Job Search Essentials

Building the Foundation

Build your resume and your brand.

Job Search Essentials Guide

This guide will help you focus on the “rules of the game” before playing. How does hiring work in 2026? What are recruiters prioritizing? This guide provides these answers and shares why standing out looks different in 2026.

Job Search Essentials Guide

All of the reference documents and tools below will help you create a modern, ATS-friendly resume as well as a professional online brand to support your job search.

Resume and Branding Tools
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Job Search Essentials Guide

Building a strong resume is a crucial step in the job search process.

Resume Do's

  • Tailor your resume to each role
  • Use metrics to demonstrate impact
  • Mirror the employer’s language
  • Highlight technology and systems experience
  • Keep formatting clean and easy to scan
  • Show progression and growth
  • Align your resume with your LinkedIn profi

Resume Dont's

  • Use generic, vague statements (“handled HR duties”)
  • List responsibilities without outcomes
  • Overload with keywords unnaturally
  • Use overly complex formatting (tables, graphics for ATS version)
  • Include outdated or irrelevant experience
  • Ignore gaps or inconsistencies in your career story
  • Submit the same resume for every application

Online Resume Building Tools

Tap these links to read and learn key information to build your best resume.

Personal Branding

Your online presence is no longer a passive reflection of your career— it is an active part of how employers evaluate and select talent. This section is designed to help you intentionally shape your professional brand, with a strong focus on building and optimizing your LinkedIn profile. You’ll learn how to position your experience, highlight measurable impact, and align your profile with the roles you’re targeting.

In today’s hiring landscape, recruiters and hiring managers often engage with candidates online before ever scheduling a conversation. A well-crafted online brand not only increases your visibility in search results, but also builds credibility, reinforces your value, and ensures that when opportunities arise, you are seen as a strong, relevant, and compelling candidate.

The documents linked below are the key tools needed to build your online brand.

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