by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
Most of my clients don’t know where to start when it comes to writing a LinkedIn summary.
I don’t blame them.
It can feel like there are a million things that you could present to the world. So it becomes a struggle to know which is the best picture to present.
Although the summary section is only 2000 characters, it is the place (along with the headline) that you give meaning to your career or experience, you pull it all together – like your cover letter or introduction to the world.
The summary is important as it frames up the way people read your profile.
When I help clients construct a summary section, I focus on getting them to answer some questions. But not just to provide flip answers, but to actually deeply reflect on who they are and what these mean.
The answers to these questions actually form the basis of what you can put in the profile summary. The more genuine you are in answering them, the more your voice comes across in the profile – which is what LinkedIn is all about – people connecting with people.
In most cases your answers will help you draw the attention to your profile that you want to draw – without being all things to all people. It focuses your search around what matters to you, and what defines you.
The thing to remember is that if you are in a role that you enjoy or heading towards that kind of role, you already have the innate strengths you need to be successful in that role. So the reflection and answers to these questions will mainly hold true as you transition and progress through your career.
That’s why I like these questions.
Here goes.
You can send me flowers to thank me later!
[click to continue…]
by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash
When you’re looking for a new job or stuck in a job you don’t like, sometimes it can feel like your world is closing in.
By this I mean you can feel like you’ve run out of ideas about what you want to do, what you can do, the type of organisations where you can add value, and or people whom you can talk to about your next move.
I am about to give you inspiration about where you can tease out the next opportunity for yourself, and no I am not about to tell you to think about and pursue what you’re passionate about.
[click to continue…]
by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
Image by JE Shoots
Applying for a job today has never been easier.
Log onto LinkedIn and they’ll suggests jobs for you, tell you how many views the job has had, and whether you’re an early applicant or not.
And that’s just the free version.
A premium account lets you see how your skills and experience compare against others who have applied.
For some applications you can just hit a button and apply through LinkedIn.
Voila – job done!
You can simply hit snooze and wait for the call back.
It’s the same every time you submit your resume to a job board or career site.
Or not? [click to continue…]
by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
Photo by Oliver Cole on Unsplash
Last weekend I was at my brother’s house and saw a flyer advertising a course on building resilience in children and I was struck by how much of that kind of help was missing when I was growing up.
The course included open discussion and sharing experiences on what failure felt like, along with some sessions on mindfulness and meditation.
For me growing up, if you ever shared what you were weak at, you got bullied.
There was a deep shame attached to not doing well.
So, like everyone else, I learned coping mechanisms.
Mine was to generally pretend I was invisible so I did not get picked on. Other kids ran with the pack and tried to fit in. I assume trying to be the same as other kids so there was safety in numbers.The really “tough” kids picked on other kids first, so they did not pick on them.
It all seems such a sad waste of energy when I think about it. [click to continue…]
by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
There’s a famous analogy about a frog dying a death in slowly boiling water, as it does not perceive the increases in temperature before it’s too late.
Essentially the water boils and the poor frog is fried.
According to Dr Karl this analogy might be misused by people like myself to spur people on to take action. He suggests we’re guilty of insulting the intelligence of frogs who may well be smart enough to pick that the rising temperature will kill them and make the leap before it’s too late.
I’ll stop with the bad puns now as Dr Karl has convinced me about the fiestiness of frogs.
But myth or not, the freddo factoid is a fitting analogy for how most of us approach taking action on changing jobs and in managing our careers.
Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash
We sit there in the security of a warm bath and neglect doing anything about our job satisfaction until circumstances force our hands. Those circumstances may be that our workload is unbearable, a terrible boss appears, there’s a restructure that’s not serving anyone or a job loss is on the cards.
The trouble is that this approach makes creating positive change longer and harder. [click to continue…]
by K B , updated on March 17, 2020
Meet my Aunt.
A self-funded retiree, she is now well into her eighties and owns a $1.5 Million dollar house in an inner Melbourne suburb. From the outside her house looks only slightly messier than the other neat federation terraces in her street.
Inside, however, it’s a completely different story.
The house is dark and smells musty. The roof has leaks. Paint peels off the walls in every room. The lights have been out in the hall and her bedroom for years. She has no hot water, never fixing her heating unit, which broke down about 20 years ago.
The half-polished floor boards have long disappeared into semi-chaotic piles of invoices, newspaper clippings, direct mailers, ancient magazines, brochures and unidentifiable notes.
Photo by Jorge Lopez on Unsplash
My Aunt will tell anyone who’ll listen that she’s not like other Australians.
She insists she’s not a house proud like an “Australian housewife.”
Instead she’ll say she’s a thrifty Scot. [click to continue…]
