Executive Job Search Strategies: Make a Target Company “Wish List” This Season

Dec 2 2011, 12:24 am in Company Websites, Facebook, finances, Job Boards, job search strategy, LinkedIn, Recruiters, Target Companies

Make a “Wish List” of Target Companies

When you lay out your executive job search strategy, make a list of companies you would like to work for in the future.  Research each one – company culture, brands, strategy, key people, recent news, financial performance.  Aim to deeply understand the company, and the department, division, or business unit you are targeting.  This will help you determine who you need to meet, and lend you credibility during the interview process.

Network Online and Offline

A referral by an employee is still one of the most effective ways to land an interview, and a job.  If you don’t know anyone at a company, start networking – online and offline.  Check out LinkedIn company pages and Facebook groups, and connect with college alumni who work for the company.  Don’t be afraid to contribute to conversations on LinkedIn, and in the process, make valuable connections that might lead to an employee referral.  Join professional organizations, groups, and workshops where you might make in-person connections.

The key word here is connection.  You should establish a relationship before inquiring about open positions.

Search Out Recruiters with Company Connections

If possible, you should align your executive job search with recruiters who are well-connected to your target companies on a local and / or national level.  You may need to talk to a lot of recruiters, but it could pay off in the long run when you get first crack at an interview for a competitive position.

Company Websites vs. Job Boards

Keep an eye out for open positions so you can strike while the iron is hot.  Bookmark the career sections of company websites so you can be the first to see a listing, or sign up for automatic notifications.  According to an analysis of hiring data by Jobs2web Inc., recruiters screen more than six times as many applications from job boards than they do from their own websites.  You may stand out more by applying through the website, and appear more intentional in your effort, which suggests a higher level of interest and qualification.

Have you made a target company “wish list?”  If so, please share in the comments section how it has helped you target your executive job search.

What’s So Great About You?

Feb 21 2011, 1:58 pm

This is the question I asked of every candidate resume that crossed my desk when my research team at Deutsche Bank opened up a highly coveted Associate Analyst position.  Now, I’m asking it of you.  Why?  Because in order to stand out as a candidate, you must effectively communicate your unique value proposition to prospective employers – first through your resume, and later, in the interview.

Can you identify the unique value proposition that makes you marketable to potential employers?

You might say you are a team player, you are detail-oriented, or you have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and these claims might be true.  But you’re going to have to work a lot harder than that to compete in today’s competitive market for executive and senior leadership jobs.

That’s where I come in with 5 easy brainstorming steps.

Step #1: Make a list of compliments from your superiors, clients, and colleagues, and then highlight the common threads.

Step #2.  Describe three to five situations in which you felt most rewarded in your career.  What did you do, how did you do it, and are there any common themes?

Step #3.  List three people in whose life you have made a significant difference, professionally or personally.  Which of your traits, skills, or talents helped the most?  Highlight the common themes.

Step #4: Describe any unique knowledge or expertise that sets you apart from others in your peer group.

Step #5: List the three most distinguishing facts about your career to date.

Now go back and read your answers.  Perhaps clients regularly compliment your product expertise; maybe you excel at coaching new sales managers in a highly specialized field or industry; you might have started as an intern and worked your way up to a Vice President position at a Fortune 500 company.

Choose the points that create the strongest unique value proposition relative to your career objective.

Wondering whether your resume effectively communicates your unique value proposition? Submit it to  L.D. Writing & Resumes today for a free resume critique!

Using Your Resume to Generate Interview Talking Points

Feb 21 2011, 1:58 pm

Your resume serves one primary purpose: to hook a prospective employer into offering you an interview.  And then it’s up to you to sell yourself, right?  Yes…but your resume can provide a blueprint to help navigate you through the interview and set you up for success.

Two words come to mind: talking points.

Most interviews go a little something like this.  You walk into the interviewer’s office, shake hands, exchange polite introductions and pleasantries, and take your seats.  The hiring manager might then ask for another copy or your resume or refer to the one you sent with your application, and choose a place to start the conversation.  This is where the content of your resume can set you up to impress.

Great interviews are made of great connections, and often these connections are forged in the telling of great stories, about what you’ve done, who you’ve been, what makes you tick—in specific, Technicolor details, the kind that fuel excitement on both sides of the equation.

Think of every line on your resume as an opportunity to tee up a great story.

Consider this example:

Instead of:

“Grew revenues 55% in less than six months.”

Establish a talking point with:

“Designed the branding and marketing for a new line of young adult clothing and accessories, which drove 55% revenue growth for the apparel business in less than six months.”

Not only does this illustrative statement provide the context the first statement lacks, it also distinguishes the candidate from his or her competition and hooks the reader into wanting to know more.  You can see how this might spark a dynamic, twenty-minute discussion between you and interviewer—a great story that inspires yet more questions, interaction, and, you guessed it, connection.

Next thing you know, you’ve walked out of a great interview, and moved one step closer to a job offer.

Now, examine the way you’ve presented your accomplishments on your resume.  Do they tee you up to tell great stories about what you’ve done and who you are?  Do they set you up to connect with a prospective employer and make a lasting impression?   Find out today by submitting your resume to L.D. Writing & Resumes for a free resume evaluation.