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

December 23, 2011

CEO Job Network and Man of Action

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Network,Portfolio,Unemployed — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 4:25 pm

You have always been a person of action, that is why you have risen to the top. Now that you are here, you can’t stop. When looking for your next great career opportunity, you need to be a man of action with a plan of action . This is the best way to have the most success in your search for a great CEO-executive career choice.

Over the years, we have seen equally talented people produce widely varying results. One will struggle while the other moves with speed. Those who move rapidly usually have had the benefit of a game plan—a step-by-step track to follow.

In today’s competitive arena most people will never get enough interviews with a hit-or-miss approach. This leaves too much to fate. Think of it this way. Chances are you’re marketing a “product” with millions of dollars of earnings capacity remaining in your career. That much value deserves your best effort. Besides, job hunting is a numbers game. So, why take a chance at doing a lot of things haphazardly, without a well-designed plan?

Since job hunting is a matter of having the numbers on your side, your action plan should be targeted to produce 25 to 35 responses that result in a phone discussion. The goal is to have several offers maturing at the same time, and you have to be realistic about rejections in the interview process.

Similar to any company who is about to market a new product,  a good plan can cut job hunting time in half and save money. It also helps people produce better results, and when people generate a lot of activity in a concentrated time period, they feel better and do better. Much better.

To begin with… (1) Surface the right information about yourself and set clear goals; (2) pinpoint what you should be marketing, especially your transferable skills; (3) identify industry alternatives to target; (4) if you have liabilities, you need strategies to neutralize them; and (5) you need a step-by-step game plan… an action agenda… to get your story told to all the right people. Here’s a recap of what our plans cover:

Job hunting goals: Surface all critical information about yourself and then decide on the goals that will advance your career. This includes specifi c job titles and income goals.

Liabilities & solutions: You need to identify liability issues that might restrict your success… and arrive at ways for minimizing their impact in all written materials and conversations.

Assets, transferable skills & how to market them: All of your assets and skills need to be identified. Then, they need to be incorporated into your resume and letters, and your personal marketing website.

Industry alternatives: More and more people are changing industries. The key is to identify industries with characteristics that match those where you have experience.

Action plan for getting interviews: You want to lay out a step-bystep plan… a weekly agenda… that will guide your search. This is your complete track… a game plan. This includes a plan for interviewing and negotiating (your approach to these important matters)… which should be decided on in advance.

December 12, 2011

CEO Job Network and a Man of Action

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Unemployed — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 1:54 am

No matter your success, you need to be a man of action when looking for a new, great opportunity. You need to have a plan of action to make this happen. Make sure you are good to go when it comes to this idea. Do not be left in the dust because you did not have good plan in place.

Over the years, we have seen equally talented people produce widely varying results. One will struggle while the other moves with speed. Those who move rapidly usually have had the benefi t of a game plan—a step-by-step track to follow.

In today’s competitive arena most people will never get enough interviews with a hit-or-miss approach. This leaves too much to fate. Think of it this way. Chances are you’re marketing a “product” with millions of dollars of earnings capacity remaining in your career. That much value deserves your best effort. Besides, job hunting is a numbers game. So, why take a chance at doing a lot of things haphazardly, without a well-designed plan?

Since job hunting is a matter of having the numbers on your side, your action plan should be targeted to produce 25 to 35 responses that result in a phone discussion. The goal is to have several offers maturing at the same time, and you have to be realistic about rejections in the interview process. Similar to any company who is about to market a new product,  a good plan can cut job hunting time in half and save money. It also helps people produce better results, and when people generate a lot of activity in a concentrated time period, they feel better and do better. Much better.

The components of a personal marketing planTo begin with… (1) Surface the right information about yourself and set clear goals; (2) pinpoint what you should be marketing, especially your transferable skills; (3) identify industry alternatives to target; (4) if you have liabilities, you need strategies to neutralize them; and (5) you need a step-by-step game plan… an action agenda… to get your story told to all the right people. Here’s a recap of what our plans cover:
Job hunting goals: Surface all critical information about yourself and then decide on the goals that will advance your career. This includes specifi c job titles and income goals.

Liabilities & solutions: You need to identify liability issues that might restrict your success… and arrive at ways for minimizing their impact in all written materials and conversations.

Assets, transferable skills & how to market them: All of your assets and skills need to be identifi ed. Then, they need to be incorporated into your resume and letters, and your personal marketing website.

Industry alternatives: More and more people are changing industries. The key is to identify industries with characteristics that match those where you have experience.

Action plan for getting interviews: You want to lay out a step-bystep plan… a weekly agenda… that will guide your search. This is your complete track… a game plan. This includes a plan for interviewing and negotiating (your approach to these important matters)… which should be decided on in advance.

 

November 30, 2011

CEO Job Network and Done Right

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network — Tags: , , , , , , — Admin @ 5:27 pm

No matter how much success you have had or how many years you have had at the top, there are somethings you always need to keep in mind when looking for a new job. One of these is having a great interview. Too many with a lot of former clout do not take the interview as serious as they should. Do not make this mistake.

Too many people take interviewing for granted.

They 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.

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.  We make sure our clients know how to apply time-tested advice based on tens of thousands of real-world searches over several years.

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.

CEO Job Network provides everything a job seeker at professional levels needs for a productive search, including not just resumes, letters, guidance on interviewing and negotiations, but much more, including how to handle liabilities, getting across your transferable skills, and developing an action-oriented marketing plan.

But the single most dramatic thing most people learn about us is, we don’t just advise, we do the hard work of job hunting for you.  We spent millions to develop Job Market Access Center, or JMAC for short.  It’s a site that lets people download immediately all the employers and recruiters and advertised openings suited for them.

More important, it lets you access openings filled privately. JMAC provides news that signals emerging jobs, contact information for your best employer targets, plus research on companies.  We also create a personal marketing website that enables a person to multiply their network of contacts without having to spend much time doing it.

Make sure when the time comes, you are ready to have an excellent interview. Prepare and do all you can. If you were a former CEO, than you already know how vital class and charm are in an interview. Make sure you have plenty of both, they will take you far. You take every other  part of your search serious, so make sure you know how to close.

 

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.

November 12, 2011

Knowing What You Want and CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Network — Tags: , , , , , , — Admin @ 1:17 am

At this point in your career it is all about knowing what you want. You have the skills and the work history to go as far as you please, but that doesn’t mean you know what you want. This is key in following that path that is your executive future.

Do you want to be a consultant?

The field has seen tremendous growth. If you decide to become a practicing consultant, your perceived professionalism will be very important. Thousands of people begin thriving consulting practices each year. Recognize that you will need some form of specialty if you are to get off to a fast start. For those attracted to consulting, remember, the knowledge you have to offer must somehow be sold. Success rests squarely on your ability to attract and keep clients. And, the biggest reason for failure is that people don’t foresee the business development effort required.

If selling is not your suit, but you feel you have a great deal to offer, you will have to attract one or more partners or employees who will sell your services. Some of the most popular consulting specialties include finance, marketing, new product development, IT and systems, executive search and outplacement, cost reduction, and public relations. There is also good activity in labor relations, engineering, design, and other technical disciplines.

If you would rather join an existing firm, there are thousands of organizations that can benefit from adding new talent. It is an easier way to get started than striking out on your own. Regardless of the type of consulting you choose, remember that the special knowledge that makes a consultant valuable today may be obsolete in a few years. So you’ll need to keep current. If you enjoy variety and intellectual challenge, consulting could be your right move.Could you work as a producer?Producers bring in business. Some examples include recruiters, financial planners, stockbrokers, real estate brokers and outplacement specialists.

If you have contacts and need a shift, this role can be attractive. There are opportunities for producers in every discipline. The key is to focus on something you can do well, and that you enjoy doing.Can you make an investment in some form of ownership?Some executives have capital and look to find an opportunity where their efforts and capital can be joined to offer them entrepreneurial rewards. Perhaps you have some ideas about improving a product or product line that is already being marketed. Or, you may be able to put together financing for a firm’s needs. Your ability to raise capital from VCs, private investors or even friends could be critical.

October 29, 2011

Getting Your Credentials Out There with CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Portfolio,Unemployed — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Admin @ 8:27 pm

You may have a lot going for you and be the perfect candidate for a great CEO or executive level position, but if they right people are not seeing your credentials, then all that is lost. Now is the time to make sue the right people are noticing you so you can land that next great career opportunity.

Why does direct mail work? Every day we all receive direct mail. However bad junk mail looks, the ones you see again and again are working; otherwise, the senders wouldn’t be wasting their money.

One thing that makes it work in many cases is that long copy is used. That’s what it takes to motivate all of us to action from unasked-for correspondence. Here’s an example. Let’s say a lawn mower shop has a new product. And you and your next door neighbor are both out cutting your lawns on a hot day. However, your lawn mower breaks down. Then, the mail carrier arrives at both residences with mail that tells you all about a new lawn mower.

It gives a long explanation of why it’s superior. Now, your neighbor will look at the mailing piece for two seconds and toss it. He isn’t in the market for a lawn mower. On the other hand, they have reached you at the right time so you are likely to read it. Now when you job hunt, your situation is similar. You need to reach the right person.

No one else counts. Some people don’t believe in direct employer contact. They think that anything you send to an employer is thrown away. Certainly, this has some truth, since the great majority will throw away your materials in seconds. But if you’ve ever needed someone with certain skills… then you know you want the easiest way to find a good candidate. And if a good resume or letter reached you at the right time, you would take action on it.

Sending the right materials… to the right person… will get the attention of some decision makers. But, timing is very critical. You need to reach a decision maker that might be looking for someone like you. Even if your timing is bad, companies scan the resumes of the better candidates into their database. Then, as they develop a need… this is usually the first place they turn. Contacting employers directly allows you to reach potential buyers quickly. If you want… you can reach the entire universe of all your best prospects.

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.

 

October 14, 2011

Opportunities and CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Network — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 11:25 pm

If you don’t know all the opportunities that are out there, you are bound to miss out. At your level you need to know all that is going on when it comes to a spot you would be perfect for in a company.

Every day, events occur in tens of thousands of firms that lead decision makers to begin the process of privately looking for new people. These events are often reported in local and national publications, newsletters and online. They are essentially signals of emerging jobs… and that hiring will soon follow. What kinds of news events signal emerging jobs?

*An employer receiving new capital

*A firm kicking off a new productn Executive appointments

*Word of new local business operations.

*New contracts being awardedn Planned relocations

*Major licensing agreements

*Announcements of growth expectation

*Announcements of record sales & profits

For companies undergoing transitions, chances are they will need to attract good people to handle problems or capitalize on their opportunities. Their activities won’t just be limited to one or two functions. They can be expected to need people in all categories: sales, marketing, finance, etc. What’s more, these situations will generally be much less competitive than public openings.

Ripple effect thinking

When you read about a company that is giving out signals that they may be hiring at an above-average rate, don’t stop at the obvious implications. Use what we refer to as “ripple effect thinking.” This is simply taking the time to think about changes that may be occurring in the company up and down the line and across many functions.You may also get some good ideas about using information to find opportunities with a company’s suppliers, customers and even their competitors. Consider the following example.

An obvious “emerging” opportunity

You read that a firm is starting a new division to sell a revolutionary cell phone… one that can compete with the iPhone and the Blackberry. The obvious implications are that this company could very well need people in marketing and sales. Since it’s a new division, you might also expect that there will be some need for finance people as well.If you’re a design engineer, you might also project a need for that capability to support the design effort. Those possibilities would be real enough, but now let’s use “ripple effect thinking” to see if we can infer some other needs. If you’re an industrial engineer with knowledge in this product area, you know this concept will concern competitors. You might contact them to help in the new product area.

October 7, 2011

Easy Networking and CEO Job Network

Filed under: Advice,CEO Job Network,Network — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Admin @ 9:09 pm

The more you network, the better. No matter how high up on the ladder you get, you always need to know someone a little higher up there. Making contacts and having people in the right places will help you down the road when you are looking for that next great opportunity.

Networking is a pyramiding strategy… one where you capitalize on one name to gain an interview with another. The most popular style of networking involves seeking informational interviews.

Your purpose here would be to get an appointment with executives and ask them to share with you some information about their industry challenges. Naturally, if you happened to be well connected, and you maintained a list of contacts into the hundreds, that could help give you a fast start.

Unfortunately, the problem with this is that it usually takes a long time. And, some people find it demeaning to approach friends and acquaintances to ask for help in finding a new career position.

Nevertheless, it does work if you have the time and inclination to approach your job search this way. Hopefully, some of your discussions will result in referrals to another executive who might have something for you… and be able to use your talents. While this traditional networking can work, besides taking time, networking people with a new job in mind has become overworked. Just about every executive has been networked over and over again.

What’s more, who has 45 minutes to an hour to devote to someone else? Or even 30 minutes? Networking the new wayThe growth of the Internet and social networking sites such as LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, Zing and others, combined with personal marketing websites and the use of email… are ushering in a new era of networking. And, it is a much easier and more effective way to network.

All you need are some superior resumes and an attractive personal marketing website that display your formal credentials, accomplishments and transferable skills in an impressive way. Then, instead of asking for “an informational interview,” you can just send off a well designed email with a link to your website.Our client handbook 61People on the receiving end will get it and be impressed and you will have their time. And, you can use this method to contact hundreds of people in a very short time… people who have a high probability of being able to help you.

What kind of people? I’m not suggesting that you do this with your genuine personal contacts and real friends, who will look forward to visiting with you on a personal basis. However, they would also be very interested in seeing your personal marketing website.But we all have what I refer to as acquaintances on another level.

Here I’m referring to people who might be golfing partners, politicians, lawyers, ministers, investment bankers, etc., people who might legitimately be able to easily refer us to others based on a short telephone call (after seeing your personal marketing website).

 

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.

 

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