CEO Job Network The Best Information on Today's Top Jobs

May 30, 2011

Plan of Action

Filed under: Advice,Portfolio — Tags: , , , , , — Admin @ 6:31 pm

Just because you may have weak points doesn’t mean they have to be seen.

Few professionals devote enough thought to properly handling their liabilities in their resumes and letters, and in their phone conversations and interviews. We’ve learned from experience that if you don’t anticipate all of your liabilities and develop strategies for neutralizing them, you will lose out on many good opportunities for which you are well qualified.

Unfortunately, many people are not even aware of their liabilities until it’s too late. The good news is that in the course of serving tens of thousands of clients, we have developed proven solutions for largely neutralizing almost any concern you may have, and they are very easy to put into action.

In addition, know that your resume and portfolio are not set in stone they way you, or a professional company, designs them. They can and should be changed to highlight the skills and abilities you have for each new opportunity set before you. On your level, the typical will smily not do. Great men and women do not get to you level be doing the standard. Make sure your transferable skills show through clearly and that your liabilities are taken care of show they are non-existent.

Don’t let age be a factor keeping you from anything in the working world. Many older executives see this as a liability, but, in fact, it is not as big of one as others. If you have what it takes to run the company better than any other person, the that is what needs to be stated, no matter your age. Know that when you interview, you can’t rely on your past to get you there all the way. A lot of companies are concerned about the future , now more than ever. They will want to know how you will put the them in a postiton where if another economic crisis was to occur, they will remain unscaved. The distant future will now to be the topic of the day concenring the overall bottom line. So what can you do about this? Be ready to address this when comes up. There is where age will be in your favor if you are older, as you have seen many markets and know what to handle them successfully, accrodingly.

Have a plan of action to continue into your career. You had one when you got your foot in the door as a young executive, and you’ll need one to be a successful CEO.

May 23, 2011

Beyond Limits

Filed under: Advice,Network — Tags: , , , , , — Admin @ 7:50 pm

Don’t make the mistake of holding yourself back by not knowing your limits and assuming you have them to begin with.  At your level, you need to know all you can do, and then some, to continue at the same, if not greater, level of success.

People in healthcare and energy might not be interested in considering other industries, since so many good jobs are being created there. But are they missing something?  And for everyone else, why would you want to limit yourself to just one industry?

Executives in administration, HR, accounting, finance and legal functions, switching industries is often not a problem. But others face a challenge because they usually have no experience and little knowledge about other industries. Still, they can improve their chances dramatically by doing five things.

1. Identify industries similar to yours

You’ll need to put some time in on search engines, but this is important and worth the effort. Search for names of industry trade magazines that interest you.

2. Know and sell your transferable skills

This is equally important. Ask yourself, what skills do I have that could be put to use in a target industry. There is always more you can do than you either have realized or have given yourself credit for, now is the time to get it all out on the table.

3. Develop your selling proposition

This is a brief statement of the major benefits you bring to an employer. The more specific the better.  Can you help them open new markets, develop new products, increase sales, cut costs in some area, or develop important new IT capabilities?

4. Identify enough possibilities in industries of interest

You have to contact enough good prospects and the right person. Use all your contacts and network. From other executives to golfing buddies, know what you are looking for and go after it with the information you receive from those closest and trusted by you.

Knowing what you are worth is more than trying to figure out a price tag for your skills. You can’t truly even get to that point if you are missing out on a spot in a new industry that you may be more suited for than pervious. Once this is the case, then that price tag figure will really go up and that is when you play hardball in the salary negations. Be successful and break those limits.

May 16, 2011

In the Spotlight

Filed under: Interviewing — Tags: , , , , , — Admin @ 4:33 pm

Getting an interview with your skills and experience may be simple, but really coming through in that interview when it’s time to close, may be a different story. For some, this is the case.  At your level of success, obtaining a high-powered job is essential, but in the interview, you will also be setting yourself up for the salary negotiations. So, you might get the job, but at  a lower rate of pay than you are worth.

Too many people take interviewing for granted.

Some never stop to analyze the process from an employer’s viewpoint, and don’t fully appreciate that other good candidates are under consideration.  Nine of every 10 job seekers need 17 or more telephone or face-to-face interviews to close a single offer, research has shown. Worse yet, many come away with no offers at all. The sad part of it is it’s not very difficult to learn and use some time-tested approaches that would improve their chances dramatically.

The basic principles for success in interviewing haven’t changed.  Two of the basics are learning how to tell memorable stories, and how to surface and handle an interviewer’s concerns diplomatically, building rapport in the process.

When you think about it, you can see why storytelling is so effective. To prepare hard-hitting stories, people need to be specific about the challenges they faced, the precise actions they took to get things done, and the results.

When you are specific, you are telling a memorable story that gives you a lot of credibility, and it’s also very accurate, neither overstating nor understating your role. Employers appreciate this, they get a firm grasp of the way you operate, and how your approach would work for them.

Ask questions that will get interviewers to articulate what’s most important. Of course, you’ll need to find out what happened to the last person in the job. Ask about his experiences and those of his superiors. Find out to whom the position reports and how long that person was in the job. Ask, “What would be the biggest challenge I would face?” Find out how the interviewer sees the problem, what the expectations are and what progress has been made. Of course, once you find out what’s most important to the firm, you need to tell them that you have what they want. Too many high profile candidates let their resume be the basis for the whole discussion, don’t fall into that same category.

 

 

 

 

 

May 9, 2011

Tell a Great Story

Filed under: Advice — Tags: , , , , , , — Admin @ 4:16 pm

The fact of the matter is this; a great storyteller makes for a great interviewer. This is vital not only to secure the position, but also for the salary negotiation after receiving an initial offer. In more than 5000 documented successful job searches, one of the factors people mentioned most often for their success in interviews was learning how to tell action-oriented stories that were clear examples of how they’ve contributed in the past. As with a resume, there needs to be more substance when it comes to what you can do to affect the bottom line and better the company.

When you think about it, you can see why it’s so effective. To prepare hard-hitting stories, you need to be specific about the challenges you faced as an executive, the precise actions they took to get things done, and the results. When you are specific, you are telling a memorable story that gives you a lot of credibility, and it’s also very accurate, neither overstating nor understating your role. Employers appreciate this, they get a firm grasp of the way you operate as a higher-up executive, and how your approach would work for them.

Another great way to help tell your story to create a personal marketing Web site. This site will compliment your resume, but also give better insight into you as a candidate. How? Because you can simply send out emails with a link to your  site. The more interactive content you can generate on yourself the better. You want to be in a position to be remembered and sought after by companies.

Having a personal marketing Web site can also make networking easier. For people you already know, all you need to do is send an e-mail to let them know that you are open to new opportunities and that you put up a new and unique personal marketing Web site. And, when people see your presentation, they will be far more impressed than anything you could say over the phone.

The more you have to offer, the better position you are going to be in when getting that healthier salary, so keep that in mind as you present yourself and all of your attributes. There are a number of new ways to go about networking these days and a personal marketing Web site, as well as getting hooked into social media services like LinkedIn and Facebook, are  great ways to find more opportunities for yourself.

 

May 2, 2011

Choose Wisely

Filed under: Advice,Portfolio — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 4:53 pm

If you are going to seek the aid of a firm in your executive job search, choose wisely. Some firms are pros and will be a tremendous asset to you in your search, but the wrong one could hold you back. The field of aid for this type of assistance  includes career counselors, outplacement firms, resume writers, and career coaches.

Whatever you decide to choose, you need to fully understand what any given firm can do for you. No one can guarantee you a job, but, again, some will are better at helping you succeed than others. Have questions that need answers before you choose a firm.  Here are some excellent questions and points to keep in mind.

1 – What do they do to help you before you start a search? Will they take the time to fully understand your situation and your motivations?  Your career options should be identified, any liabilities you will need to deal with should be surfaced, and the goals you should pursue need to be clarified.

2 – Will they professionally write your resumes and letters… or just guide you? A word of caution. There are hundreds of firms who say they will equip you with a better resume. Then, after you become a client, you discover that they are just advising you on how to develop a resume or offering to edit your existing resume.

3 – Will their technology connect you to all the “public” jobs that are published or online? Having access to a maximum number of openings is what job hunting is all about, especially if you don’t have good connections. So, be specific in assessing just what openings a company will supply.

4 – How will they help you connect with jobs filled privately? As you go up in income, the “private” job market becomes more important. From $100,000 to $150,000, 75% of all jobs are filled privately

5 – Will you get help with interviews and negotiations… and will research be supplied? Most firms will make a single counselor available to advise you during interviews. How much they can help will depend on their experience.

Asking for help is not always the easiest thing to do, but if the help of those who know what they are doing lands you an excellent executive level job, then it is worth the question. Do your homework and make sure you are confident in what you can do, but at the same time, think about areas of weaknesses where an outside source could help give you an even stronger presence in the market.

 

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