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

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By admin, June 18, 2008 3:17 pm

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot extremely good Executive Recruiters who are worth their weight in gold. But the industry didn’t garner the reputation of being “the used car salespeople” of the business world without reason.

Those most vulnerable to the antics of a few bad apples are Executives who have been out of the job market for a while. Most of us assume the best in people until proven otherwise. With Recruiters and your executive or “C” level career, it is best assume the worst and protect yourself.

Let me be frank; an Executive Salary of $150,000 can generate between $45,000 and $67,500 commission for the Recruiting Firm. Recruiters are highly motivated to make the placement. And no matter how nice, or how friendly, you know from your life experience, you never really know what someone will do when they are under financial pressure.

Armed with this knowledge, play it safe. Avoid telling a Recruiter names of companies for which you are already in consideration or have submitted a resume. If they have the search for that job, you have just become the competition. The trick is, if they offer to represent you in that company, you have to decline their assistance but decline in such a way that they are not tempted to sabotage your efforts, no matter how innocent the “mistake” may appear.

I actually know first hand of a highly visible technology Recruiter who let it “slip” to her client that a candidate she was not representing had been fired without cause from his previous job. It was patently untrue, and to her credit, she did clarify weeks later, but the damage had been done.

And if the Recruiter asks you to submit a list of all the companies where you have interviewed, RUN AWAY. The most likely reason for the request is the Recruiter is looking for leads to new clients for her other candidates. Let the Recruiter be pro-active; have her ask your consent before she presents you to any company. Then you can determine if representation is required.

Once you have determined a given Recruiter deserves the honor of representing you, always treat her with respect. Remember, she is a gatekeeper and should be treated with the same respect and professionalism as you would treat any member of the Board of Directors. Use that as your base-line for your behavior and you won’t go wrong.

For detailed support for your search, purchase Job Search Debugged, Insider’s Guide to Job Search.  For highly targeted and personalized guidance with your job search, consider Job Search Coaching.

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By admin, June 9, 2008 2:44 pm

Stop Complaining.  So, you were passed over, moved aside or just plain fired.  You had a bad boss.  They were wrong, you were a good employee and you want to vent.  Don’t do it.  The only people who should know about your ill-feted employment tenure are your significant other, your best friend and your job search coach. 

Sure it feels great to vent about the bad boss or the company to get sympathy and commiseration.  But it harms your reputation beyond repair.  While folks love to gossip and tell stories of their own horrible bosses, they don’t hire the people who tell such stories. 

Instead of being remembered as the person who landed the biggest sale or released the most updates to a critical product offering, you will be remembered as the person who got screwed over by their boss.  Not the best brand to have.  So, keep your mouth shut and never say one negative word about your employer or your boss.  Your words will bite you for a long time.

And don’t forget, you live in a very tiny vocational world.  Whatever you say about your former boss or employer will resonate in their halls for a long time.  Now they have permission to say negative things about you.  Ooops, there goes your brand.

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By admin, June 9, 2008 12:58 pm

Job Search Advice for Executives multiplies daily.  Fact is, there is nothing new under the sun.  Executive Job Search is the most conventional, tradition bound and unchanging facet of business.  In fact, when candidates veer from the path of the ordinary, they often lose out. 

Hiring authorities are very good at pattern recognition; they know what has worked in the past and they hope to replicate if going forward.  This means no outside-the-box thinking, no fancy resume formats and no tricks. 

One sales candidate sent a stiletto shoe with a audio taped resume to the CEO with a note, “Got my Foot in the Door.”  While the action was remembered, even repeated, the CEO didn’t want to hire a clown.  He wanted a three-piece suit sales exec like the rest of his quota busting sales team.

The reason hiring authorities stick to the conventional is, it works.  The traditions became traditions for precisely that reason.  So if you are tempted to wear a polka dot tie or sing your resume, keep in mind, you will be remembered, but not hired.

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By admin, May 20, 2008 11:56 am

GET TO KNOW WHO YOU KNOW

Executive jobs are hard to find in the best of times; and executive job search in a recession is daunting.  Most executives have been so heads-down working long hours that when it is time to look for a job, they are bewildered at whom to call, who may be hiring and how to compete.

Many, to their profound disappointment, find their first response is to head directly to the $100,000 job boards.  Others just flounder.  As an alternative, executive jobs can be found by asking the right people the  right question.  Too obvious?  I have worked with executives in pursuit of a job for two decades, trust me when I say, it is not always that apparent to someone panicked by pending unemployment.

Let’s get to the point.  Most executive jobs are not posted in the newspaper or other media.  They are filled, primarily, by word of mouth especially during a recession because employers want to avoid the risk of hiring someone no one in their circle knows.  Your job is to find out who is spreading the word. 

Take for instance your current or most recent employer.  All the people who use to work for you are connections to possible leads.  All the people to whom you reported are absolutely resources to call on for leads and introductions to others who can tell you about jobs. 

And the most often missed, whether you are a Director or CEO, is the Board of Directors and the Investors.  They are the richest resource for new opportunities if you get on their radar.  These people know you, perhaps not the day to day work you did, but they do know the results.  And unless you were fired for cause, they have a vested interest in giving you an assist.  It is good PR and more importantly, especially the investors, these executives are always looking for excellent talent with whom to seed other companies on whose Boards they sit.

They are connected to a world of companies, not just your employer.  Leverage that connection and research all the other companies with which each Board Member and Investor is affiliated.  You will be surprised to see how long that list is.  So take heart, you know more people than you think.

OK, it sounds easier than it is.  Especially at a time when your most important asset, your self confidence is flagging.  That’s when you need the support of a job search coach.

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By admin, May 18, 2008 5:41 pm

TELL THEM I WILL BE CALLING

Business Telephone Etiquette requires you offer your name.  And isn’t it wonderul when you are put right through?    Want to make certain that happens every time?  Get an introduction.

Often the key to getting an introduction is to write one and send it to the person who will make the introduction.  That saves the person the concern over what to say and increase the probablility the introduction will happen.  Be sure to include your brand or elevator pitch.

Example: 

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By thejobcoach, May 15, 2008 6:17 am

Executives and Technology Professionals conducting a Job Search are often seduced by the lure of easy access to Senior positions listed on Job Boards. It is entirely understandable…send in a resume for a monstrously wonderful job and sit back and wait for a telephone interview. When it doesn’t come, when in fact no acknowledgement at all is received, the candidate is often left demoralized. “How does this happen? I have great credentials and there is a good match. Why haven’t I heard back?”

Sadly, Executive positions listed on Job Boards are seldom active, real or the main resource for sourcing candidates. Most companies rely heavily on referrals. Job boards    are a last resort. And even then, one must ask why referrals didn’t provide the right candidate. Does the company’s community know something you don’t? Some companies leave old listings on Job Boards as advertisement for their growth.

Fact is, less than 1.5% of any Executive positions are filled through Job Boards. My advice? Don’t waste your time. Focus on finding referrals and introductions and make personal contact. Most Executive and certainly Technology Executives are hired by way of personal referrals.

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By thejobcoach, May 7, 2008 8:04 pm

WHY WILL I GET THE JOB?

Executive employment is not a mystery but we sometimes miss the point. Companies hire people to maximize revenue and profitability. No matter how it is dressed up, no matter how we protest, regardless of the niche, the bottom line is the bottom line. We talk about growing a company, succeeding in our space, becoming the standard, beating the competition and releasing new products, but the true desired outcomes are revenue generation and profitability.

Knowing this, it is easy to understand why you must declare at the outset what you have accomplished that will help the company towards increased revenue potential. You do this with a clear definition of what you have accomplished that is germane to their needs and prove what you say with a metric for that success. This is the true key to executive employment.

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