Career Hub

Jump-Start Your Job Market Re-Entry!

Here’s some encouraging news for executives from the Execunet Recruiter Confidence Index:

According to the January survey of 181 executive recruiters, 79% are confident or very confident that the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — up from 70% one month ago. During this period of time, the search industry is expecting a 26% increase in the number of assignments received from corporate clients. Recruiters' short-term outlook also improved, reaching its highest level in more than two years, as 81% are confident or very confident the employment market will improve in the next three months — up from 69% one month ago. "This is the best employment market we've seen in five years," says Mark Anderson, President of ExecuNet.

This may explain a trend that many executive coaches and resume professionals have seen since about mid-2005 - a rise in employed executives emerging to seek new positions. It seems that currently employed executives who have been itching to make a move, but reluctant to lose a “sure thing,” are increasingly motivated to go after a position with a better fit, more challenge, more compensation, more growth, or all of the above.

Are you one of these talented executives, employed, but ready for a change? If so, polish your brand, reacquaint yourself with your best accomplishments, determine your differentiation and value proposition, rework your resume, reinvigorate your network, and get out there. This may be the best time in years to make your move.

Here are ten top strategies to jump-start your job-market re-entry:

1 - Define and refine your executive brand so that your value proposition is strong, understandable, and relevant to your targets. Be sure that your resume and collaterals reflect your brand and value proposition, prove absolute ROI, and build a “fit.”

2 - Use a comprehensive approach to job search. Don’t rely solely on Internet job postings and executive recruiters.

3 - Use your network! Focus your pursuit strategy on tapping into (or building) your network to become a prime source of information and introductions to decision makers.

4 - Learn the most current jargon of your target company and/or industry so you can wrap those “key words” into your resume and interviews.

5 - Be proactive! Research possible companies, develop an employment proposal around key issues, and use your network to manage introductions into the company.

6 - Develop a team of advocates for your success – people who understand you, like you, respect you, and will be happy to give you PR.

7 - Join professional associations and senior executive communities like Netshare, ExecuNet, MENG, FENG, etc. where highly selective recruiters and companies post positions, and where you can join on-line forums on in-person networking groups with fellow executives.

8 - Create a web portfolio – you’ll be highly differentiated, visible to recruiters looking for top talent on-line, and in control of your on-line identity.

9 - Focus on building your interview skills and knowledge of your targets. Remember your resume is just a tool – it will not land you a job. Interviewing well by showing how you would perform in the new position will land you on the sort list and help get the offer.

10 - Continually grow and manage your on-line presence/identity by posting your branded executive profile on sites like Zoom Info, LinkedIn, Ryze, Ecademy, and Ziggs. Make sure that it is rich with key-words - recruiters and companies search these profiles for "passive" top talent.

With a clear brand, viable targets, a vigorous network, and a powerful ROI message, you will be primed to leverage the strengthening job market and rocket to the next level!

Moooo Replying To Ads: How to Stand Out From the Herd

If you're going to be part of the herd and respond to online and newspaper ads, learn how to stand out from your competition. Here are some tips:

1. Don't send your resume to every ad that catches your eye, that's called spam.

2. Be selective. Carefully review the ad to see if the majority of your qualifications are a match.

3. Targeting websites? Find a niche site with positions near your city or in your exact profession or industry (see www.careerxroads.com for a directory).

4. Tailor your cover letter to the ad. If they are looking for 5 years of experience in advertising sales and you meet this requirement, tell them. "Relevant" is more important than "fast."

5. Use an exciting subject header when responding to online ads. "My resume for your review" doesn't count.

6. Make sure you spell check your email before you send it.

7. If possible, try to reach a direct contact in the advertised company through your network.

However, to really stand out from the herd, use as many methods as possible to find employment including networking, cold calls to companies, and staffing firms -- in addition to ads.

Challenge: Pick 5 ads and see who in your network knows someone in one of the advertised companies. Land an interview through your warm referral.

Online Tools to Jumpstart the Career Change Process

As the Career Assessment Goddess, I'm often noodling around on the Internet looking for really useful career tools. I see a lot of the garden-variety, fr.e.e-type career tests online that can be humorous (like the Pig Test and the Lipstick Test) or downright simplistic ("answer these 3 multiple-choice questions to pick your college major or career"). In fact, if you Google "career tests", you get more than 75 MILLION hits.

Here's some worthwhile career transition tools I learned about this week:

1. Employability Check-Up
   A sub-site of America's Career InfoNet system, this tool helps you to determine your ability to find employment for a particular occupation and industry, cross-indexed by state and locality, education-level attained, and wage-level desired. Get a reality check on your chances of employment given your current occupation and industry. Then change the parameters, like state or wage desired, to see what other options are realistically possible.
   
   
2. Skills Gap Analysis
   Thinking about changing careers from a floral designer to a marketing coordinator? Well, this nifty tool will anayze your skills (and performance level) in your current job, and then compare those skills to the ones needed in the job you're considering. The GAP between these skills is what's important for future career decision-making. How much additional training is needed to attain the level of skills you're going to need for that next "dream job"? While this tool does take a while to use (plan on one hour), you get a wealth of information for career planning.


3. Military Transition to Civilian Careers
   Ever tried to write a military-to-civilian resume and wrested with the job title and military lingo? Better yet, ever tried to figure out what civilian jobs actually corresponded to those military job titles? Well, here's where you go for the answers: the O'Net Center. Click on "Crosswalk Search", then Military. Enter your Military Occupational Classification (MOC) to find out what civilian job titles match that MOC. This is absolutely brilliant for determining civilian job targets for transitioning vets. Then, research these civilian job titles for the non-military language needed when preparing your resume. You can also find jobs for vets at America's Job Bank, and search by occupation and geographic area.

Keep these tools in mind as you face your next career transition, voluntary or otherwise. And don't be surprised if you still need the services of a career counselor or career coach. Guiding you through the process of what to do with the vast amount of information you'll find out is what WE do best!

Are you Dramatically Different?

This post by Troy White reminded me about a book I had forgotten - Doug Hall's brilliant "Jump Start Your Business Brain." The book is actually written for entrepreneurs and talks about how to differentiate your business, but much of the advice can just as easily be applied to differentiating YOURSELF in a job search.

How many resumes do you think cross the average recruiter's desk/email inbox in an average day? How many plain text resumes are dumped into the average candidate tracking system via an online form? The number varies depending on the size of the recruiting firm or company but it usually varies from "way too many" to "way, way too many." And you know what? They all look and sound the same.

When all businesses look and sound the same, the customer chooses on price. When all candidates look and sound the same, the company chooses on 'fit.' Have you worked in this exact position in the same industry, or not? Do your salary requirements fit?  Do you have a degree from a good school? Are you young enough (or old enough)?   

But what if your resume made all of that irrelevant because it clearly showed how your unique blend of skills and experience make you different from all the other marketing managers? And then what if you found a way to get your resume into the hands of someone in a position to interview you rather than posting it online with all the others?

In other words, what would happen if you differentiated yourself?

A Job Hunter's Biggest Mistake

Sharpening the job search campaign focus is critical to getting positive results as quickly as possible. Many candidates seem to fear that narrowing their focus might generate too small a pool of prospective employers.  However, quite the opposite effect happens when a candidate is not specific enough. In trying to appeal to a wide group of prospects, they often loose the focus needed to be memorable and remarkable to attract an employer’s attention.  Attempting to be something to everyone, they end up being nothing to anyone. Better to communicate a certain expertise than to be so adaptable that employers are not quite sure where you fit.  In today's highly competitive environment, employers are seeking to avoid risk in making hiring decisions which means selecting new employees who have direct experience. If a candidate doesn't designate an area of expertise in their marketing, it is then left to the recruiter or hiring manager to determine where they might fit. If the company figures wrong, the candidate loses the opportunity and worse, the employer may just pass on to another resume rather than bother to decipher what the candidate does. Caveat to job hunters: figure out what you want and go for it with a clear message showing your potential value targeting employers most likely to appreciate your value.

Unlock the Door to Working with Recruiters

Regardless of how accomplished an executive may be, my experience is that the majority of individuals (unless they have already worked successfully with a recruiter) are mystified by the whole process. Here, then, are a few keys for maximizing your success in penetrating the world of headhunters--to your job-search advantage.

The key to making your relationship with a recruiter a happy one is understanding how a recruiter works. Recruiters are job-placement professionals who are paid by the employing company to locate suitable candidates. In most cases, they are conducting a search for a specific position and are paid a fee if and when a placement is made (contingency recruiter). Some recruiters (known as retained recruiters) are constantly on the watch for appropriate employees for their client companies and are paid a retainer fee whether or not an actual match is made.

Once you are aware that the recruiter is not there to find you a job, but is paid to fill a position (with you or another candidate), you can understand why many recruiters will not spend a great deal of time discussing your career goals and aspirations (or even reading your e-mail beyond the subject line). If they don't have an immediate need for someone with your background, it's more advantageous for them to talk to people who do have the qualifications that they're seeking.

In the past, many recruiters would stockpile desirable candidates in hopes of a quick match once an assignment came in (often referred to in the industry as "building a stable"). Like everyone else these days, most recruiters are extremely busy and simply don't have the time to cultivate relationships with potential candidates (though this can occur).

So, should you eliminate recruiters from your search strategy? Absolutely not. After all, they are in the business of filling jobs and can be extremely valuable in your hunt for the perfect position. Just bear in mind a few key points, and your relationships with headhunters will be satisfying and mutually beneficial.

• Make sure your resume clearly conveys your branded capabilities. If you started with a broad resume to hit every possible position for which you're qualified, you should create separate, specifically targeted resumes to send to recruiters so they can tell at a glance how well you match the specific criteria of an available position. An equally strong case can be made by those in the recruiting industry for developing a resume that details quantifiable accomplishments and a targeted presentation of core competencies in a well-written summary--but with a cover letter that details the focus and direction. Keep in mind, though, that some recruiters discard cover letters altogether. For e-mail resume submissions to recruiters, use the subject line plus a single paragraph to describe yourself and key, transferable qualifications. Then paste a text-only version of your resume right into the e-mail as well as attach an MSWord version.

• Be concise, courteous, and professional. Don't show annoyance that the recruiter hasn't called. If you do reach the recruiter by phone, respect his or her time; be ready to state your key qualifications and summarize your background briefly, then provide more detail if invited. To make the initial conversation more productive, forward a copy of your resume before you call.

• Cultivate recruiter relationships when you're not looking for a job. If you are approached by a headhunter when you are not actively searching, capitalize on this contact by asking the recruiter about his or her niches, briefly discussing your background, and then (if possible) referring the recruiter to a colleague who might be a good match or referral point. Invite the recruiter to call you from time to time to see if your situation has changed. Create a contact list of knowledgeable recruiters, and when you're ready to launch your own job search, you'll have a great place to start.

Of course, working with recruiters should be just one of your job-search strategies. Rather than placing all of your eggs in one basket, use multiple approaches to increase your chances of finding a position that meets your diverse personal and professional goals. Happy hunting!

Your Permanent Record: Digital Dirt & Your Career

Whatever you put on the Internet stays on your permanent record. I'm paraphrasing Andy Sernovitz, Word of Mouth Marketing Association (www.womma.org), who spoke to marketing execs and business owners at a recent event.

Many of his recommendations and talking points apply directly to managing a successful career.

Your permanent record. Think about it. You've got a lot to say, you started a blog, and one of your favorite things to do is to pontificate on extreme political or religious issues. Hmm. Not necessarily a big plus, depending on the type of career move you're planning.

Many companies do a Google search before interviewing a candidate. What's on the net may hurt your chances. Sernovitz provided some excellent strategies to combat digital dirt.

He said that the more recent material gets read first. Put out more of the positive to bury the negative. Sernovitz recommended addressing bad blog press or reviews and fixing the problem. Because blogs are updated frequently, your ability to make a potentially bad situation end well can be a selling point. "This person did right by me." What a good thing for your permanent record.

And what a great way to demonstrate to potential employers your ability to solve problems.

Challenge: Search out blogs where your name may be mentioned and reply. Turn digital dirt into digital diamonds with positive communication.

All You Have to Do is Ask

I felt great today when I was able to connect someone in my network with an influential person at one of his target companies. I've known this job seeker for a year or more and knew in general what kind of job he was looking for, but I haven't been much help to him before this.

The difference? He asked. "I'm trying to connect with someone at Company A and would appreciate any help you can give me."

Voila! I know somebody at Company A, but I never would have thought to put them together until asked directly.

Lesson for your job search: Tell people SPECIFICALLY how they can help you and you'll get better results than asking vaguely for them to "keep their eyes open" or "keep you in mind."

Another lesson: You can go back to those SAME PEOPLE again and again, with differrent requests. "Your contact at Company A was really helpful, but it doesn't look like anything is opening up there. However, I've learned about an opportunity at Company B - who do you know there?"

Your contacts feel great when they can help you. So do your part by making your requests as specific as possible.

Get In Their Shoes - A New Approach to Networking

Landed FM is highlighting the new "Get in Their Shoes" campaign by the International Mentoring Network Organization. They describe the campaign as:

"a call to action by successful business leaders, athletes, entertainers, and politicians to rally youth and aspiring leaders to lift themselves out of their limiting circumstances by proactively interviewing successful professionals within their own communities."

The campaign is auctioning off 30-minute mentoring interviews with celebrities such as Steven Covey, Stan Lee and Daniel Libeskind. Landed Radio interviewed Patrick Tedjamulia, co-founder of IMNO and the concept of open source mentoring. You can hear the interview here and learn more about the campaign here.

Networks Aren’t Just for Job Hunting

I had an unexpected opportunity last week — on Tuesday afternoon I was asked by Fox Cable News to be at their New York City studios early Thursday morning for an on-camera interview. I’d never done TV so I was nervous, had no idea what to expect, no idea how to appear, and no idea how to act (translation: not embarrass myself.) And I only had a day or so to find out!

I swallowed my pride, admitted my knowledge and experience gaps, and reached out to my network of careers-industry colleagues for help. Within a matter of hours I had invaluable advice on wardrobe and makeup, a brainstorming partner for developing talking points, tips from an actor on how to reduce nervousness, and the heartfelt support of a virtual cheerleading squad.

Would you have been able to do the same? Take an honest look at your network – is it thriving? Or is it lackluster, dying of neglect, or just plain dead? What can you do to grow it or revive it? Investing time and attention in your network now will deliver career and personal rewards far into your future.

Challenge: Visit TheLadders to read my five-part series Jumpstart Your Network When Your Network is Nowhere (January 2006) and implement one strategy a week for five weeks – you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.