Advertisements for Yourself: The Dos and Don’ts of Creating Your Professional Summary

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Remember that classic commercial one-liner? True then; true now. And most definitely true when it comes to writing your professional summary. It’s the very first thing an employer will see, and although it’s not public, it’s external facing, an enticement to learn more. Bold, confident, concise, and chock full of experience, this is your opportunity to celebrate your best self. Think of it as the highlights reel of your C.V., your most baller work face. In other words, if your professional summary doesn’t draw in the employer, your professional summary isn’t working hard enough for you. Here, some pro tips for how to get it to work harder. 

Do …

Think in terms of your professional brand value. Connect the dots for your audience between your value and their needs. This is the ultimate answer to that horrible perennial cocktail party question, “So … what do you do?”
Stop apologizing! Emphasize the skills you have that will get you hired. You don’t need to explain why you’ve stepped away from the traditional full time work force, or why you’re pursuing new avenues. Your career is a marathon with different paces at different markers, don’t treat it like a sprint.
Have a friend read it over. Because your best friend knows how amazing you are and will make sure you are selling the most badass version of yourself versus burying the lead.

Don’t …

Simply reiterate your resume. This shouldn’t be a copy and paste job. Nor should it be the 5000 word corporate bio crafted by a professional at your last place of employment. Rather, it’s the story of your professional life in a few fast and punchy sentences, the top line highlights.  
Talk about what you want. This isn’t about what you’re looking for; it’s about who you are.
Be long-winded. This is your elevator pitch, not a cover letter. Brevity is key.

Personal Summary Do Example: Specific about where she has worked and her particular expertise and experience in house and as
a consultant.

I have provided insights and analysis for customers in pharmaceuticals, consumer package goods and financial services since 2002. My experience spans from the
most elite advertising agencies such as EURO RSCG Tatham and DDB to premier Fortune 500 clients, Pfizer, P&G, JNJ, Novartis, Microsoft and many more. As an
independent professional, I am a qualitative moderator, strategic planner and marketing consultant. 

Personal Summary Don’t Example: Not enough specifics— use names of companies and metrics to prove your success. Reads
stream of conscious not tight and cohesive. Unnecessary to put in personal social work unless it works in with professional story and/
or goals. 

Media and tech industry leader with extensive experience across the US, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. An accomplished strategist, business
developer, product leader, marketer and researcher having led strategic initiatives for numerous leading media brands, negotiated partnerships, established new
business ventures, managed cross-functional project teams and launched products and services all over the world. In addition to my extensive career in the media
sector, I am also the founder of Pebbles of Hope, a non-profit formed to help premature babies thrive through parent education. I am also a full-stack developer
with programming skills in Python, Java and Ruby. I am seeking a senior level strategic part-time or project-based role focused on product development and
management, particularly for a consumer-focused product in the technology sector. I love exploring and evaluating growth opportunities for a business, launching
new products, conducting research and developing strategic plans.

Since our re-launch in early August, we have asked you to be sure your profile is updated. Thank you to those members who have gone in and do this already! However, many of you have not yet completed your updates, even though you are still pitching for projects.

Here is why profile updates are important:

1. We are refining the way in which we match projects. 

Based on your feedback we are starting to limit your matches to your geographic area. As we continue to grow our client base, an increasing number of projects require some time in office. If your geographic area is not up to date, then you will miss out on matches. 

So if your profile lists your location as “Springfield”, your street address, or “New York”, please go and update it to include your City and State. Also, you must select your nearest metro area to be sure you are matched accurately. 

Here’s how:

When you log into your account, click on the little arrow beside your name in the upper right corner. Then click View My Profile.

Here, you will see your profile. Click “Edit” in the section marked Summary.

Now you can properly enter your City and State. Be sure to select the correct option that appears as you type. Also select your nearest metro area to ensure you are being matched properly.

While you’re here, tell us if you’re interested in a full-time job (with flexibility!), and check that your Professional Summary is up to date. Remember that employers see this summary, so make sure that it is relevant and (briefly) describes your experience and interests. Remember that employers are short on time, so they don’t want to read your autobiography, so keep it brief and to the point. 

Once you’re finished with this section, click “Save”.

2. Employers are looking for more detailed information about you.

Next, add, your resume and your website if you have one, and most importantly your LinkedIn profile. We know that employers want this information the most, so if you don’t have it on your profile, they may look past you to another member who does. 

Click the “Edit” button beside the Additional Materials section to add these critical elements. 

3. We added 20+ new skills (and removed many as well!)

When we rebuilt our system, we added many new skills that reflect what employers are looking for. You may have lost a few skills in the transition, so please go and make sure you have properly selected the right ones. PLEASE only choose skills in which you have subject matter expertise. 

Because this drives your matches, select only those skills that you would want to work on as a project. For example, if you once did some hiring at a previous job, but you are not a professional recruiter, or if you do not want to do a recruiting job, do not select it as a skill. 

Think about your strengths and interests. What would you hire you to do?

4. We have added Work History and Education to help with matching

Finally add your Work and Education histories. Note that in some cases, we may have lost your school information in the transition, so be sure that this information was not cleared out. If you’re adding a new company in your work history, or a new school, select the “Add new:…” menu that appears while you are typing. Not doing this may prevent you from saving your information.

Once you’ve updated all of this information, then your profile is updated! While it seems like a lot of steps, it should only take you 5-7 minutes to get everything done. We recommend you do this on your computer or iPad, not your phone! It will be faster and easier to manage.

Don’t delay! 
Log into your account and get updating! 80% of the projects we have posted since the new platform launched have gone to members with updated profiles!!!

Have questions or issues? Contact us.

Passion, curiosity, courage, and optimism are just a few of the reasons Zoe Schaeffer is this month’s featured member. Editor-turned-trendspotter-turned-shop girl -turned blogger-turned writer … her career is a lesson in reinvention, in constantly challenging oneself to pursue new avenues of expression. 

Tell us your work story : Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Zoe Schaeffer. I was a beauty editor at Conde Nast for many years before working for a national trend forecasting company. Ultimately, I went on to open my own designer clothing store, a dream that I desperately needed to fulfill. Soon after, I had three little girls, went back to freelance writing, and started a lifestyle blog that lasted for six years. In the time since, I’ve written three television pilots and now slowly am exploring the world of scripted dramedy.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

Writing an extensive 70-page business plan for my retail concept to show investors and then opening a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce site that turned those pages into a reality.

What is the hardest challenge you’ve faced. work-wise?

What I’m attempting at the moment: trying to enter a notoriously competitive and grueling industry after having worked from home for so many years. Half of me asks, What the hell are you doing? while the other half answers, Who cares? You have nothing to lose!

If you could change one thing about how your given field operates, particularly with regards to women, what would it be, and why? 

Here, I can speak to my former fields of beauty and fashion: They value youth so it’s easy to “age out” of many great opportunities. 

What advice do you have for other women looking to make a career change but are afraid or lack confidence? How is it on the other side?

I don’t quite have the wisdom to answer this question just yet. What I will say, however, is that the collection of skills acquired in those 10, 15, 20+ years of working are valuable! Even if you are switching gears completely, those skills can always be transferred on some level.

What continues to draw you to your chosen field and what do you hope to accomplish in the years ahead?

I’m so passionate about bringing ideas into reality. I’ve felt most alive during these times in my life, when I’ve been able to express my own point of view through writing, curating, merchandising. (I actually produced my own magazine for my store, which was a love letter to my years of writing for others.) Creating a show is the ultimate form of self-expression—you can literally tell an entire visual story that was once just in your own head!

Who is your biggest cheerleader / supporter / mentor? (We love to spread the love here at the Second Shift!)

One of my first bosses at Conde Nast is still a close friend. She’s been championing me since day one and continues to insist that one day she’ll be working for me. It’s a gift to have someone in your professional life look at you like that.
How do you make work work for you?

I think knowing your own limitations is key. I personally love a project-driven job. A concentrated work experience means that there is downtime after a deadline. But I know that many women thrive in a 9 to 5 setting because it’s predictable and more secure. I just think it’s a matter of personality. 

YOU can be a FEATURED MEMBER on our blog and social media!!

Interested? If you have an UPDATED PROFILE you should:

1. fill out this survey–https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/featuredmemberquestionnaire

2. upload a picture 

3. we will get in touch if you are chosen.

#makeworkworkforyou #thesecondshift #ondemandtalent#womenentrepreneur #womensupportingwomen#superchargeyourwork

As more and more companies offer longer parental leave there is new #HarvardBusinessReview research around the benefit vs. penalty for women who take long leaves.

“Evidence from a variety of countries reveals that the longer new mothers are away from paid work, the less likely they are to be promoted, move into management, or receive a pay raise once their leave is over.”

Luckily there is a solution –stay in touch programs! While not popular in the US yet, research shows that if a company has a program in place to keep touchpoints and communication open with employees on leave the bias against their leave is erased.

“…our results also point to some ways in which managers, organizations, and women themselves can combat the unintentional negative consequences of longer legislated maternity leaves. For example, managers can provide additional information about women’s agency and career aspirations to counteract negative perceptions among decision-makers and co-workers.”

https://hbr.org/2018/09/do-longer-maternity-leaves-hurt-womens-careers

#makeworkforyoufor #thesecondshift #superchargeyourwork #ondemandtalent