10 easy steps to creating your LinkedIn profile (from a Recruiters POV) 1. Take it in bite sized steps follow the steps 1-10 over the next month to get to 100% completion on LinkedIn 2. Get a professional looking picture where you are in a suit, at a wedding or in some type of collar. Does not need to be professionally created picture just professional attire (not sexy). 3. Put your experience from your resume on your job areas- it should read a bit like a marketing for sales opportunities with potential clients and a bit like a resume highlighting your job duties. 4. ADD GROUPS! Find people that do what you do and join the groups they are in. I have like 15+ groups- which is stupid but I need it for recruiting the people inside that group. Adding 3-5 is great. All recruiters join groups and search talent from the groups so that is the key to getting noticed. 5. Make a goal of adding 10+ people a week- sounds hard at first but it starts to snow ball. Look up class mates, clients, vendors, coworkers and all the people in the groups that you will be joining. You can say that you know someone from that group (even though you don't) and they will accept you. You can even join the group "Top Linked" which is an open networking group and people will come out of the wood works to add you. 6. Strategically add recruiters that have posted positions that seem in line with your career aspirations. Jobs are located inside the groups. 7. Post or respond to thought provoking questions in the groups maybe once every 3 months- don’t reach nerd level by doing it too much but you need to start establishing your "expert" level advice, this will help you get noticed. 8. Ask for 5+ endorsements/ recommendations. This is VITAL to your credibility. 9. Find a way to put your email and/or cell # on the LinkedIn profile to make it easy to reach you. 10. Don't get stagnant, keep growing and commenting so you pop up on the radar

Kindness will take you far in life.....I am in this job because I LOVE people. I really do. It is the best feeling in the world to help someone find their dream job and the impact it has one them and their family. I love when my candidates bring their kids up to the office and they give me a hug to thank me for helping Mommy or Daddy. It is a true blessing to be a part of their success. I made a commitment years ago that I would never work with people that were not kind and deserving. That decision changed my life. It brought me back to the core of why I love my job and the reflection of how I had fallen off course. My job at that time had become transactional and not impactful. I was dreading each day of work and bringing that frustration home. It took hitting a low to realize that I was no longer in it for the right reasons. Do you ever feel like you have lost your way? Ever feel like you are trying to please people that are not grateful? I had a candidate today that was a GREAT technical match for a job opening. Boy they looked great on paper! But in the interview he was condescending and demanding. Just a straight up JERK! I thought- WOW... how to rude people get far in life? I like my client too much to send them someone like that! I wanted to end that call so fast- but I stayed kind. I will not allow their nastiness to steal my helping spirit. You see as Mother Theresa says...be kind... anyway. "People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway." SO with a forces smile I ended the interview and that candidate did not get presented on the position :-) Instead... I am fortunate to have found a new wonderful candidate that is now going in for his 3rd client interview. We have our prayer candles lit and our fingers crossed in hopes that he gets the job offer. Over the course of working with him I have learned about how he helps out his family in another country and is the medical caregiver for his partner. He will have the opportunity to advance his education if he gets this position and should offer a nice pay increase. Best of all... he is passionate about the positive work he will do if he gets this job. He..like me, will make a positive impact in the world. We are in control of our emotions and happiness. So... I simply move along to find the right candidate... in search of one that is kind and worthy. I believe that they are the majority. Protect your happiness, be kind to yourself by only surrounding yourself with people that are kind. You will ONLY be able to make a positive impact in the world.. when YOU are positive.