Executive branding isn't just for social media. If you are a member of the c-suite, your resume needs branding attention too. Many executives are using outdated formats, designs, and communication styles to create resumes that are failing to do them justice.
And in some cases, is hurting their executive reputation.
Some of the classic executive branding resume mistakes include:
Writing in the third person.
Using too many complex, multi-syllabic words.
Overstating your success with subjective, flowery text.
Today's executive branding resume is formatted in a way that simplifies their expertise and draws attention to their skills through strategic design elements that creates an immediate impression. Accomplishment-driven and full of statistics that prove your experience, today's executive needs a resume that says more with less.
Don't make the mistake of coming across as out-of-touch or over-the-hill with an outdated resume.
Learn how to apply the latest executive branding techniques to your resume so it gets the attention and respect you want... and deserve!
Your Next Step
Watch my webinar that outlines how today’s busy executive can leverage marketing 2.0 techniques to find the opportunities they want and deserve. The title of the presentation is, "6 Simple Steps to Leveraging Your C-Suite Status."
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This powerful training reveals:
How social media is the “new normal” in executive branding
The steps necessary to create a respectable brand online
Examples of how to use authority marketing techniques to network your way to a new opportunity
I have seen business roles defined in ways that confuse many individuals because of the close connections to other positions. These may be the same roles that you have questioned during your professional career.
Join me in this series of articles where I'll take you through what differentiates some of the current business roles, along with a vivid example to demonstrate. Let's get started.
What Is The Difference Between Digital Transformation & Change Management?
Transformation Digital - Free image on Pixabaypixabay.com
Let's first define digital transformation. I like the definition that Salesforce uses: "The process of using digital technologies to create new – or modify existing – business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This reimagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation."
So, what's change management? You'll receive different replies depending on who you ask. For example, project managers view change management as the process of obtaining approvals for project scope, schedules, or budget changes. IT professionals look at change management as the process for approving, testing, and installing new hardware or software. Prosci, the global leader in change management solutions, views change management from an organizational and people perspective. Their definition of change management is "applying a structured process and set of tools for leading the people side of change to achieve a desired outcome." For purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the organizational perspective.
The Most Magical Place On
Earth And Digital Transformation
Now that we've defined digital transformation and change management, let's start with a great example of a company that successfully implemented a digital transformation. But first, let me challenge you to guess who the company is. I'll give you a hint: their motto is "The Most Magical Place on Earth." You guessed it. The company is Disney World.
The Disney MagicBand, introduced in 2013, was part of a robust technology revamp to the guest experience, allowing guests to manage their reservations, make payments, and access their hotel room. Continuing on their transformation journey for guests, Disney announced in March 2021 the MagicMobile service, which operates like the MagicBand but on a mobile device. Disney indeed has reimagined their business in the digital age to meet its customers' changing needs.
As George Westerman, MIT Center for Digital Business, says, "When digital transformation is done right, it's like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar."
Microsoft's Reinvention Through Organizational Change
Now, let's look at Microsoft's change management relative to the organizational structure. When CEO Satya Nadella came onboard in 2014, he announced that its ability to change its culture would be a leading indicator of its future success. This type of message coming down from the CEO is both powerful and essential to successful organizational transformations.
As he shared his new mission, one of the key changes he wanted to champion was to create a more collaborative and imaginative environment. He would do this by first removing the barriers created by a siloed approach. And thanks to Satya's leadership, Microsoft has been successful in its organizational changes, as shown in its stock prices and employee morale. Continue to watch Microsoft as they change and adapt to the markets they serve.
Sarah Clayton, Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, shares, "Few things are more important during a change event than communication from leaders who can paint a clear and confidence-inspiring vision of the future."
Change Management
Interlinked With Digital Transformation
As you can see, organizational change management is vital for the successful implementation of digital transformation initiatives. While each term has its unique definition, the very nature of digital transformation necessitates change management protocols. Think about the Disney World example. When they executed their digital transformation to MagicBands and MagicMobile, they prepared their organization for the change, crafted their vision and plan, implemented the changes, and embedded the changes with their processes and, most importantly, their culture. They continue to review progress and analyze results to ensure they are providing guests with the ultimate customer experience.
Digital transformation will continue to be an essential strategy for companies and their C-suite teams, especially if they want to remain competitive in this rapidly changing environment. Take a look around and watch the companies that embrace change management. These companies view change management as an essential tool that ensures a successful digital transformation.
P.S. If you liked this article, check out the previous article in the series that explains the difference between strategies and operations.
Four million people. Four million people quit their jobs in August of 2021. The Great Resignation is real and it is at a tipping point.
But here's the problem: of those four million people (and plenty others), I can tell you that—sadly—millions of them are going to end up back in the hourly jobs or the type of work that they hate.
Before Quitting Your Job, Find Your Purpose To Unlock Your Career Potential!
The reason why millions of people will end up back in a job they hate is because of one simple thing: if you don't understand how to break down who you are as a professional, what kind of work you prefer to do, what kind of companies you're attracted to, and how to connect the dots around that, you will not find more satisfying work. You will not find your purpose.
Eventually, bills are going to pile up. People are going to be stuck returning to jobs that will make them more miserable than the jobs they quit. Unless you do something about it. Unless you manage to find your purpose and finally unlock your career potential.
Want To Learn How To Unlock Your Career Potential?
What kind of work you should be looking for based on your lifestyle and needs
How to identify the kinds of companies you would be happiest working at
Which of your skills you should focus on leveraging in a job so that you feel happier at work each day
How your personality impacts what type of work you should be looking for
So, if you're one of those people who has been a part of the Great Resignation, and you're saying, "I don't know what to do next, but I know I don't want to do what I was doing," come join me. Let me show you what you need to do to find work that actually makes you happy.
This training is going to blow your mind. I'm going to show you things about yourself you never understood as a professional, and you're going to wonder, "Why didn't they teach us this in school? But the good news is, I'm teaching you now.
The right recruiter can put you in front of dream job opportunities. This is especially the case for higher-level positions because there are employers who will not post a job opening publicly and instead will rely solely on recruiters to find the right talent.
The good recruiters are paid by employers (as much as 20-30% of the annual compensation for the position) to find the right people for the job, so when you work with one, understand that their loyalty is to the employer. They are not necessarily there to help you find a job unless you have what they need to fill the job opening. In order to spark interest in recruiters, you have to show you meet most—if not all—of the qualification requirements for the job.
Here are six things recruiters want to see on your LinkedIn profile:
Headline
Your headline on LinkedIn is essentially the descriptive line that comes with your profile (before people click on it). By default, it will list your name and current job title. Recruiters depend on this piece of information to decide whether or not to click on your profile.
What you can do: Tell the recruiter what you have to offer in a few words. A job title is okay, but it has to inform the recruiter of the specific industry you're in as well. For example, "Account Manager" doesn't say a lot, but "Healthcare PR Account Manager" says a lot more. You also want to optimize your LinkedIn headline with keywords so you can be found by recruiters when they search for potential job candidates with specific skill sets.
Summary
Your summary, located in the "About" section of your LinkedIn profile, needs to succinctly inform the reader what you bring to the table. This is where your personal branding statement belongs.
What you can do: Include your personal branding statement, information on your specialty as a professional (how do you like to add value?), and list your core skills and accomplishments. Adding keywords and phrases that are relevant to the jobs you're looking for will also help increase the chances of your profile showing up in recruiters' search results.
Experience & Skills
Recruiters want to know you'll do the job and do it well. On your LinkedIn profile, detail what you've accomplished and how you've used skills to achieve success and results.
What you can do: Present measurable results. This mean you need to quantify your work experience. Recruiters are also doing searches based on skills, so you want to include key skills for the job in your profile and get them endorsed.
Connections
Recruiters look at your connections for a combination of quality and relevance. Quantity is less of a factor (but you do want to have at least 50 quality contacts) because if you have 500+ connections, but 95% of the contacts aren't related to the field or industry for the job, it doesn't offer much value.
What you can do: Begin to engage in conversation with relevant people in your network (in the profession and industry you want a job) by joining the same LinkedIn Groups and participating in discussions, commenting on their post or articles, seeking the help of connections you both have in common to help with the introduction, and sending a direct connection request offering a reason to connect.
Recommendations
Recommendations on LinkedIn are like doing a pre-check of your references. Recruiters want to see that you have other professionals in the field or industry vouching for your experiences, skills, and capabilities. The best recommendations to have are ones that come from your supervisor, clients, and senior colleagues.
What you can do: Depending on the type of relationship you have with one of your LinkedIn connections, ask if they wouldn't mind writing a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile. You can assist in the matter by reminding them of an experience that can serve as a focal point for the recommendation. Also, when you write a nice recommendation for others, they will usually reciprocate, or be willing to return the favor if asked.
Profile Picture
A profile picture with your LinkedIn profile increases the chances it gets clicked on. It informs others that your profile is likely complete.
What you can do: Include a profile picture that allows the recruiter to envision you in the position you're applying for. You should look professional, yet approachable.
Get your LinkedIn profile in tip-top shape with these tips if you want to find the best job opportunities that only recruiters may have access to.
Or, join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am reminded how grateful I am, not only for the people around me but that I have the opportunity to run my own business. One of the benefits of running a small business is that it gives me the ability to donate to causes that matter to me, and find ways to help build community, and show others the benefits of charitable giving.
Giving back. It's just a good thing to do. Seems simple enough, maybe too simple, but if your business is in a place where it can give back in a meaningful way, I highly suggest it. A study from the Cleveland Clinic on giving found some surprising health benefits that include lower blood pressure, less depression, lower stress, increased self-esteem, and overall greater happiness. Who wouldn't want all of that?
Millennials make up the largest generation in the labor force and will grow to 73 million strong in the US by 2025. With that clout comes expectations and buying power, but we will get to that in a moment. If you want to attract (and keep) top talent, they need to feel that they are working for more than just a business. They want to know they are making a positive social impact. According to a recent study, six out of ten millennials say that a "sense of purpose is part of the reason they chose to work for their current employer." Employees respect companies that are trying to bring positive changes. It makes employees feel good and increases their emotional attachment to their employer. So, if you want to hire better talent that is happier, more productive, and stays with the company longer—you might need a giving strategy.
Before you make a purchase, do you read the reviews? I know I do. So, having a good reputation in business works the same way. People want to do business with "good" companies. Your brand is only as good as people perceive it to be. Charitable giving is an easy way to let the world know what you care about and that you are willing to put skin in the game to make a change for the better. A 2018 study found 88% of Americans say they would buy products from a company leading with purpose. Add that to the fact that millennials now have disposable income and massive buying power. People, especially millennials, care about what they support with their money. Brand loyalty is harder to come by these days but, it can be won through impactful purchasing when you build a relationship with your customers. Champion a cause that people care about and there is a pretty good chance your giving efforts can generate both revenue and goodwill.
This one is pretty straightforward. As a small business owner, I hear a collective "Yes please!" when it comes to tax deductions. Typically an LLC can deduct up to 50% of adjusted gross income, but be sure to consult your tax professional regarding your specific situation and the organization you choose to donate to.
Most businesses get requests for donations to various charities pretty regularly. This kind of piecemeal giving is fine, but will probably never be more than one-directional. To truly maximize your efforts, you need to be strategic in how you give.
Finding a cause that will align with your company values or goals is a great place to start. Cisco is a good example of strategic giving on a large scale. Cisco created a free educational program to train high school students to be computer network administrators. This did two things: it gave job opportunities to high school graduates and helped the company alleviate a potential growth constraint.
For small businesses, and smaller budgets, it might require a bit more work to find strategic charitable alignment but it is worth taking the time to do. And the beauty of aligning your giving with your brand is that you can decide to do whatever you want—start your own foundation, simply give to a nonprofit, or even volunteer your time. The possibilities are practically endless.
When you hate your job, there's usually one main reason why. I've been a career coach for 20 years and I can tell you that every time I work with someone, the reason is the same.
You all might think you have different reasons, but there is one singular reason why you hate your job. And that's because it is not leveraging your workplace persona.
Your workplace persona is the way that you like to contribute. It's how you do tasks. It tells you what type of work makes you feel satisfied. When we feel satisfied with work, we feel like we're creating value the way we want to create value. When you hate a job, it is because the work that you're doing does not feel effective, does not feel valuable. It feels like it's wasting your talents.
If you currently feel like this about your job, that's okay. This is something school never taught us. They told us to just get a job and climb the ladder, and you'll eventually figure it out—which was a bunch of B.S. I have worked with over a hundred thousand people on a tool called the "Career Decoder." That's right. Over a hundred thousand people have taken our free 20-question quiz since 2015.
This Career Decoder Quiz tells you what your preferred workplace personas are. There are eight workplace personas. After you take the quiz, you'll see what percentage of each persona you are. Your top personas will tell you how you like to create value and which jobs/careers would be the best fit for you. A huge lightbulb will go off because you're going to finally understand the type of work you would like to do and why you might like one job, but your best friend, sister, or significant other would hate it.
We're all different human beings. We all create value in different ways. But they never taught us this in school, and I think they didn't teach us because it's too powerful. Once you understand this about yourself, you never have to go back. You can then really dial in and develop a plan to find a job and build a career that makes you feel satisfied.
Take My Career Decoder Quiz To Find Out Your Workplace Persona!
We have a crisis of purpose going on right now in this pandemic. Millions of people are leaving their jobs because they are sick and tired of doing work that doesn't play to their workplace personas. This is at the heart of the "Great Resignation." So, if you want to learn about the eight workplace personas, if you want to find out how you like to create value, take my FREE Career Decoder Quiz today!
It's going to blow your mind when you start to understand this stuff about yourself. A two-minute quiz is going to change your life. I guarantee it.
Executive branding isn't just for social media. If you are a member of the c-suite, your resume needs branding attention too. Many executives are using outdated formats, designs, and communication styles to create resumes that are failing to do them justice.
And in some cases, is hurting their executive reputation.
Some of the classic executive branding resume mistakes include:
Transformation Digital - Free image on Pixabay
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