Executive Career Insights

Top Ten Ways To Sabotage Your Executive Job Search

In these uncertain times, it will take a lot more than "good luck" and "being in the right place at the right time" to be successful in an executive job search. If you have not been actively job seeking for more than ten years, it does not take long to realize that half-hearted, non-strategic efforts will not lead to right opportunity.

Are you guilty of diving helter-skelter into a job search that is eating away at your productive time, but not netting any real results? You may be unknowingly committing one of the following mistakes:

-- Not being clear on the type of job that you want
Executive Job Search Strategy - Part 1: Have A Clear Target

-- Using only one executive resume to cover several job targets/objectives
-- Marketing an executive resume that is more focused on tasks than achievements
Revisiting Resume Best Practices

-- Depending on the Internet and online job boards as your primary tool for job search
Seven Ways To Find Hot Leads In The Hidden Job Market

-- Underestimating the size and value of your personal and professional networks
-- Not matching your networking campaign with your job search activities
Going Public With Your Job Search
Do You Know Where Your Network Is

--Having little inside knowledge about the company before interview(s)
Are You Checking Them Out As Well?

-- Lacking the ability to clearly state your personal strengths in an interview
Using STARS - Acing Behavorial-Style Interviews

-- Unsure of your personal brand and unique value proposition
Personal Branding - Truly The Only Way To Survive In Any Economy

-- Divulging salary requirements or asking about benefits and perks too early in the interview process

When To Talk Salary In An Interview

Revisiting Resume Best Practices

Last week, I had the opportunity to volunteer as a Resume Advisor for the Women For Hire career fair held in Washington, DC. While I was eager to assist the hundreds of professionals who are forced to land a new job in a depressed economy, I could not help but be disappointed at the number of resume mistakes that kept appearing.

 

I thought that this would be a good time to revisit a few tried and true resume best practices.

Think of your executive resume as your strategic marketing tool - the product that is being promoted is YOU and the document has to have compelling story that SELLS your benefits to recruiters and employers.

 
A. Have Target Position(s) In Mind

No matter how well you present your career background, if you are not keeping the employer's needs in mind, you are creating a useless document.

- Only include relevant experience, qualifications, education, training and projects that position you for your target position.

If you are targeting senior-level marketing positions then your entire resume should only speak to that - the fact that you have a real estate license and a Master in Social Work is commendable, but not relevant. 

Note: It is acceptable to have more than one resume for various job targets; one resume cannot handle everything.

B. Have A Strong Resume Profile

In these days of electronic and technology-based communications, an employer or recruiter can be viewing your resume through a Blackberry or Palm Pilot.

Make sure that the top third of your executive resume really stands out; use a title header, personal branding statement and powerful summary that speaks your VALUE to employers. For example:

SENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE
Delivering Unprecedented Revenue & Market Performance for Companies in Competitive, Evolving Industries

High-End Luxury Products & Accessories

 

C. Give Your Experience Room To Breathe

Okay, I am on a mission with this one - do not try to squeeze 15+ years of progressive leadership experience and achievements onto one page. A two-page resume is acceptable and even expected when you are senior-level professional. 

- Prioritize the content for your executive resume according to your target position and that would help you create a balanced document.

- Give preference to the positions and career achievements that you have build in the past 15 - 20 years and summarize any early experience in a paragraph (See example)

- Place education, training and certifications on the first page if they are critical requirements for the position. For example, a project manager should list PMP certification next to his/her name or senior auditor would indicate his/her CPA designation right up front.

- Do not be emotionally tied to any aspect of your career or accomplishments, if it is not RELEVANT or ESSENTIAL to your career goals and target company, leave it off the resume.

Exception: A Networking Resume or Career Biography is limited to one page.

D. Show More Achievements And Less Tasks 

Don't bore readers with a laundry list of your tasks and responsibilities instead focus on your achievements and how you have impacted a company's growth.  

- Highlight top level aspects of your responsibilities like annual revenues, size of division, number of employees, amount of budget or P&L oversight.

- Use bullets to draw quick attention to key defining achievements and limit five achievements for each position going back to about 15 years.

E. Create Various Formats To Support A Multifaceted Job Search

While it is essential to have your resume in paper and electronic format, you need to maximize all avenues to promote yourself both online and offline.

- Develop your executive resume in Word, PDF, and ASCII (text)

- Extract key highlights of your background and experience to create a branded LinkedIn profile

- Take advantage of VisualCV.com to seamlessly transform your executive resume and career highlights into an interactive, online career portfolio.

- Create PowerPoint presentation from core sections of your executive resume and use it an introduction to new contacts or referrals.

Remember, the executive resume is simply the key that opens the door for further in-depth conversation, but it still has to compelling enough to warrant a phone call or a closer look. 

Rebounding After A Layoff

I have to admit that reading the newspapers these days and watching the live news can really be depressing. Everywhere we turn, there is daunting news about thousands and thousands of layoffs - at this point, everyone has been impacted directly or indirectly by the increasing decline in the economy.

Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a two-day outplacement workshop for a group of ten employees who will lose their jobs in about two weeks.

Being highly sensitive to their situation, I cautiously entered workshop - however, I was pleasantly surprised. These employees recognized the importance of looking ahead, arming themselves with the right kind of information and resources, and developing a solid plan and strategy to move forward.

Layoffs are happening and from what the economic reports are saying, they will continue to occur for the next few months. What is your personal bailout plan?

The loss of employment brings so much emotional, mental, and spiritual baggage that can often prevent us from moving forward even in critical situations. While there is no quick fix or magic remedy to correct the situation, many resources exist that can give you comfort and step-by-step strategies for rebounding success.

Over at Quintcareers, they have put together Layoff Tutorial for candidates who have been fired, downsized or laid off. It is very comprehensive in outlining signs to look for if you are currently employed; steps to prepare for a layoff; and effective strategies to employ once you become laid off. 

I am not trying to be pessimistic or scare you into a panic, but you can never be "too" prepared. Other resources that address surviving a layoff include:

Layoff Self-Defense

Six Steps To Protect Yourself And Your Income

There is an excellent blog hosted through the Wall Street Journal called Laid Off and Looking that follows several senior professionals and executives through their job search journey. Often, just talking about your experience, the high's and the low's can make a huge difference.

 

Seven Recruiting Trends To Watch In 2009

My recent discussions with active executive candidates revealed some of the growing obstacles and roadblocks they are experiencing in their job search efforts.

While it gave everyone an opportunity to express themselves and remove from job search isolation, there were definitely some comments that kept coming up. Among the biggest pet peeves that were expressed to me were:

-- Lack of response from companies who have received their resume and/or job applications

-- Insufficient qualified job openings that best match their career background, experience level and salary requirements.

-- Not securing enough interviews despite multi-faceted job search marketing campaigns

-- Too many companies putting on hiring freezes, changing the position requriements or shifting to internal candidates.

We all know that 2008 was a challenging year to say the least, but what is in store for 2009 - can it get any worse?

A recent survey by Careerbuilder.com suggested that while we can expect recruitments to lower in 2009, all employers are not completely out of the mix for bringing new employees on board.

"Instead, they are taking a "wait and see" approach to hiring, according to CareerBuilder.com's "2009 Job Forecast," which tracks projected hiring trends for the new year. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, surveyed 3,259 hiring managers and human resource professionals in private sector companies."

 

Check out the full article here - you will be surprised by some of the expected trends that include bigger paychecks and flexible work arrangements. All is not lost in your executive job search.

 

 

Still looking for an organized, reliable system for developing your executive job search campaign, see what the FastTrack Career Transition Mastermind program can do for you.

 

My Mother Is On Facebook Now What?

Okay, so I stole the idea for the title from one of my colleagues, Jason Alba, but I simply could not resist it. Recently, my dear old mother gave it to the call of social media and with help from my oldest sister, Faith created a Facebook account.

Within just a few days, she had connected with her family and friends - granted most of whom are her children, but she has put herself on the media map to find old friends and colleagues.

How many of you are still fighting the need for social media marketing in your executive job search?

Are you still not convinced that you can make easy connections and start to build a network of supporters and strategic partners by simply joining and actively participating in social networking groups?

I spent this past weekend, reaching out others in my LinkedIn groups to offer support, general ideas, and suggestions as job seekers are facing seemingly "insurmountable" obstacles in today's recession-packed market.

But I noticed something very phenomenal, the more I reached to help others, many of whom I have never connected or communicated with reached to offer me their support in my business ventures. I was offered opportunities to be a guest blogger and submit articles to major self growth and information sites, and an author asked for my feedback on her upcoming book.

What I am getting at? Networking is more than you using opportunities to get what you want, it is also about you offering support and encouragement to other who may be going through the same thing - word of kindness, patient listenly, and sharing of resources will cost you nothing.

On the LinkedIn blog, there are several jobseekers who have shared their success with using it in the post called "Top Linked In Stories of 2008".

Check it out, get some ideas for yourself, get your profile up, and get to connecting and networking. If my once-technology-challenged mother can do it, so can you.

Look forward to "seeing" you on LinkedIn.

Additional resource:

I'm On LinkedIn Now What?

 

Why An Executive Resume Alone Will Not Get You A Job

I recently read a comment on one of the online networking groups that I belong to and the writer posed a very valid and legitimate question:

"Could a PERFECTLY written resume, overcome these times of market uncertainties, when companies are delaying their employment hiring, or searching within their organization to fill positions instead of adding more staff."

In order to survive and gain new employment in this recession-challenged economy, it takes more than a great resume to get you on board. All companies need to know WIFM - what's in it for me - for a company to justify hiring you ( salary for you and an expense for them), you need to be able to demonstrate in interviews, in your executive resume, your career marketing documents - ROI-based buying motivators.

What skillset, experience, and expertise are you bringing to the table that no one else in the company has?

How does your career background and capabilities translate into success for the company? Will you help them make more money; retain customers in this tough economy; expand services to stabilize revenues; attract and retain top talent for enhanced work productivity?

Whatever it is that you are "selling", make sure that you have strong, quantifiable, measurable results to support it. As much effort as you put into creating a strong resume, make sure that you have identified powerful career success stories that connect with recruiters and potential employers and allows drill it down to the bottom-line impact.

Pull out your top achievements from your executive resume (which should be condensed to two lines) and build your career success stories in the Challenge-Action-Results format. Creating a Critical Leadership Initiatives document is highly effective because you can use it to prepare for interviews and give it to the interviewer as a leave behind document.

Related posts:

Can A Renewed Mind Help Your Job Search?

 

 

 

 

 

Do Resumes Really Guarantee Jobs or Interviews?

I pride myself on being able to provide my clients with an eye-opening view of their strengths, unique value proposition, and career-defining achievements that often get overlooked in the resume development process.

So when I was recently contacted by a prospective client and started talking about the resume development process and the costs, I was taken aback by his question: "Does this service come with any guarantees?"

It is always an interesting question to me because as an executive career marketing strategist what guarantees can I really offer you? It is a fair question, but an interesting one to me nevertheless.

An executive resume is strategic marketing document and an essential tool in the job search process. It's primary goal is to get you interviews, get your inquiry phone calls and to generate some excitement about who you are and what you can offer.

However, like any other resource or tool, if it is not used effectively or only used in moderation, the results will be dismal. Consequently, I cannot offer guarantees because it suggests that I somehow have control over how you use the resume and more importantly, it suggests that I have control over the economy and ability to create new job opportunities.

I like to use this analogy - when you purchase a wok, can the manufacturer guarantee that you will turn out a gourmet, stir fry meal? Probably not:)

Okay, so you get my point, so what does come with my service? Well, the opportunity to really reflect upon your career growth and chronicle your milestones in the best light; to pull out key personal strengths that position you for your target companies; a chance to sift through relevant and irrelevant information for your resume; and finally, the ability to give yourself a brand new makeover on paper that will boost your confidence and increase your motivation to succeed.

Really, all of that? Yes, really...and you thought you were just getting an executive resume.

Beware of any career marketing company that offers guarantees of interviews or employment or access to the "hidden" job market with their services - they can provide the tools and teach you how to job search, but the rest is up to you.

Take a look at some before and after executive resume samples that will make you smile

 

Are You Job Searching On A Budget?

Just about everyone I interact with these days are talking about ways to cut back expenses.

How about when it comes to your job search and career marketing goals?

Thanks to Jessica Hupp at Bootstrapper for providing a comprehensive list of 50+ online tools and resources you can use to assist you in changing careers. Best of all there are either free or low cost.

Always keep in mind that you need a structured plan, program or process to follow when launching a job search - preferably in this order:

1. Self-assessment and evaluations

2. Career exploration and/or defining ideal positions

3. Identifying and compiling list of target companies down to size, geographic location, and industry preference

4. Creating multifacted career marketing plan with strategies for both online and offline activities

5. Interview preparation and practice

6. Salary and offer negotiation - including extended benefits, perks, etc.

PS: Want to accelerate your executive job search, get more interviews, and land a new job faster? Check out our brand, new FastTrack Career Transition Mastermind program. Now accepting applications.

A Strong Argument For Executive Cover Letters

An executive resume and cover letter just go together. Like peanut butter and jelly, like milk and cookies, like cake and ice cream - they are simply the perfect pair (can you tell that I have a sweet tooth)

I am always amazed at the effort that executive candidates would put into creating a well-written resume, but blow off the cover letter or make it very generic and boring.

The cover letter is the document you use to introduce yourself to the reader (often the decision maker) and it is also the place you can explain unusual circumstances like recent layoff, relocating to new area, changing careers, etc.

When developing an executive cover letter for my clients, I like to use the following formula:

Rule #1: Use the introductory paragraph to make a strong statement about your expertise, qualifications and unique promise of value. Compare these two introductions:

 Weak Introduction: “Your recent posting on Monster.com for the Director of Sales closely matches my qualifications and experience. I have enclosed a copy of my resume for your review and consideration.”

Versus

Strong Introduction: “Implementing marketing initiatives that increase product/service sales, expand market share and improve corporate brands is how I add value. As an accomplished sales professional with deep expertise in sales management, marketing prowess and business acumen. I am well-qualified to serve as your next Director of Sales.”

Rule #2: Use your current position to highlight a recent accomplishment or major project completed. Don’t simply rehash what your responsibilities are – that will be taken care of with your resume. Take a close look at these two paragraphs:

Weak Statement: In my current role as Chief Operating Officer, I oversee a $25 million dollar which impacts the programming and services for over 3,000 customers in the Washington DC area

Versus

Strong Statement: “More recently as the COO of National Coalition on Civic Participation, I came onboard in the midst of internal chaos and operational upheaval as the organization faced financial uncertainties. Working hard to forge partnerships and alliances, I was able to garner over $10 million in operational support and bring the organization to the forefront of the industry.”

Note that it is critical to use simple yet strong language to "sell" yourself to key decision makers.

Rule #3: Show a consistent trend of top performance by showcasing at least one achievement for each position you held. Quantitative achievements are always more memorable, but other high impact statements work just as well. See examples below:

• Orchestrated application management and implementation for $12.5 million system resulting in 99.8% on-time efficiency. (Director of Application Architecture – Northwest Technologies)

• Saved company over $250,000 annually by proactively renegotiating new service agreements with existing vendors. (Technology Manager – ABC Communications)

Rule #4: Bring your cover letter to a strong finish

Never leave the decision up to the reader. Clearly indicate your next course of action which should be either a phone call or follow up email. Mind your manners and thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Over at US News and World Reports, Alison Green provides some great pointers for developing your cover letter.

Personal Branding - Truly The Only Way To Survive In Any Economy

I was really intrigued by Dan Schawbel's recent blog on 2009 Personal Branding Predictions.

A long time advocate of personal branding for overall executive career management, I completely agreed with his thoughts for the upcoming new year.

According to him, as the unemployment numbers climb and you are faced with more jobseekers going after the same positions, you have to find more distinctive, authentic, unique ways to attract employers. In his words:

When thousands of resumes are tossed in a recruiters face, they may all end up in the trash. How do you end up in a pile that they read? How do you differentiate yourself? The answer, as I’ve stated in this blog many times, is personal branding. Turning to proven tools and methodologies is a great way to get yourself on the right career track and turn your passion into money, even in a poor economy.

Personally, I would love to see personal branding become a more common concept for long-term career growth and acceleration.

Here are some of my recommendation on how you can start maximizing personal branding in your impending job search.

-- Make the title header on your executive resume stand out by including your personal brand statement right below it

-- Incorporate your personal brand statement in the executive summary section of your executive resume

-- Enhance the title header in your executive resume with your personal brand statement

-- Improve your response and demonstrate value when dealing with standard interview questions like -
"Tell me about yourself" or "Why should we hire you"

-- Use your personal brand statement as the foundation for building a memorable elevator pitch statement

-- Beef up your email signature or outgoing voice message

Remember that in order for personal branding to be effective, it needs to unique, authentic and consistent to who you are.

Related posts:

Personal Branding - The Only Solution In Today's Recession-Packed Job Search

Part 5 - Does Your Executive Resume Need A Makeover?

Generic Executive Resume Objectives - Just Plain Bad!!