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

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By rashley, February 1, 2010 6:25 pm

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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 10, 2009 10:25 pm

Job Search Engines

If you are engaged in a serious job search, you have run into job search engines. They aggregate job descriptions from a variety of sources, most directly from the hiring company. They tend to duplicate one another, but they are all worth using for those exceptions.

They are not job boards.  If they require you submit a resume, they are a job board, not a job search engine. Their only function is to list companies with job openings.  They don’t charge money and they don’t require resume submission.  They simply list opportunities and you select whom you want to contact.  The occasional job board or recruiter listing slips in, but you can ignore them in favor of direct employers.

My test for a director of development showed many jobs on The Ladders and other job boards but those same jobs were also shown at the company web site for direct connections.

If you use these job search engines, understand that not every company uses the same terminology for the same job. Use a variety of titles to round up the greatest selection of jobs you might want. Some of the sites will update you on new opportunities for your title choices.

This is a partial list as new job search engines crop up all the time, especially in specific geographies.  Be sure to check out your own town’s web site for job listings.  Understand the difference between job boards and job search engines so you don’t waste time with job boards.  Don’t submit your resume to the web site.  Look for connections who can introduce you and you jump to the head of the line.

simply hired is a template for most job search engines. The site aggregates results from major job websites, newspapers, company websites, associations and other online sources. Employers cannot post jobs. Site is strictly for job seekers. Users can search by occupation, job title or location.

indeed is the oldest of the group of job search engines.

Juju – A job search engine that sorts by job title and location

Jobs online – A job search engine that sorts by job title and location

Job Volume – A job search engine that sorts by job title and location.  Includes Govt Jobs.

hound requires sign up but will send out opportunities.

Jobpier requires log in and user information.

Joes Jobs is all about software development openings. And lots of them from around the world.

37 signals has listings for web developers and designers, for the most part.

Creative has a site for about any creative type you can imagine and even allows users to post their portfolio. This is a sophisticated site with a variety of services.

LinkUp LinkUp is a job search engine that searches for jobs within company websites. Here are five search tips that will help you use LinkUp more effectively.

Yahoo Hot Jobs Yahoo Hot Jobs is one of the largest and most well known job search engines on the Web.

LinkedIn.com LinkedIn.com has listings of jobs submitted by members as well as those culled from direct employers.  A useful feature is Alerts can be set to monitor activity on your choice of companies.

Craigslist There are all sorts of interesting jobs on Craigslist. Just find your city, look under Jobs, then look under your job category. Non-profit, systems, government, writing, etc. jobs are all represented here.

For those of you in Seattle, a job board that acts like a job search engine is eggsprout.com.  As of this writing, most of the jobs are listed by corporate HR departments.

For lists of specialty search engines and local options http://tinyurl.com/as27e and http://tinyurl.com/9p6l5

My suggestion is to use more than one site to discover the direct path to the job since using any of the job boards just means you have more competition. A direct approach is always preferable and a referral is even better.

Chances are there are specific companies in which you are interested.  Set alerts on search engines using key words, job titles and names of companies.  Often this provides you with knowledge of jobs before other’s by days and weeks.

For clear, step-by-step advice on what to do after you discover a job opening, read, “Networking Debugged.” If you would like a job search tune-up, purchase,  “Job Search Debugged.”

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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, September 10, 2008 7:12 pm

The simple fact of networking is people want to help. You know you always feel good when you can lend a hand. Well, other people feel the same way when they can help someone find a new job.

All you have to do is communicate exactly what you need and what you expect.

Executives in $100,000+ jobs know networking is the most effective way to find a new job. Over 75% of executive jobs are filled by word of mouth. Executive jobs are typically not advertised or landed using job boards.

You know all you have to do is pick up the phone or send an email to request assistance to find leads though it is very difficult for a lot of people. And attending business social networking events to find leads is even harder. Yet, A recent job search coaching client uncovered 14 opportunities in less than three months because he knew what to ask and who to ask.

Let’s Simplify Networking: Craft an excellent elevator pitch or brand identity. “I am a technology executive with a track record converting software products to SaaS applications with no disruption to the bottom line.” Tell what you can do and the results and include a metric if possible.

Include a request for what you need. “”My last stint as VP Marketing allowed me to penetrate global markets with a hand-picked dynamic team of marketing professionals. We landed new named accounts and opened branch offices in four countries which made the investors very happy. I hope to replicate that performance with a new employer. Perhaps you know a company about to go global who might benefit from my experience.”

When talking to people who know your work you might say, “I would be grateful if you could introduce me to three people who know about program management jobs in Wireless.” Ask for a specific number of referrals and you are more likely to get what you want.

The Money Shot: When contacts struggle to recall what you do or to whom you need a referral, they probably won’t do it. To simplify networking ask for exactly what you want: “My background includes building an inside sales organization from the ground up. We contributed 65% of the company revenues in 18 months. I am looking for companies like [name of a prospective employer] who are focused on building or expanding their inside sales efforts. Can you introduce me to [hiring authority at target company] and two others like her as possible connections to leads?”

Simplify networking with these steps for a great pay off of leads and new connections. Keep in mind, they are simple techniques, but they are not easy.

For more advice on effective networking, read, “Networking Debugged.”

For Job Search Tools, Click here:

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By admin, June 25, 2008 6:00 pm

Two of my current Executive Coaching clients asked me about a job posting they found that seemed to fit their background as a technology executive.  The job description was repeated on at least five resume aggregating sites, verbatim and showed no description of the company or any enticement to respond.  Both clients refused to consider responding simply on the basis that it seemed, “fishy.”  

Research revealed the posting was in fact not a job at all but an ad placed by a consulting, temporary placement and recruiting firm.  They posted the search on several job boards. Their own site shows a phone number that is not viable and absolutely no information about the company, management or any other relevant information. 

Most recruiting firms make a concerted effort to sell candidates on their professionalism, the niches they serve, testimonials and typical companies for whom they have made placements.  At the least, the pedigree of the principals is noted. Nothing of the sort was offered by the “hiring” site and it smacked of scam.   I couldn’t put my finger on what that scam may be.

My first reaction to the posting was my normal admonition to avoid job boards.  There was a job description and an invitation to insert contact information and credentials to apply (not a resume), and job requirements.  Not standard courtship methodology to attract Executives.

Red flags went off with that request.  When I see that sort of ambiguous trolling, I get really paranoid.  There is no reason not to supply some details about the hiring company.  And worse, to simply fill in the blanks for an executive job is absolutely the wrong way to be considered for any professional role.  You have to wonder why they don’t want resumes.  I immediately jumped to this was a scam to collect contact information on high net worth individuals which would be sold to marketers.

I contacted a colleague also in the career advice business who is reputed to be an expert with on line research and while she found names of people associated with the company, she could find no valid contact information.  Her research disclosed a home address for the company name and a Linkedin entry for a former executive.  “Whois” was of little help since only “GoDaddy” was mentioned as the site owner.  The cloak of deception was deep to this emerging Nancy Drew.

Linkedin also revealed several former recruiters for the company in question and not one responded to an emailed request for information which was carefully worded to, at the least, validate it was a real company.  This set my alarms clanging.  It is my role as a Job Search Coach to make certain my client’s self confidence is maintained and that their job search efforts garner results.  I would not encourage them to pursue this bogus lead.

A “Spoke” entry disclosed the name of a current executive.  I emailed him and mentioned the invalid phone number and lack of contact information or company overview.  He responded promptly to offer “…I can assure you that this is in fact a “real position” with a client of [our recruiting arm]. It is being handled by our Chicago office and I will provide you the contact information for this requirement.”  He said he didn’t see a problem with the phone number on the site (three people tried the number and got the same message that it was an invalid number) and did not comment on the lack of content on his company site or the use of “insert” instead of “send resume.”

Ultimately, paranoia aside, what we uncovered is a highly unprofessional recruitment effort that offers the equivalent of a “blind ad” for executive level candidates.  While perhaps not a scam, it is incumbent on any candidate to assess the quality of the referring company or parties.    And further, ask yourself if any company for which you want to work would use such a subterfuge.   When a company hires a recruitment firm, they are informed of the techniques and resources used by that firm.  I am mighty suspicious of any company who chooses to be represented by such a sloppy and unprofessional outfit.  

The job listing is for a Seattle area company.  One has to wonder why that company chose not to enlist the services of any number of highly regarded and technology entrenched  local recruiting firms; one connected to the technology community and with links to their own network of known-good qualified local candidates.  Does the local community know something about the hiring company that precludes them from showing interest? One can only wonder. 

UPDATE:  We discovered there was in fact a Seattle company who at one time had an opening much like the one listed. It was over a year ago and while they made the job search information public, they did not hire the company in question.  Seems we were right; the suspect recruiting company was indeed trolling.  There was no such current job search.

What would you do?  Feel free to comment, teach all the readers something from your own experience.

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 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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