How to Optimize Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile | Joan Pajari

Following is the blog I wrote for food and beverage executive search recruiters Kinsa Group in June, 2012. The content served as the foundation for a YouTube Video . The blog was also incorporated into the monthly e-newsletter  that I develop for Kinsa as well as into their social media content plan. 

While time has passed, the advice is still current. 

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Did you know that when resumes are submitted to corporations or job boards, they are then filtered by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)? Did you also know that hiring authorities use keywords when searching for potential candidates on LinkedIn? For these reasons, it is imperative you optimize your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Optimization defined

Optimization is “The process of choosing targeted keyword phrases related to a site, and ensuring that the site places well when those keyword phrases are part of a Web search”.

ATS looks for key words to decide which resumes should get routed to a recruiting or hiring manager for further review.  And even though one can never be certain how an ATS system will treat their resume, in theory, the best optimized resumes should bring your resume toward the front of the pack.

LinkedIn advanced searches follow the same premise.  If your profile is optimized with keywords that reflect your area of professional expertise, your industry and experience, a hiring authority will find you on the first few pages of the LinkedIn results.

Identifying Keywords

Two readily available resources for keyword identification are job descriptions and LinkedIn User Profiles.

It’s no secret that your resume should be tailored to the opportunity being pursued.  Read through the job description and highlight all words that apply to your background, experience and education and industry.  Then, tailor your resume to incorporate those words. Here’s a little tip: use keywords more than once, and use keyword phrases, too. This will improve your rank in ATS and LinkedIn search results.

Keywords Example

Say you work as a Quality Manager in the beverage industry, and you have significant experience in organic tea distribution.  The company you work at specializes in green tea, herbal tea and black tea.  You were responsible for the implementation of the company’s Total Quality Management program. You are applying for a new position at a similar company.

The job description uses the words “organic tea”, “distribution”,  “green tea”, “herbal tea”, “black tea”, “Quality Manager”,  “Total Quality Management” , “lead” and “direct”. You would want to incorporate these keywords into your resume, example:   I am Quality Manager at a wholesale organic tea distribution company specializing in green tea, herbal tea and black tea. I am responsible for providing leadership and overall direction to the facility’s Total Quality Management program.

Next, hone your LinkedIn profile.  Currently, LinkedIn scans the following categories:

1. Professional Headline
2. Titles
3. Specialties
4. Industries

A simple audit will let you see which keywords bring your profile to the first few pages of a search. Do this by:

• Choose “People” from the drop down menu (left of “search” box); Click “Advanced”
• Enter a keyword or keywords associated with your targeted position. Example: Quality Manager, organic tea
• Select t an industry or industries that apply to you. Understand the broader you make your search the lower your ranking will be
• Now hit search. Can you find yourself in the first few pages of the LinkedIn results? If not, recruiters aren’t either

Spend some time reviewing the LinkedIn profiles from your search. Identify keywords these people used and incorporate relevant words into your profile. 

Endnote, today Hupspot just released their 'Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn', additional solid advice and worth checking out!

You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Happy Adminstrative Professionals Day

April 23, 2014 is National Administrative Professionals Day.  According to the Department of Labor, there are more than 4.1 million Administrative Assistants working in the U.S.

I can say without hesitation that companies could not operate smoothly without receptionists, data entry clerks, office assistants, and administrative assistants. 

Thank you for all you do!

The Rise of the Secretary

In the late 19th century, women started taking over the clerical field. They were paid half what men were for clerical work which was about twice the salary of a public-school teacher. During World War II, there was an increased need for skilled administrative personnel, particularly in the United States.

Lynn Perril, administrative professional and author of the book Swimming in the Steno Pool, shares that in 1977 the group Women Office Workers held a contest for secretaries, inviting them to name the “most ridiculous personal errand” they’d ever run. 

The winner was a woman whose boss asked her to take pictures of him before, while and after he shaved off his moustache. The runner-up’s task was to pick up her boss’s wife and newborn baby from the hospital. 

Workin' 9 to 5

You-gotta-be-kidding-me! Unfortunately not. These stories make me wonder where the writer's of Mad Men (the hit show on the AMC cable channel about a 1960s advertising agency) got their material to help paint the realistic portrait of a time when secretaries used shorthand, typed letters and did nearly anything to keep the boss happy. 

For more interesting (and hair curling) history on the administrative professionals' field, read NPR's Before Admin Assistants, There Were Secretaries.

Are you an administrative professional with a story to share about a 'ridiculous personal errand' you've been asked to run? Share it below.

When Dogs Attack: How To Deal With Workplace Bullies

Yesterday I took my 12 pound rescue dog to the dog park for a little doggie exercise. We were strolling along, enjoying the warmish weather when a cute  brown and white boxer walked up to her and started snarling and biting her neck. Thankfully, the bully boxer's human pried her dog off of mine. No skin broken, no harm done except for being a bit shaken up (her and me!).

Unfortunately, this scenario is played out in workplaces across America, on two legs instead of four.
So what can you do to deal with workplace bullies? Like anything in life, there are no simple answers. There is however, an online resource called The Workplace Bullying Institute. The Institute outlines a fairly detailed action plan.

Although anti-bullying laws exists in some states, it appears they only pertain to minors. However, if workplace bullying involves a harassment component due to your race, sex or religion, you may be able to seek legal recourse according to The Nest blog 'Can harassment charges be filed against a workplace bully'.

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. And as my profile claims, I'm unable to comprehend mean people, especially bullies. If you are being bullied in the workplace or in your personal life, I wish you emotional strength and courage to press on and find a solution that will work best for you.

If you've ever experienced workplace bullying, comment below and let us know what you did to deal with it.

Why Did The Goose Cross The Road? To Stop Us From Multi-Tasking

As I was driving home from work today traffic suddenly slowed, the glow of brake lights ahead of me. 'Great', I thought, 'another traffic accident, another long commute home'. But, to my surprise, there was no accident;  two geese were making a very slow journey across the road. I smiled at the drivers around me, glad that the other hurried commuters around me cared enough to stop. 

While waiting for the geese to cross, I reflected on America's hurried way of life. We unfortunately live in a culture that  encourages, rewards and even demands that we do more and produce more. So we multi-task often times dividing our attention among multiple things simultaneously. In reality, does that really help us accomplish more in less time?

Turns out, the answer is no. Multitasking can be harmful. Further, researchers at Vanderbilt University used a functional MRI machine on test subjects to see how efficiently they could press buttons and do another task at the same time.

Researchers found a bottleneck in the brain. Like a highway down to one lane, the brain can really only process one thing at a time. Multitasking means the brain has to switch constantly between tasks, which takes longer than if you tackled one issue at a time.

“The problem comes from when we ask a little bit too much of our brains,” said Drexel University associate professor Dario Salvucci, who studies multi-tasking and even wrote a book about it called The Multitasking Mind. 

So I thank you, Geese, for delaying my commute and giving me the luxury of reflection. Tomorrow I will try to focus on one task at a time. 

Avoid These Misperceptions When Evaluating Performance

I volunteer at an outreach ministry. This past Saturday, a woman brought in a clothing donation. On her way out, she mentioned she had some crystal stemware in the car. She said she decided to donate it elsewhere because it would not be appreciated by our clients. I smiled and thanked her for the donation.

After she left, my co-volunteer and I shook our heads, unable to comprehend the statement just made. Just because one is economically disadvantaged, it does not mean they lack the capacity to enjoy nice things. Unfortunately, this is a common misperception some have about those in need of food and clothing. 

This experience stuck with me all weekend and got me thinking. In the world of work, what are some common misperceptions that can lead to inaccurate performance appraisals?

Although I know you nor I are dummies, I personally love the "Dummies" books. In this particular book, "Performance Appraisals and Phrases for Dummies", the author cautions against making these misperceptions and faux paus when evaluating employees:

1. One of the main errors that managers make in the performance-appraisal process is having misperceptions about employees. When clouded by misperception, the managers’ thinking is distorted, and they end up with evaluations that are equally distorted.

2. Another faux pas is basing your appraisal off recent events which are far fresher in your memory than the events that happened early in the evaluation period. As you complete your appraisals, make sure you’re not placing undue emphasis on the good or bad things that happened in the past month or two — be sure to consider the events of the entire evaluation period. 

3. Some managers may have misperceptions that may have nothing to do with the employees at all. Biases and stereotypes are really about prejudice, which literally means “to prejudge.” Prejudging is particularly problematic in performance appraisals because one central managerial role in the process is to judge the employees’ behavior.

What advice do you have for other manager's about to give a performance appraisal? Share your comment below.

Employment At Will: You're Fired

An acquaintance of mine was fired today. I feel sad and have a knot in the pit of my stomach. That's nothing compared to the emotions she's likely experiencing though. She has a daughter in college. How will she help pay her tuition without a job? I can't help but wonder what happened; what were the circumstances? 

Employment At Will
The state I live in is an 'at-will' state. Alison Doyle, job search and employment expert explains:

"Employment at will means that an employee can be terminated at any time without any reason. It also means that an employee can quit without reason. Employers are not required to provide notice when terminating an at-will employee".

So I guess it really does not matter what my acquaintances circumstances were.

A few years ago Readers Digest interviewed top HR execs to learn 8 Secret Signs You're Getting Fired. 

Among them:

1. You're being set up to fail
2. You aren't viewed as a 'team player'
3. You're put on a performance review
4. You made a higher up mad
5. Your responsibilities are lessened
6. If you see HR managers behaving oddly

I don't know why the article is named eight reasons...when only six are provided. Could one of these six have been that circumstance?

You're Not A Failure
In any event,  Nick Corcodilos of the blog 'Ask the Headhunter' points out that "getting fired does not make you a failure...Getting fired implies a subjective judgment of you, not an absolute, objective one. People get fired for lots of reasons. The worst is that you weren't doing a good job. But, even that is a subjective judgment."

Nick, as supportive and rationale as this sounds, getting fired still sucks and is a real ego beater. So now what?

Next Steps
First off, file for unemployment. Next, re-vamp your resume and LinkedIn profile. Then start networking and requesting informational interviews. Filling out an application or sending in a resume and cover letter are not enough anymore! Finally, seek out free career resource sites; one of my personal favorites is Liz Ryan's Human Workplace. 

My next step is to send an email of sympathy to my acquaintance and offer emotional support. 

Have you ever been fired? What were your circumstances and what techniques did you use to gain new employment? Comment below.

Life's 3 C's: Choices, Chances, Changes

No relationship comes with a guarantee, and rejection is always a possibility. 

This is true not only in our personal lives but in our work lives too. 

In the world of work, rejection is everywhere:

• You apply for a job you really want and are passed over.

• You make a request to pursue continuing education and it is not granted.

• You realize that no matter what you do or the contributions you make, your value will never be truly understood.

So you are faced with some choices. You can wallow in self-pity or pull up your big-girl or big-boy panties and make a choice to put rejection behind you.

One way to do this is according to small business expert Richard Fenton to set 'no' goals. Everyone sets success goals. Why not 'no' goals? By setting 'no' goals this will help you celebrate rejection(aka perceived failures) by taking more chances. Doing this helps you develop what Fenton refers to as building up your 'courage muscle'. 

Without courage, change cannot happen. 

Today I encourage you to go out there and make a choice to take a chance. Scary as it is, change does not happen without experiencing a bumpy ride along the way. 

What are some techniques you've used to initiate change in your life? Leave a comment below.