A new career opportunity is the #1 reason people change jobs. Passive job seekers are currently employed, not actively seeking out or applying to specific job openings but are open to hearing about new opportunities.

Anyone’s employment situation can change without notice. Every day companies are acquired, merged into another entity, or closed. Many moons ago, my employment situation changed when a new management team came on board and the culture became toxic. Circumstances change in a heartbeat and it is in in your best interest to always be prepared.

Even if you are passively looking for your next senior leadership role (CEO, EVP, SVP, VP, Director), you need to be prepared should the right opportunity become available.

UPDATE YOUR RESUME
If you’ve been comfortable in your career for the past 10+ years and are thinking about making a move, the first thing you need to know is the job search landscape has changed. Resumes are no longer backward-looking documents that list responsibilities. Today’s resume is focused on your targeted employer’s needs and translates how your skills and experience have made an impact.

Challenge. Action. Results. Follow this 3-word formula and you will be able to present your accomplishments in the best manner possible. How have you strengthened your current employer’s brand?
How have you turned around challenging situations, revitalized operations, delivered more revenue, and/or reduced costs?

Before you start updating your document, ask yourself these questions:

What challenges have I faced?
What actions did I take to overcome the challenges?
What happened after I took action?
What are my value stories and how do they align with the employer’s pain points?

Today’s resume weaves together your career story, skills, and accomplishment with the employer’s needs in an authentic and compelling way.

LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAND
Recruiters and hiring authorities turn to social media to source and validate active and passive job seekers. Leverage the power of social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Build and nurture professional relationships by posting articles and commenting on other influencer’s posts. Steer clear of ‘opinions’ and keep your articles and comments professional! Everything you share should help build your credibility, communicate your value, and position you as a subject matter expert –building your brand and giving the reader a clear message of who you are, the experience you have, and how you are an asset to your current and future employer.

MAKE LINKEDIN WORK FOR YOU
The ability to communicate “why you are the answer to an employer’s needs” is critical to your success. It will help you stand out from other candidates and make you memorable. You want recruiters and hiring authorities to say, “Here is someone I want to learn more about!”

In today’s technology-driven world, social media is the ‘go-to’ resource for people trying to find out more about you. To make LinkedIn work for you, make sure your profile is 100% complete and that you’ve integrated keywords people might use to find someone with your skills and experience. You should also customize your URL from pre-assigned numbers and letters to your name.

Use your LinkedIn headline as your personal tagline. This formula can be used to create your tagline:

Job Title » Differentiators.

Executive Vice President, Retail Market Roadmaps ♦ Operational Turnarounds ♦ Lean Expert in the Food Industry

After your profile is complete, start establishing yourself as a leader in your industry by sharing content (articles, original posts) your audience will find interesting/compelling. What’s new in your industry? What are your customers or peers talking about? What challenges are common place and how can you provide new or additional insight into tackling / overcoming these pain points? Engage in the conversation. Contribute to other people’s posts or join groups. Every piece of information you share helps build your credibility and tells a story about who you are and the value you offer.

Superstars stand out! Make yourself a more attractive job candidate / more valuable employee by increasing your personal visibility through speaking, writing, and participating in the conversation on social media platforms.

To your success,
Tammy