I was excited to be a guest on The Power Women Magazine! Deb Bailey is a great host and we really got into some juicy topics regarding why traditional job search methods are just not working and what to do about it.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/powerwomenmag/2013/06/04/mary-elizabeth-bradford
7 Step Checklist to Job Search Success
***You can purchase my e-books on Amazon for just a few dollars. E-books can be read on your computer, iPad or smartphone (you don’t need a Kindle!) The Career Artisan Series.
Executive level jobs and C-level jobs require very specific job search strategies and some work better than others! In this article I am going to go over the main executive level job search strategies, including the pros and cons of each. Hopefully this information will help you decide what job search methods are best for your particular situation.
RECRUITERS
Most C-level executives believe they are bound to recruiting firms to bring them opportunities – but this is not necessarily true. Getting your resume to the top recruiting firms can open up potential opportunities for you!
Pros: The job comes to you and there is a lot of cache. Executives enjoy believing that they have been handpicked by a recruiter to represent them to a company. The truth is that the recruiter represents the company, not you, the candidate, no matter what they are telling you or how they are making you feel.
Cons: A recruiter has the company’s best interest at heart since it is the company who pays them in the end. And sometimes the recruiter is paid so much (20% to 30% of your salary) that I believe it can cut into your ability to fully leverage your compensation negotiations.
Recruiters limit your opportunities because:
- C-level searches are rare and a recruiter can generally only bring you an existing search – one at a time.
- Usually the recruiter will be asked to bring in at least 3 qualified candidates – so you have built in competition.
- You may be constrained from speaking to the company directly as the recruiter will want to mediate and many times negotiate your offer on your behalf (even though his or her loyalty is to the company).
Your Best Move? Make sure if you do a recruiter distribution, you find someone with a good list of top recruiters (hint: I have one!). Treat the recruiter and the company with the same discernment. Don’t open up to the recruiter as if he or she is being retained by you. They are not. You need to “sell” the recruiters on the value you bring to the company just as if you were “selling” directly to the company.
NETWORKING
Networking can open up opportunities for jobs that are not advertised. If you are well connected – or you know how to take initiative and “make rain” – this is a viable option for you.
Pros: You can tap into hidden opportunities. Get third party endorsements from people that you know and that trust and respect you – that can be invaluable!
Cons: Networking can be tough for executives who don’t know how to do it. After all, how does an executive ask their associates if they know anyone who is hiring or who might be interested in them? This is largely demeaning for a powerful executive who is used to being a leader and in control. It can also take an average of 18 months to complete your job search if all you do is “network” in the traditional sense of the word and your income is over 6 or 7 figures.
Your Best Move? Learn how to network without asking for a job. There are executive level strategies and communication techniques that approach these conversations in more of a fact-finding and consulting spirit. You need to learn how to do it so you can network confidently. I show executives how to do this both through private coaching and through my DIY home study program, the Job Search Success System.
VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS
Executives who are looking at management consulting or an interim position, helping turn around a poor performing company, or are interested in a startup, may be interested in connecting with VC and PE firms.
Pros: If you are a C-level executive, it may be a pretty good move for you to send a distribution to these firms. There are companies that do this (including mine).
Cons: I have found that if you are below the C-level, distribution to these firms is less effective.
Your Best Move? If you are a C-level executive, you can send out a VC/PE email distribution for around $300 and it might land you a handful of good leads if you sell your skills correctly. Smart move!
DIRECT MAIL
I personally believe that understanding how to reach out to companies directly is the most powerful strategy for success. Direct mail means sending an actual letter to the key decision maker in a company. Not an email, an actual letter – preferably on engraved stationery and high quality Cranes paper. You will invest a little money up front marketing yourself like this, but the ROI blows away any other job search strategy I know of in this job market climate.
Pros: you can identify and isolate your industry and cherry pick who you want to reach out to. You can even do this for free using Google maps. Lists are free or cheap if you know where to look.
With the power of the internet you can use Google news alerts to have information on companies or industries that are growing sent right to your inbox. Companies that are growing are often hiring.
At a salary of $250k+, over 90% of jobs are filled in the hidden job market and never advertised. That means reverse engineering your job search and going after what you want vs. waiting and waiting for the right job to come to you – and competing with dozens or hundreds of other executive job seekers for the same position – makes logical sense for executives.
Learn how to tap the hidden job market once and use this method for the rest of your career. People tap the HJM when they want to leverage themselves in the job market, command more money, minimize their competition and shorten their job search.
Cons: Your success in terms of how many interviews/offers you land is predicated on your industry, supply and demand and is hard to predict. Between 2% and 5% is average. But I have also seen executives send out 20 letters and land 5 interviews. It depends on many factors. This still beats job boards, but if you don’t understand marketing numbers this can be discouraging to you.
You must be the type of person who can take initiative and “make things happen” to successfully manage this entrepreneurial driven strategy.
These methods at the executive level generally require some help from an experienced career professional who can be your sounding board and show you the shortcuts to using HJM strategies successfully. You will have to hire some help or at least do some self-study, otherwise be prepared for some frustration and roadblocks.
Your Best Move? I think everybody, not just executives, should learn how to find and capitalize on companies that are growing and know how to approach companies in an industry they potentially want to work for. I have seen executives grind away for a year in a fruitless job search – wasting precious time, losing confidence and often tens of thousands of dollars in income for those who were in between jobs – only to land multiple interviews in the first 30 days of refocusing their job search on the HJM (and often hiring a professional resume writer to beef up their marketing message). They all say the same thing in retrospect: my only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner for myself!
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
If you are a boomer executive that wants more flexibility you might want to consider your own consulting business. Management and technical consulting is one of the fastest growing industries. At 44% in 10 years, it’s grown four times faster than the workforce growth rate.
Pros: Consulting can be a nice “bridge” job and you might find the flexibility suits you. Many companies prefer hiring consultants – it’s safer for them and they can check you out first before they consider hiring you full time.
You can consult from anywhere. You don’t necessarily have to be a road warrior either. You can do much of your consulting via phone and internet (I myself have done this for years and rarely even meet my clients face to face).
You can consult in almost any field. One of our $500k+ CEO clients found businesses who could not afford to engage him full time as a CEO, but wanted his expertise. He negotiated a handful of engagements with several businesses – some one day a week, some for a few hours a week, and some for a couple days a month. He is now working fewer hours and making more than $500k per year. In one of our conversations, he remarked that he would never go back to a full-time job. (Courtesy: jobbait.com.)
You can generally charge about two and a half to three times your hourly rate (you will have to break down your salary to get this figure).
Cons: You will have to market your business and this may or may not be something you like to do. Be prepared to invest 15% to 25% of your revenue on marketing. But of course, if it brings you business and you don’t have a lot of other overhead, this is probably a pro not a con.
Interim full-time consulting gigs can leave you scrambling for new assignments and are problematic. Avoid them and try to find a few clients who need your help part time. This is safer relative to your income streams and it’s easier to land these gigs in general. If you find 2 clients who need you just one day a week, you might find yourself making as much as you made in your past full-time job. Many companies desperately need heavy-weight talent, but can’t afford a full-time person.
Your Best Move? If you are an executive with any kind of entrepreneurial desires, this could be an excellent move for you! You can learn more here.
*Warning: this article contains some “tough talk” and will probably offend some readers.
Sometimes I will have a client call me and share that while networking, they showed their new professionally designed resume to:
And my client posed the question, “what do you think of my resume?”
Well, a large amount of the time, if you have had your resume professionally written by an experienced and certified writer, the response will be positive.
But sometimes they will interpret your question as an opportunity to attack your resume using all their powers of critical analysis – in the name of “helping you” (gee, thanks).
If you have ever been in this situation, you know the result – your confidence is shaken; you begin to doubt yourself; the focus becomes that there is something “wrong” with your resume. You call your writer demanding to know why they used that particular color or font because Suzie who just got a job in the HR department at Target last week knows well that this font color will keep you from realizing your dreams – or at least ever landing a job at Target.
Okay, I am being a little sarcastic, but isn’t that the weight that we end up putting on all these opinions we open ourselves up to? Some people are very caustic; they will tell you with authority they absolutely know what they are talking about (I have seen this to be true especially with College Career Counselors and recruiters. No offense – just stating fact).
So who, or what are you to believe?
As a general rule, after you have paid a certified writer to analyze your career situation and craft you a resume to get you where you want to go, your entire focus should be on the right job search strategies. I am primarily focused on showing my clients how to go direct to companies by tapping the hidden job market because it works so well, but every job search is different and some job search strategies will work better than others. You may take a multi-pronged approach to your job search strategies, which could include recruiter, venture capital and/or private equity firm distributions, direct mail, targeted networking, working through associations, and learning how to use social networking like LinkedIn to land interviews, to name a few.
In closing, I have not seen it beneficial for you as a job seeker to hold up your resume and state “WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Not because I as a writer am trying to avoid criticism, nor am I trying to protect other professional resume writers. And I am not stating that there might indeed be things in your resume that need improving. But if you want the right advice, your safest bet is to go to the experts. Doing otherwise may derail you and detract from your ultimate goal.
Source: CareerProNews
What would happen if the sewer system in your town backed up and your home was covered with a foot of muck? Or what if someone snipped through your lock and rode off with your bike? Thanks to the insurance industry, you probably wouldn’t have much to worry about. Insurance is designed to cover these types of losses.
The insurance industry is huge. Doctors, lawyers, actuaries, computer experts and public speakers are just a few of the talented individuals who come together to make the industry tick. No matter what your skills are, the insurance industry is a viable career option.
“Insurance can mean so many things,” says Heather Clowater. She is an assistant manager of human resources at a group of insurance companies. “Our market is the high-end client — the $2-million home, the yacht and the jewelry collection,” she says.
But wealthy people aren’t the only clients in the insurance business. Churches, homes, people, cars, bicycles, clothing — all of these things are insurable.
Insurance works like this: everyone pays a little to cover the losses of a few. The money (premiums) goes into a big pot at the insurance company. When someone suffers a loss, they are able to take money from the pot to recover what they’ve lost.
Remember the Y2K millennium bug at the turn of the century? According to Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim and Ballon (a law firm), Nike attempted to claim as much as $110 million in insurance for the costs of fixing up the Y2K mess. If it weren’t for insurance, companies like Nike would have been forced to fork out millions of dollars.
Insurance is Here to Stay
The insurance industry has a bad rap for being boring. Trudy Lancelyn is the deputy executive director of the Insurance Brokers Association of British Columbia. She points out that it’s a very traditional industry. “There’s been insurance for hundreds of years and there always will be,” she says. “It’s not something that goes through fads.”
Unlike some high-tech industries, the insurance industry isn’t grabbing the world’s attention. It is, however, a stable industry. And it’s here to stay. “Insurance is one of those products that is not so volatile,” says Clowater. “Everyone needs insurance.”
Clowater’s company is a prime example of just how stable this industry is. It’s been around since the 1880s and it’s still growing at a steady pace. “This year alone, we hired 10 or 11 trainees,” says Clowater. “So, certainly we are growing.”
The insurance industry needs workers with hundreds of different talents and specialties to make it run smoothly. Clowater’s firm, for example, has an accounting department, a collections department, a customer service department and an IT department. Just imagine how many different skill sets are called upon in each of those separate departments!
Here are just a few of the titles that insurance employees may hold: actuary, actuarial assistant, case manager, underwriter, broker, casualty adjuster, customer service rep, sales rep, marketing rep and auditor.
Since the industry experiences steady growth, there is always a well-rounded selection of jobs available. “Our vacancy positions [are] across the board,” says Clowater. “It’s not just underwriting or claims or IT jobs.”
This is a very traditional, pen-and-paper industry, although Lancely says that there are IT positions available. “Like anything else,” she says, “the large, multi-branch brokerages would probably have an in-house IT person.” But there certainly isn’t a wild cry for IT experts in the world of insurance.
Getting There
Since the insurance industry is so diverse, there isn’t a standard educational pathway for getting involved. It depends on the company you work for, the state or province you’re working in and the position you’re after. In fact, Clowater believes that this lack of structure may be the biggest stumbling block for students — the career path simply isn’t straightforward.
“For anyone who is going to get into actuarial sciences, there are undergraduate programs out there,” says Gretchen Schaefer. She is the media relations director for the American Insurance Association. She adds that actuaries take courses and classes throughout their careers. “It’s just an ongoing education.”
For anyone becoming an insurance agent, there are licensing requirements. These differ from state to state.
In some cases, a generalist background combined with a pleasant demeanor is all you’ll need. For example, the human resources department at Clowater’s company isn’t necessarily looking for someone with an insurance background. “We’re just looking for someone that has a general business background or a university degree,” explains Clowater.
Take Schaefer’s background, for example. “I had a communications and marketing background,” she says. It was enough to get her foot in the door. “It’s really a matter of learning the industry,” she says.
Once you’re in the industry, there is no shortage of certificates or professional examinations that you can obtain to improve your status, ability and wage. For certain positions, like actuary, you’ll be expected to upgrade your qualifications continually.
Clowater encourages young people to stop and think about just how huge the insurance business really is. “Whatever your interests are, think of it as an option.”
If you have any doubts at all, pay a visit to a local insurance company. See if you like the atmosphere and start making your connections. “There is a lot to learn. It’s a very interesting industry,” says Schaefer.
Net Sites
American Insurance Association
A great source for industry info
http://www.aiadc.org/
Insurance National Search, Inc.
Linking employers with job hunters
http://www.insurancerecruiters.com/
Insurance Journal
Online industry news
http://www.insurancejournal.com
Speaking of Insurance
Learn the lingo
http://www.insurance-canada.ca/consinfogeneral/lingo.php
I lost count of how many clients have told me they hung their hat on one or two recruiter relationships but nothing ever panned out in terms of landing a great job. If you don’t know how to work with recruiters you can easily be tempted to feel that you have been let down in your relationship with them.
Here are a few facts about recruiters to help you get a baseline of perspective:
A recruiter works for (and are paid by) their client companies. They don’t work for you, have no real allegiance to you and will only be interested in you if your career history is a match for their searches.
Knowing that will help you go into establishing relationships with recruiters with more objectivity.
Recruiters come in all shapes and sizes. I have met many of them and I was one of them for seven years. Some are good, some are nice, and some are not.
When you send your resume to a big handful of recruiters that specialize in your industry or position you will get a mixed bag of responses. Some will respond with interest, some will send you an automatic message to fill out their generic candidate forms on their websites, some will not respond at all and some may even respond negatively. Be prepared for all of it – and take none of it personally.
And by all means don’t skip this step! It’s a necessary step you must play out in order to garner the interest of the smaller percentage of recruiters who may be able to help you!
Recruiters generally like straightforward, chronological resumes. They tend to prefer your academic background be listed somewhere on the first page. They look at a lot of resumes each week and they don’t like to have to scan through a resume to try and guess what you do.
If you have a functional resume (one that highlights skills, rather than industry background and job history) don’t be surprised if you catch a couple terse comments from recruiting firms. But don’t worry, chances are your resume isn’t bad, nor have your done anything wrong. It’s just a typical preference for recruiters.
Recruiters look for career backgrounds that match their search criteria. If you are looking to make a slight shift into a parallel industry or a slight shift in terms of your position, then a recruiter may be able to help you. If you are looking to make a career transition into another industry, then you can skip connecting with recruiters all together. They are paid to find exactly what their clients have asked them to find…and nothing less. Other job search methods will work much better for you.
What is the definition of a recruiter’s “star” candidate? If you are looking to remain in your industry and have a solid and successful background in it, then you will be especially attractive to recruiters…a “star” candidate. “Star” candidates are also defined as those who have held no more than three jobs in the past ten years and those with a complimentary and impressive academic background. The more attractive you are to recruiters, the more negotiating power you have.
What else does a recruiter look for? A good personality, tact, diplomacy, and promptness returning phone calls and emails are often major components to a successful match. Remember when a recruiter sends you to one of their clients; their reputation is on the line. They are acutely aware of this, and you should be too.
One last valuable tip: a recruiter is somewhat limited in his or her ability to bring you “your dream job”. They can and will only offer you positions they are working on for their clients, and only if you are a potential match for the position.
Additionally, you will probably not be the only candidate they send to interview for the position. Generally recruiters send in two to four qualified candidates for each position they are paid to fill.
If you want to build good relationships both short and long term with recruiters you should:
• Find either paid or free lists of recruiters who specialize in your position or industry. Generally the recruiter’s geographical location is of little importance, they often have many clients outside of their physical location.
• The paid lists I endorse are through Executive Agent (listed on my website). Their system is quick and easy to use and very affordable. Their reputation in the industry is excellent….as are the results they provide.
• Follow up with courtesy phone calls to the best recruiters on your list based on your needs and how they measure up. You will look more professional and get on their radar screen.
• Always be pleasant, positive and diplomatic.
• Treat the recruiter just the same as you would a potential employer in an interview.
• If you are really attached to your industry, then building long-term relationships with recruiters isn’t a bad idea. Recruiters are heavily networked, appreciate referrals and the good ones will remember your generosity, kindness and professionalism. They will go out of their way to contact you with five-star positions they may have down the road.
Recruiters can be extremely helpful to you and your career and knowing their hot buttons and the best ways to find them and build positive relationships with them will not only save you time but serve to flush out additional job opportunities!
This is a very common question I receive from new clients. There is no one right answer, but there are some quick and easy steps you can take to make sure you are assessing your situation correctly.
Usually when a professional isn’t getting responses or quality interviews from their resume, the reason falls within one of these categories:
• The resume is poorly written
• The resume hasn’t been distributed widely enough to generate interest
• The methods with which the resume is being distributed are generally poor methods
Let’s take a look at each category:
The resume is poorly written
The problems I see with resumes are too extensive to go into too much depth here, however basic reoccurring problems include resumes that are too wordy, resumes that are not laser focused on the preferred industry and resumes that aren’t loaded with quantifiable achievements.
Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for me to see resumes that were “written professionally” by a resume writer or outplacement agency that just don’t cut it.
In short, if you can’t afford a resume writer, look for up-to-date resume samples via print or online media and do your best to use them as a template. Read several how-to articles on resume writing basics so you know what to emphasize.
Finally, if you hire someone to write your resume for you, make certain they are certified through a reputable association (CMI or CDI for example) and that they have ample experience. Prices can range from as little as $300 to $3,000. Hire the best you can afford. You are worth it.
The resume hasn’t been distributed widely enough to generate interest
It’s a common error to feel that a submission of 10 to 20 resumes via a job board is a good call to action. Unfortunately most people will find that this produces little, if any results. Yielding slight higher results (optimistically 5 %+) include niche job boards, paid job boards, association job boards and direct-to-company websites.
The methods with which the resume is being distributed are generally poor methods
Do you want to see better than a 5% response rate? Then you are going to want to learn basic techniques to tap into the unadvertised job market.
Many people mistakenly believe this means “networking”. It does not, though learning basic networking techniques (that don’t involve calling everyone you know to ask them if they know who is hiring) will both boost your confidence, lower any contact-anxiety you may have and increase your overall results.
A final word about professional help
A certified resume writer and/or job search coach isn’t just for the 6-or-7 figure professional with money to burn.
In fact, a good resume writer and job search coach can save you a substantial amount of money, and that’s not hype. A few of the results a professional can help you achieve include:
• More interviews
• Bigger offers
• Shorter job search
If you are in between jobs, then the sooner you land your next position, the sooner you can regain your monthly income. Just saving one month of wasted effort in a job search can easily translate to savings of thousands of dollars.
A good job search coach knows how to help you identify and reach your goals. They have a goody bag of resources you probably would be hard pressed to find on your own and don’t forget that this help is often tax deductible (check with your CPA for details).
You can take what you learn and apply to your long term career strategy and future career transitions. Bottom line, an effective and meaningful investment in yourself and your career.
Before you decide what your next best step is in your career search, take a few minutes to apply the points in this article to your current situation. This will help you determine the solutions right for you so you can move forward with confidence.
Hot-off-the-press from Jobbait.com:
If you’re considering moving to a recession-proof area, this may help you. 6 cities (metro areas) are recession-proof according to our analysis of the latest BLS data available on November 23, 2008:
1. Merced, CA
2. Grand Junction, CO
3. Billings, MT
4. Laredo, TX
5. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA
6. Morgantown, WV
Another 29 are almost recession-proof.
To sign up (for free) to see all 35 recession-proof cities, including the total number of new jobs by specific industry in the last 12 months, go to www.jobbait.com.
One of the wisest things you will do in your job search is learn the best non-traditional job search methods that fit your particular goals.
One method (and it happens to be my favorite – read on to find out why) is finding and following up on what I like to call corporate growth opportunities.
Growth opportunities are windows when a company is experiencing some form of growth. These can include moves, expansions, launching new products or services, mergers or acquisitions, awards and new rounds of venture capital funding, just to name a few.
Because of the fact that in so many cases when a company is experiencing a major change and/or growth there is a hiring need, it is truly a perfect time for YOU to make an introduction!
A few of the benefits you will enjoy when you capitalize on growth opportunities are:
Sounds great right? Believe me, it is! And it’s easy to find and follow up on growth opportunities in your specific target market using internet resources including: US Business Journals, Google news alerts, article finders and even associations related to your industry of focus.
Each week you can connect with key decision makers associated with the various growth opportunities that interest you. Send a short value proposition letter and don’t forget to attach a copy of the article and follow up in order to maximize your favorable responses.
This particular method can increase your response rate to 20, 40 and even 60%! Compared to the 1 to 3% response rates you will get through submitting your resume to jobs posted on major job boards there is simply no contest. Learning how to follow up on corporate growth opportunities can easily become your most powerful and effective job search strategy.
P.S. - Your name and email address will never be sold, rented, or given away. You have my word on it!
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Mary Elizabeth Bradford
P.O. Box 298 * Boerne, TX 78006 * ph (830) 331-9398
maryelizabeth@maryelizabethbradford.com
© 2012-2014 Mary Elizabeth Bradford, The Career Artisan. All Rights Reserved.
