Rita Ashley, Career Coach. Field tested advice for executives.

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By admin, January 27, 2009 1:49 am

Stop telling me there are no jobs to be had. Layoffs make news, but there is so much more to the employment story. Saying there are no jobs for executives and tech leaders is like telling Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon there are no good acting roles for women over forty.

There is so much stealth mode activity going on, no one can accurately predict a technology employment outlook.

Read on for resources and companies.   For even more current info on who is hiring visit Seattle Examiner.com and  the WTIA job board.

And for those of you who insist you are going to tweet your way to a job, check out the Twitter listings for Seattle and follow SeattleTechJob.

Suit up. Find every reason to visit companies, friends and HR departments.  Talk to sales people, connect with vendors who service the companies you are interested in.  Don’t forget to go to trade shows.

Raoul Encinas, Technology, Services, & Project Executive, posted comments on LinkedIn every job seeker should consider.

“This will sound contrarian but thousands of companies are hiring in the Greater Metro Atlanta area right now. The reason you perceive that this is not the case is for 2 reasons: the mythical ‘hiring freeze’ and the way we hear about news.

It’s easy to write headlines and read about certain types of news stories, especially those that are negative. Here’s the obvious example – we all know what happened on the Hudson River recently with a US Airways plane. If there’s ANY commercial plane crash at all, you will hear about it.

When was the last time you saw or read a news report that ‘OVER 1000 PLANES LANDED SAFELY YESTERDAY’ at your local airport? Why is that not newsworthy?

That analogy, when applied to job search, helps you as follows. Keep in mind there are several million productive employed adults in your metro area. Consequently, many hundreds of companies employ large numbers of people, and even in difficult times such as these, VOLUNTARY turnover at those companies numbers 15%-25%. The reasons for these numbers are that ‘life happens.’ People get married, get divorced, move, die, just quit, go back to school, are sick of their boss, etc.

Take a random company with 1000 employees that experiences 20% turnover, and that company – EVEN IN A HIRING FREEZE – will very quietly be hiring about 3-4 people per week just to maintain existing levels of service and productivity.

Hiring freeze, for most companies, means net new adds. Incremental hiring. Growth/expansion-related hiring.   So don’t get hung up on who is hiring the MOST or REALLY hiring – lots of companies are. Focus more on identifying 20-40 target companies, and network your way directly into those companies so that you are on their radar. Figure out who typically is a decision-maker for your level and build that relationship.”

I couldn’t say it better myself.  Thanks Raoul.

If you know of job openings, let me know so I can post them here.  Send them to coach at jobsearchdebugged dot com or post through the comments section below.  Don’t forget to look at jobs posted on LinkedIn.  This list is about companies that are hiring, not recruiters or job boards.  Check back frequently as new companies are added.

1. Rafe Needleman of WebWare offers an ongoing list of companies hiring technical professionals.  Check his site periodically.  This list is impressive and real.
2. Big Fish Games has 35 openings in Seattle.
3. This link to Fortune’s list of companies that are hiring. is a good place to start.
4. Companies in Chicago that are hiring.
5. Elaina Dulaney, a PR and MarCom professional says she finds leads on craigslist.com.
6. Hundreds of consulting and temp positions are listed on Sologig.  Most are through agencies, but many are not.  You can search by geographic region.  By-pass the ‘offers’ to get to the search area.  Click here for a Seattle example.
7. Katarina Kibbon contribues this bit of job search info:  VisualCV is hosting a virtual job fair on February 3rd from 10-3 EST where 20+ employers from the DC/MD/VA area will be hiring for 200+ opportunities from account manager to senior management. Anyone interested can register for free at www.visualcvjobfairs.com.
8. VisialCV also lists companies they believe are hiring.  Katarina assures me the list is current; it is a good list.
9. Darrell DiZoglio submitted names of companies that are hiring: He believes they represent over 600 openings: Amazon, Schering Plough, British Petroleum, Booz Allen, TIAA-CREF and Kinetic Concepts.
10. Darrell suggests reading The Investors Business Daily .
11. Both Classmates.com and Redfin are rumored to be hiring in Seattle.
12. Check out Expedia for jobs in Seattle.
13. Don’t forget about Amazon in Seattle.  They always have critical needs for top techs.
14. Amanda Fletcher from Stonehenge says they have openings for consulting engineers in Tulsa area. Currently hiring for Project Managers, COGNOS developers, Web and Application Developers, Business Analysts and others.
15. Web designers may find jobs here.
16. 13 more companies hiring.
17. Mona Mcaldok of Vertaphone sumitted a link,: www.vertafore.com or contact Mona Valdok, Senior Recruiter at mvaldok@vertafore.com to learn about several open recs.
18. From Elizabeth Smith, Internal Recruiter for Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison is definitely looking for talent in key areas. Elizabeth can be contacted: elizabeth.smith@averydennison.com.  Contact her directly if you have questions..
19. Big Fish - Seattle game company has 35 openings
20. Amazon is hiring hoards of people in all sections of the company
21. Google is looking for product focused social networking pros
22. Shopzilla is hiring in L.A.

Check back to this blog location for ideas on how to conduct your search in a tight job market.  Learn to be the Meryl and Susan of job search.  For other resources check www.newjobinabox.com.

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By admin, January 26, 2009 6:02 pm

People have asked me if the statement is just a marketing pitch.   How is that possible, especially with the economy collapsing all around and Intel and Sun and even Microsoft have had and will have massive layoffs?

It isn’t rocket science.  I am selective about the clients I accept.  I look for chemistry, commitment and a willingness to learn.   I discover these traits by listening to their description about their circumstance, their needs and what they feel is the right solution.

I screen for candidates who grasp the value of a job search coach to land their six figure job; they see the fee as reasonable compared to an extended search.  They are people who know if they continue to use methods they have been using, they will continue to get the same results; no interviews or jobs.

Candidates  I accept for coaching want to learn to expand their network, to get their network to give them what they need.  They are willing to learn to conduct an excellent interview because they are prepared in a way they have never prepared before.  Clients are eager to overcome obstacles to their job search such as age, a bad reference and even shyness. They appear to be tough enough to handle our mock interview often called the toughest interview clients have ever had.

Questions I ask reveal their relationship to reality.  When I make a few suggestions, I listen to  their response.  Are they defensive?  Argumentative? Or do they present their opinions in a calm and professional manner?

I understand when a prospect talks too much, that is a correctable behavior.  I even accept the anger and frustration unemployment perpetuates.  I listen to see how they take responsibility for their decisions, their career and their successes.  Are they willing to move on?  My style is very direct and I don’t hide it.  If my style provokes their ire, or if they become taciturn, I try one more time, but if the chemistry isn’t right, I decline the opportunity to coach.

You can see, I prequalify my clients to assure our mutual success.  And that’s why I can safely say, all clients who follow my advice get the jobs they want.

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By admin, January 26, 2009 2:08 am

I am so mad I could bite a brick. I just had a conversation from someone laid off from a major Seattle bank.  He mentioned the outplacement services provided him with advice and support. He wasn’t impressed with the support but he said they created a terrific resume for him. He felt he had his job search covered.

His resume is awful. It is formatted nicely and looks good but it uses empty words like, ‘responsible for’ and ‘worked with.’  The resume did not have an objective or summary.  There were no accomplishments supported by metrics and it spent time describing him as a go getter and high energy leader with absolutely nothing to substantiate his claims.

There was nothing in his resume or cover letter to distinguish him from the hundreds of other Seattle technology executives looking for jobs. He has wasted five weeks working with the outplacement services and after all that time, he didn’t even have an elevator pitch. Because he felt let down by the coaching he got, he now feels job search coaches are useless.

People, please, don’t write off coaches after being disappointed using the services of an outplacement group.  While some can provide decent services, don’t assume you are getting what you need.  Vet the service just as you would vet a recruiter or other coach.  For the most part, people who work for the services are not job search coaches, they are outplacement administrators offering ‘one size fits none’ solutions to your job search.

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By admin, January 24, 2009 5:59 pm

In my view, there are two very important times in your life to brag, when job hunting and when proposing marriage. [Yes, women propose marriage, too.]  You rarely see career advice for executives that covers their mental outlook as they look for a job.  But self confidence is the biggest asset a candidate can have.

Bragging is an important part of a job search.  It keeps your confidence high and it communicates to others why they should support your job search efforts.  If you need to learn to toot your own horn, read Peggy Kraus’s book”Brag.”

My clients are advised to keep a brag journal.  At the end of each week, they can read it to a loved one.  Reading it when spirits flag is another good use.  And a quick read before bedtime helps you get out of bed the next morning to see what new entry is in store.

And if you are employed, a brag journal helps you remember your triumphs and how you got there; a real asset when it is time to create a new resume.

But mostly, a brag journal is a great tool for keeping your spirits up.  You are reminded you are no less competent just because the financial or employment worlds are collapsing.  You are  no less talented when jobs are scarce.

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By admin, January 21, 2009 12:22 pm

Resources to learn more about personal branding

My clients often ask for more information and different points of view on personal branding.   We start our coaching relationship with a focus on their brand  and how to up their brand exposure.  In the job search game, exposure is the most important factor so we start by creating the right focus.

For efficiency sake, I created this  list of resources where you can read about the importance of personal branding and how to affect your own brand.  All start from the fact that you have a brand whether you know it or not, so you might as well gain control over it for career optimization.  While the list is not exhaustive, it provides enough resources to get you going.  Check back frequently as I add to this list.  Feel free to let me know other resources you have found to be valuable.

Shivonne Byrne’s blog is an ongoing discussion of thoughts on strategy, business, marketing, content & creativity.

Tom Peters (TJPET@aol.com) is the world’s leading brand when it comes to writing, speaking, or thinking about the new economy. “The Brand YOU 50? is Tom’s complete guide to personal branding.  Look for “Tom Peters’ Career Survival Guide” (Houghton Mifflin interactive),   In Search of Excellence and A Passion for Excellence.

Tom Peters comments on Brand for Fast Company.

Managing Brand You by Jerry S. Wilson, Vice president of Pepsi is renown for his branding successes.  He turns his expertise to individuals in Managing Brand You; an excellent guide to taking charge of your own personal marketing through branding.

Dan Schawbel tells readers how to get their brand into the public eye.

Chris Brogan talks about building a strong brand online using examples you will recognize.  Click here for his bio.

Quintessinal Careers lists many articles on personal branding and the job search.

Dealing with your digital dirt by an Execunet career guide is another resource for understanding the problem and solution to digital dirt.

Job Mob shares the ultimate list of resources to view and clean your digital dirt.

CFO.com discusses personal digital dirt and the harm it can do.

Peggy Klaus discusses how to toot your horn the right way.  This is a must read book for those reluctant to go beyond, ‘actions speak louder than words.’

William Arruda stresses the importance of personal branding in seminars and training sessions.

Martin Lindstrom is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-selling author of Buy-ology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. Lindstrom is the CEO and Chairman of the LINDSTROM company and the Chairman of BUYOLOGY INC New York and BRAND sense Agency London.  While he advises corporations about branding, much of the content is relevant to any professional who hopes to establish their own brand.

justbrand.me A common sense blog that speaks to the heart of the branding issues.

Branding made simple  Installment One

Branding made simple installment two

Branding made simple installment three

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By admin, January 14, 2009 11:43 pm

Why on earth are you spending your precious job search time on the job boards? If you are a technology professional or executive, you are wasting your time.  Job boards don’t work for executive level or six figure jobs.

• Did you know that less than 1 percent of executive level jobs are filled using job boards?  Ever wonder why you can’t find statistics on their close rate?  And that is the metric you want.  I discovered the number when I had a not-for-publication interview with a former VP from a major outplacement firm.
• The majority of jobs are landed through networking introductions.  MonsterTrak states:  Between 60 and 80 percent of all jobs are landed through networking. My personal experience keeps that number for executives closer to the 80% mark.

For more details on the failure of job boards click here to read the statistics and comments from the job board’s executives.  Nick Corcodilos of AskTheHeadhunter wrote several informative blogs on the topic and his site is a ‘must read’ for anyone considering using a job board.

Anne Fisher reports in Fortune Magazine, “TheLadders.com, another job board for managers in the $100,000-a-year-and-up category, reported that more than 400 employers and recruiters signed on in the last three months of the year, looking to hire executives.”  While that is good news in terms of the job market, and Anne’s column is a must read to understand why you can be optimistic, the fact that the listings exist does not mean they will be filled using the job board.

What is not reported is there were thousands of job seekers reading and responding to those listings; most of whom will neither hear back nor be considered.  And for those few who may be considered, referred candidates will get preferential treatment.  You are more likely to be contacted about a multi-level marketing opportunity than a real job.  So, even if you do get a response, it is incumbent on you to vet the employer before you respond.

Recruiters give preference to referred candidates and employers prefer to talk to referred candidates so much, many companies place a bounty on heads referred by employees. Job board ExecuNet conducted a survey of recruiting firms and found that networking was the source for 63 percent of all candidates that the recruiters placed in executive job openings.

So, why are you wasting your time using job boards?

Want more information?  Ask the Headhunter reviews TheLadders in detail on his blog and newsletter.  He quotes actual conversations with Ladder’s employees who reveal they do not vet jobs or candidates for salary. That makes The Ladders a very expensive Monster.

But wait, there’s more. Readers of this blog site will remember I caution about revealing contact information on job boards because of spam, bogus job offers and multilevel marketing schemes.  Last week Monster’s database was hacked and all contact information was stolen.  Just wait for the pshing to begin.

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By admin, January 12, 2009 3:49 pm

“Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition” by Guy Kawasaki is exactly the book to read if you are thinking about starting your own venture.

Why is a job search coach with her own books on job search advising to buy a book on starting your own company?  Because most of my clients have aspirations to get their own gig.  Some just want to start a consulting practice (which has its own tough rules) but most fantasize about running their own company; some even have product ideas. Most have market niche ideas (the ever popular mobile computing idea arises frequently with new tools and applications) and all are convinced they have what it takes to start and run a company.

Read Guy’s book for your reality check.  Guy has been around for a long time, long enough to remember the dot bombs in the ’90s and even, dare I say, the beginnings of desk-top publishing.   He has ventured, funded, started and observed.  And he doesn’t suffer fools gladly; Guy is quick to see the emperor is naked and the good news is, he tells people.

• If you are even slightly tempted to start your own venture read this book.
• If you are tempted to join a start-up, read this book.
• If you are planning to fund a start up, read this book.
• If you are already in a start up, read this book.
• If you just started a company, read this book.

And if you just want insight to what it takes to make a start-up gain traction, read this book.  Almost as good a behind the curtain read as Tracy Kidder’s “The Soul of the New Machine.”  If you are really serious about a start-up, then also read is Guy’s, The Art of the Start.

Pay special attention to Guy’s advice about why people who have never done “it” before have a better chance of success than do “serial entrepreneurs.”

I have met with and enjoyed presentations by Guy.  He is a no nonsense straight shooter who absolutely cares about technology and the start-up world.  His passion is helping people get it right.  And if you need further inducement to buy his book, read his Amazon promo:  Guy Kawasaki has written nine books, including The Art of the Start (a BusinessWeek bestseller), Rules for Revolutionaries, and How to Drive Your Competition Crazy. He writes one of the most popular blogs in the world. He is also a cofounder of Garage Technology Ventures (an early-stage venture capital firm).

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By admin, January 9, 2009 5:38 pm

The signs are there, you stand a good chance of losing your job in the next round of lay offs. But you want the job change to happen in your own time frame to give you more options.  That’s when a stealth-mode job search is in order; you will look for a job without notifying your employer of your intentions.

If your employer finds out you are looking for a job on company time, some employers take immediate action.  Most will dismiss you and if there is a pending lay off, you are now assured a place in that jobless line.  Others will refuse to give you a decent reference.

“I know people look for a job when they still work for me.  It is a fact of life.  But it is also a fact of life that I can’t tolerate less than full commitment on a project.  If someone is distracted and absent or using company time to scan websites for their search and I discover they are interviewing, I dismiss them immediately.  This gives me the chance to put someone in place who is dedicated to our schedules.” Ross T. VP New Products.

There is no such thing as a confidential job search because people like to gossip.  As soon as you enter the building of the prospective employer you run the risk of being recognized.  Consider the concept of three degrees of separation. When you are seen in an unexpected place they automatically assume you are looking for a new job, especially when you are wearing appropriate job search apparel.

Once you actually interview, the people with whom you interview will start to ask their network about you informally.  You have no control over this and no amount of assurance of confidentiality will change this.  Human nature will not be circumvented just because someone assures you they won’t disclose your intentions. Assume no one will keep your secret; in fact, understand it is unreasonable for you to ask, to give so much power.  Know how to handle the awkward conversation and the consequences when your search is discovered.

Protect your self as best you can with the following:

• Don’t use the company computer.  Most companies, whether they say so or not, monitor email and Internet usage.  You can use email accounts such as hotmail and gmail because the mail never lands on your office servers.
• Use your personal cell phone, not the company land line.
• Leave the office to talk on your cell phone.
• Schedule vacation time for interviews.
• Don’t use the office computer for your Internet searches or job board results

The most sophisticated technique for a stealth-mode search requires you to maintain your brand.  The more visible you are on blogs, websites, commentary and social networks, the more likely you are to be found.

A passive job search means you have a blog, write white papers and present at seminars.  It is all about building a brand others will recognize.  For more detail on how to manage your brand, read Dan Schawbel’s book, “Me 2.0.”  Branding isn’t just for stealth-mode job search, but it is an important component.

After you accept the offer for your new job, leave your employer with dignity.  Resist the impulse to tell them your negative impressions of the way they conduct their business; these people will be references for your next career move.

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By admin, January 2, 2009 6:36 pm

Find email addresses for people who will hire you.

Executives and  technology professionals in job search mode face the daunting challenges of finding and connecting with senior executive who can advance their search. The challenge is made all the harder when you ask:

1. How do I discover who they are?
2. How do I discover their credentials to determine what they can do for me?
3. How do I discover their contact information?

Once you know what company you want to approach search the web site “about us” section to find the names of strategic executives.  Read their bios, do a web search to discover their other affiliations and above all, look for them on LinkedIn. Find people in your network who can/will introduce you.

If you have no one in your network, use the ‘search’ feature and ‘company alerts’ function to find second or third level connections and connect with those who will help.  If that doesn’t get you to the right people, look to your own Internet search for a solution.

Zoom Info provides names and contact information for 38 million people for a fee.  The service, and others like it, may be an asset for a highly targeted job search.  Though my own test of the free information on my name (you can do the same) provided out of date and insufficient information, it is a good place to start.  Services like Zoom use data they obtain by extensive Internet search for mention of a given individual’s name.  If their information is incomplete or missing, services typically have no way to add or correct. The info is still useful because knowing former employers and board members may lead you to the people with whom you want to connect.

A dependable resource for finding either the contact information for the person to whom you hope to connect or those with whom they work is  a search engine string:  “email * xyz.com ” including the quotes and where xyz is the name of the company.

If it is U.S. Postal information you desire, try:  “mailto ** xyz.com “, again use the quotes and xyz is the company name.

I don’t advise home contact, but if all roads are blocked, you can often locate home numbers using: first name, last name, zip code.

For more detail on locating, connecting with and enticing hiring authorities to help with your job search, read, “Job Search Debugged, Insider’s Guide to Job Search.”

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