Entries by Kelly Donovan

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5 ways to network remotely

Building relationships does NOT have to take place in person. This has always been the case, and it’s especially true now that remote work has become more common and executives have embraced digital tools more than ever. However, many executives still associate the word “networking” with face-to-face interactions. I often hesitate to use that word, […]

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Is your personal brand BORING?

Research from Microsoft revealed in 2015 that the average attention span had dropped from 12 seconds to a mere 8 seconds. That means that when someone asks you what you do, or you’re writing your LinkedIn summary, or sending a self-introduction to a recruiter, you’d better be able to get the person interested QUICKLY. What […]

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The job you WILL be recruited for

I’ve heard it so many different times from clients in all different fields, from logistics to marketing to nursing: “Well, I never thought about doing this before, but they found my resume online and they really want me–they said I’d be great!” After hearing this from a lot of different clients over the years, I […]

Your biggest work-at-home problems, solved

I’ve been working remotely for well over a decade now, so to me it seems like the most natural way to work–but I’m realizing that for a lot of people it takes some getting used to. Based on personal experience and what I’ve heard from clients, friends, media articles, and questions I’ve gotten over the […]

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What the heck is a CV?

Many of the clients I work with aren’t sure what a CV is, or aren’t sure of the difference between an executive resume (or any resume) and a CV. It can be a thorny issue, so let’s delve in! First, let’s get one thing out of the way: a CV is not a cover letter! […]

3 reasons to join more groups on LinkedIn

If you’re like most of my clients, you might be a member of a half dozen or dozen LinkedIn groups. I’d argue that you should join more than that, even if you don’t plan to participate in discussions in the groups. Now that LinkedIn allows users to join up to 100 groups, why not join […]

Why I have to say “no” to prospective clients

It usually happens about once a week or so: someone will approach me inquiring about my services and I end up referring them to an industry colleague (ie., competitor). There are many reasons for these referrals that all boil down to the client not being the best fit at that point in time: Not having […]

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The 3 types of resume feedback you’ll get

While putting the finishing touches on a resume or LinkedIn profile, some of my clients get feedback on the documents–some of it solicited, some of it unsolicited. Over the years, I’ve found that this feedback runs the gamut; some is helpful, some is “happy to glad,” and some is out-of-touch. “Happy-to-glad” feedback Some of the […]

When is servant leadership a bad thing? On your resume!

Most savvy executives nowadays have embraced the model of servant leadership–rather than being authoritarian bosses their teams are afraid of, they actually listen, use the power of persuasion to influence others, and work to lift up their team members (among other things). This style of leadership requires humility. In general, this is a good thing–putting […]