How To Update Your LinkedIn Page For 2023

With many companies ramping up hiring in January, the beginning of the year is a great time to start or resume a career change. That means it’s an ideal time to update your resume and tweak your documents. But don’t stop there! A well-maintained LinkedIn profile is essential in the modern landscape, so the new year represents a chance to make sure your profile is up-to-date and easy on the eyes.

“When people want to research you in a professional capacity— even people who work down the hall from you—they’ll typically go directly to LinkedIn and type your name in the search box at the top of the screen.” –William Arruda, Forbes

Even if you aren’t looking for a job right now, it’s a good idea to keep your LinkedIn updated. You never know when a new opportunity may come your way, and many believe the country is heading toward a recession. Be prepared for anything the new year may throw your way by taking these steps toward a revamped LinkedIn profile!

Update your headshot

The first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will see on your profile will be your photo. Just like with dating apps, you always want that photo to actually look like you! While you likely aren’t trying to catfish an employer with your looks, it’s still best to have a current professional photo.

If you don’t have a professional photo, now is the time to take one! And even if you have one, it’s never a bad idea to update it with a more current one. Make sure you’re in proper attire for your field and that the photo clearly shows your face.

Aspiration Marketing says to not neglect your background or banner picture, either. This often underutilized spot can highlight you in different ways. Whether it’s a shot of you in action, highlights something you’ve accomplished in your field, or sets the tone you’re trying to portray, you can make this real estate spot work for you and stand out.

Find the right headline

Your photo will be the first thing visitors notice, but your summary section is a close second. Your headline, in particular, will drive your traffic. The correct headline sells exactly who you are, what your skills are, and what you bring to the table. The wrong headline can be vague, meandering, or boring.

Work It Daily’s Jenna Arcand writes that it’s a mistake to only list your name and current job title. You want to optimize your limited space by utilizing the right keywords and highlighting your four or five most valuable skills. This requires some research and a good base of knowledge of the most desirable skills in your field. This will make sure you appear in searches and that recruiters can find you.

“Write for your target audience. For example:

Advertising Sales Rep helping clients create winning branding strategies. Over 300 successful clients.

Just like that you’ve told them your job, what you bring to the table, and provided a little credibility easily and effectively.” –Ken Chase, TopResume

Spruce up the language

While your headline is going to bring in your audience, you want to keep them engaged throughout. That means you should utilize keywords, trim up the word choices on past positions, and highlight the correct accomplishments.

We’ve discussed the importance of tailoring your resume toward the position you seek with keywords, and that advice holds true on LinkedIn as well. If you want to show up in searches, you need the right keywords. And the right keywords will show that you’re clearly capable of doing the job you seek. Make sure to use action verbs and add the accomplishments you’re proud of.

TopResume’s Ken Chase says not to neglect your skills either. Again, look at the most desirable skills for your industry and make sure those skills are visible on your profile, especially in your actual skills section. By tidying up the language of your profile, you’ll appear like a new, even better candidate.

Use engaging media

But text alone won’t get you everywhere. Hiring managers only have so much time to read each profile, and looking at so much text can make the eyes glaze over. Attract their interest and stand out from the crowd by including relevant media!

LinkedIn’s Tequia Burt stresses the importance of finding the right images and videos to stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re a job seeker or a company looking to expand your brand, you can upload native videos directly to your profile as well as your own images. This can be a way to highlight big projects you’ve done or show off some of your creative portfolio.

If you’ve written anything off-site or had your accomplishments highlighted elsewhere, you can directly link the relevant material to your profile to save hiring managers an extra step.

Add some personality

While taking these steps, don’t be afraid to make your profile feel like your profile. That is, make sure to show off your personality.

Resume Worded reminds us that a resume and a LinkedIn profile are different tools. While you still want to be professional, you can afford to take more creative liberties with your LinkedIn profile. Don’t forget, it IS a social media platform. You can feel free to add personal details beyond work, directly tell potential employers what you’re looking for, and give them direct ways to contact you.

Wrap up

Having an online presence is essential for the modern job search. Even if you’re a savvy LinkedIn user, chances are, you can make some needed updates to your profile to bring in the new year. Taking these steps now will make job searching and networking easier throughout the rest of the year and set you ahead of the competition!

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

Recapping Our Top Five Articles From 2022

In 2022, we started to regain some normalcy after two years heavily influenced by the pandemic. We hope that 2022 was a productive and fruitful year for you and that you continue to find success moving forward. We wish to take the time to thank our readers, the candidates, and the clients we work with daily for your support and for working with us in 2022.

In this time of reflection leading up to 2023, we took some time to review your favorite articles from 2022. Whether you’re starting a job search, looking for a little more value in your career, seeking industry knowledge, or navigating the tricky waters of a career change, these five articles particularly resonated with our audience and have something for everyone!

‘Let Go’ of Your Fear of Being Fired

Within the uncertainty of COVID-19 and detachment felt by many remote working employees, fighting through the fear of being fired is a common anxiety making work much more difficult for employees. Operating under this fear can be detrimental to daily job performance and mental health. It does not discriminate against rank, location, or industry. Similar to stress (and often inducing stress), fear drives us to a poor work-life balance and career burnout.

The first step towards seeing change is acknowledging your thoughts and accepting that they are not your reality. Initially revealed by Susie Moore, we break down five specific reasons you can and should push back against the fear of losing your job. 

Watch Out For These Red Flags On Your Next Job Search

In wake of the Great Resignation, many organizations are rapidly trying to attract talent. It’s a good time to be a job seeker, as experts believe 2022 is a year favoring employees. But while many companies are hiring and job seekers have a plethora of options, not all of those options are good. Navigating the job market can be like walking through a minefield as you try to avoid questionable organizations.

Thankfully, a well-prepared job seeker can avoid these “mines” by recognizing the red flags these organizations put out. Whether in the job description itself or based on statements you hear in an interview, there are telltale signs you’re heading for an unpleasant role. We’ll cover six of these major red flags to avoid during your next job search.

Thought-Provoking Questions To Ask Your Interviewer

Employers take tremendous value in the questions you ask during an interview because they will reveal your level of preparation, engagement, and curiosity for the position. Quit focusing on yourself and how your personal needs will be addressed in the role. Instead, ask stimulating questions to produce a quality conversation that reveals you are invested in the team’s betterment and showcases your unique value.

Captivate your interviewer and position yourself as the ideal candidate by asking these five questions:

Understanding And Overcoming Ghosting In Your Job Search

The dating world is scary enough as is, and that’s before considering the potential ‘ghosting’ that can occur. Ghosting, a phenomenon where a prospective partner ceases all communication, is common in dating. Another, more promising option will come along, some circumstances will take up a person’s time, or the person may simply resolve it’s better to disappear than have a difficult conversation.

While frustrating enough in the dating world, thanks to the sheer amount of potential applicants and the ease of using technology over face-to-face communication, ghosting has become extremely common in the hiring stratosphere as well. You may have a phone screening or even an interview and never hear from the company again. Recruiters may find a promising candidate, help them along their hiring process, and then get left on read.

We’ll examine the data behind ghosting, look at why ghosting happens, and provide job seekers will some ghostbusting strategies.

Assessing The Mortgage Industry: Top Trends & Statistics

Is the U.S. housing market overheating? Within the stability of low mortgage rates and high buyer contention, the housing market continues to be highly competitive. While it is a great time to be in the market for a loan, borrowers don’t quite have their ‘pick of the litter’ like in times past. Home prices continue to rise, as does the volume of offers placed on each listing. 

“Demand is robust throughout the country, but homebuyers continue to be held back by the lack of homes for sale and rapidly increasing home prices.” – Joel Kan, MBA Economist.

After assessing various expert opinions, knowledge, and studies, we have constructed the ultimate guide to the latest Mortgage industry trends and statistics entering 2022. Courtesy of the industry professionals with The Mortgage Banker’s Association, Fannie Mae, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bankrate, The Motley Fool, TIME Magazine, & more!

Wrap up

As always, we’d like to thank all of you for your support in 2022! If you’ve missed out on any of these career tips, we hope you take the time to review them today!

Don’t hesitate to let us know what kind of articles were your favorite and what you would like to see from our content team in 2023!

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

Career Lessons From The 2022 World Cup

The World Cup is the largest global event in the sporting world, and every four years, millions watch to see how their country fares against the best competition on the planet. Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, took the FIFA World Cup Trophy home this year.

Argentina showed how to excel on the world’s biggest stage, but you don’t need to be a pro athlete to find some valuable takeaways for your own career. If you’re looking to achieve new career goals, take these lessons from the pros and become a champion in your chosen field!

Lead by example

Whether you’re a star player, team captain, manager, or leading a project, leadership is important. And the best leaders are those that lift up their team and lead by example.

LinkedIn’s Aaron Toumazou shared 10 career lessons learned from superstar Lionel Messi. Messi’s leadership works because he himself follows every lesson he instills in his team. Messi sets a high standard and constantly works to improve himself while always holding himself accountable. He also constantly exudes confidence to create a culture of it.

By showing his team he’s willing to put in the work and create a culture of winning, he fosters a sense of community and positivity in the locker room. His teammates know they can rely on him. We may not play the same game, but we can all learn from Messi’s leadership.

Teamwork is key

In any sport, even if you have a superstar, you can’t achieve success alone. Even solo sport athletes need coaches and other allies. To be the best, you need to learn how to put your ego aside and be a team player.

Team foundit reminds us that every member of a team has a different skill set, and those skills must work in harmony for the success of the team. Messi might be one of the greatest athletes in sports, but he can’t do everything alone. In business, we all have strengths and weaknesses, and a good team player will know how to work with others for the success of the project.

“When working on a team project, involve each member as much as possible, and get their help when needed.” –Team foundit

Refine your strategy

In a game of Xs and Os, your strategy and scheme must evolve to stay on top of the game and to compete at a high level. Even if you aren’t in direct competition, it always pays to take time to evaluate your process and see what you can do better.

Online Manipal’s Editorial Team shows that Spain has been disappointing in recent seasons thanks to their reliance on a short pass technique. This was a big reason the team had an early exit in 2022. By refusing to adapt as needed, a team is doomed to poor results.

Make growth a priority by constantly reviewing your performance with regular feedback. assessments, and performance reviews. Even teams that are consistently winning know to keep evolving.

Don’t throw in the towel early

There’s a reason sports games are played out and don’t end early for “mercy” rules. Recently in the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings were down 33-0 at halftime to the Indianapolis Colts. But the team rallied and came back with a thrilling 39-36 victory in overtime, the largest comeback in NFL history. Just because you don’t find early results doesn’t mean they won’t come, and perseverance is one of the most crucial keys to success.

Career coach Mei Phing stressed that the most important part of starting a new career is in the first 90 days when you can learn about company culture and practices. You might fail in those early days, but it’s a valuable time for growth, and you’ll be impressed with how far you can go if you keep working.

Make the most out of bad calls

In sports, there can only be one winning team. Even most hopefuls usually go home in defeat. Sometimes that defeat is due to outside sources you could never have prepared for or predicted. But there are lessons to be learned in defeat, and we can use those lessons to come back stronger.

Liquid Planner mentions lousy calls by the refs and unfortunate injuries as things that happen to every team. Even the most well-prepared teams can’t prevent those. In our own lives, we’ll always face setbacks and failure. But the best teams are those that can grow and adapt, and you can emulate this in your own work. Try to find a silver lining or a lesson and incorporate it moving forward.

“Flexibility in the face of change and resilience in the face of confusion are non-negotiable. Push through the discomfort and prepare yourself for anything.” –Liquid Planner

Wrap up

The World Cup is one of the most widely-celebrated events in sports and brings so many people together. But beyond the obvious entertainment, we can learn valuable lessons from the best of the best that we can incorporate into our own life. Our jobs might be wildly different from our favorite players, but their mindsets are worth emulating in any career!

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More

Stay Productive With These Four Tips

It’s that time of year when many workers are in a “circle back in January” mindset. With so much going on during the winter holiday season, it often isn’t easy to stay productive. Productivity can often suffer when the sun sets at 4 PM.

Even outside of the holiday season, it can be difficult to stay productive all the time. Whether you’ve got an upcoming holiday, are just returning from vacation, or you’re just plain feeling unmotivated, sometimes you’ll need a little extra assistance regaining your productivity. Gain that needed productivity boost by embracing these stratagems and maintaining control of your mindset.

Prioritize

Does it often feel like you have too much on your plate and too little time to deal with it? This is a normal mindset, but it can be much more manageable if you learn how to prioritize what’s important and break down those work morsels into easy-to-digest bites.

Simplilearn suggests starting by planning your day out ahead of time and writing your top-three most important daily tasks. Not only will listing out your schedule make the day feel much more manageable but you’ll clarify what actually needs to be done on the day. Give yourself the time you need to focus on the big tasks, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Minimize distractions

Of course, it’s easier to stay on target and accomplish those important tasks if you minimize your distractions. Whether you’re working in a crowded office or from home, whether you’re planning a vacation or dealing with the tribulations of holiday travel, there are universal ways to stay focused.

You may need your devices to check in with your team and be appraised on important tasks, but it can be a good idea to turn off your notifications from time to time, according to Luxafor. You can plan for “deep work” times by turning your phone off temporarily and focusing on your task at hand.

The Muse advises staying away from accomplishing personal tasks during work time. No matter the circumstance, it’s easy to lose track of time or let distractions snowball out of control if you put work tasks on the back burner.

Set boundaries

Those outside forces can’t be contained forever, and sometimes you’ll get requests that will disrupt your productivity. But don’t forget that not every request is mandatory. It’s okay to say “no” sometimes!

Not every meeting is useful or pertains to you, but you may feel obligated to attend. Green Geeks’ Michael Phillips says to recognize what tasks aren’t a good use of your time and to give yourself permission to decline.

This applies to minor tasks as well. Don’t feel bad about declining a lunch invitation or a quick, non-work-related conversation if needed. These distractions can be nice, but if you really need to stay focused, learn to say “no.”

“Stay focused on the plan for the day, and politely remove yourself from distracting situations and people. It may be one of the most challenging ways for many of us to become more productive, but it’s in our interest to give it a try.” –Michael Phillips

Learn to improvise

No plan survives contact with the enemy, and even if you plan your day out and avoid any unnecessary distractions, there will still be curveballs that come your way. Sometimes, you simply can’t say no. Instead, you’ll have to improvise.

Forbes’ Lisa Bodell writes to take the improv approach with “yes, if.” If something doesn’t sound feasible as is, find a way to turn into into a yes if certain conditions are met. For example, if there is some way to take pressure off of one of your pressing tasks, you’ll be able to use that time to assist with something else.

“And lastly, when you find yourself one breath away from saying “No, because we don’t have budget for this,” replace it with “Yes, if…we can use funds allocated to Y or Z to experiment or test this idea.” –Lisa Bodell

Learn how to choose your battles and decide whether a hard no or a compromise is a better solution because the time spent with that debate could be better used on your necessary tasks!

Wrap up

We all struggle to be productive at times, but if you take time to focus on your most pressing tasks, minimize distractions, set boundaries, and learn how to be flexible, you can put yourself in the right mindset and accomplish your goals. It takes some practice, but if you approach your work with a plan, you’ll find great success!

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More
  • Matt Hendershott
  • Culture
  • December 7, 2022

Becoming A Better Workplace Ally

More and more companies are focusing on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, but there’s still a long way to go before we truly reach a place of acceptance and embracement. In order to create a true culture of value, everyone must embrace DEI—not just those at the top. However, it can be challenging to be a true ally if one doesn’t know where to start.

CNBC Make It’s Ashton Jackson recently interviewed Megan Hogan, chief diversity officer at Goldman Sachs, about how to become a true ally to your peers. Hogan defined allyship as “making sure people feel seen, heard and valued at their organizations. And quite candidly, not just in times of crisis.”

We’ll examine Hogan’s three best practices for becoming a better ally in the workplace, along with additional advice from various other experts.

Engage

Hogan states that true allyship starts with awareness and knowledge. Knowing the perspectives and experiences of diverse groups is crucial in becoming an ally. This means educating yourself on various issues and becoming aware of your own privilege.

Harvard Business Review’s Tsedale M. Melaku, Angie Beeman, David G. Smith, and W. Brad Johnson state that while it may seem easy to ask members of different diverse groups about their experiences, this can create an unfair burden of labor on your coworker. Do your best to do your own independent research beforehand, and always ask for permission before discussing these topics with others. Recall that not everyone from these communities will have the same experiences and that each person is a unique individual.

The Post’s Grace Koennecke stresses the importance of continuing to learn even if you make mistakes along the way. New terms and concepts will continue to emerge, and it’s normal to make a mistake. Take responsibility, apologize, and strive to do better next time.

Act

With the power of knowledge at your side, you can now take active steps to be a better ally. Understanding the struggles faced by different groups allows you to actively help relieve their burdens.

“For example, if you’re a professional hosting events, are you aware that during certain key religious holidays people have to fast? Are you thinking about time zone differences for different colleagues? Are you thinking about when you put on multi-day events, that there’s nursing rooms for mothers? These are everyday acts of allyship that are quite practical and make sure that people feel included.” -Megan Hogan

However, during this stage, you must be careful to not make assumptions. You may be more informed from your education, and it’s nice to do your best to help your colleagues, but different people have different viewpoints and different needs. Forbes’ Holly Corbett cited Rachel Thomas, co-founder & CEO of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org, who mentioned a non-binary colleague who was misgendered. Rather than correct the offending party, Thomas instead asked the colleague how they would prefer the situation be handled. Ultimately, the colleague preferred that Thomas do nothing.

Awareness is great, but don’t assume it gives you all of the answers. And while this section is devoted to action, remember that listening and learning are still actions!

Empower

The final step in Hogan’s method involves recognizing your own discomfort and being an ally anyway. By acknowledging your mistakes and dedicating yourself to change, you can empower your colleagues and help create an inclusive workplace. Even if all you can do is publically admit a mistake and express a desire to do better, you’re still highlighting the importance of the issue.

Gannett Fleming’s Masai Lawson writes on the importance of being a supportive ally rather than a performative one. Make sure to truly uplift those in diverse groups and work with them to achieve progress. Being an ally is about support, which means never speaking over others or taking the glory for yourself.

“Performative allyship occurs when those with privilege publicly support DEI&B topics or marginalized groups to distance themselves from scrutiny, but they do not take concrete actions to effect change or shift the benefits of their privilege to marginalized groups.” –Masai Lawson

Wrap up

There’s a long way to go before we reach a true culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we learn new ways to be better every day. While it’s good to see companies more frequently embracing DEI initiatives, we can all do our part to create a more inclusive workplace. By following Hogan’s methodology of engaging, acting, and empowering, we can become allies that lift our coworkers up and create a better environment for them.

Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on Twitter
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn

Read More