Using Keywords In Your Resumes & Profiles

The art of resume writing has changed significantly in recent times, particularly with online platforms and social media technology playing a huge part in the way employers and search consultants work.

In the same way that websites rely on keywords to get to the top of search engine results, job seekers must also use keywords to get their resumes to the top of candidate searches.

Many consultants and employers rely on databases and digital searches nowadays when aiming to fill positions. As a result, resumes and online profiles must be much more keyword driven.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Keywords

The most difficult part about using keywords in your professional resume is understanding which ones will resonate with a particular employer or resume database. Luckily, job seekers can employ several techniques to help them choose the right keywords for their resumes and profiles:

1. Consider the job title: Job titles are one of the most common keywords employers will use when conducting searches. If you are set on a particular job role, include this keyword at least 2-5 times in your resume. A good way to determine if your keyword is effective is to conduct a search using this keyword yourself, either on a job site or via a search engine. If relevant job listings come up, you will know you’re using the right words.

2. Review the job posting: Job descriptions will often contain important keywords in the way of skills, credentials, responsibilities and competencies. Consider what your own ideal role involves and which keywords are being used consistently by employers across various job postings related to your field or industry. For example, if you notice that ‘thought leadership’ is used frequently, you will need to include ‘thought leadership’ as a keyword in your resume.

3. Visit the company website: The website of the hiring company will generally offer industry specific terms that can be used as keywords. By reading through the website content, job seekers will quickly learn the industry terminology or product/service titles that are most relevant to the employer.

Step 2: Using Keywords Properly

Choosing the right keywords is only half the battle when it comes to effective resume writing. Using keywords organically in your resume is important, and will prevent you from turning your resume or online profile into ‘spam.’ My best tips for effective keyword inclusion are:

• Use the most important keywords at the start of your document, such as in the ‘summary’ or ‘profile’ sections.
• Present your keywords in context. That is, write relevant sentences and descriptions that include your desired keywords. Don’t simply list your keywords, as this is ineffective and lazy.
• Using keywords when describing your accomplishments can also be very beneficial. This will draw the reader to your achievements and show them in a clear and concrete way what you are capable of.
• Include the most important keywords throughout your resume or profile, but only when they can be used naturally and relevantly. Many databases and engines will rank resumes/profiles based on how many times a specific keyword is used. However, if you include certain keywords for the sake it, your content will appear sloppy and unprofessional and the recruiter will instantly reject your resume.

Step 3: Adapting Your Keywords

Every resume should be tailored specifically for each different job application, but without compromising the quality or integrity of your experience and achievements. Although your online profile can remain the same, you should tweak each resume application to include keywords that are relevant to that position, job description or employer. This will help maximise your success and means that you’ll stay one step ahead of those keyword-driven databases and searches.

Resumes Australia is a leading resume writing and career guidance firm specialising in executive resume writing and online profile writing. Contact Us to learn more about how we can help you find and use the right keywords during your job search.

Regards,

Promoting Yourself at Career Expos

Whether you are starting out in your career, wanting to change industries or simply looking for ways to climb up that corporate ladder, career expos offer many opportunities. Attending a career expo is one of the most valued ways to find new employment, meet new executives and get in touch with potential employers.

Achieving success at these events is all about selling yourself, networking with the right people and setting the groundwork for future relationships.

Be Resume Ready

Your resume is one of the most important tools that will help you secure new employment. It is a good idea to bring several copies of your resume with you to any career expo – and make sure that you have too many, rather than too few.

You should also ensure that your resume is professional, expertly written and targeted to the kind of position/s you are looking for. It may even benefit you to have a few different versions of your resume to hand to different employers. If resume writing is not your strength, you should consider obtaining the services of an experienced resume writer.

Bringing along your portfolio or any other marketing materials you have can also help you stand out from the competition.

Know Your Targets

Career expos tend to showcase a multitude of organisations and businesses, all of which are looking to exhibit their worth and attract potential employees. As a job seeker, you will achieve much more success if you find out in advance which companies will be attending the expo and then create a shortlist of the companies you wish to target/visit.

The more you know about each of these businesses, the more you will be able to tailor your approach and master any conversations you have with company representatives. If you are currently looking for work, finding out about any specific vacancies that each company has can also be beneficial, but be wary of being too pushy about these.

Dress the Part

First impressions always make a significant difference when it comes to meeting employers, so if you are heading to a career event, make sure you dress appropriately. This is particularly important if you plan to target high-end corporate companies. Even if you don’t dress in full business attire, a smart-casual outfit will help present you professionally to potential employers.

Value Proposition

Industry events and career expos are often extremely busy places, meaning you may only have a minute or two to make a strong impression. Part of this process is making sure that you know exactly what to say to representatives and employers. Highlight your strengths, skills or talents and make sure they are relevant to the organisation. Rehearsing your value proposition beforehand can be extremely beneficial, as can formal interview coaching.

Know Your Goals

Finally, make sure that you understand what you want to get out of the career expo and what you want to achieve on a long term basis in your career. It’s fine to attend knowing that you want a job, but have you thought about what kind of job, what kind of organisation and what kind of people you want to work with?

Knowing both your long term and short term goals will allow you to devise a successful strategy for connecting with the right people and employers at the event, and if you factor your goals into your approaches and discussions, you will also create the impression that you are a forward-thinking candidate.

Need an outstanding resume? The expert resume writing team at Resumes Australia can produce specialist resumes for career events, expos or job applications, whether you are a graduate or a senior at the CEO level.

Regards,

How to Kick Start Your Graduate Career

Life beyond university is a truly exciting time, yet many graduates will find that while their education is fresh, the job market can still be a highly competitive place.

Distinguishing yourself from the crowd as a recent graduate is vital in heightening your chances of success and competing against other graduates, as well as more experienced candidates.

 

Resumes

Getting your resume together needs to happen as you are nearing the end of your degree or studies. Resume writing is an art form that many executives invest in, in order to remain competitive. The quality of your resume can mean the difference between securing an interview and losing the opportunity to another candidate.

Ensure that your resume is professionally written, immaculately presented and that it effectively highlights your capabilities, skills and education. You should also include any job experience you have acquired while studying; even if it is not entirely relevant to your industry, you can use this experience to emphasise your work ethic and your transferable skills. If you are unsure how to write a powerful resume, working with a resume writing specialist may be ideal.

Internships and Volunteer work

Completing internships throughout your studies is an extremely effective way to build your experience, extend your professional network and locate opportunities for fulltime, paid employment in your industry. While some degrees will include a formal internship as a mandatory part of assessment, you can greatly enhance your career opportunities by completing volunteer internships, volunteer work, casual work, or even paid work in your industry. In addition to developing your on-the-job skills and confidence, you’ll also be giving yourself a strong advantage over other graduate jobseekers.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s most popular professional networking tool and with over 200 million members, it’s something every graduate should value and utilise. As a student, you should create a winning profile on LinkedIn and begin networking as much as possible. Participating in groups, posting updates or following and connecting with influential industry leaders will give you ample opportunity to find employment.

Make sure that you also voice the fact that you are searching for employment and don’t forget to include the right keywords in your profile – this will make you more ‘findable’ in the eyes of recruiters and employers.

Career Expos

Career expos and career days are great for students. These events provide excellent opportunities to network with professionals and employers in your field. A list of prospective employers will usually be released before the event, so start by identifying the companies you wish to work for and conduct as much research on each as you can. It can also be extremely beneficial to prepare a number of resumes to hand out, and each should be tailored to meet employer requirements.

Career Counselling Services

Many universities and graduate school will also offer career counselling services to students. These counsellors can be effective in helping you identify your career goals, assessing your skills, competencies and providing you with valuable resources related to your industry. You should also check-in with your career services on a regular basis to find out what graduate positions are being advertised within the university and/or what graduate programs are available.

Recruitment Agents

Recruitment agents can be beneficial when helping you find corporate employment, but positions can also be very competitive. Again, your resume should be well written in order to stand out from the crowd and you should make every effort to meet with your recruitment agent face-to-face. It’s important to realise, however, that a recruitment agent’s main role is to satisfy the employer (their client) and their focus is to find candidates who hold the right skills, competencies and qualifications for a particular job. That said, agencies can open up plenty of other professional opportunities that you may otherwise not have access to.

Are you a graduate ready to embark on a professional career? Resumes Australia offers resume writing, career counselling and interviewing coaching services to a range of candidates, from Graduates to Managers to CEOs. Kick-start your career with us today!

Regards,

4 Tips That Will Transform Your Resume in 2013

Today’s high-powered resumes are changing and evolving at a rapid pace. In order to stand out from the crowd, your resume needs to represent your leadership and tactical strengths in a way that is quickly readable, creatively presented and modern.

While there are still many traditional characteristics that work well in resumes, the explosion of new technology is rapidly re-shaping industry demands.

Forcing even the most experienced professionals to re-think the way they present themselves. To get the edge on your job search, here’s how I recommend sprucing up your resume for the year ahead:

1. Highlight Your Social Presence

Savvy job seekers are starting to communicate their unique selling points through social media. Social sites like LinkedIn and Twitter not only provide a way for potential employers to research your qualifications and experience, but also provide you with the opportunity to sell your achievements and reinforce the successes outlined on your resume.

Including links to your LinkedIn or Twitter profiles in your resume can help you come across as a candidate who is keeping up with technology and social media trends. This is even more crucial if your field of expertise exists within the digital industry. To use a social media profile to your advantage, however, you must keep it professional, up-to-date and relevant to your field of expertise.

2.Create Context For Your Skills and Successes

Resume writing is often a challenge in itself and it is important that your resume is not overly functional; a functional resume focuses heavily on skills, rather than emphasising the benefits that your skills can bring (functional resumes only are ideal for graduates, executives changing careers or those who have been out of the workforce for a long time).

When your resume outlines problems you’ve solved and challenges you’ve overcome, your career story and individual value instantly becomes more engaging. For example, you could mention a problem you have faced in the workplace, and what specific skills you utilised to fix the problem and how this brought value to the business.

These types of stories demonstrate how you approach problems and show decisive leadership skills that benefit the company as a whole, rather than simply listing skills and allowing the reader to surmise their own conclusions.

3. Rethink the ‘Objective’

Traditional resume writing techniques have always included an ‘objective’ line that states what your needs are as a job seeker. Objective lines are generally passé and out-dated in today’s recruitment world. Instead, use a headline that highlights the skills and abilities that you can offer to a company based on what you know they are looking for.

4. Flaunt What You’ve Got

If you are the type of executive who participates regularly in the online community, linking to examples of your work can be highly beneficial and can demonstrate to employers exactly the type of results and value you can lend to an organisation.

Personal branding videos, websites, blogs or official publications, for example, can be strong illustrations of the kind of work you do and can create high impact in conjunction with your resume. If you do choose to link to something online, you will need to ensure that it is entirely your work and that it is an exemplary representation of the talents you have to offer.

These tips will all put you on the cutting edge of hiring trends this year and will ensure that you market yourself in a powerful and engaging way. To learn more about Resumes Australia and our resume writing services, visit http://www.resumes-australia.com.au.

Regards,

How to Beat Rising Unemployment Rates

While we may not be as unlucky as some other countries around the globe, economists have predicted that unemployment rates will most likely rise in Australia in 2013.

For this very reason, apply for future job openings will become even more competitive – which means that each time, your application and your professional resume need to be even more outstanding.

 
If you are job seeking in 2013, here is my best advice at how to beat the unemployment rate:

Make Your Resume Exceptional

Recruiters and employers often receive dozens, even hundreds of resumes for just one position. In order to grab their attention and stand out from the crowd, your professional resume must be brilliant. Great formatting, excellent wording and the right amount of detail will ensure that your resume speaks to the recruiter or employer and convinces them that you are the right person for the job.

If you’re unsure how to make your resume stand out or if your current resume is not garnering much interest, consider consulting a professional resume writer to help you.

Network As Much As Possible

While traditional advertisements and applications are still the preferred way to recruit, many positions these days are filled via networking. So, in addition to applying for jobs online, you need to ensure that you network consistently.

This means making contact and maintaining relationships with any friends or professional connections that you feel could help you in your job search. You can network by attending industry events, meeting with recruitment agents, contacting search consultants and setting up social media profiles on sites like Twitter and LinkedIn.

Prepare For Interviews

If you are fortunate enough to secure an interview, you must be prepared! The competition will still be high and you need to make a strong impression with your interviewer in order to move onto the next stage. Familiarise yourself with the company as much as possible and spend some time conducting research into what they do and what markets they operate in.

Next, make sure that you know yourself – and your resume. Your interviewer will ask you lots of tough questions about your skills, experience and abilities throughout the interview – will you be able to answer them all? If the answer is ‘no,’ interview coaching may be the solution you’re looking for.

Don’t Get Lazy

Many candidates searching for employment tend to apply for one or two jobs and then sit back and wait. This is fine if you’re not in a major hurry, but doing this can greatly limit your chances of finding employment. If you need to find a job sooner rather than later, don’t get lazy. Applying for jobs can be hard work, but you need to keep at it. Try not to wait for one response before deciding to apply for something else. My best advice is to be proactive with your job applications: as soon as you see something that could be right for you, apply for it! This will open up your opportunities much more.

Do SOMETHING!

It’s easy to spend all your time applying for jobs or simply waiting around to hear back from recruiters. But having large gaps in your resume can also deter employers, recruiters and even headhunters, since these people are much more likely to employ someone who is already actively working or keeping busy.

If you’ve been out of work for a while, broaden your options with tasks like volunteer work, temp work or even internships. These will make sure you continue to expand your skills and they also look great on your resume, giving employers the impression that you’re a proactive and ‘ready to work’ type of person. Volunteering, temping and internships can also open the doors to many other opportunities that you otherwise wouldn’t have known about, including full time and paid employment.

Regards,

How to Get the Most Out of Your Executive Search Consultant

Working with one or more executive search consultants throughout your job searching periods can be highly beneficial to your career.

Executive search consultants will possess a thorough and holistic view of your industry and they can become extremely valuable assets when it comes to finding the right job for you.

 

They can enhance your job search strategies dramatically, source positions that ordinarily wouldn’t be open to you and even lend you useful insights on particular employers.

Once you’ve networked well and made some great consultant connections, how do you get the most out of your Executive Search Consultant?

Meet With Them

One of the best ways to kick start a strong and long lasting relationship with your Search Consultant is to meet with them face-to-face. This will take you out of the realm of being simply another job seeker and provide you with a chance to begin developing some rapport with them. From your meeting, they’ll also gain an idea of your demeanour and how well you come across as a professional. As a result, they may be more likely to discuss future opportunities with you, since they’ll already have confidence in you as an executive.

If You Can’t Meet With Them

Executive Search Consultants are extremely busy people and spend much of their time networking out in the field. As a result, you may not be able to secure a meeting with them or even get them on the phone. If at first you don’t succeed, try other networking techniques, such as attending seminars and events they might be at, sending them your professional resume or participating in activities offered by their business.

Review Your Resume

Your cover letter and resume are two of the most important documents of your career. It will be worth investing in your professional resume and ensuring it is up to scratch before sending it to a Search Consultant. Executive Search Consultants are inundated with hundreds of resumes and if yours is poorly written, or lacks engagement and confidence, it will most likely end up in the bin. Ensure that your resume is convincing, powerful and accurate before you send it through; if in doubt, find a valuable professional resume writing service.

Stay In Touch

Staying in touch with your Executive Search Consultant on a regular basis will also help you get the most out of them. However, make sure you get the balance right between maintaining contact and becoming a pest. Instead of badgering the Search Consultant, look for other ways to stay in touch with them, such as meeting up with them at seminars, subscribing to their RSS feed or updating them on your skills or capabilities as necessary.

Don’t Expect Miracles

It is important to remember that while an Executive Search Consultant can make a major difference to your career, they aren’t miracle workers, nor are they there to solely serve your needs. Furthermore, they spend a lot of time networking and building rapport with organisations themselves and it can take time for the right job to surface.

Instead of pushing your relationship, give your connection with your Search Consultant time to grow and mature – the better you get to know him or her, the better they’ll get to know you as well and the more chance you’ll have at being put forward for a valuable and career-changing position.

Are you looking for an experienced Executive Search Consultant or do you simply need to revise your professional resume before sending it to a consultant? Contact Resumes Australia today – we offer a variety of resume writing services and search consultancy services to enhance your career.

6 Ways to Kick Start Your Job Search for 2013

For executives on the look out for a new role, the 2013 New Year presents some unique opportunities to kick start that job search.

Some companies are keen to start hiring early in the year, so to ensure you get ahead with your employment search strategies, here are my best tips for any professional looking to change jobs or careers.

 

1.Review Your Goals

At the start of the New Year, it is important to review your professional goals and the direction in which your career is headed. The holidays will hopefully have given you a refreshing perspective on where your professional life is at, so consider how your career goals may have developed and how they will influence your job choices over the coming year.

2.Write a Job Search Plan

It can also be highly beneficial to create a job search plan for yourself. This often involves setting a timeline, outlining where and how you will look for work, setting aside time for updating your professional resume and other documents, and identifying any specific companies you want to contact.

3.Revise Your Resume

Of course, nothing is more significant in your job search than having a well-written professional resume, cover letter and selection criteria document behind you. The job market is fierce, and a weak resume can lead to an unsuccessful job hunt. My best advice is to consider hiring a professional resume writer who will be able to expertly emphasise your talents and achievements. Our resume writing services are suitable for all professionals, from graduates to senior executives, and will ensure you maximise the potential your resume has to reach out to potential employers.

4.Plan Your Job Searches

The internet is today’s number one resource for job searching and you should allow yourself ample to time to conduct these. This can be done through job search websites, professional and social websites, or websites for specific employers. Job hunting can also be conducted offline by searching newspapers and industry publications, or meeting with recruiters and headhunters.

Registering for job emails can also make your job hunting more effective and efficient.

5.Network

Networking has also become a major component in finding employment. Having the right contacts and connections can often influence the quality of positions you are offered. LinkedIn is one of the best places to start or extend your professional network. Connect with leading people in your industry, and let others knows that you are interested in any new opportunities.

6.Refine your Job Seeking Skills

Being a job seeker also means that you will need to refine your interviewing and negotiation skills in preparation for subsequent discussions. For example, you may want to work on your interview responses or perhaps refine your negotiation skills with regard to benefits and/or salary. Whatever you need, make sure that your ability to handle the recruitment process is top-notch before you embark on your 2013 job hunt!

Resumes Australia is a career consultation service, specialising in resume writing, interview coaching and career coaching. Visit our website today to learn more about our services.

Good luck,

LinkedIn & Resumes Growing Closer Together

LinkedIn has grown incredibly since its inception in 2000 and anyone who has a profile on LinkedIn knows just how easy is it to connect with others.

As recruitment methods continue to incorporate technology, LinkedIn also continues to drive innovation into their platform, and make profiles more functional and appealing, for users and employers alike.

New Profile Design

Recently, LinkedIn launched a new profile design with the goal of making user profiles much clearer and visually engaging. The idea is to give users a quick and clear idea of who somebody is, and what they can do as soon as their profile pops up. LinkedIn hopes that this new design will help members “tell their professional stories, be more easily found for opportunities, and build relationships through meaningful interactions.”

What’s changed with the new LinkedIn profile?

1. It’s much more visual. The new profile is set up in a more visually bold and appealing way, making additional use of photos and images. Inline editing functionality has also been added to make updating easier and faster.
2. It’s more people-focused. LinkedIn has also made improvements to the way members and connections interact. At a quick glance, you will now be able to see more in-depth information on the people and businesses you are connected to. This gives you a more reliable way of working out who can help you achieve your next career goal, assist with getting you that ideal position, or introduce you to an important connection.
3. It’s more up-to-date. Enhancements have also been made to the layout of information and updates posted by others in your network; this is now displayed at the top of profiles. The benefit is that you can quickly gauge what your connections have been up to, or what they’re currently talking about.

One of the biggest challenges in enhancing the LinkedIn site has been to make sure that it remains professionally relevant, and that it doesn’t simply turn into yet another ‘social’ platform that’s simply about sharing content and posting comments. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is much more of a professional networking tool and is one of the few places online where recruiters and employers can gain a strong idea of a candidate’s actual work history and skills.

LinkedIn Projects

One of the other, crucial updates that LinkedIn has made is to also include a section for current ‘projects’.  In this area, you’ll be able to enter and describe professional projects that you are presently working on. This demonstrates to viewers (who are often recruiters and headhunters) precisely what your activities are on a day-to-day basis. The main benefit is that it can help you portray your experience and your responsibilities in a fresh way.

How to Manage Your LinkedIn Profile?

For executive job seekers, the key to maximising opportunities on LinkedIn is to treat it like your second resume, and keep it as up-to-date as possible, particularly if you are currently looking for employment. You should make sure that:

• Experience, skills and achievements are updated accordingly, especially in relation to your current position; add notable skills to your summary, and the designated ‘skills’ area of your profile
• Your work history is updated and relevant, especially if you have recently changed companies or positions
• Your summary is expertly written, utilising the right terminology and keywords
• Your contact details are clear so that potential employers and contacts can easily get in touch with you outside of LinkedIn
• You share relevant and updated content, such as industry news

Do You Need Help With Your LinkedIn Profile?

Working on your LinkedIn profile is essential, especially if you are keen to connect with others and find employment. However, for busy executives, finding the time to work on your online brand is not always easily achievable.

Resumes Australia has a range of resume writing and LinkedIn profile services to help you manage your complete resume portfolio. Get in touch with us today.

Regards,

Resume Writing & Photographs – Do They Go Together?

Are you including a photograph with your resume?
One of the key questions I’m often asked in managing an executive resume writing service is whether or not candidates should include a photograph as part of their resume application. There are many myths and assumptions surrounding this practice and although there are sometimes good reasons to include a headshot with your resume, there are far more negative reasons and outcomes that a photo can produce.

At Resumes Australia, we strongly advise our candidates NOT to include a photograph or headshot when it comes to resume writing.

The Resume-Photograph Myth

Some candidates feel that a photograph provides their application with a “personal” quality, allowing the recruiter to put a face to the name, or that their professional appearance will somehow affect their success and gain them an interview.

But these assumptions are largely unsubstantiated and rarely have we heard of a candidate being successful with an application simply because of the way they look. It is important to remember that it is not your appearance that pushes your career forward, but your achievements and experience. Your persuasiveness in a resume should come from the document itself – not from a photograph.

Why No Photographs?

Resume writing and photography do not usually go together. Here’s why:

No Value

Unless you’re applying for a role as a model or an actor or something similar, there is no need for an employer or recruiter to know what you look like in considering you for the position. An employer may look at your photograph and think, “this person looks suitable” or “this person doesn’t look like they could handle this job” – but where’s the proof in these ‘guessing’ statements?

An employer’s decisions should be completely based on the way your skills and experience are outlined in your professional resume. A photograph is going to have no influence over whether or not you can do the job, and it doesn’t add any value to your application.

Wrong Impression  

If you do include a photograph in your professional resume, how do you also know it is not going to create the wrong impression with the employer?

You have no way of knowing what sort of impression your photo will create and this can lead to your photo strategy backfiring completely.

It can lead to employers refusing to give your application a second glance, despite your skills, and can create just as much distaste for your application as your hopes were for success. A recruiter or an employer might think, “this person doesn’t look professional” or “does this person really think their looks are going to get them the job?!”

As a result, your resume may be summarily dismissed and you may miss out on valuable opportunities that you would ordinarily be ideal for and – zip! your career prospects are reduced to zero.

Poor Applications

Poor quality photos can lead to a poor quality application.

Let’s say you are applying for a corporate role and your resume is not well written. In addition, you decide to include a headshot of yourself from your last surfing holiday. A recruiter would most likely view this as a poor application – the resume is only slightly convincing, but the photo makes you look completely unprofessional. The result? The rejection pile.

Are There Any Circumstances When Photographs ARE Acceptable?

If you are submitting a resume for a position based in another country, you may be required to include a photograph with your application. In circumstances where the employer has specifically asked for a photograph, you should comply with their request.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, if you are applying for a job where a certain type of physical appearance is required for the job, such as modeling, acting or being an extra in a commercial, the foregoing comments obviously do not apply.

Another exception, is where a corporate resume may benefit from high impact formatting, which unlike a standard resume, will creatively showcase your experience, capabilities and potential, in a visually high impact manner. Utilising impressive strong visual communication, including corporate photographs, your background can be presented with ingenuity and flair that highlights your creative capabilities.

Resumes Australia is a leading resume writing service that provides expert and qualified resume advice and career coaching solutions to many executive candidates across Australia.  Learn more about our resume writing packages today!

Regards,

Job Search Tips for Older Executives

It is no secret that searching for a new job can be tough for older executives, particularly for those who are re-entering the workforce after some time.

However, the number of older workers in Australia is growing, with many executives keen to work past the age of 63, and many corporations opening up opportunities to older executives who possess the life experience that younger candidates do not.

Need assistance in your job search?

If you are an older executive searching for employment, there are many areas in which you can develop your professional persona.

1. Resumes

A well- written Resume is the important document for a job seeker of any age, and it’s important that you have a fully updated professional resume that effectively demonstrates the experience and skills you can bring to the table.

If you are unsure how to go about resume writing or if you are uncertain if your resume is adequate, you may want to engage the help of a resume writing service. Professional resume writers can appraise your current resume and help you write a winning document that promotes your competencies and talents in a way that appeals to prospective employers.

2. Get a LinkedIn Profile

One of the most important recommendations I make to my older executive clients is to also establish yourself on LinkedIn. This can be crucial in portraying your professional image.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site where you (a) create a profile that is similar to your resume and then (b) connect with other industry executives you know or used to work with. Through these networking activities, you can keep up-to-date on what’s happening in your industry, put yourself forward professionally, and perhaps identify job opportunities.

3. Leverage Resources for Older Workers

There are many resources available for older workers, such as: websites dedicated to mature age jobs, technology and IT training courses for older people, interview coaching programs to help you with interview skills, and recruitment agencies dedicated to finding work for older candidates.

The Australian Government has also introduced a new program (starting in 2013) that has been especially designed to help older candidates find work. If you are job seeker over the age of 55, you will be able to participate in this program and receive training courses, career counselling and a $500 bonus to cover technological purchases (like computers, Internet connections) that will help you with your job search.

4. Further Tips

As they say, older is wiser! Here are my best tips to motivate you and keep you thinking positive:

• Include in detail only recent work history (up to10 years unless it is directly relevant to the position) in your professional resume; and yes, volunteer experience should also be included, but again only if relevant.

• Don’t include your birth date on your resume; it’s not about how old you are, but what experience you have. In Australia it is illegal for recruiters or employers to ask your age as it can be considered discriminatory.

• If you find you are a little rusty on the skills side or need help preparing for a job interview, consider enrolling in a short course or program to refresh your skills.

• Make use of professional networking and social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter; this will show employers and recruiters that you’re not afraid of technology.

No matter how old you are, there is always assistance available for older executives. And at Resumes Australia, some of us are older workers too! Get in touch today to find out how we can help you with your resume and your job hunt.

Best of luck,