Need Help Beefing Up Your Job Search?
Parents and students suffer are going through understandable post-graduation angst as the “real world” awaits, particularly in a world of possible recessions, experienced layoff victims applying for entry-level positions, and AI replacing new graduates. In my experience, LinkedIn gets you found; your resume gets you the interview; and your interview gets you the job.
For more experienced people, layoffs and workforce consolidations are leaving you torn between a job search and the decision to go out on your own. In many cases, you may be feeling like a victim of ageism or that you’re seen as overqualified.
Do recruiters look at your LinkedIn profile (if they even find it) and quickly move on to the next candidate? Do recruiters or new/prospective clients look at your profile before meeting with you and find something that connects emotionally?
The truth is, you really don’t know. But you can optimize your chances with:
A headline that grabs their attention and makes them want to learn more about you.
A great photo of the Professional You (not a cropped shot of you at a social event).
A Banner above your photo that ties your brand together.
A summary that smoothly combines your WHAT and your HOW.
An Experience section that tells readers about each job. Job Descriptions aren’t enough: You need to show them the impact you made.
Regularly post and comment in a meaningful way on other people’s posts (going beyond the vanilla “Congrats!” and “Agreed).
LinkedIn profiles help recruiters and hiring managers understand what you can do for THEM. They help prospective clients or customers get excited about working with you. I also help clients refine their other personal marketing collateral or strengthen their resumes.
How much you ask? It depends what you need. LinkedIn Profiles and Resume normally cost $600 each (less if you’re a student or unemployed) and you’ll get self-reflective questions, an hour-long call so I can write in your voice, and unlimited rewrites, among other things. I certainly offer package rates (particularly if you’re also interested in products like Media Bios, Networking documents, Brag Sheets that enable you to quickly customize your resume for different jobs, and help with identification of email addresses for hiring managers).
For parents — the FAFSA problems mean you may be needing to file appeal letters to reduce your stress if you didn’t get the money you need. Let me know if I can help.
Anne Shenton, CEO of Inbound Marketing Agency
“Peter is a Bio Ninja. He transformed my unimpressive LinkedIn profile into a masterpiece. He helped me identify my key strengths and accomplishments and articulated them in a way that resonates with my target audience. I highly recommend Peter to anyone looking to refine and improve their personal brand.”
Meaghan Tyrrell, 2023 Graduate of Syracuse University
“Peter really helped me rethink my positioning and job-search materials as I prepared to graduate from Syracuse. He provided a great set of self-reflective questions and took the time to understand my strengths, highlight the weaknesses in my existing materials, encouraged me to focus on my work ethic, team mentality, and conflict-management skills from sports and then helped me find my voice to share with potential employers. He also made a lot of minor tweaks that immediately got the attention of prospective employers and introduced me to his contacts in the industry. With his guidance and support I was able to acquire a job in a timely fashion in my major (in a very competitive market), at which point, I greatly simplified my profile. I’d highly recommend him to students (and their parents) worried about competing against experienced people for entry-level roles.
Karl Fischer, Customer Experience Executive
“Within a short time, Peter refined my LinkedIn profile and moved it from ‘Fluff’ to ‘Stuff.’ He was able to paint an effective value and action-oriented picture of me that resonated. The week following the ‘rebrand,’ I ended up with three interview requests! Peter understands what resonates and how to paint a compelling picture through his words. I am grateful for Peter’s oversight of my professional branding. It has made a real difference.”
William (Bill) Donaldson, Ph.D-Educated Data Scientist and SAS Programmer
“I have been struggling to get traction in my job search after taking an extended absence to care for three family members. Peter was recommended by someone I trust and he really delivered. We consolidated my four-page resume into one tight page, created a networking document, and rewrote my LinkedIn profile from top to bottom.
He focused first on how I want to position myself – consulting vs. full-time and what problems I solve for people. He’s a great interviewer and wrote everything in my voice, taking the time to understand the technical aspects of what I do.
This is a challenging job market for older applicants with lots of experience, and the proof of Peter’s skill (and empathy) is that I’ve gotten more inquiries from people in the last week than I had received in the previous few months.”
Michele Hunter, Marketing Communications, Community Relations, and Risk & Control Leader
“Peter completely revamped my decades-old resume and LinkedIn profile at a reasonable price during a very difficult time in my career. His work has garnered very positive feedback from talent acquisition professionals. He showed a strong commitment to positioning and was willing to do multiple revisions. He was compassionate and focused on giving me results that will position me well as I search for my next role.”
Joanne Glauser, CISA, CISM, PMP, CSSGB