The Pitch Episode 95: Refresh Your Resume Mindset

Learn:

Snubbing your virtual resume because you don’t think you need it? Learn how to raise your game on LinkedIn.

Read:

When was the last time you updated your virtual resume or LinkedIn profile? I have many executives tell me that they don’t pay that much attention to their LinkedIn profile because they aren’t looking for a job or they run their own company and don’t really need LinkedIn. However, this mindset is flawed. Before social media came to be, it was always recommended to keep your physical resume up-to-date and current. It’s so much more challenging to remember your accomplishments and accolades when you are put in a panicked position to update your resume, whether it be for a new job position, career shift, board appointment or award submission. Before you snub your LinkedIn profile, recognize that keeping your virtual resume updated also has other benefits. It could score you a new client, speaking gig, a more motivated team or a valuable connection that you didn’t previously consider. “The Pitch” challenge today: Update your virtual resume on LinkedIn with your most recent accomplishments, career moves and board positions. Take inventory of your headshot. If you have a good headshot it may be time to switch it up with another headshot to keep your page from becoming stagnant. Or if your headshot is not professional and looks like a very poor crop job from a party you attended, this may be the year to invest in professional headshots. Review your summary and bio at the top of your page and make sure it is the most current description that reflects your position and current career focus. Finally, think about the people you did business with this year, and ask those contacts for a recommendation on your work. Most people generally do not go out handing recommendations on LinkedIn, so the way to get them is to ask for the recommendation, which you can easily do right through the platform in the recommendations section where you will find a link that says: Ask for a recommendation. I find recommendations are very important to build because when you really need them they will be there and nothing is more powerful than someone’s written endorsement of your work, no matter the stage of your career. Recommendations are more difficult to get when too much time has passed and you are not actively working with a particular contact. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you are too senior in your career to need recommendations. Even being a boss, and running my own company I make it a habit to ask junior associates to write recommendations on what it was like to work for me. These types of reviews are really helpful when I’m looking to hire strong talent to work for Pitch Publicity, because prospective candidates can read reviews from their peers on what it was like working for me and how I helped them along in their career path. The biggest mistake you can make is to not think LinkedIn is a social media platform you need. It is a virtual pitching platform for your career, business and future endeavor that is no different from the classic resume we were always advised to keep updated.

Apply:

Back to Presentation Skills ↺