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

November 20, 2011

Top Dollar and CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Interviewing — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 2:40 am

Once you land that great job as a CEO, you better make sure you get every dollar you are worth. Many who are not strong negotiators will leave money on the table, make sure you are not one of these people.  There is a real art to getting what you are worth without be insulting or sounding greedy, make sure you know how best to get this done.
Since most people seldom face a personal negotiating experience, it should come as no surprise that few of us are real experts at negotiating for ourselves. While they may be excellent company negotiators, we have seen many strong people leave serious money on the table when it came to negotiating their own package.

Now, the first thing you need to decide… is when to start a negotiation process. Some people mistakenly think negotiation is a continuous selling situation that occurs throughout their interviews. However, before you ever attempt to negotiate, you have to make sure that the employer is “sold on you.” Once an offer has been presented, you can’t negotiate unless there is some hope you can get the employer to offer new terms. You need to sense this on an individual basis.That’s where negotiations begin.

What to negotiate:

Coming to grips with what should be negotiated is, of course, different for everyone. Not too long ago we handled a marketing executive from Kellogg in Michigan. His primary goal was to have his family move to a new area that met outdoor lifestyle requirements, and he started by suggesting to us that a 20 percent reduction in income would be acceptable.

However, after a three-month search, he accepted a top position in Boca Raton. When we finished helping with his negotiations, his compensation ended up 15 percent higher, and he received a signing bonus, as well.Another executive was with J & J. He wanted out of the major corporate environment. He left his large company career behind when he landed with a venture capital group. His assignment was to oversee ventures that the firm funded by serving as acting CEO.

He was to complete the initial setup, find a permanent CEO, and then move on to another assignment, but remain on the board. Based in Castle Pines, Colorado, he will handle two ventures simultaneously for six-month periods—eight over two years. His base of $200,000 was a decrease, but if just one firm goes public, his equity benefit will be in the many millions.

October 31, 2011

Get Your Point, Skills Across with CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Interviewing,Portfolio — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 5:19 pm

If you want to be in the best possible position to move up, then you better have all the skills needed to show you can do it all.This might sound like a wild idea to some, but the trick is to know what you can  do that will crossover skills wise. The more you can do, the more valuable you are to a business. Having a single skill set is not longer good enough to make it to the top, you need to do it all. So make sure you take a long look at yourself and know what you have to offer.

You’ll need to do more than just present your background. Don’t trap yourself by thinking, “This is simply who I am, where I’ve been and what I’ve done.” People fail because they never surface and communicate all that is marketable about themselves… and they never build their appeal beyond factual credentials.

Using our career history and marketability profile, our starting point will be to organize your lifetime of experiences and achievements. Whether you are a young attorney or a company president, there is probably much more to your story than meets the eye. We’ve learned that people need to identify 10 to 12 skills that can make a major difference in their career opportunities.

About 20 percent of the clients who come to us have settled for less, simply because they are not able to communicate their real skills. One client was earning a $65,000 base after almost 20 years. Three years later, she is earning $180,000. Another executive came to us at $125,000. Three years later, he is a CEO at many times that amount. The key in both situations was to market their true assets.Psychologists, spiritual leaders and coaches have often said that the most restrictive limits you face are those you put on yourself.

So, don’t put any limits on your thinking, and look at some factors that you may have overlooked… which will expand your marketability.

Identifying transferable skills is critical (e.g., organizing, group presentation skills, problem solving and so on). Employers place a premium on men and women who can move from challenge to challenge, handling assignments that draw upon skills.

Your experience can also be reviewed according to various “functions” that apply to most businesses, such as sales, production, accounting and human resources. All areas in which you have knowledge should be identified. At the same time, you need to think of your experience in terms of “action words” that describe what you did, and then translate those activities into achievements, e.g., controlled, wrote, reshaped, etc.

October 21, 2011

CEO Job Network and Talking the Talk

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Interviewing — Tags: , , , , , , — Admin @ 6:45 pm

To be as successful as you strive to be, you need to know how to be a good negotiator to get all you are worth. This is an art and a skill you need to have or you will leave more than money on the table.

Since most people seldom face a personal negotiating experience, it should come as no surprise that few of us are real experts at negotiating for ourselves. While they may be excellent company negotiators, we have seen many strong people leave serious money on the table when it came to negotiating their own package.

Now, the first thing you need to decide… is when to start a negotiation process. Some people mistakenly think negotiation is a continuous selling situation that occurs throughout their interviews. However, before you ever attempt to negotiate, you have to make sure that the employer is “sold on you.” Once an offer has been presented, you can’t negotiate unless there is some hope you can get the employer to offer new terms. You need to sense this on an individual basis. That’s where negotiations begin.

What to negotiate:

Coming to grips with what should be negotiated is, of course, different for everyone. Not too long ago we handled a marketing executive from Kellogg in Michigan. His primary goal was to have his family move to a new area that met outdoor lifestyle requirements, and he started by suggesting to us that a 20 percent reduction in income would be acceptable.However, after a three-month search, he accepted a top position in Boca Raton. When we finished helping with his negotiations, his compensation ended up 15 percent higher, and he received a signing bonus, as well.

Another executive was with J & J. He wanted out of the major corporate environment. He left his large company career behind when he landed with a venture capital group. His assignment was to oversee ventures that the firm funded by serving as acting CEO. He was to complete the initial setup, find a permanent CEO, and then move on to another assignment, but remain on the board. Based in Castle Pines, Colorado, he will handle two ventures simultaneously for six-month periods—eight over two years.

His base of $200,000 was a decrease, but if just one firm goes public, his equity benefit will be in the many millions. Needless to say, the final staging of his executive level negotiations didn’t just happen. In the discussion that follows, the basics of our system are outlined in the most simple terms. If you don’t have success, shift Our client handbook 91from the “present” and focus on the future: a review after six months, a better title, an automatic increase after time. These are easier things to get.

 

September 30, 2011

A Great Interview and CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Interviewing — Tags: , , , , , , — Admin @ 4:30 pm

Making sure you are at your best in an interview is important. This is where you will seal the deal on your new position, and, in your case, show you have what it takes to be the leader of the company. Make sure you are at your best when you go before a boardroom of executives.

Are interviews just question-and-answer sessions? This may happen, but an interview that turns into a good offer involves far more. Last year there were more than 800 million interviews, and no two were the same. So how do you prepare? Compare this to a sports contest—there were millions of them and none were the same.

In an interview or a contest, you can’t plan exactly how things will go, but you can have a game plan for coming out on top. We guide clients in achieving personal chemistry with executives of all personalities. Here are some ways to make sure that you build maximum chemistry with everyone.Research the firm and be informed.

Did you ever meet a person for the first time who knew a lot about you? It takes you by surprise, doesn’t it? It’s a great way to make a positive first impression. One friend of mine, an attorney, attributes his success to research he does ahead of time. Four out of every five of his clients tell him that he wins their business because he knows a lot more about them than anyone else.

When you arrange an appointment, use the opportunity to gather more information. Many people have been able to get job descriptions and brochures ahead of time by requesting them over the phone. Visit the firm’s website, but go further to learn about their industry and the person you will be meeting.Impress the front office staffBuilding chemistry with the front office staff can also make a difference.

Can you guess what percentage of executives say their secretaries influence them? One-third? One-half? Well, about two-thirds of them do. Not too long ago, I was interrupted by Carol, who stated that Mr. Baxter had arrived for his interview. I had forgotten about the appointment, and it was a busy day. I immediately asked, “What do you think of him, Carol?” She didn’t say a word. She just gave a thumbs-down signal. That was the end for poor Baxter. No one ever taught him how important it is to make a positive impression on the front office staff. I told Carol to have him see one of our assistants, and to provide her opinion first. So, please be attentive to the front office staff.

September 8, 2011

CEO Job Network Knows the Power of the Phone

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Interviewing — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 11:00 pm

In this day or emails and texts, a phone call is still very powerful when it comes to making things happen for a job hunt. Knowing the power of the phone is a great way to better your chances of finding that next executive level, high-paying position.

This can be a fast way to get the right interviews, and using the phone is easier than you think. Of course, some people are totally confident in their ability to use the phone. However, 90% of all job seekers are reluctant to make a “cold call.”

Believe it or not, it’s a mostly friendly and helpful world out there. Most executives are courteous and polite and go out of their way to project a good image of themselves and their company. The same holds true for others such as secretaries or administrative assistants. Still, there is a certain misconception that all secretaries and assistants will always keep you from speaking with their bosses. They do screen calls, but it is part of their job to make sure that contact is made when appropriate.

Using the phone to set interviews is especially important if you are in a small or mid-sized population area… a market not generally considered to be in the country’s top 100 markets. It’s easy to target your best prospects, and you just need to get into action. And, don’t be deterred if your first call doesn’t get you in the door. If it is a company you would really like to join, just call other executives in the organization.

Proven telephone guidelines that work

* Standing will give you a power assist.

* Do your phone work in batches. You need only one success each time to sustain your morale.

* Make sure you know how you will be answering your phone. List questions you may be asked and write out the answers.

* Prepare a 30 second commercial of your most important selling points. Rehearse it. Tape it and critique it.

* One of the best times to reach executives is before 7:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m. Use their directories to go direct.

*Smile while speaking over the phone and your voice will sound more pleasant. Be friendly, enthusiastic and positive.

* Project a natural, confident tone—as you would when talking with a friend. Lower your voice. Speak slowly.

* Be prepared for rejection. This is a numbers game. You can easily make 15 calls an hour.

* Be sure your phone is answered properly. No clever answering machine messages.

* The screener doesn’t know who you are or your purpose. Focus on advice and information. No one has a reason to shy away from you. When speaking with the screener, get her name and use it. Be confident, positive and polite.

 

June 27, 2011

Sit Tight

Filed under: Advice,Interviewing — Tags: , , , , — Admin @ 5:27 pm

No matter how impressive your resume and prior experience are, the interview is where you are going to close when attempting to become the next CEO of a company. You have to know that this is when you are going to show a room full of executives that you are the person who is best suited to lead the company in to a successful future endeavor.

In addition to the interview, your negotiation skills have to be immensely shape to get all that you are worth once you are sitting  in the big chair.

Since most people seldom face a personal negotiating experience, it should come as no surprise that few of us are real experts at negotiating for ourselves. While they may be excellent company negotiators, we have seen many strong people leave serious money on the table when it came to negotiating their own package.

Now, the first thing you need to decide is when to start a negotiation process. Some people mistakenly think negotiation is a continuous selling situation that occurs throughout their interviews. However, before you ever attempt to negotiate, you have to make sure that the employer is “sold on you.” Once an offer has been presented, you can’t negotiate unless there is some hope you can get the employer to offer new terms. You need to sense this on an individual basis. That’s where negotiations begin.

Coming to grips with what should be negotiated is, of course, different for everyone. Not too long ago we handled a marketing executive from Kellogg in Michigan. His primary goal was to have his family move to a new area that met outdoor lifestyle requirements, and he started by suggesting to us that a 20 percent reduction in income would be acceptable.

However, after a three-month search, he accepted a top position in Boca Raton. When we finished helping with his negotiations, his compensation ended up 15 percent higher, and he received a signing bonus, as well. Another executive was with J & J. He wanted out of the major corporate environment. He left his large company career behind when he landed with a venture capital group. His assignment was to oversee ventures that the firm funded by serving as acting CEO. He was to complete the initial setup, find a permanent CEO, and then move on to another assignment, but remain on the board. Based in Castle Pines, Colorado, he will handle two ventures simultaneously for six-month periods—eight over two years. His base of $200,000 was a decrease, but if just one firm goes public, his equity benefit will be in the many millions.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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