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Spring is a season of renewal and fresh starts. That makes it the perfect time to refresh your professional profile! And we don’t just mean updating your LinkedIn photo or changing the font on your resume. We mean giving everything a thoughtful tidy-up to position yourself for new opportunities, even if you're not actively job hunting.
Review and Declutter
Take some time to review your resume and the details of your LinkedIn profile to make sure the most relevant information is there with no additional clutter.
On your resume, reorder sections if your goals or strengths have shifted. If you are in the midst of a job search, make sure that you reorder sections on your resume in a way that aligns with each job you’re applying for.
Be sure to remove outdated and irrelevant roles and bullet points, while simultaneously trimming down excess details, focusing on clarity of your experiences and strengths to make an impact.
On LinkedIn, consider archiving old posts or other updates that no longer apply to your current employment status, goals, or career aspirations. When it comes to connections on LinkedIn, while they are important, quantity isn’t better than quality. It’s important to periodically review your connections and clean up the list. Why? Updating your connections list, especially if you’re changing industries, can help enhance the quality and relevance of your professional network, and can mean more engagement and greater visibility.
Update and Elevate
With your resume and LinkedIn profile decluttered, it’s time to update!
Have another look at your resume and make sure to add roles, strengths, skills, or accomplishments that are not currently listed. To make achievements most effective in telling your career story, quantify them where possible. Instead of saying something general like “was instrumental in boosting sales” provide a number; the percent increase in sales or the dollar amount of increased revenue, for example. Numbers are evidence of what you’re capable of and are more effective than general statements.
When updating your resume, keep in mind that you should tailor it for the direction you’re hoping to go, not just recording where you’ve been!
With your resume up to date, now it’s time to update LinkedIn. The first step to updating your LinkedIn profile is making sure that you have a good quality profile picture and an appropriate background image. Next, review and update your headline and summary for clarity, making sure to use relevant keywords. Scroll down your profile page and review your work experience, education, certifications, skills, and awards. Update each section to include anything that’s missing and—if you forgot to do so when you decluttered—remove anything that might no longer be applicable. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about updating your LinkedIn profile, here’s a LinkedIn makeover checklist that might help!
Tailor and Optimize
Using a “one-size-fits-all” resume when applying for jobs is a sure way to get your resume passed over. If you’re actively searching for a new job, be sure to tailor your resume to each job you’re applying for. If you’re making a career shift to a new industry, highlight transferable skills so there’s no question about whether you could take on a new role. To truly optimize your resume, incorporate words and phrases found in the job description and make sure to use industry-specific terms when and where appropriate.
When it comes to LinkedIn, tailoring and optimizing your headline and summary can make a world of difference! If there’s an industry in which you’re hoping to continue your career, make sure your summary reflects that. In your headline, summary, and experience sections, use keywords to help improve your visibility to recruiters. In the summary and experience sections especially, highlight strengths and skills, particularly those that are transferable across industries.
Final Thoughts
Even if you’re not actively job hunting, a little spring cleaning of your professional profile can go a long way. Keeping your resume and LinkedIn fresh isn’t just about tidying up; it’s about staying ready for whatever opportunity might come next. A little intention now means less scrambling later!
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