Getting Interviews

Take the “Work” out of Networking: Make It Easy for Your Contacts to Help

You’ve spent years building a robust professional network. You’ve cultivated relationships with peers, mentors, and industry leaders. So when you signal that you’re exploring new opportunities, you expect your network to perform. Yet too often, promising conversations dissolve into silence. Warm introductions never materialize. Emails go unanswered.

This isn’t a reflection of your professional standing. It’s a design problem: you’re making it too hard for people to help you. The fix is straightforward. Make it easy. Here are three ways to do so.

The #1 Reason You’re Not Being Found On LinkedIn for Opportunities

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews, On-the-job Success, Resume, LinkedIn, self-promo

Laptop screen showing people on LinkedIn networking

If you’re getting interviews, open to board roles, or building relationships for your business, you’ll want a resonant, keyword-rich presence on LinkedIn.

And yet, too many professionals—from the C-suite on down—leave their profiles mostly blank or filled with generic summaries that don’t resonate.

Why? Because everyone else’s profile looks that way too.

But here’s the problem: You’re invisible to those who could be offering you opportunities. Recruiters, search firms, and many hiring leaders use LinkedIn as their first stop in finding talent. Many prospects, business partners, and investors search their LinkedIn networks as well.

Planning a Career Pivot? Become the Perfect Candidate

by Robert Hellmann • Career Change, Getting Interviews, Interviewing, Job-Search Strategy

Sandcastle dreaming of being perfect — You can be the perfect candidate | SHUTTERSTOCK

If you’re using your job search to land a more senior position or shift gears into a new industry or role, you may face a disadvantage; you will be competing with candidates already established in similar positions, so you won’t appear to be the perfect candidate.

The key to overcoming this perception lies in three crucial strategies: first, sound like an insider in your chosen

Top 5 Reasons Your Job Search is Taking Too Long

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews, Interviewing, Job-Search Strategy

Looking for a job can be an arduous process; even the most experienced executives can feel frustrated. Understanding the underlying reasons for slow progress can help you jump-start your results. Below are actionable strategies that address the top five drivers of long searches, so you can start landing more interviews and offers.

Boost Job Search Results by Monitoring 5 Key Performance Indicators

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews, Job-Search Strategy

Improve results with these metrics | Shutterstock

Landing the job you want quickly requires more than just a well-crafted resume and a compelling LinkedIn profile; you need an effective job search strategy. A key part of this job search strategy involves making lots of the right connections. To be sure you’re playing this numbers game to win, monitor these five KPIs. You’ll learn how to refine your strategy to improve results and

How to Use Seasonal Slowdowns to Advance Your Career

by Robert Hellmann • Career Change, Getting Interviews, Job-Search Strategy, On-the-job Success

When the job market or pace of work slows—whether during the summer months or the holiday season—seize this opportunity to propel your career forward; engage in essential decision-making, strategic planning, and relationship-building. Or focus on creating your job search “marketing materials” including your resume and LinkedIn profile. By making the most of these slower times, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when things pick up. Here’s how to leverage these moments for maximum benefit.

LinkedIn Profiles vs. Resumes: What You Need to Know

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews, Resume, LinkedIn, self-promo, Social Media

Great LinkedIn profiles and resumes have a lot in common, including highly targeted, keyword-rich and concise content, accomplishment-oriented bullets and a powerful summary section. Because of these similarities, copying your resume content right into your LinkedIn profile is often a good idea. Yet in some situations you’ll want to take a different approach to your profile.

Mind the Gap: 5 Ways to Address Resume Gaps in Your Job Search

by Robert Hellmann • Career Change, Getting Interviews, Resume, LinkedIn, self-promo

There are easier ways to fill a gap

If you’re concerned about how a resume gap will be perceived by employers, here’s some good news: you can usually reduce or eliminate the harm it can cause your job search. Plus, in many cases, the gap will not be viewed as a big deal to begin with. How much of a problem the gap poses depends on:

How to Write a Compelling Executive Bio

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews, Resume, LinkedIn, self-promo

Woman looking back down from the top of the stairs — Tell a compelling career story

If you’re a candidate for C-suite, Partner, or Board roles, you’ll be asked for a bio as part of the process. For some roles reporting to the C-suite, you may need a bio as well. Employers evaluating your candidacy want to see how your career story will look to prospective investors, clients, and employees when shared publicly. For more junior roles, a bio is usually not worth prioritizing, except when your story is especially unusual or compelling.

To create a resonant bio,

Turn Informational Meetings into Interviews

by Robert Hellmann • Getting Interviews

Informational meetings with network contacts can either be time wasters or unlock doors to great job opportunities; it all depends on your approach. First, be sure to meet with the right people: those who can refer you, hire you, or provide valuable advice. Then, carefully manage and script the meetings to serve your goal, which is to get another career-advancing meeting or interview. Use the steps below to tightly manage your meeting agenda.

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