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By rashley, May 13, 2009 2:28 pm

Executives, are you using the same job search techniques you did when you were a manager or individual contributor?

Six figure income executives visit a different job search landscape from that of individual contributors and managers.

Over eighty percent of executive jobs are filled through some form of networking.  Thus, the tsunami of advice to job seekers to use social networking sites, job boards and resume submission-based recruiters is simply wrong.  Don’t get caught in a wave of desperation and give away your executive edge.

Here are just some of the errors I encounter weekly:

Executives send their resume to anyone with an email address. I am a job search coach yet half of the people who contact me to learn what I do send me an unsolicited resume.  I am not a recruiter, do not place people and have no direct access to employers.  I asked one sales executive why he sent his resume and his answer was, “You never know.”  Not a great strategy for an executive job search.

LinkedIn profile is the resume. Why would anyone call to ask for your resume if they have already read it?  There is no texture or color, just a resume.  The profile is an opportunity to create buzz; it is a marketing opportunity, not a biography.

Executives succumb to recruiters who cast gill nets for resumes on public forums.  How can you distinguish yourself with a mass resume acquisition process?  Recruiters who place executives have connections to those executives.  They expect to be introduced by way of their network; they do not use job boards or cattle calls to locate the “A” players their clients require.

Not knowing how to get an introduction, many executives resort to unsolicited email or even Federal Express to convey their resume.  As hiring authorities, when was the last time you responded to a spam-like email with a resume?  Bet you didn’t even open the attachment.   It is not unusual that subsequent emails will be blocked as spam.

And that resume you mailed, FedEx or not, will land on an admin’s desk and be forwarded to HR, not the manager.  Who knows what happens from there.

Cold calling the hiring authority sounds better than it is. Assuming you can even get through, making a pitch to an executive is typically seen as an aggressive intrusion.  Again, remember how you feel when someone pitches to you during your busy work day.  It is unlikely you will be invited to send your resume or interview, plus, the person you called is annoyed with you and will remember your name.  If you find another avenue to present your credentials, they are now seen as damaged goods.

When did you learn how to conduct a job search? Looking for a job is something most executives rarely do.  Most “A” players never have because they were always recruited.  They rarely had to ask for introductions, leads or find a recruiter.

So how do you become as expert at job search as you are at doing your job?  The successful look for advice from experts, ask for help and listen to any critique they can garner.  But there is so much bad advice out there, how do you know what will work for you?

Vet the advice the same way you would vet any vendor; check references.  Ask if you are the target audience.

Examine their credentials.

• Do they have experience hiring people like you or working directly with hiring authorities (Not HR)?
• Have they been an executive?
• Do they have a track record and time in service?
• Is that resume writer experienced with hiring people who do what you do?
• What do hiring authorities say about resumes from that service?

Be especially careful with advice you find on public forums. Most of it is directed towards people less senior in their career.  There are more of them and that is the sweet spot for most advice and employment service providers.  Much advice is offered by people who consider their advice, ‘giving back’ not realizing they don’t have the experience or world view to know if their advice is appropriate for others and in this job market.  It is akin to the CTO taking the advice of the product manager on how to architect an IT revitalization.

Take care to protect your brand. If you are a qualified senior executive, be selective in your job search techniques; you are judged by the company you keep and your process.  Vet the advice and vet the people who represent you.  Be as selective and careful in your job search as you are when you run your organization.

My solution: You wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t looking for job search advice.  You checked my bio or have read my blogs and LinkedIn comments so you know you can trust my insights.  Now it’s time for you to take aggressive action on your job search to get the interviews you want and the offers you need.  Deconstruct your job search process and rebuild it from the ground up.  Purchase Job Search Debugged to walk you through an effective executive-level job search. Learn from hiring authorities and an industry insider who tells you where the rocks are and how to avoid them.  The book is specific to executives and has received rave reviews from my clients as well as general readers.

Join my LinkedIn group, Employment advice for executives.  Use the search box under find a group and enroll.  Executives only, no recruiters or other service providers.  Just advice, discussions and job lead sharing.  Ask questions, tell folks what resources work for you and gather with peers for support.

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By admin, April 19, 2009 1:31 pm

Do you know how the world sees you?

DIGITAL JOB SEARCH AND PERSONAL BRANDING

Installment number three

Years ago, when computers were steam-driven and search engines like Google and Yahoo were not yet  household words, I searched on my name.  I had a website, an established business as a job search coach and what I assumed was a wide-spread Seattle-based reputation in the technology community.  Imagine my surprise when my name search rendered no results.

Today, that same search results in pages of entries including my website, magazine articles, blogs and even long-forgotten comments on a variety of sites.  Mixed in are various other ‘Rita Ashley’s’ but since they seem to be accomplished women, I am not embarrassed by their digital footprint.  Folks looking for me know I am neither a Raytheon employee nor serve on a the Olanthe school board.

The real win when you set your alert is you can qualify which John Smith you want to find.  Employers know to use alerts such as John Smith, teacher, Tucson to find exactly the person they want to vet.  You can do the same.

Is it vanity to check my on-line presences?  Not one bit.  It is a smart business decision to monitor what the world sees.  And if you are a $100,000+ professional, it is your business to monitor and maintain your brand and appear to the world as an expert in your domain.

But is a search engine enough? There are many entries hidden in blogs or articles where my name may be used by others.  A small group of irate recruiters, for example, took umbrage at a blog I wrote warning candidates about traps set by recruiters.  They say horrible things about me.  Since I know, I can do some damage control.

How did I find out?  I set search engine alerts for my name, my company and a few key words associated with job search coaching for executives and technology leaders.  Most of the entries I receive are irrelevant but there are often a few tidbits that are very useful.  In addition to monitoring my brand, I often find new blogs where my advice or comments will be seen by folks in need and sometimes, I meet like-minded contributors with whom I can establish a common bond.

Setting alerts is a simple first-step in creating your on-going personal branding monitoring program; an important component of building a healthy personal brand.   To learn more about your digital presence, choose a few tools from this comprehensive list created by JobMob.  No need to use them all, but pay special attention to those that look for blogs and social networking comments.

Time for some clean-up?  Here’s a few tips for starters.  Return to this blog frequently as the Digital Job Search Branding series continues.

Click here to learn why your brand is critical to your job search Installment One

Click here for installment two on Digital Job Search and Branding.

For discussion of how to discover how the world sees you: installment three.

Click here for installment four to discover your current identity.

Click here to start your branding efforts for your job search installment five

Click here for more resources

For a step-by-step guide to networking that understands networking can be hard.

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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 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, November 19, 2008 8:38 pm

DON’T TRAP YOURSELF WITH NON-BELIEF

Reports indicate over 160,000 jobs lost nationally to date this year and a forecast by outplacement professionals, Challenger Gray and Christmas, declares a projected loss of over 180,000 tech jobs for 2009.  The question, “Will I be laid off?” is inevitable.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know one way or the other?  Unfortunately, this is one time in your life when you simply can’t get the information you need to see what your future holds.  You can only make a “best guess.”   It is to no company’s best interest to let people know about layoffs before they actually occur.  So instead, we engage in wishful thinking; arranging reality to prove the outcome we want.  Some examples:

I can ask: How can you know?  You can’t ask your boss; by definition, managers can’t reveal what is not yet made public.  It is a breach of ethics and a cause for firing.  If they say anything, it will be a flat out denial. The work you and the team are doing still needs to be done until other arrangements are made.

It’s just a rumor: If you heard a rumor, for instance, of a 10% cutback in force, where did the rumor originate?  Companies often “leak” this information to soften the blow with the press and investors when the hammer falls.  If you heard the rumor, it is probably true.

I am safe because I survived the layoff. The first wave of layoffs left your job in tact; does that mean your job is safe?  Probably not.  If your team has been reduced significantly, you can expect to be laid off in the next wave.  Layoffs usually come in threes.  Companies typically stage layoffs giving as much as 60 days notice or severance and the expense is huge.  Conducting layoffs in stages is one way to manage the bottom line consequences of massive layoffs.

The company has never had a layoff so I feel safe. Every company has had layoffs, they just don’t always call them that.  Projects are canceled, reorganizations occur and functions are sent off shore. Sure you are often given time to find a new job within the company, but that typically works only sometimes in the soundest of business climates.  When there are project cuts throughout the corporation, it is doubtful you will find a new spot internally.  You weren’t laid off but you are out of a job.

My function is too critical to the company to drop me: No such thing.  While you are thinking logically, you don’t have all the information.  Layoffs are often instigated by the Board of Directors.  Their agenda and that of the CEO are very different from the rank and file.  They are concerned with shareholder value and equity.

Most “C” level executives and certainly the Board, focus on the bottom line AND the stock price.  The triage they do is simple; what is absolutely necessary to shore up and/or maintain the stock price.  Each project/department and product is vetted against rule one; will keeping this team in tact generate revenue and contribute to the bottom line right now?  If there is any doubt about the necessity of your project/product in that vein, you are vulnerable for a layoff.

If yours is a long range or research project, you are vulnerable.  If you are an evangelist or if you are working on projects that keep the company in the public’s eye but do not actively generate attributable revenue, your job is at risk.

I am friends with my boss, he won’t fire me:  Marching orders are marching orders.  While many executives have discretion over who will get a pink slip, business trumps friendship every time.  Do you honestly believe your boss will put her job on the line to save yours?

And the real error in this thinking is that just because your boss is friendly, doesn’t mean he is your friend.  An efficient work environment is lubricated with friendly behaviors.  The best managers know a convivial work culture tends to be a productive one.

Don’t mistake that trip to your boss’s cabin with BFF.  In fact, if you really are friends, it is likely yours will be the first position to be cut so he won’t be accused of favoritism.  And don’t think for one minute that your boss whom you believe to be your friend will warn you if you are at risk.  She will only say what she is allowed to say; which is no one is in jeopardy of a layoff, or I haven’t heard one way or the other.

For advice on protecting your self from a layoff:  Can you protect yourself from unemployment?

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By admin, November 19, 2008 8:14 pm

Steps you can take to Avoid being laid off.

Layoffs and cuts back are forecast through out every US industry.  If one believes this view of the employment future, how should you prepare?  If you feel you are at risk, what can you do to manage the threat?

Middle Managers and Top Sales Executives are typically the first to go.  Their jobs are easily spread among others or disappeared completely.  And their job titles represent the most common in corporate America.  How do you protect yourself from being one of the many?  How do you make certain you can find another job?

How do you protect your job?

If decisions are made to cut the product or team, you have little recourse.  But there are steps to take to remove the bulls eye from your back:Your first defense against a layoff is to make absolutely certain you are doing your job to the best of your ability and you are exceeding corporate expectations.  Ask your manager what you can do better.  Then do it.

• Look for ways to save money in your department.  Demonstrate fiscal responsibility and help your employees do the same.  Let management know what you are doing and offer to help other departments do the same.
• Look around the company to discover vital tasks that need doing and which will contribute to the bottom line in either savings or new customer acquisition.
• Keep in mind your customers are having similar problems.  Propose ways to partner with them to prevent a crisis.
• Suggest ideas which are vital to improving the products or services the company sells at little or no cost.
• Work hard to demonstrate your concern for customer retention.  Sell your ideas on how better to service the customer base without spending more money.
• Communicate your efforts to other departments and become known within the corporation as the go-to person for mentoring and solutions critical to keeping the company on track.
• Take credit when you do any of the above and let management know you are vital to the corporate mission.
• Last, but not least, now is the time to network, network, network.  When the time comes, you will already have a leg up on the competiton.

It happened: Often you have no way to protect yourself from a layoff.  Here’s what you can do to make yourself employable even in a down market filled with many others after the same spot you hope to land.

• Ascertain what distinguishes you from all the other candidates who do what you do.  Lead with it as you approach opportunities.
• Determine the single highest priority hiring companies look for in a new hire in your position.  Define yourself as the embodiment of that priority.
• Line up your references to taut your abilities and experience in that area.
• Target companies smaller than the one you left and represent yourself as an expert who can not only do the job, but as someone who can train and cross train the department to weather the downturn in business.

Above all else, always appear confident. Remind yourself daily of your successes and remember it is the economy, not your abilities that caused your unemployment.  Self assured people always get top consideration for new opportunities regardless of the employment market.

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By admin, October 17, 2008 8:08 pm

You gave your employer many opportunities to make things right. You told them of your needs and they did not respond. Now that you tendered your resignation, they are ready to oblige. Should you accept the counter offer?

Fortune Magazine reported a few years back that of people who accepted counter offers, only 25% were still with their employer at the end of one year. And most reported that the reasons for which they originally wanted to leave did not change.

The danger of accepting a counter offer extends to other career damaging events: You are no longer considered a trusted team player so you are passed over for the big projects. Or you resigned at an inconvenient time for the company. They need time to regroup, perhaps find your replacement. Then they can fire you.

Advice: Trust yourself. You interviewed and received an offer for an attractive company. Don’t be confused by the counteroffer. Don’t succumb to the apprehension of starting something new and convince yourself staying with your current employer will benefit you. It rarely does when you accept a counter offer.

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By thejobcoach, September 22, 2008 3:08 pm

Jump from Director to Vice President

The biggest leap you will make in your career is from Director to Vice President. The jump from Director to Vice President is so difficult because a Vice President is commonly an officer of the company with implied legal liability.

The Board and “C” level employees are certain to vet a prospective Vice President very carefully because it is extremely costly to remove a VP once in place. Firing a Vice President creates bad publicity and can affect the stock price, not to mention the disruption of running the business.

1. The clearest path to jump to a VP level job is to be promoted. More commonly, currently in place Directors are promoted to Vice President because they have proven they can stand up to the challenge and the scrutiny of the Board. They have proven themselves in a manner no outside candidate can. Even if you are not especially interested in a longer career with your current employer, a promotion is your clearest path to VP. Take steps to make that happen possibly using a Coach. Once you have achieved VP status, you will be seen as a VP candidate generally.

2. To get to a VP level job from outside the company a candidate must be so outstanding they can be compared favorably with the Director in place. This takes excellent credentials, notable references and usually, a referral to the company by a respected Board member.

Your job is to connect with Board members and “C” level executives in a way that demonstrates your expertise and experience. Become a speaker and a contributor on your area of expertise and you get not just name recognition, but the panache of positive publicity.

3. Focus on companies with half the revenue and half the personnel of your current company. Position yourself as the person who can get the company where it wants to go. Understand that a Vice President is all about strategy whereas a Director is about tactics. Calibrate your vocabulary accordingly. Make absolutely certain you know and understand the target company’s corporate mission before you approach them. Tailor your remarks to include their mission.

Your next challenge is to find opportunities as a Vice President. One quick method is to meet and impress existing VPs and encourage them to forward inquiries in which they are not interested your way. For more advice on making the jump from Director to Vice President read Job Search Debugged.

For Job Search Tools, Click here:

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By admin, June 10, 2008 12:23 pm

Very few people, including the most senior executives, are trained to conduct a good hiring interview.  And no one admits to being interview challenged so there is little room for people hoping to hire the best to learn how to do it. 

Which means execuctive candidates often encounter people whose interview techniques leave them feeling diminished.  Some companies encourage interviewers to be abusive or disrespectful of candidates believing they learn how people perform under pressure and also believing they can discover people who can take the heat. 

The actual dynamic is that interview tactic, one that forces the candidate into a wall or no win role play is a sure fire way to discover who pushes back.   Who has lowered self esteem and who, therefore, will work 24/7 to win the approval of the company.  You are most likely to discover this sort of behavior in start-up or early stage companies with young CEOs.

While this works for some companies, especially those whose success is determined by hiring young people whose identity is their job, it doesn’t work for most confident senior executives.   When you find yourself interviewed by people who learned to be abusive to candidates and are now CEOs or other C level executives, and you are feeling uncomfortable; that is data you can use to evaluate the position.   You have just learned about management style and how it makes you feel.

Sure you feel awful because the interview went badly in your eyes, but that is not important.  There is no win in this interview for a mature, confident candidate.  It is designed that way.  What is important is you learned a lot about the company, the corporate culture and their willingness to be abusive to get what they want.  The interview worked; you discovered this is the wrong environment for you.  In the words of the Great Monty Python, “Run Away.”

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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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