match their ideals. To do this, they use software to search for certain terms.

If you’re not using the right keywords, you might be filtered out of the “yes” pile, even if you have the requested skills.

3. Get on Trend

Keywords exhibit certain trends, and they’re always in flux. As employer expectations change, so too do the words they choose to describe skills and jobs. Eventually, a search term becomes oversaturated, which means it’s no longer effective in sorting candidates.

Other trends exist as well. Take, for example, the trend of putting an objective statement on your resume. This practice dates back decades, but it’s considered out of fashion now. If you still have an objective statement on your resume, it’s time to delete it.

Certain graphic design trends also influence how up-to-date and fashionable a resume looks. Keep in mind that you want your resume to be legible, especially at a glance. A clean, professional look is almost always in order.

You have less control over your LinkedIn profile, but you can change your profile picture, your banner, and your header. All three should be refreshed and updated before you start your search. Also be sure to revisit your LinkedIn summary.

4. Dot Your I’s and Cross Your T’s

Once you’ve refreshed your resume, and your LinkedIn profile, it’s time to clean it up. Watch for spelling errors, and grammar issues.

While many recruiters don’t put as much emphasis on spelling and grammar as you might think, turning in an application riddled with errors is unprofessional. If your resume is sloppy, potential employers might think your work on the job will be careless, too.

If spelling and grammar are not your forte, don’t be afraid to get some help from a trusted friend, or family member.

Hit the “Apply” Button

Now you’re ready to start applying to jobs this fall! If you’re at a loss for where to look, get in touch with us at Liberty Staffing. We can help you find a great job opportunity.

Apply-Now

 

Lisa Hutchinson

I started with Liberty Staffing in 2004 as the Regional Business Manager of the London office. I have over 20 years of experience in the customer service and retail sectors, as well as leadership experience including Store Management, People Development and Recruiting. In 2016, our London location moved to a larger office in order to accommodate growth of our business, which included adding a Clerical Division.

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