Erin Kennedy

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 that my three passions of helping people, writing, and talking would eventually be my career, I wouldn't have believed you. I was hell-bent on working in a human resources office of an automotive company (I’m from Michigan—Motor City!).  

But life had different plans for me. 

It took me a bit to get here but eventually, I did (I post a lot here about my detours!).🛣️

For the last 20 years, we’ve helped 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 land the roles they wanted in the companies they chose. 

We can do the same for you.

We offer a high-touch service and work with you one-on-one throughout the process as your thought partner and career strategist. 

My team of 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗧.𝗢.𝗥.𝗜. 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 create career documents for clients seeking opportunities from $150K+ to $1M+, from mid-level to c-level executives for just about every industry. 

We have 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 on staff to help you navigate LinkedIn’s ever-changing landscape through coaching and hands-on LI exploration.

I’m proud to say I've assembled a select team of writers, editors, and LinkedIn experts that are truly the "𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁". As the top writers and consultants in the industry, they create power-packed documents and profiles that will make you say, "WOW!! Is this really me? I'd hire me!"

▶️ 𝗪𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥:

✔ Executive Resumes & Cover Letters
✔ VP, Director, Senior Mgr, and Professional Resumes 
✔ Resumes for CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, CTO, CMO, "CXO", CSO, and C-Suite
✔ Board Resumes
✔ LinkedIn Profile Writing, Strategy, & Coaching 
✔ Brand Strategy
✔ Graphic and Networking Resumes
✔ Job Search, Interview, & Career Coaching 
✔ Executive Recruiter Resume Distribution
✔ VC/PE Resume Distribution 
✔ We are Recruiter Approved!

▶️  𝗠𝗬 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗦

➖ Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE)
➖ Master Career Director (MCD)
➖ Certified Resume Analyst (CRA)
➖ Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW)
➖ Certified Executive Resume Writer (CERW)
➖ Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)
➖ Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC)
➖ Member: CTL, CDI, NRWA, Forbes Council
➖ Former Board Member, NRWA: Experienced Business Owner, East
➖ Certification Committee, Career Directors International (CDI)
➖ TORI Judge, multiple TORI nominations and wins (CDI)
➖ 20+ years in the career industry
➖ BS,Human Resources

Call now: 810-664-1933
Or schedule your appointment at: https://www.exclusive-executive-resumes.com

CEO | Executive Resume Writer | LinkedIn Profile |  C-Suite, Boards, EVP, SVP | Branding | 

Erin  Kennedy

"I wish I had called you sooner" is a common comment I hear from my clients.  

It is hard to tell your own story. My favorite clients are often people who tell me that they can recognize the strengths and values in other people but have a hard time articulating their own. 
Or at least packaging that narrative on a modern resume. 

I am not a touchy-feely 'let's take assessments' kind of coach. I value assessments & think they can be important for job seekers who need help figuring out their strengths & motivators. However, I work best with people who know where they want to go and just need help getting there. 

I work with all career levels - from C-suite to career sprinters, including Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officers, Customer Experience Officers, Chief Operations Officers, Chief Medical Officer & more. Our clients have landed roles at top Fortune 100 and 500 companies, including AT&T, Alphabet, Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase, Optum & Nike.

I believe in positively changing the trajectory of people's lives through goal setting, purposeful action & strategic networking. 

I help my clients think bigger AND better articulate their unique value proposition.

I offer 5 solutions:

◆  Behavioral-based mock interviews. I offer highly personalized mock interviews virtually through Zoom. I can help you master questions like, "tell me about yourself" or "tell me about the toughest decision you've had to make in the past six months." I understand the interview process and will ensure you are prepared.

◆  Executive-style resumes, board resumes/bios, and other career marketing collateral. No forms. My resumes are attractive, ATS-friendly, and full of quantifiable data. My goal is to hear you say, "wow! I look great on paper!"

◆ Strategic Job Search Coaching. Stop turning your wheels applying for job after job online. My clients land meetings with decision-makers at top employers and get jobs they really want. 

◆ LinkedIn Training. I am a super-user & have been training business leaders how to use the platform since 2007. 

◆  Medical CVs for residents, fellows, physicians, dentists & podiatrists. 

🙌  My company, Briefcase Coach 💼, has been named the top resume writing agency for experienced executives by Balance Careers.

I was named to the list of 2021 most influential people in the HR Space and 2019 LinkedIn Top Voice for the career space.

Subscribe to my twice-a-month NO SPAM job search newsletter: https://briefcasecoach.beehiiv.com/


Want to work one-on-one?

Sarah@Briefcasecoach.com ◆◆ www.briefcasecoach.com

Sarah Johnston

In this market, the smartest job seekers know they can't just apply online and hope for the best.  Savvy job seekers are running their job search like an SDR with a robust contact list that acts like a personal CRM. 

If you want to step up your job search efforts, check out my latest comprehensive article on how to find and connect with recruiters.  There are several videos embedded throughout.

Feel free to share with job searching friends!

Executive Resume & LinkedIn Strategist for $200K+ Global Leaders Board-Level & C-Suite Branding | Former Recruiter --​> Founder, Briefcase Coach | Interview Coach | Outplacement Provider | LinkedIn Learning Instructor

View newsletter: Career Briefs LinkedIn Edition

If you’ve recently reached out to a recruiter and heard nothing back, you’re not alone. According to a new LinkedIn report, the number of job applican

Open article: Insider Tips to Find and Connect With Recruiters by Sarah Johnston • 8 min read

Insider Tips to Find and Connect With Recruiters

Have you ever seen the clip of Snoop Dogg receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

He says:
 “Last but not least, I want to thank me for believing in me… I want to thank me for doing all this hard work… I want to thank me for never quitting.”

Then he ends with:
 “Snoop Dogg, you a bad motherf—er.”

Honestly?

That’s exactly how I feel as a female entrepreneur sometimes. 😂

Because no one exactly rolled out the red carpet.

When I co-launched a marketplace platform that we’d invested a significant amount of money into, I reached out to someone whose literal job—paid by the state of North Carolina—was to support entrepreneurs.

His response?
He’d be happy to let me attend events… as long as I promised not to sell my coaching services.

Umm… okay?

That’s not even what we were doing, but thanks for the preemptive warning, bro.

Another time, I applied to join a local mastermind group that had minimum revenue requirements.

No one ever called me back.

Apparently, the idea that I had actually built something that profitable didn’t pass the sniff test.

But you know who has had my back?

Other people in the trenches.

 Other women building things without a map.

Women who weren’t invited to the founder’s clubs.

And funny enough… my competitors.

Because when you’re actually doing the work, you recognize the work.

So on this International Women’s Day, I just want to say thank you…

To the women building businesses without permission.
To the women opening doors for each other.
To the women who understand that collaboration beats gatekeeping every time.
And also…

I’d like to thank me for believing in me. 😉

“Ya have to be the three Ps,” a retiree hanging around the ballpark told my daughters. “Pushy, persistent, and polite.”

We were in Florida for baseball spring training this past week. We are the kind of fans who show up when the gates open — gloves ready for pop flies and baseball cards ready for autographs.

My girls had already mastered two of the Ps. They were unfailingly polite. And they were more than willing to prove their persistence by waiting around long after most fans wandered off.

But they still had a lot to learn about the first P.

Because in this context, “pushy” didn’t mean rude or entitled. It meant being willing to step forward. To raise your voice just enough. To wave the ball. To make sure you’re not ignored. 

Simply being nice doesn’t get Austin Riley’s attention.

Sometimes you have to politely put yourself in the line of sight.

I’ve noticed that job seekers have a lot to learn in regards to being pushy too. 
 
Many professionals are exceptionally good at being polite. They send thoughtful thank-you notes. They wait patiently for responses. They don’t want to inconvenience anyone. They worry about coming across as aggressive, needy, or entitled.

But in the process, they sometimes make themselves invisible.

Being “pushy” in a job search doesn’t mean being rude or demanding. It means being willing to take up a little space. It means following up when you haven’t heard back. It means asking for the introduction instead of hinting at it. It means telling someone clearly that you’re interested in an opportunity instead of hoping they’ll infer it.

The job market rewards people who show genuine interest and initiative. Hiring managers are busy. Recruiters are juggling dozens of candidates. The person who respectfully raises their hand a second time is often the one who gets remembered.

Polite and persistent keeps you in the room.

A little bit of “pushy” makes sure people actually see you.

Ps. Go Braves! And yes— they got to meet Austin Riley and Michael Harris!

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What Most Job Seekers Don’t Realize About Outplacement Services ⬇️ ⬇️

This month, I had the privilege of working with two professionals who were recently laid off from small to mid-sized companies. Instead of automatically accepting the standard outplacement package, they 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝. They didn’t immediately sign their separation agreements—and then went back to HR to ask if they could choose their own outplacement provider.

Here’s the truth: just because your company offers “outplacement” or “free” job search support doesn’t mean you should take it without question.

In fact, I’ve spoken with countless job seekers who were set back months by the generic advice or subpar resume help they received through traditional outplacement services.

To be clear, there are outplacement firms that do phenomenal work—and I’m not here to bash the entire industry. But let’s be honest: once a company pays for outplacement as part of a severance package, the incentive for that support to be exceptional often disappears. Accountability is minimal. Results vary widely.

If you are being offered outplacement services, consider asking your HR decision-maker for the cash equivalent so that you can select your own service provider & find the right fit for you. When YOU are the payer, it's easier to hold the outplacement company accountable.

As an alternative to cashing out (& paying taxes), consider asking HR if they’d be willing to bring on a boutique outplacement firm as an additional vendor—alongside larger firms like Lee Hecht Harrison or Right Management.
If your company has a diversity supplier program, they may even welcome a woman-owned provider like Briefcase Coach.

In case you’re curious, my company, Briefcase Coach, partners with select businesses to offer a high-touch, white-glove outplacement experience for senior leaders. I’m personally involved in every project—because it makes a real difference when the owner is all in.

If your company is not willing to be flexible in its outplacement offering, here's what I'd do if I were you:

1. Try the in-person networking/accountability group. LHH’s “Job Search Work Teams” are often worthwhile—especially if you need structure, accountability, or want to sharpen your job search strategy.

2. Keep in mind: most outplacement agencies offer a resume review, not a full-service rewrite. Expect basic formatting help—not deep dives into your value proposition or results-driven content.

Outplacement writers typically spend 1–3 hours per client. Boutique executive writers? Closer to 15+.

3. Ask if there is a "former employees" or alumni networking group. This could be a real gold mine for you.

4. Attend all of the outplacement sessions on applying for COBRA, unemployment insurance, & budgeting classes. It's important to file for unemployment right away, as it could take up to 10 business days to get approved. 

📣 📣 Are you a CEO or HR Leader looking for outplacement?  Let's schedule a call! 📣 📣 

#outplacement

Some of you recently left jobs you genuinely loved—and through no fault of your own (cough, layoffs, cough)—you’re now preparing to accept a role that doesn’t quite match the excitement, scope, or compensation of the one you lost.

That’s the reality of this market for a lot of talented people.

And listen—taking a role that isn’t your “forever job” isn’t a failure. Sometimes it’s a strategic bridge.

But even if this next job isn’t the one you dreamed about, the offer stage is still your moment of leverage. Don’t treat it like a formality. Treat it like strategy.

Your job during negotiations is to make sure you’re maximizing the full compensation and protection package, not just salary.

Here’s one thing I recommend leaders think about—something most people overlook:

Negotiate your next exit while you’re negotiating your offer.

You can’t control what happens in the future, but you can build protections now.

Check out the Briefcase Coach blog archive to learn how smart executives negotiate their landing pad.

Open article: Importance of Executive Exit Negotiation Before Day One - Briefcase Coach by briefcasecoach.com

Importance of Executive Exit Negotiation Before Day One - Briefcase Coach

Writing your resume for the first time in 2026?
… a LOT has changed since B-School in 2011.

Resumes are no longer:
 • One-page job descriptions
 • Keyword stuffing exercises
 • Objective statements about what you want

They are strategic marketing documents designed to:
 ✔️ Survive ATS filters
 ✔️ Impress human reviewers
 ✔️ Tell a leadership story
 ✔️ Demonstrate measurable impact

My team at Briefcase Coach just published a comprehensive guide on 2026 resume trends — what’s in, what’s outdated, and what hiring teams are actually responding to right now.

If you’re navigating this on your own, here are four ways to get support — at different price points:

FREE
1. LinkedIn Learning Courses
 Head to LinkedIn Learning and search "Sarah Johnston". I have three courses, including Resume Tips for Managers and Leaders, designed to help you modernize your resume quickly and strategically.

2. The Briefcase Coach Blog
 Search “RESUME” on the Briefcase Coach blog. You’ll find dozens of articles — many with sample bullets — covering everything from executive summaries to quantified impact.

INEXPENSIVE ($145)
30-Minute Resume Review

3. Did you write your resume yourself and just want an expert set of eyes on it?
Think of this like professor office hours. You bring your draft. We review it together. We tighten language, strengthen positioning, and make sure your impact is clear and compelling.

Sometimes small strategic shifts make a massive difference.

BESPOKE (White-Glove Service)
4. Want it done for you — thoughtfully and strategically?

Our expert writing team conducts a two-hour deep-dive interview to extract your leadership story, business impact, and differentiators. Then we craft a custom resume aligned to your career targets.

This is not a template.
This is not a resume mill.


It’s high-touch, highly strategic, and built for leaders who want to compete at the top of the market.

Whether you DIY it or delegate it — please don’t use a 2011 resume in a 2026 market.

Open article: 2026 Executive Resume Trends - Briefcase Coach by briefcasecoach.com

2026 Executive Resume Trends - Briefcase Coach

LinkedIn is now the #1 source ChatGPT cites when people ask professional questions.

Let that sink in for a moment.

When someone asks AI about leadership, careers, hiring, personal branding, or professional strategy, there’s a growing chance the answer is drawing from content originally posted on LinkedIn.

According to research from Profound, LinkedIn surged from outside the top 20 to one of the most-cited sources in ChatGPT responses between November 15, 2025 and February 15, 2026.

The analysis drew from two proprietary datasets—Prompt Volumes and Answer Engine Insights—to track which domains are appearing most frequently in AI-generated answers.

In other words:
The expertise you share on LinkedIn today may shape the answers AI gives tomorrow.

That shouldn’t be entirely surprising.

LinkedIn’s parent company, Microsoft, holds roughly a 27% stake in OpenAI.
But here’s the challenge many professionals face:

They want more visibility on LinkedIn…without coming across as a try-hard.

No one wants their post ending up roasted on Reddit’s “LinkedIn Lunatics.”

In a new article I’m sharing, I gathered insights from several LinkedIn Top Voices—including Michael Quinn and Ryan Rhoten—on how to position yourself as an expert on LinkedIn without becoming a “cringe-pert.”

Here are 4 common try-hard behaviors to avoid:

1️⃣ The Humblebragger
 “I’m honored and humbled to announce…” followed by three paragraphs of self-congratulations.

2️⃣ The Content Recycler
 Reposting the same generic leadership advice everyone else has already posted 500 times.

3️⃣ Bro-Prose
Every sentence.
On its own line.
Short.
Dramatic.
Powerful.

4️⃣ The Self-Proclaimed Guru
 Declaring yourself a “thought leader” before you’ve actually shared an original thought.

If you want to build authority on LinkedIn without sounding performative, the full article breaks down what actually works.

👇 Linked Below

#ThoughtLeadership #LinkedIn

Open article: LinkedIn Strategies for Thought Leadership by briefcasecoach.com

LinkedIn Strategies for Thought Leadership

Confession 1: AI makes writing easier. But AI makes me like writing less.
For me, writing is thought work. 
I ruminate on ideas. 
I delight in digging deeper on topics that I don’t know as much about.
The magic happened for me in the refinement.  

Now that it’s “easy,” it feels more like work.

Confession #2: 
I miss typos, run on sentences and ellipsises. 
I miss the human voice. We are going to tell our kids and grandkids, “back in my day, we could read the email and feel the writer’s pause or hesitation.”Now, everything is so polished and unemotional. 

Confession #3:
I used to feel a deep sense of pride in my writing. Now, when I run something I’ve drafted through AI with a prompt like “refine this text,” I feel a subtle loss of ownership.

And when someone compliments an article I wrote with AI’s support, I catch myself wanting to add a disclaimer — almost like, “Well… I had a technical co-author.”

It’s a strange tension: the ideas are mine, the lived experience is mine, the point of view is mine — but the polish feels shared.

Do you agree?  Do you have an AI writing confession?

Has AI changed the way you think about writing?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

I’m going to admit something a little cringey.

For a long time, I had a pretty sexist view of basketball. I assumed men’s sports were faster, more exciting, and simply more fun to watch than women’s sports.

Growing up, and even as an adult, most of the competitive sports I watched were men’s games. When that’s all you see, it quietly shapes what you believe about the sport.

But having daughters has a way of challenging your assumptions.

Now that my girls play basketball, I’ve spent a lot more time in gyms, watching girls’ teams compete, and following women’s college games. And somewhere along the way, my perspective completely changed.

Women’s basketball is incredibly fun to watch. I've learned that men and women play the same sport but play it very differently. 

The pace is intense. The teamwork is beautiful. The fundamentals are strong. And yep-- girls can dunk! (Looking at you, Toby Fournier)

Most of all, watching my daughters play has made me realize something important: sometimes our opinions aren’t based on experience—they’re based on exposure.

I would like to invite all of you to participate in the Briefcase Coach-sponsored March Madness Bracket Challenge focused on WOMEN'S basketball.

Prizes:
1. First Prize:  $100 cash
2. Second Prize:  Free resume review (value: $149)
3. Third Prize: Box of Treats

Feel free to share my link to your connections-- this is an open invite to people who want to celebrate women in sports!!

https://lnkd.in/ekVSsYhJ

#NCAA #BracketChallenge #WomensSports

Content exec | Advisor, Connector | Ex Oracle, LinkedIn, lynda.com

“It’s never better than it is in the beginning.” I’ve said this a few dozen times this month in career chats with various people. Pessimistic? Maybe. But the honeymoon phase happens at work too, and it gives us a lot of information. 

💼 New boss doesn’t care about the people on the team > morale likely down in 6 months = do you want to stay for culture change? 

💵 Job offer takes a long time and comes in lower than expected > expect bureaucracy and lower premium on talent = do you want to work there knowing will be hard to get a raise later?

🏡 Insurance broker won’t return your call when you’re looking for quotes > won’t be reachable if you have a claim = do you want to have to fight with your insurance? 

🤝 Partnership deal reveals a key omission, before a contract is even signed > deal likely fraught with “watch your back” moments = do you want to do deals with people who misrepresent terms?

This is obvious, right? But how often do we ignore those little red flags, hoping things will get better? Making charitable assumptions, giving people grace? Determining we personally will make up the difference and overcome a rocky start? If I’ve done it I’m betting you have too. Charitable assumptions can also give you quick 20/20 hindsight. 

We’re all our best selves up front—the polish and follow through are high. Stakes are high.  Am I impressing you? Because you’re impressing me! So if the beginning is giving pause, imagine what happens after everyone relaxes a bit. #careeradvice #negotiation #conflict

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The Battle

Erin Kennedy

Sarah Johnston

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Performance ScoreSarah Johnston's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Erin Kennedy

Sarah Johnston

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Sarah Johnston's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSarah Johnston's LinkedIn Performance