Table of Contents
Table of Contents
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
Best Practices
Paradigm Shift
This section provides direction on the many straight forward aspects of job search and career marketing, as well as other nuanced aspects that often come to mind.
Daily Routine
Unemployment is commonly unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory, and it is easy to fall into an emotional rut. Searching for a job is a job in and of itself, in which you have no supervisor, and it is all up to you to plan, execute, track, and manage your job search activities. It is important to use the same thinking and routines as when employed, to maximize your efforts and results. Wake early, shower, eat breakfast, dress in your typical professional attire, and then immediately begin your planned job search activities. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of maintaining maximum energy and positivity. In addition to your job search focus, plan into each day energy-creating activities, and follow-through with strict discipline. The best energy-creating activities include charitable work, exercise, time with loved ones, and spiritual renewal. It is scientifically proven that our brains release the energy-producing feel-good chemicals Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphin, and Dopamine when engaged in these activities. A thoughtful daily routine will have a positive effect on your sense of purpose and progress, and will reflect to others in your energy, body language, and general vibe.
Job Search Environment
Full time job searching at home can have a sobering effect, even if your previous employment was home-based. Work in coffee shops or public libraries, to emulate the feel of normal vibrant work environment and to feed off the energy of others. In addition, you might unexpectedly encounter people who prove to be helpful in your job search.
CV / Resume and Cover
Letter Writing
This document is both a marketing brochure and specification sheet. It is meant to convey detail, but you should give great attention and painstaking care to the differentiating details that communicate nuances and tone. Word selection and flow are some of the subtle subconscious communicators that can work for you or against you. The objective is not to be the most impressive CV / resume the hiring company reads. The objective is to design and create a CV / resume that accurately abundantly, and clearly communicates the most important and relevant information possible, and in so little available document real estate. Blaise Pascal said, “If I would have had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” and this perfectly applies to your CV/resume. It takes a tremendous amount of time to say the most with the fewest words and document space/real estate. The ideal length is 1-3 pages, depending on years of experience, and could be four (4) if you are very seasoned and / or in an extremely technical field.
There is no right or wrong layout; only more or less effective in conveying your message. And there is a new layout consideration that comes with advances in technology and Applicant Tracking Software. Resume-reading technology is commonly used to process key information from new applicants and store it in a searchable database. Key information includes name, contact information, previous employers, titles, employment dates, education, and key skills/tools. If this information is not close enough to the traditional layout, then ATS software might overlook your CV / resume altogether and you might miss out on the perfect job. It is important to design a searchable CV / resume, yet this provides a constraint in setting yours apart, from a marketing perspective. Maximize while cognizant of this constraint.
There are nine (9) layout elements to consider: Content, Contrast, Consistency, Continuity, Color, Font, Images, Proximity, and Alignment. Consider your target market and competition, and work within these nine (9) elements to create the most effective CV / resume possible; and follow the ‘less is more’ rule. A good starting resource for layout is www.resumehelp.com. Avoid big blocks of dense text, as it is uncomfortable for the reader. Only include the previous 10-15 years of work experience, unless you have older experience that is highly relevant and supportive of your value proposition and positioning message. Write in first-person only, and do not use pronouns such as “I was responsible for…” To maximize the document real estate, and to be succinct in your message, you would write “Responsible for….” Eliminate usage of superfluous words, such as “the” and “an” in: “Developed the project plan for an enterprise-wide system implementation …” Instead write: “Developed project plan for enterprise-wide system implementation…” Do not include hyperbole; your CV / Resume loses credibility when it communicates how great YOU think you are. To build brand credibility, include as many objective measurable results and achievements as possible (individual, team, group, division, enterprise) in a percentage / dollar / time increase or decrease of revenue, margin, profit, return, market share, brand equity, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, risk, etc.…
Below are attractive action verbs suggesting positive outcomes.
Accelerate
Achieved
Added
Awarded
Changed
Contributed
Decreased
Delivered
Eliminated
Exceeded
Expanded
Gained
Generated
Grew
Improved
Increased
Introduced
Maximized
Minimized
Optimized
Produced
Reduced
Saved
Sold
Streamlined
Below are attractive power words to be considered for leadership resumes.
Suggests you are a Trailblazer
Spearheaded
Pioneered
Ignited
Piloted
Transformed
Revitalized
Modernized
Optimized
Shows you can Manage Money
Budgeted
Cut costs
Drove growth
Invested
Reduced
Negotiated
P&L Accountability
Implies You are a Strong Developer of People
Coached
Mentored
Shaped
Supported
Ignited
Motivated
Uplifted
Advocated
United
Galvanized
We (Remember, folks, there's no ‘I' in team.)
Cover Letter
Cover letters are primarily used when pursuing management positions but can also be effective when pursuing advanced roles that are not in management. The goal of any cover letter is to show that you're a strong candidate and should be brought in for an interview. Clearly define your management skills and experience to help differentiate you from the competition. In particular, make sure your cover letter focuses on your leadership abilities, mentioning any accomplishments you've achieved as a manager in previous roles. Below is information on how to write a successful management-level cover letter.
What Employers Look for in
a Cover Letter
In any cover letter, companies want to see evidence of what you have accomplished in your prior positions. For management-level positions, they will be eager to see that you have led teams and projects successfully in the past. Your objective is to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your management and leadership experience, achievements, and qualifications. Rather than stating a list of tasks that you did in previous positions, share specific and quantifiable examples of accomplishments. For example, if you reduced employee turnover by 10 percent, share that statistic. If you’re interviewing for a sale manager position and you’ve hired some of the company’s top salespeople, mention it. When you have led a company to record-breaking growth and profitability, share as much of that information as you can without breaching confidentiality. Sharing specifics about accomplishments is far more compelling than simply saying you managed a team of 15 people, performing annual one-on-one reviews. Along with detailing your past management experience, you can also touch on what you would be able to accomplish in the role you're seeking. Remember, employers are most interested in how you will perform once you are in the position at hand. Your previous experience is relevant for two reasons: to predict your future success and to show that you have the necessary background and experience to step into the position. Use your cover letter to share how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
What to Include in Your Cover Letter
Open your cover letter with a salutation. Then, in the first paragraph of your cover letter, mention the specific job for which you are applying and your interest in working for the company. Use the second and third paragraphs of your letter to explain why you are a strong candidate for the position. You can use bullet points to express some of your accomplishments. Regardless of format, this middle section needs to demonstrate that you are a viable candidate, with relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Close the letter by thanking the company for considering you for the role. Avoid being generic in your cover letter; the most effective letters are customized for each job application. A compelling letter will show why you are a top consideration for said management position in particular. Take the time to match your qualifications to the requirements listed in the job posting. Researching the company to get a sense of their needs and goals can also help you write a persuasive letter. Every cover letter — regardless of position — should be free from typos or grammatical errors. Cover letters should not duplicate your resume. Use this as a space to tell a story about yourself, expand on your resume, or highlight important skills / accomplishments that may be buried in the bottom-half of your resume. While the tone should be professional, you can show some of your character and voice in your letter.
Use this as a space
to tell a story about yourself...
”
“
Confidential CV / Resume Posting
Posting your resume while employed feels risky out of concern that your current employer will discover the posting and terminate your employment before you have secured another job. Another concern is that if you do a confidential post then so little information is provided that those who you do want to discover you will never find you or will find you and bypass you because so little information was available about you. A recommended approach is to sanitize your full resume and take some creative liberties. If a member of your current employer were to search for current employees who have posted, they would likely search for their company’s name, industry terminology, or even an employee’s name specifically. So, omitting this information is straight forward. However, for many people this does not do enough to alleviate concerns. Since your current employer has your resume on file, it would be telling for them to cross reference your sanitized version with the version on file. Past employers, past job titles, education information, and more would make it conclusive.
Name and Address
First, and most obviously, no name. Second, omit your home address but show the name of the key city name that represents the larger marketplace area. This is important for employers to be able to identify where you live., since most prefer to hire local candidates. Create and display an email address that is professional and generic and does not include any identifiers such as name, school, university, hobby, and more.
Confidential CV /
Resume Posting
Employer Names; and Locations
Displaying ‘Confidential’ in place of employer name is common, anticipated, and in no way will diminish the reader’s interest. However, there is no way to overcome the challenge that if your employer names are major enhancements to your professional brand but will not be displayed. What can be done is to provide a description of the company and its positive impressive attributes, such as global, industry-leader, innovator, market-share, and more. For locations, display key city names that represent the larger marketplace area.
Industry Names
If you work in a niche industry, then the name of the niche is a dangerous identifier. And every niche is part of a larger industry picture. When describing your work experience, responsibilities, and achievements, generalize with labels such as health care, manufacturing, retail, distribution, professional services, and technology.
Job Titles
It is completely okay to slightly modify your job titles. Since companies all have a slightly different spin on standard job titles, it is appropriate to replace Account Executive with Client Executive, and Software Developer with Software Engineer, for example. But you must be cautious not to alter the meaning. What do you do when an interview progresses to the reference-check phase, and your prospective employer uncovers altered titles, and you lose credibility? Be proactive. During the first interview, inform the interviewer of your formal title(s) on HR file and that you slightly modified them on your resume only in an effort to remain confidential, but that you intended to perfectly match the titles’ true universal meanings.
This professional social media platform has many tremendous benefits not previously afforded employees and employers. It is critical that your profile communicates a message consistent with your story and all your other marketing assets (CV / resume, Cover Letter, references, etc.). LinkedIn is not meant for your work history details but is meant to provide additional color to your thinking, values, aspirations, desires, and achievements.
Your LinkedIn profile should display approximately 30-50% more of your personality and personal interests than your resume. This is done through your photo, postings, projects, hobbies, interests, and the companies, groups, and people you follow. Two other very important opportunities in LinkedIn are the Recommendations and Endorsements sections. It pays to put forth significant effort to ask those who know you to write a recommendation and to endorse your skills, as this is a way for hiring managers to cross-reference their understanding of you with the words of others who have worked closely with you. Be aware that an obvious imbalance between the number of received recommendations and given recommendations communicates a subtle message. Give many more recommendations than received communicates that others might not be willing to publicly support you. Receiving many more than given might communicate that you are a taker and not a giver. Be thoughtful about this powerful LinkedIn capability and be sincere about how you use it.
Another wonderful use is job opening research. LinkedIn can help you identify people within your network who might be able/willing to provide you with additional information on company, industry, hiring manager, etc.... Another powerful use is to identify people within your network who trust and value you, and whom have access to, and influence with, people related to a specific job opportunity. Asking these people to provide an unsolicited endorsement to those involved in hiring can build social proof, giving you an edge over others competing for the same job.
Proactive Brand Building
It is not about who you know, it is about who knows you. Companies such as Apple, Coco Cola, Nordstrom, and Ritz Carlton are entirely deliberate about their brand identity, and make a tremendous investment in embedding their brands into the conscious and subconscious minds of their target audiences. They do this to capture category opportunity, and to build demand and customer loyalty. This can be done in our careers as well. The result is ever-increasing job options, job offers, and career control. Never again feel desperate and be left out in the cold.
Every industry contains member organizations and people who are considered industry-leaders possessing an extraordinary blend of industry experience, education, credibility, and influence. They are typically known for adding exceptional value outside of their own direct benefit, and for working toward the greater good of all industry beneficiaries and benefactors. These are the folks we tend to most watch and respect.
Being highly effective in your job is the beginning of building and promoting your brand, but it also requires much more. We must identify the thought-leaders, learn what they know, and seek what they seek. We must try new things. We must share liberally what we know and help others. We must stretch. We must inspire and encourage and endeavor to make others better. Industry leaders with the greatest exposure and respect write and share papers, books, and blogs / vlogs. They share their time, interest, knowledge, and connections with others. They attend, promote, organize, and contribute to industry learning and social events (conferences, meet ups, summits, associations, user groups, coalitions, etc.). In essence, they operate from an abundance mentality, carry a sense of industry duty, and invest in the greater good. Do this thoughtfully and you too will be known for your strong brand.
Image and Attire
Everything communicates, period. We consciously and subconsciously select a large volume of communication cues that speak louder than our words and tone. How we dress, carry ourselves, speak, and act are powerful subconscious indicators to the ‘Reptilian brain’ of others, as to whether we are friend or foe. When we resemble the herd, the herd’s instincts approve. Do research to identify the general physical image and demeanor of your target audience, and the unique aspects of the more respected, influential, and admired members of this group. Emulating this image can subconsciously create target audience affinity and demonstrate that you strive to excel amongst your peers. This applies to clothing and accessories (jewelry, eyeglasses, bags / briefcases / purses, tattoos, makeup) as well as grooming, hairstyles, and fingernails. There are other more modern accessory cues to consider, such as writing utensils, and electronic devices.
Networking and Follow Up
Networking is vital in today’s modern business environment, yet uncomfortable for most people because of how they are wired; that is of course unless you are a natural-born salesperson as only a small fraction of the population is. Networking when you are not in need is ideal, but how does one network when in need? Initiating contact is the hardest part. Reaching out to people requires a thoughtful and compelling request for help, and a specific reason why they might be helpful. But sometimes pride gets in the way, and we fear appearing desperate. It is important to remember that helping others feels good, and you are giving people a chance to help. Being authentic, and showing openness and vulnerability, is human and endearing. Ask for ideas, direction, suggestions, recommendations, and introductions. To show that you will make the most of the time and energy they have shared with you, send a thank you email with a meeting recap and your intended resulting actions, and then provide updates from time to time. And, of course, abundantly express your gratitude. Consider creating a master distribution list containing all people who you have asked to help, and every 2-3 weeks provide a brief, detailed, and succinct update on your job search efforts, activities, and results. This will keep them mindful of you and your situation. And it demonstrates you are taking full advantage of the help, interest, and caring they have and continue to provide for you.
Networking vs. Online Activities
This debate can be quite befuddling. On the one hand the internet has made job search very efficient; you can look for, and submit to, job openings in your pajamas. On the other hand, many people say that you must network to gain a competitive advantage, and to uncover job openings that are more appealing and not published online. Both approaches have value and should be incorporated into your plan. Internet job search websites are efficient in research and can alert you to interesting possibilities. You can set job search agents to look for selected job openings while you sleep, which can help you keep your pulse on the job marketplace and help you identify prospective employers. However, because most people find networking to be uncomfortable and confusing, it is too easy to fall into the trap of endless online search and submittals and never making enough time for face-to-face interaction. Most would agree that getting outside of one’s comfort zone provides value. This is where planning and execution comes in. Thoughtfully deciding how you will spend your time and energy in advance, and then executing your daily planned activities, will help you move into the discomfort where there is a high likelihood of added value.
Refreshing your Network
You likely haven’t invested in growing and maintaining your professional network as much as you could and should. Most people feel this is the case but are faced with this stark and undeniable reality during job search. But how do you work through the negative feelings of initiating a reconnection with people only because you need their help, but you did not invest in the relationship when you didn’t? There are three main mental and emotional barriers that must be overcome: “I don’t want to make others feel used,” “I do not want to be seen as someone who selfishly uses others” and “I don’t want to be thought of as sad, pitiful, or desperate.”
It is important to reconcile these feelings, so they do not hold you back from maximizing your volume of networking activities, and so they do not negatively color the tone of your networking interactions. First, you must accept that the vast majority of people are kind and will be sensitive and caring about your employment needs. We can all relate to the pressures and importance of managing our career and livelihood, and financial impact. They will likely want to help, but not feel or show pity. It feels good to help people. By asking for help you are providing people who have a positive or neutral history with you the opportunity to help and feel good.
So how does it start? Every network contact in a lapsed relationship will suspect that your attempt to reconnect is because you have a need. Rather than dance around this topic and perpetuate the awkwardness for both of you, your initial contact should contain four (4) elements: 1/ Make your intent clear; 2/ Be warm and human as if time has not passed; 3/ Make your request clear; 4/ Communicate your gratitude for their interest and willingness, and that nothing more is expected. What should you expect? Ask them to share their professional life story so you can glean insights, and then ask them for advice and direction about your situation. Remember, they will feel compassion and empathy and not pity. They will likely feel compelled to help, even if it is merely to provide encouragement. And helping feels good for everyone.
Application and Interview Follow Up
Deciding on the frequency and manner of follow up can be perplexing. Done too frequently and you might come across as rude and / or desperate. Done too infrequently and you miss the perfect timing and are not doing enough to demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and appreciation. Here is what to do: Follow up at the level of frequency that is beyond your comfort and GET THE MESSAGE RIGHT. If you feel desperate, frustrated, aggressive, angry, insulted, etc.... due to your perception of their poor communication, then your message (written and voice) will reflect those feelings; no matter how clever you are and how hard you try to hide it. Clearly, projecting those feelings will work against you. Get your head and heart right and understand that you are not trying to force something un-natural. Your job is to research what might be a fit, make contact and show your interest, and as you learn more and become more interested then show it. And then respect the fact that you are only one side of the equation. Declaring your intent at the beginning of your follow up communication can put both parties at ease. Make it clear that you do not want to come across overly persistent, but that you simply want to demonstrate your growing interest. And you want them to take comfort in knowing that if they have growing interest in you, then the feeling is mutual.
Interview Preparation
The internet has made it possible to uncover vast amounts of information (and misinformation) about a prospective employer’s leadership team, customers/clients, and hiring managers and influencers. Please take full advantage of this information yet be cautious with how this information is applied when communicating with interviewers. Demonstrating that you have made a heavy investment into research during their interview process will be flattering, and this will communicate positive attributes such as thorough, resourceful, respectful, curious, invested, committed, etc. However, if the information you uncover is delivered in a mechanical impersonal way it will come across as simply a robotic check-list exercise, and not representative of your personal interest in them and their opportunity. Make it clear that, because of your high interest in the job opportunity and your appreciation for their interest, time, and consideration, you have done extensive research and what you have found has you excited for the interview and the additional clarity and color it will provide.
The final preparation for networking and interviewing involves building confidence through message rehearsal and emotional centering. Read through your resume and LinkedIn profile and create a list of any and all unique questions that might arise out of an interviewer’s curiosity. Write and refine your answers to the point that you can naturally and comfortably answer these questions without referencing your written answers, and then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearsing in front of a family member / friend or a mirror is a common practice for sales professionals. You can also record and play back your delivery (video or voice) as this is a very helpful tool for self-evaluation from the third-person perspective. Regarding emotional centering, Harvard research proves that holding the “superhero pose” in private for two (2) minutes has a positive impact on the body language others subsequently read, and a positive impact on how we feel about ourselves. Another great tool is visualizing yourself in your future successful state, so you can feed off the positive feeling in your current state. And lastly there is gratitude. Exercising gratitude is a very powerful practice that provides positive energy and a relaxed state, which has a positive effect on those around us. Starting every day by writing a list of five (5) things for which you are grateful, and never repeating the same list items, perpetuates the belief and feelings of more good things to come. Optimism is an endearing and magnetic trait.
If your interview is a phone interview, strongly consider dressing in your full in-person interview attire and then stand in front of a mirror during the call. Watch yourself interacting with your image, as if you are in-person, and use all the positive body language you would during an in-person interview. This approach can make you more comfortable and provide you with a positive frame of mind, thus increasing the probability that the interviewer will pick up on the positivity.
Employment References
Checking references is still a common hiring practice today, but due to employment law, has long been losing its relevance in the ultimate hiring decision. A growing trend in Human Resources practices is the application of policy prohibiting the release of performance information on past employees, due to the risk of lawsuit. Many companies will only validate employment dates and titles and hiring companies desire to know much more. In addition, it is also commonly believed that references are worthless because candidates are only going to offer references to those who they are assured will provide purely positive remarks. Regardless of these challenges, enthusiastically sharing names and contact information of highly relevant references comforts the interviewer that you are proud of your work history, the ups of your accomplishments and the downs of your learnings and growth. When possible, provide references for every immediate supervisor during the past several years. Providing only co-workers indicates the strong possibility of poor performance. Showing a history of pleasing your supervisor will suggest that you will likely please your next supervisor. When possible, include references with the highest-profile titles (C-level, VP-level, Director-level) even when they are not your direct supervisor. This will indicate that the quality and value of your work was broadly recognized and appreciated by highly discerning high-influence people of power and stature. And if you are well-known by high-profile people outside of a work relationship, include these people as personal character references. This has a similar positive subconscious effect.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers....
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Negotiating Compensation
There are many different opinions about how to handle this topic, and most people are very uneasy discussing compensation with potential employers. Some advice found on the internet suggests that the first party to name a number loses, and that you can always move down from your original number, but you cannot ever move up. And if you leave ‘money on the table’ such as $3,000 in salary, for example, then you can extrapolate over a 20-year career and miss out on $60k plus interest in lifetime income, making this a high-stakes $60k plus discussion and negotiation activity. This is antiquated thinking from a time when people expected to work for one company their entire career.
The best careers today are dynamic and fluid. However, how does one handle the question of most recent and expected compensation, when we are directly asked for this information early in the application or interview process? Without knowing the job-opportunity pay-range and / or flexibility, it is common to fear that your answers will reduce their interest in you, or eliminate you altogether, even though you would have been quite satisfied within their range, when considering all unknown factors relative to the opportunity. So, what to do? Speak first and risk being immediately eliminated with no further discussion or explanation. Duck, dodge, or sidestep and risk alienating, annoying, or irritating the interviewer by appearing uncomfortable or uncooperative.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers, and you do not want to miss out due to miscommunication. Remember that your interaction with an interviewer is driven by the fundamentals of human Psychology and Neuroscience. Interviewers are attempting to make decisions based on facts and logic, but their Limbic and ‘Reptilian brain’ processing will still subconsciously and unknowingly dominate their decisions; facts and logic only get you in the game.
Here is what to do when asked about your most recent compensation. Immediately and freely, without discomfort, share the precise details of your previous / current compensation package, and then make it abundantly clear that this has minimal bearing on the compensation you seek. Explain that due to the dynamic and fluid nature of modern careers, what matters to you is not that you continue to make more money or never move backwards, but that you are fairly compensated based on fair-market standards. Explain further that compensation is not your most important decision criterion, and that you trust that the company you choose to join is a quality organization only interested in compensating its people fairly.
Temporary Assignments
The nature of the modern employment environment creates a growing dilemma, when faced with the decision to pursue and / or accept a temporary assignment or wait for permanent employment. What is permanent employment anyway? There was a time in U.S. history when the workforce was expecting and expected to stay with one employer for their entire career. When considering the entire history of humanity, the Industrial Revolution was a very short period when large free-market companies employed a vast workforce. During this period, the workforce felt loyalty to their employer, and vice versa. This all began to change about 60 years ago, when corporations showed loyalty to increasing profits over employment. Today, the source of employment is more dynamic and fluid than ever, due to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leadership regime changes, startups, and shutdowns. Permanent employment is nearly as temporary as disclosed temporary work. Many companies today are nearly as willing to employ a temporary worker as a permanent worker for the same role, and often temporary assignments extend or convert to permanent employment status.
If you hold two active job offers at the same time, and one is temporary and the other is permanent, it might be an easy decision. But what does one do when accepting and / or working in a temporary assignment and a permanent offer comes from a different employer? Is it acceptable to resign from the temporary assignment earlier than the agreed upon duration? Since the employer is legally and
Temporary Assignments
contractually allowed to cancel the temporary assignment at any time and without cause, and it is legally and contractually allowable for the temporary employee to do the same, then shouldn’t each party be allowed to cancel for any reason with absolutely no negative backlash? We must remember that each party has also entered into a non-binding social contract that comes with expectations and emotions. Both parties agreed to provide something specific to the other party in exchange for what was committed to themselves, and to do so for a specified duration. When this non-binding social contract is interrupted, we must remain cognizant that the deciding party is making a decision that will likely immediately improve their own employment situation but will likely create some difficulty and disappointment for the other party. If employers do this frequently, their reputation might indicate that they callously consider employees totally expendable, thus harming their ability to affordably and effectively attract talent. If an employee does this frequently then they can become branded as unreliable. And if an employee does this infrequently, we must still remember that wherever we have terminated a temporary assignment early will likely maintain a negative opinion about us for quite some time. Recommendation: Either decide upfront that you will follow through no matter what, or openly discuss this dilemma with your potential temporary assignment employer. Or bail at will and accept the possible consequences. No matter what you choose, stay aware of the emotional effect.
Best Practices
Paradigm Shift
This section provides direction on the many straight forward aspects of job search and career marketing, as well as other nuanced aspects that often come to mind.
Daily Routine
Unemployment is commonly unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory, and it is easy to fall into an emotional rut. Searching for a job is a job in and of itself, in which you have no supervisor, and it is all up to you to plan, execute, track, and manage your job search activities. It is important to use the same thinking and routines as when employed, to maximize your efforts and results. Wake early, shower, eat breakfast, dress in your typical professional attire, and then immediately begin your planned job search activities. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of maintaining maximum energy and positivity. In addition to your job search focus, plan into each day energy-creating activities, and follow-through with strict discipline. The best energy-creating activities include charitable work, exercise, time with loved ones, and spiritual renewal. It is scientifically proven that our brains release the energy-producing feel-good chemicals Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphin, and Dopamine when engaged in these activities. A thoughtful daily routine will have a positive effect on your sense of purpose and progress, and will reflect to others in your energy, body language, and general vibe.
Job Search Environment
Full time job searching at home can have a sobering effect, even if your previous employment was home-based. Work in coffee shops or public libraries, to emulate the feel of normal vibrant work environment and to feed off the energy of others. In addition, you might unexpectedly encounter people who prove to be helpful in your job search.
Full time job searching at home can have a sobering effect, even if your previous employment was home-based. Work in coffee shops or public libraries, to emulate the feel of normal vibrant work environment and to feed off the energy of others. In addition, you might unexpectedly encounter people who prove to be helpful in your job search.
CV / Resume and Cover Letter Writing
This document is both a marketing brochure and specification sheet. It is meant to convey detail, but you should give great attention and painstaking care to the differentiating details that communicate nuances and tone. Word selection and flow are some of the subtle subconscious communicators that can work for you or against you. The objective is not to be the most impressive CV / resume the hiring company reads. The objective is to design and create a CV / resume that accurately abundantly, and clearly communicates the most important and relevant information possible, and in so little available document real estate. Blaise Pascal said, “If I would have had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” and this perfectly applies to your CV/resume. It takes a tremendous amount of time to say the most with the fewest words and document space/real estate. The ideal length is 1-3 pages, depending on years of experience, and could be four (4) if you are very seasoned and / or in an extremely technical field.
There is no right or wrong layout; only more or less effective in conveying your message. And there is a new layout consideration that comes with advances in technology and Applicant Tracking Software. Resume-reading technology is commonly used to process key information from new applicants and store it in a searchable database. Key information includes name, contact information, previous employers, titles, employment dates, education, and key skills/tools. If this information is not close enough to the traditional layout, then ATS software might overlook your CV / resume altogether and you might miss out on the perfect job. It is important to design a searchable CV / resume, yet this provides a constraint in setting yours apart, from a marketing perspective. Maximize while cognizant of this constraint.
There are nine (9) layout elements to consider: Content, Contrast, Consistency, Continuity, Color, Font, Images, Proximity, and Alignment. Consider your target market and competition, and work within these nine (9) elements to create the most effective CV / resume possible; and follow the ‘less is more’ rule. A good starting resource for layout is www.resumehelp.com. Avoid big blocks of dense text, as it is uncomfortable for the reader. Only include the previous 10-15 years of work experience, unless you have older experience that is highly relevant and supportive of your value proposition and positioning message. Write in first-person only, and do not use pronouns such as “I was responsible for…” To maximize the document real estate, and to be succinct in your message, you would write “Responsible for….” Eliminate usage of superfluous words, such as “the” and “an” in: “Developed the project plan for an enterprise-wide system implementation …” Instead write: “Developed project plan for enterprise-wide system implementation…” Do not include hyperbole; your CV / Resume loses credibility when it communicates how great YOU think you are. To build brand credibility, include as many objective measurable results and achievements as possible (individual, team, group, division, enterprise) in a percentage / dollar / time increase or decrease of revenue, margin, profit, return, market share, brand equity, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, risk, etc.…
Below are attractive action verbs
suggesting positive outcomes.
Accelerate
Achieved
Added
Awarded
Changed
Contributed
Decreased
Delivered
Eliminated
Exceeded
Expanded
Gained
Generated
Grew
Improved
Increased
Introduced
Maximized
Minimized
Optimized
Produced
Reduced
Saved
Sold
Streamlined
Below are attractive power words to be considered for leadership resumes.
Suggests you are a Trailblazer
Spearheaded
Pioneered
Ignited
Piloted
Transformed
Revitalized
Modernized
Optimized
Shows you can Manage Money
Budgeted
Cut costs
Drove growth
Invested
Reduced
Negotiated
P&L Accountability
Implies You are a Strong Developer of People
Coached
Mentored
Shaped
Supported
Ignited
Motivated
Uplifted
Advocated
United
Galvanized
We (Remember, folks, there's no ‘I' in team.)
Cover Letter
Cover letters are primarily used when pursuing management positions but can also be effective when pursuing advanced roles that are not in management. The goal of any cover letter is to show that you're a strong candidate and should be brought in for an interview. Clearly define your management skills and experience to help differentiate you from the competition. In particular, make sure your cover letter focuses on your leadership abilities, mentioning any accomplishments you've achieved as a manager in previous roles. Below is information on how to write a successful management-level cover letter.
What Employers Look for in a Cover Letter
In any cover letter, companies want to see evidence of what you have accomplished in your prior positions. For management-level positions, they will be eager to see that you have led teams and projects successfully in the past. Your objective is to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your management and leadership experience, achievements, and qualifications. Rather than stating a list of tasks that you did in previous positions, share specific and quantifiable examples of accomplishments. For example, if you reduced employee turnover by 10 percent, share that statistic. If you’re interviewing for a sale manager position and you’ve hired some of the company’s top salespeople, mention it. When you have led a company to record-breaking growth and profitability, share as much of that information as you can without breaching confidentiality. Sharing specifics about accomplishments is far more compelling than simply saying you managed a team of 15 people, performing annual one-on-one reviews. Along with detailing your past management experience, you can also touch on what you would be able to accomplish in the role you're seeking. Remember, employers are most interested in how you will perform once you are in the position at hand. Your previous experience is relevant for two reasons: to predict your future success and to show that you have the necessary background and experience to step into the position. Use your cover letter to share how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
Cover letters are primarily used when pursuing management positions but can also be effective when pursuing advanced roles that are not in management. The goal of any cover letter is to show that you're a strong candidate and should be brought in for an interview. Clearly define your management skills and experience to help differentiate you from the competition. In particular, make sure your cover letter focuses on your leadership abilities, mentioning any accomplishments you've achieved as a manager in previous roles. Below is information on how to write a successful management-level cover letter.
What Employers Look for in a Cover Letter
In any cover letter, companies want to see evidence of what you have accomplished in your prior positions. For management-level positions, they will be eager to see that you have led teams and projects successfully in the past. Your objective is to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your management and leadership experience, achievements, and qualifications. Rather than stating a list of tasks that you did in previous positions, share specific and quantifiable examples of accomplishments. For example, if you reduced employee turnover by 10 percent, share that statistic. If you’re interviewing for a sale manager position and you’ve hired some of the company’s top salespeople, mention it. When you have led a company to record-breaking growth and profitability, share as much of that information as you can without breaching confidentiality. Sharing specifics about accomplishments is far more compelling than simply saying you managed a team of 15 people, performing annual one-on-one reviews. Along with detailing your past management experience, you can also touch on what you would be able to accomplish in the role you're seeking. Remember, employers are most interested in how you will perform once you are in the position at hand. Your previous experience is relevant for two reasons: to predict your future success and to show that you have the necessary background and experience to step into the position. Use your cover letter to share how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
What Employers Look for in a Cover Letter
What to Include in Your Cover Letter
Open your cover letter with a salutation. Then, in the first paragraph of your cover letter, mention the specific job for which you are applying and your interest in working for the company. Use the second and third paragraphs of your letter to explain why you are a strong candidate for the position. You can use bullet points to express some of your accomplishments. Regardless of format, this middle section needs to demonstrate that you are a viable candidate, with relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Close the letter by thanking the company for considering you for the role. Avoid being generic in your cover letter; the most effective letters are customized for each job application. A compelling letter will show why you are a top consideration for said management position in particular. Take the time to match your qualifications to the requirements listed in the job posting. Researching the company to get a sense of their needs and goals can also help you write a persuasive letter. Every cover letter — regardless of position — should be free from typos or grammatical errors. Cover letters should not duplicate your resume. Use this as a space to tell a story about yourself, expand on your resume, or highlight important skills / accomplishments that may be buried in the bottom-half of your resume. While the tone should be professional, you can show some of your character and voice in your letter.
What to Include in Your Cover Letter
Open your cover letter with a salutation. Then, in the first paragraph of your cover letter, mention the specific job for which you are applying and your interest in working for the company. Use the second and third paragraphs of your letter to explain why you are a strong candidate for the position. You can use bullet points to express some of your accomplishments. Regardless of format, this middle section needs to demonstrate that you are a viable candidate, with relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Close the letter by thanking the company for considering you for the role. Avoid being generic in your cover letter; the most effective letters are customized for each job application. A compelling letter will show why you are a top consideration for said management position in particular. Take the time to match your qualifications to the requirements listed in the job posting. Researching the company to get a sense of their needs and goals can also help you write a persuasive letter. Every cover letter — regardless of position — should be free from typos or grammatical errors. Cover letters should not duplicate your resume. Use this as a space to tell a story about yourself, expand on your resume, or highlight important skills / accomplishments that may be buried in the bottom-half of your resume. While the tone should be professional, you can show some of your character and voice in your letter.
Use this as a space
to tell a story about yourself...
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Confidential CV / Resume Posting
Posting your resume while employed feels risky out of concern that your current employer will discover the posting and terminate your employment before you have secured another job. Another concern is that if you do a confidential post then so little information is provided that those who you do want to discover you will never find you or will find you and bypass you because so little information was available about you. A recommended approach is to sanitize your full resume and take some creative liberties. If a member of your current employer were to search for current employees who have posted, they would likely search for their company’s name, industry terminology, or even an employee’s name specifically. So, omitting this information is straight forward. However, for many people this does not do enough to alleviate concerns. Since your current employer has your resume on file, it would be telling for them to cross reference your sanitized version with the version on file. Past employers, past job titles, education information, and more would make it conclusive.
Name and Address
First, and most obviously, no name. Second, omit your home address but show the name of the key city name that represents the larger marketplace area. This is important for employers to be able to identify where you live., since most prefer to hire local candidates. Create and display an email address that is professional and generic and does not include any identifiers such as name, school, university, hobby, and more.
Confidential CV / Resume Posting
Employer Names; and Locations
Displaying ‘Confidential’ in place of employer name is common, anticipated, and in no way will diminish the reader’s interest. However, there is no way to overcome the challenge that if your employer names are major enhancements to your professional brand but will not be displayed. What can be done is to provide a description of the company and its positive impressive attributes, such as global, industry-leader, innovator, market-share, and more. For locations, display key city names that represent the larger marketplace area.
Employer Names; and Locations
Displaying ‘Confidential’ in place of employer name is common, anticipated, and in no way will diminish the reader’s interest. However, there is no way to overcome the challenge that if your employer names are major enhancements to your professional brand but will not be displayed. What can be done is to provide a description of the company and its positive impressive attributes, such as global, industry-leader, innovator, market-share, and more. For locations, display key city names that represent the larger marketplace area.
Industry Names
If you work in a niche industry, then the name of the niche is a dangerous identifier. And every niche is part of a larger industry picture. When describing your work experience, responsibilities, and achievements, generalize with labels such as health care, manufacturing, retail, distribution, professional services, and technology.
Industry Names
If you work in a niche industry, then the name of the niche is a dangerous identifier. And every niche is part of a larger industry picture. When describing your work experience, responsibilities, and achievements, generalize with labels such as health care, manufacturing, retail, distribution, professional services, and technology.
Job Titles
It is completely okay to slightly modify your job titles. Since companies all have a slightly different spin on standard job titles, it is appropriate to replace Account Executive with Client Executive, and Software Developer with Software Engineer, for example. But you must be cautious not to alter the meaning. What do you do when an interview progresses to the reference-check phase, and your prospective employer uncovers altered titles, and you lose credibility? Be proactive. During the first interview, inform the interviewer of your formal title(s) on HR file and that you slightly modified them on your resume only in an effort to remain confidential, but that you intended to perfectly match the titles’ true universal meanings.
This professional social media platform has many tremendous benefits not previously afforded employees and employers. It is critical that your profile communicates a message consistent with your story and all your other marketing assets (CV / resume, Cover Letter, references, etc.). LinkedIn is not meant for your work history details but is meant to provide additional color to your thinking, values, aspirations, desires, and achievements.
Your LinkedIn profile should display approximately 30-50% more of your personality and personal interests than your resume. This is done through your photo, postings, projects, hobbies, interests, and the companies, groups, and people you follow. Two other very important opportunities in LinkedIn are the Recommendations and Endorsements sections. It pays to put forth significant effort to ask those who know you to write a recommendation and to endorse your skills, as this is a way for hiring managers to cross-reference their understanding of you with the words of others who have worked closely with you. Be aware that an obvious imbalance between the number of received recommendations and given recommendations communicates a subtle message. Give many more recommendations than received communicates that others might not be willing to publicly support you. Receiving many more than given might communicate that you are a taker and not a giver. Be thoughtful about this powerful LinkedIn capability and be sincere about how you use it.
Another wonderful use is job opening research. LinkedIn can help you identify people within your network who might be able/willing to provide you with additional information on company, industry, hiring manager, etc.... Another powerful use is to identify people within your network who trust and value you, and whom have access to, and influence with, people related to a specific job opportunity. Asking these people to provide an unsolicited endorsement to those involved in hiring can build social proof, giving you an edge over others competing for the same job.
This professional social media platform has many tremendous benefits not previously afforded employees and employers. It is critical that your profile communicates a message consistent with your story and all your other marketing assets (CV / resume, Cover Letter, references, etc.). LinkedIn is not meant for your work history details but is meant to provide additional color to your thinking, values, aspirations, desires, and achievements.
Your LinkedIn profile should display approximately 30-50% more of your personality and personal interests than your resume. This is done through your photo, postings, projects, hobbies, interests, and the companies, groups, and people you follow. Two other very important opportunities in LinkedIn are the Recommendations and Endorsements sections. It pays to put forth significant effort to ask those who know you to write a recommendation and to endorse your skills, as this is a way for hiring managers to cross-reference their understanding of you with the words of others who have worked closely with you. Be aware that an obvious imbalance between the number of received recommendations and given recommendations communicates a subtle message. Give many more recommendations than received communicates that others might not be willing to publicly support you. Receiving many more than given might communicate that you are a taker and not a giver. Be thoughtful about this powerful LinkedIn capability and be sincere about how you use it.
Another wonderful use is job opening research. LinkedIn can help you identify people within your network who might be able/willing to provide you with additional information on company, industry, hiring manager, etc.... Another powerful use is to identify people within your network who trust and value you, and whom have access to, and influence with, people related to a specific job opportunity. Asking these people to provide an unsolicited endorsement to those involved in hiring can build social proof, giving you an edge over others competing for the same job.
It is not about who you know, it is about who knows you. Companies such as Apple, Coco Cola, Nordstrom, and Ritz Carlton are entirely deliberate about their brand identity, and make a tremendous investment in embedding their brands into the conscious and subconscious minds of their target audiences. They do this to capture category opportunity, and to build demand and customer loyalty. This can be done in our careers as well. The result is ever-increasing job options, job offers, and career control. Never again feel desperate and be left out in the cold.
Every industry contains member organizations and people who are considered industry-leaders possessing an extraordinary blend of industry experience, education, credibility, and influence. They are typically known for adding exceptional value outside of their own direct benefit, and for working toward the greater good of all industry beneficiaries and benefactors. These are the folks we tend to most watch and respect.
Being highly effective in your job is the beginning of building and promoting your brand, but it also requires much more. We must identify the thought-leaders, learn what they know, and seek what they seek. We must try new things. We must share liberally what we know and help others. We must stretch. We must inspire and encourage and endeavor to make others better. Industry leaders with the greatest exposure and respect write and share papers, books, and blogs / vlogs. They share their time, interest, knowledge, and connections with others. They attend, promote, organize, and contribute to industry learning and social events (conferences, meet ups, summits, associations, user groups, coalitions, etc.). In essence, they operate from an abundance mentality, carry a sense of industry duty, and invest in the greater good. Do this thoughtfully and you too will be known for your strong brand.
Image and Attire
Everything communicates, period. We consciously and subconsciously select a large volume of communication cues that speak louder than our words and tone. How we dress, carry ourselves, speak, and act are powerful subconscious indicators to the ‘Reptilian brain’ of others, as to whether we are friend or foe. When we resemble the herd, the herd’s instincts approve. Do research to identify the general physical image and demeanor of your target audience, and the unique aspects of the more respected, influential, and admired members of this group. Emulating this image can subconsciously create target audience affinity and demonstrate that you strive to excel amongst your peers. This applies to clothing and accessories (jewelry, eyeglasses, bags / briefcases / purses, tattoos, makeup) as well as grooming, hairstyles, and fingernails. There are other more modern accessory cues to consider, such as writing utensils, and electronic devices.
Networking and Follow Up
Networking is vital in today’s modern business environment, yet uncomfortable for most people because of how they are wired; that is of course unless you are a natural-born salesperson as only a small fraction of the population is. Networking when you are not in need is ideal, but how does one network when in need? Initiating contact is the hardest part. Reaching out to people requires a thoughtful and compelling request for help, and a specific reason why they might be helpful. But sometimes pride gets in the way, and we fear appearing desperate. It is important to remember that helping others feels good, and you are giving people a chance to help. Being authentic, and showing openness and vulnerability, is human and endearing. Ask for ideas, direction, suggestions, recommendations, and introductions. To show that you will make the most of the time and energy they have shared with you, send a thank you email with a meeting recap and your intended resulting actions, and then provide updates from time to time. And, of course, abundantly express your gratitude. Consider creating a master distribution list containing all people who you have asked to help, and every 2-3 weeks provide a brief, detailed, and succinct update on your job search efforts, activities, and results. This will keep them mindful of you and your situation. And it demonstrates you are taking full advantage of the help, interest, and caring they have and continue to provide for you.
Networking vs. Online Activities
This debate can be quite befuddling. On the one hand the internet has made job search very efficient; you can look for, and submit to, job openings in your pajamas. On the other hand, many people say that you must network to gain a competitive advantage, and to uncover job openings that are more appealing and not published online. Both approaches have value and should be incorporated into your plan. Internet job search websites are efficient in research and can alert you to interesting possibilities. You can set job search agents to look for selected job openings while you sleep, which can help you keep your pulse on the job marketplace and help you identify prospective employers. However, because most people find networking to be uncomfortable and confusing, it is too easy to fall into the trap of endless online search and submittals and never making enough time for face-to-face interaction. Most would agree that getting outside of one’s comfort zone provides value. This is where planning and execution comes in. Thoughtfully deciding how you will spend your time and energy in advance, and then executing your daily planned activities, will help you move into the discomfort where there is a high likelihood of added value.
This debate can be quite befuddling. On the one hand the internet has made job search very efficient; you can look for, and submit to, job openings in your pajamas. On the other hand, many people say that you must network to gain a competitive advantage, and to uncover job openings that are more appealing and not published online. Both approaches have value and should be incorporated into your plan. Internet job search websites are efficient in research and can alert you to interesting possibilities. You can set job search agents to look for selected job openings while you sleep, which can help you keep your pulse on the job marketplace and help you identify prospective employers. However, because most people find networking to be uncomfortable and confusing, it is too easy to fall into the trap of endless online search and submittals and never making enough time for face-to-face interaction. Most would agree that getting outside of one’s comfort zone provides value. This is where planning and execution comes in. Thoughtfully deciding how you will spend your time and energy in advance, and then executing your daily planned activities, will help you move into the discomfort where there is a high likelihood of added value.
Refreshing your Network
You likely haven’t invested in growing and maintaining your professional network as much as you could and should. Most people feel this is the case but are faced with this stark and undeniable reality during job search. But how do you work through the negative feelings of initiating a reconnection with people only because you need their help, but you did not invest in the relationship when you didn’t? There are three main mental and emotional barriers that must be overcome: “I don’t want to make others feel used,” “I do not want to be seen as someone who selfishly uses others” and “I don’t want to be thought of as sad, pitiful, or desperate.”
It is important to reconcile these feelings, so they do not hold you back from maximizing your volume of networking activities, and so they do not negatively color the tone of your networking interactions. First, you must accept that the vast majority of people are kind and will be sensitive and caring about your employment needs. We can all relate to the pressures and importance of managing our career and livelihood, and financial impact. They will likely want to help, but not feel or show pity. It feels good to help people. By asking for help you are providing people who have a positive or neutral history with you the opportunity to help and feel good.
So how does it start? Every network contact in a lapsed relationship will suspect that your attempt to reconnect is because you have a need. Rather than dance around this topic and perpetuate the awkwardness for both of you, your initial contact should contain four (4) elements: 1/ Make your intent clear; 2/ Be warm and human as if time has not passed; 3/ Make your request clear; 4/ Communicate your gratitude for their interest and willingness, and that nothing more is expected. What should you expect? Ask them to share their professional life story so you can glean insights, and then ask them for advice and direction about your situation. Remember, they will feel compassion and empathy and not pity. They will likely feel compelled to help, even if it is merely to provide encouragement. And helping feels good for everyone.
You likely haven’t invested in growing and maintaining your professional network as much as you could and should. Most people feel this is the case but are faced with this stark and undeniable reality during job search. But how do you work through the negative feelings of initiating a reconnection with people only because you need their help, but you did not invest in the relationship when you didn’t? There are three main mental and emotional barriers that must be overcome: “I don’t want to make others feel used,” “I do not want to be seen as someone who selfishly uses others” and “I don’t want to be thought of as sad, pitiful, or desperate.”
It is important to reconcile these feelings, so they do not hold you back from maximizing your volume of networking activities, and so they do not negatively color the tone of your networking interactions. First, you must accept that the vast majority of people are kind and will be sensitive and caring about your employment needs. We can all relate to the pressures and importance of managing our career and livelihood, and financial impact. They will likely want to help, but not feel or show pity. It feels good to help people. By asking for help you are providing people who have a positive or neutral history with you the opportunity to help and feel good.
So how does it start? Every network contact in a lapsed relationship will suspect that your attempt to reconnect is because you have a need. Rather than dance around this topic and perpetuate the awkwardness for both of you, your initial contact should contain four (4) elements: 1/ Make your intent clear; 2/ Be warm and human as if time has not passed; 3/ Make your request clear; 4/ Communicate your gratitude for their interest and willingness, and that nothing more is expected. What should you expect? Ask them to share their professional life story so you can glean insights, and then ask them for advice and direction about your situation. Remember, they will feel compassion and empathy and not pity. They will likely feel compelled to help, even if it is merely to provide encouragement. And helping feels good for everyone.
Application and Interview Follow Up
Deciding on the frequency and manner of follow up can be perplexing. Done too frequently and you might come across as rude and / or desperate. Done too infrequently and you miss the perfect timing and are not doing enough to demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and appreciation. Here is what to do: Follow up at the level of frequency that is beyond your comfort and GET THE MESSAGE RIGHT. If you feel desperate, frustrated, aggressive, angry, insulted, etc.... due to your perception of their poor communication, then your message (written and voice) will reflect those feelings; no matter how clever you are and how hard you try to hide it. Clearly, projecting those feelings will work against you. Get your head and heart right and understand that you are not trying to force something un-natural. Your job is to research what might be a fit, make contact and show your interest, and as you learn more and become more interested then show it. And then respect the fact that you are only one side of the equation. Declaring your intent at the beginning of your follow up communication can put both parties at ease. Make it clear that you do not want to come across overly persistent, but that you simply want to demonstrate your growing interest. And you want them to take comfort in knowing that if they have growing interest in you, then the feeling is mutual.
Interview Preparation
The internet has made it possible to uncover vast amounts of information (and misinformation) about a prospective employer’s leadership team, customers/clients, and hiring managers and influencers. Please take full advantage of this information yet be cautious with how this information is applied when communicating with interviewers. Demonstrating that you have made a heavy investment into research during their interview process will be flattering, and this will communicate positive attributes such as thorough, resourceful, respectful, curious, invested, committed, etc. However, if the information you uncover is delivered in a mechanical impersonal way it will come across as simply a robotic check-list exercise, and not representative of your personal interest in them and their opportunity. Make it clear that, because of your high interest in the job opportunity and your appreciation for their interest, time, and consideration, you have done extensive research and what you have found has you excited for the interview and the additional clarity and color it will provide.
The final preparation for networking and interviewing involves building confidence through message rehearsal and emotional centering. Read through your resume and LinkedIn profile and create a list of any and all unique questions that might arise out of an interviewer’s curiosity. Write and refine your answers to the point that you can naturally and comfortably answer these questions without referencing your written answers, and then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearsing in front of a family member / friend or a mirror is a common practice for sales professionals. You can also record and play back your delivery (video or voice) as this is a very helpful tool for self-evaluation from the third-person perspective. Regarding emotional centering, Harvard research proves that holding the “superhero pose” in private for two (2) minutes has a positive impact on the body language others subsequently read, and a positive impact on how we feel about ourselves. Another great tool is visualizing yourself in your future successful state, so you can feed off the positive feeling in your current state. And lastly there is gratitude. Exercising gratitude is a very powerful practice that provides positive energy and a relaxed state, which has a positive effect on those around us. Starting every day by writing a list of five (5) things for which you are grateful, and never repeating the same list items, perpetuates the belief and feelings of more good things to come. Optimism is an endearing and magnetic trait.
If your interview is a phone interview, strongly consider dressing in your full in-person interview attire and then stand in front of a mirror during the call. Watch yourself interacting with your image, as if you are in-person, and use all the positive body language you would during an in-person interview. This approach can make you more comfortable and provide you with a positive frame of mind, thus increasing the probability that the interviewer will pick up on the positivity.
The internet has made it possible to uncover vast amounts of information (and misinformation) about a prospective employer’s leadership team, customers/clients, and hiring managers and influencers. Please take full advantage of this information yet be cautious with how this information is applied when communicating with interviewers. Demonstrating that you have made a heavy investment into research during their interview process will be flattering, and this will communicate positive attributes such as thorough, resourceful, respectful, curious, invested, committed, etc. However, if the information you uncover is delivered in a mechanical impersonal way it will come across as simply a robotic check-list exercise, and not representative of your personal interest in them and their opportunity. Make it clear that, because of your high interest in the job opportunity and your appreciation for their interest, time, and consideration, you have done extensive research and what you have found has you excited for the interview and the additional clarity and color it will provide.
The final preparation for networking and interviewing involves building confidence through message rehearsal and emotional centering. Read through your resume and LinkedIn profile and create a list of any and all unique questions that might arise out of an interviewer’s curiosity. Write and refine your answers to the point that you can naturally and comfortably answer these questions without referencing your written answers, and then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearsing in front of a family member / friend or a mirror is a common practice for sales professionals. You can also record and play back your delivery (video or voice) as this is a very helpful tool for self-evaluation from the third-person perspective. Regarding emotional centering, Harvard research proves that holding the “superhero pose” in private for two (2) minutes has a positive impact on the body language others subsequently read, and a positive impact on how we feel about ourselves. Another great tool is visualizing yourself in your future successful state, so you can feed off the positive feeling in your current state. And lastly there is gratitude. Exercising gratitude is a very powerful practice that provides positive energy and a relaxed state, which has a positive effect on those around us. Starting every day by writing a list of five (5) things for which you are grateful, and never repeating the same list items, perpetuates the belief and feelings of more good things to come. Optimism is an endearing and magnetic trait.
If your interview is a phone interview, strongly consider dressing in your full in-person interview attire and then stand in front of a mirror during the call. Watch yourself interacting with your image, as if you are in-person, and use all the positive body language you would during an in-person interview. This approach can make you more comfortable and provide you with a positive frame of mind, thus increasing the probability that the interviewer will pick up on the positivity.
Employment References
Checking references is still a common hiring practice today, but due to employment law, has long been losing its relevance in the ultimate hiring decision. A growing trend in Human Resources practices is the application of policy prohibiting the release of performance information on past employees, due to the risk of lawsuit. Many companies will only validate employment dates and titles and hiring companies desire to know much more. In addition, it is also commonly believed that references are worthless because candidates are only going to offer references to those who they are assured will provide purely positive remarks. Regardless of these challenges, enthusiastically sharing names and contact information of highly relevant references comforts the interviewer that you are proud of your work history, the ups of your accomplishments and the downs of your learnings and growth. When possible, provide references for every immediate supervisor during the past several years. Providing only co-workers indicates the strong possibility of poor performance. Showing a history of pleasing your supervisor will suggest that you will likely please your next supervisor. When possible, include references with the highest-profile titles (C-level, VP-level, Director-level) even when they are not your direct supervisor. This will indicate that the quality and value of your work was broadly recognized and appreciated by highly discerning high-influence people of power and stature. And if you are well-known by high-profile people outside of a work relationship, include these people as personal character references. This has a similar positive subconscious effect.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers....
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Negotiating Compensation
There are many different opinions about how to handle this topic, and most people are very uneasy discussing compensation with potential employers. Some advice found on the internet suggests that the first party to name a number loses, and that you can always move down from your original number, but you cannot ever move up. And if you leave ‘money on the table’ such as $3,000 in salary, for example, then you can extrapolate over a 20-year career and miss out on $60k plus interest in lifetime income, making this a high-stakes $60k plus discussion and negotiation activity. This is antiquated thinking from a time when people expected to work for one company their entire career.
The best careers today are dynamic and fluid. However, how does one handle the question of most recent and expected compensation, when we are directly asked for this information early in the application or interview process? Without knowing the job-opportunity pay-range and / or flexibility, it is common to fear that your answers will reduce their interest in you, or eliminate you altogether, even though you would have been quite satisfied within their range, when considering all unknown factors relative to the opportunity. So, what to do? Speak first and risk being immediately eliminated with no further discussion or explanation. Duck, dodge, or sidestep and risk alienating, annoying, or irritating the interviewer by appearing uncomfortable or uncooperative.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers, and you do not want to miss out due to miscommunication. Remember that your interaction with an interviewer is driven by the fundamentals of human Psychology and Neuroscience. Interviewers are attempting to make decisions based on facts and logic, but their Limbic and ‘Reptilian brain’ processing will still subconsciously and unknowingly dominate their decisions; facts and logic only get you in the game.
Here is what to do when asked about your most recent compensation. Immediately and freely, without discomfort, share the precise details of your previous / current compensation package, and then make it abundantly clear that this has minimal bearing on the compensation you seek. Explain that due to the dynamic and fluid nature of modern careers, what matters to you is not that you continue to make more money or never move backwards, but that you are fairly compensated based on fair-market standards. Explain further that compensation is not your most important decision criterion, and that you trust that the company you choose to join is a quality organization only interested in compensating its people fairly.
There are many different opinions about how to handle this topic, and most people are very uneasy discussing compensation with potential employers. Some advice found on the internet suggests that the first party to name a number loses, and that you can always move down from your original number, but you cannot ever move up. And if you leave ‘money on the table’ such as $3,000 in salary, for example, then you can extrapolate over a 20-year career and miss out on $60k plus interest in lifetime income, making this a high-stakes $60k plus discussion and negotiation activity. This is antiquated thinking from a time when people expected to work for one company their entire career.
The best careers today are dynamic and fluid. However, how does one handle the question of most recent and expected compensation, when we are directly asked for this information early in the application or interview process? Without knowing the job-opportunity pay-range and / or flexibility, it is common to fear that your answers will reduce their interest in you, or eliminate you altogether, even though you would have been quite satisfied within their range, when considering all unknown factors relative to the opportunity. So, what to do? Speak first and risk being immediately eliminated with no further discussion or explanation. Duck, dodge, or sidestep and risk alienating, annoying, or irritating the interviewer by appearing uncomfortable or uncooperative.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers, and you do not want to miss out due to miscommunication. Remember that your interaction with an interviewer is driven by the fundamentals of human Psychology and Neuroscience. Interviewers are attempting to make decisions based on facts and logic, but their Limbic and ‘Reptilian brain’ processing will still subconsciously and unknowingly dominate their decisions; facts and logic only get you in the game. Here is what to do when asked about your most recent compensation. Immediately and freely, without discomfort, share the precise details of your previous / current compensation package, and then make it abundantly clear that this has minimal bearing on the compensation you seek. Explain that due to the dynamic and fluid nature of modern careers, what matters to you is not that you continue to make more money or never move backwards, but that you are fairly compensated based on fair-market standards. Explain further that compensation is not your most important decision criterion, and that you trust that the company you choose to join is a quality organization only interested in compensating its people fairly.
Temporary Assignments
The nature of the modern employment environment creates a growing dilemma, when faced with the decision to pursue and / or accept a temporary assignment or wait for permanent employment. What is permanent employment anyway? There was a time in U.S. history when the workforce was expecting and expected to stay with one employer for their entire career. When considering the entire history of humanity, the Industrial Revolution was a very short period when large free-market companies employed a vast workforce. During this period, the workforce felt loyalty to their employer, and vice versa. This all began to change about 60 years ago, when corporations showed loyalty to increasing profits over employment. Today, the source of employment is more dynamic and fluid than ever, due to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leadership regime changes, startups, and shutdowns. Permanent employment is nearly as temporary as disclosed temporary work. Many companies today are nearly as willing to employ a temporary worker as a permanent worker for the same role, and often temporary assignments extend or convert to permanent employment status.
The nature of the modern employment environment creates a growing dilemma, when faced with the decision to pursue and / or accept a temporary assignment or wait for permanent employment. What is permanent employment anyway? There was a time in U.S. history when the workforce was expecting and expected to stay with one employer for their entire career. When considering the entire history of humanity, the Industrial Revolution was a very short period when large free-market companies employed a vast workforce. During this period, the workforce felt loyalty to their employer, and vice versa. This all began to change about 60 years ago, when corporations showed loyalty to increasing profits over employment. Today, the source of employment is more dynamic and fluid than ever, due to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leadership regime changes, startups, and shutdowns. Permanent employment is nearly as temporary as disclosed temporary work. Many companies today are nearly as willing to employ a temporary worker as a permanent worker for the same role, and often temporary assignments extend or convert to permanent employment status.
Temporary Assignments
If you hold two active job offers at the same time, and one is temporary and the other is permanent, it might be an easy decision. But what does one do when accepting and / or working in a temporary assignment and a permanent offer comes from a different employer? Is it acceptable to resign from the temporary assignment earlier than the agreed upon duration? Since the employer is legally and contractually allowed to cancel the temporary assignment at any time and without cause, and it is legally and contractually allowable for the temporary employee to do the same, then shouldn’t each party be allowed to cancel for any reason with absolutely no negative backlash? We must remember that each party has also entered into a non-binding social contract that comes with expectations and emotions. Both parties agreed to provide something specific to the other party in exchange for what was committed to themselves, and to do so for a specified duration. When this non-binding social contract is interrupted, we must remain cognizant that the deciding party is making a decision that will likely immediately improve their own employment situation but will likely create some difficulty and disappointment for the other party. If employers do this frequently, their reputation might indicate that they callously consider employees totally expendable, thus harming their ability to affordably and effectively attract talent. If an employee does this frequently then they can become branded as unreliable. And if an employee does this infrequently, we must still remember that wherever we have terminated a temporary assignment early will likely maintain a negative opinion about us for quite some time. Recommendation: Either decide upfront that you will follow through no matter what, or openly discuss this dilemma with your potential temporary assignment employer. Or bail at will and accept the possible consequences. No matter what you choose, stay aware of the emotional effect.
Temporary Assignments
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
Best Practices
This section provides direction on the many straight forward aspects of job search and career marketing, as well as other nuanced aspects that often come to mind.
Daily Routine
Unemployment is commonly unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory, and it is easy to fall into an emotional rut. Searching for a job is a job in and of itself, in which you have no supervisor, and it is all up to you to plan, execute, track, and manage your job search activities. It is important to use the same thinking and routines as when employed, to maximize your efforts and results. Wake early, shower, eat breakfast, dress in your typical professional attire, and then immediately begin your planned job search activities. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of maintaining maximum energy and positivity. In addition to your job search focus, plan into each day energy-creating activities, and follow-through with strict discipline. The best energy-creating activities include charitable work, exercise, time with loved ones, and spiritual renewal. It is scientifically proven that our brains release the energy-producing feel-good chemicals Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphin, and Dopamine when engaged in these activities. A thoughtful daily routine will have a positive effect on your sense of purpose and progress, and will reflect to others in your energy, body language, and general vibe.
Job Search Environment
Full time job searching at home can have a sobering effect, even if your previous employment was home-based. Work in coffee shops or public libraries, to emulate the feel of normal vibrant work environment and to feed off the energy of others. In addition, you might unexpectedly encounter people who prove to be helpful in your job search.
CV / Resume and Cover
Letter Writing
This document is both a marketing brochure and specification sheet. It is meant to convey detail, but you should give great attention and painstaking care to the differentiating details that communicate nuances and tone. Word selection and flow are some of the subtle subconscious communicators that can work for you or against you. The objective is not to be the most impressive CV / resume the hiring company reads. The objective is to design and create a CV / resume that accurately abundantly, and clearly communicates the most important and relevant information possible, and in so little available document real estate. Blaise Pascal said, “If I would have had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” and this perfectly applies to your CV/resume. It takes a tremendous amount of time to say the most with the fewest words and document space/real estate. The ideal length is 1-3 pages, depending on years of experience, and could be four (4) if you are very seasoned and / or in an extremely technical field.
There is no right or wrong layout; only more or less effective in conveying your message. And there is a new layout consideration that comes with advances in technology and Applicant Tracking Software. Resume-reading technology is commonly used to process key information from new applicants and store it in a searchable database. Key information includes name, contact information, previous employers, titles, employment dates, education, and key skills/tools. If this information is not close enough to the traditional layout, then ATS software might overlook your CV / resume altogether and you might miss out on the perfect job. It is important to design a searchable CV / resume, yet this provides a constraint in setting yours apart, from a marketing perspective. Maximize while cognizant of this constraint.
There are nine (9) layout elements to consider: Content, Contrast, Consistency, Continuity, Color, Font, Images, Proximity, and Alignment. Consider your target market and competition, and work within these nine (9) elements to create the most effective CV / resume possible; and follow the ‘less is more’ rule. A good starting resource for layout is www.resumehelp.com. Avoid big blocks of dense text, as it is uncomfortable for the reader. Only include the previous 10-15 years of work experience, unless you have older experience that is highly relevant and supportive of your value proposition and positioning message. Write in first-person only, and do not use pronouns such as “I was responsible for…” To maximize the document real estate, and to be succinct in your message, you would write “Responsible for….” Eliminate usage of superfluous words, such as “the” and “an” in: “Developed the project plan for an enterprise-wide system implementation …” Instead write: “Developed project plan for enterprise-wide system implementation…” Do not include hyperbole; your CV / Resume loses credibility when it communicates how great YOU think you are. To build brand credibility, include as many objective measurable results and achievements as possible (individual, team, group, division, enterprise) in a percentage / dollar / time increase or decrease of revenue, margin, profit, return, market share, brand equity, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, risk, etc.…
Below are attractive action verbs
suggesting positive outcomes.
Accelerate
Achieved
Added
Awarded
Changed
Contributed
Decreased
Delivered
Eliminated
Exceeded
Expanded
Gained
Generated
Grew
Improved
Increased
Introduced
Maximized
Minimized
Optimized
Produced
Reduced
Saved
Sold
Streamlined
Below are attractive power words to be considered for leadership resumes.
Suggests you are a Trailblazer
Spearheaded
Pioneered
Ignited
Piloted
Transformed
Revitalized
Modernized
Optimized
Shows you can Manage Money
Budgeted
Cut costs
Drove growth
Invested
Reduced
Negotiated
P&L Accountability
Implies You are a Strong Developer of People
Coached
Mentored
Shaped
Supported
Ignited
Motivated
Uplifted
Advocated
United
Galvanized
We (Remember, folks, there's no ‘I' in team.)
Cover Letter
Cover letters are primarily used when pursuing management positions but can also be effective when pursuing advanced roles that are not in management. The goal of any cover letter is to show that you're a strong candidate and should be brought in for an interview. Clearly define your management skills and experience to help differentiate you from the competition. In particular, make sure your cover letter focuses on your leadership abilities, mentioning any accomplishments you've achieved as a manager in previous roles. Below is information on how to write a successful management-level cover letter.
What Employers Look for
in a Cover Letter
In any cover letter, companies want to see evidence of what you have accomplished in your prior positions. For management-level positions, they will be eager to see that you have led teams and projects successfully in the past. Your objective is to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your management and leadership experience, achievements, and qualifications. Rather than stating a list of tasks that you did in previous positions, share specific and quantifiable examples of accomplishments. For example, if you reduced employee turnover by 10 percent, share that statistic. If you’re interviewing for a sale manager position and you’ve hired some of the company’s top salespeople, mention it. When you have led a company to record-breaking growth and profitability, share as much of that information as you can without breaching confidentiality. Sharing specifics about accomplishments is far more compelling than simply saying you managed a team of 15 people, performing annual one-on-one reviews. Along with detailing your past management experience, you can also touch on what you would be able to accomplish in the role you're seeking. Remember, employers are most interested in how you will perform once you are in the position at hand. Your previous experience is relevant for two reasons: to predict your future success and to show that you have the necessary background and experience to step into the position. Use your cover letter to share how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
What to Include in Your Cover Letter
Open your cover letter with a salutation. Then, in the first paragraph of your cover letter, mention the specific job for which you are applying and your interest in working for the company. Use the second and third paragraphs of your letter to explain why you are a strong candidate for the position. You can use bullet points to express some of your accomplishments. Regardless of format, this middle section needs to demonstrate that you are a viable candidate, with relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Close the letter by thanking the company for considering you for the role. Avoid being generic in your cover letter; the most effective letters are customized for each job application. A compelling letter will show why you are a top consideration for said management position in particular. Take the time to match your qualifications to the requirements listed in the job posting. Researching the company to get a sense of their needs and goals can also help you write a persuasive letter. Every cover letter — regardless of position — should be free from typos or grammatical errors. Cover letters should not duplicate your resume. Use this as a space to tell a story about yourself, expand on your resume, or highlight important skills / accomplishments that may be buried in the bottom-half of your resume. While the tone should be professional, you can show some of your character and voice in your letter.
Use this as a space
to tell a story about yourself...
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Confidential CV / Resume Posting
Posting your resume while employed feels risky out of concern that your current employer will discover the posting and terminate your employment before you have secured another job. Another concern is that if you do a confidential post then so little information is provided that those who you do want to discover you will never find you or will find you and bypass you because so little information was available about you. A recommended approach is to sanitize your full resume and take some creative liberties. If a member of your current employer were to search for current employees who have posted, they would likely search for their company’s name, industry terminology, or even an employee’s name specifically. So, omitting this information is straight forward. However, for many people this does not do enough to alleviate concerns. Since your current employer has your resume on file, it would be telling for them to cross reference your sanitized version with the version on file. Past employers, past job titles, education information, and more would make it conclusive.
Name and Address
First, and most obviously, no name. Second, omit your home address but show the name of the key city name that represents the larger marketplace area. This is important for employers to be able to identify where you live., since most prefer to hire local candidates. Create and display an email address that is professional and generic and does not include any identifiers such as name, school, university, hobby, and more.
Employer Names; and Locations
Displaying ‘Confidential’ in place of employer name is common, anticipated, and in no way will diminish the reader’s interest. However, there is no way to overcome the challenge that if your employer names are major enhancements to your professional brand but will not be displayed. What can be done is to provide a description of the company and its positive impressive attributes, such as global, industry-leader, innovator, market-share, and more. For locations, display key city names that represent the larger marketplace area.
Industry Names
If you work in a niche industry, then the name of the niche is a dangerous identifier. And every niche is part of a larger industry picture. When describing your work experience, responsibilities, and achievements, generalize with labels such as health care, manufacturing, retail, distribution, professional services, and technology.
Job Titles
It is completely okay to slightly modify your job titles. Since companies all have a slightly different spin on standard job titles, it is appropriate to replace Account Executive with Client Executive, and Software Developer with Software Engineer, for example. But you must be cautious not to alter the meaning. What do you do when an interview progresses to the reference-check phase, and your prospective employer uncovers altered titles, and you lose credibility? Be proactive. During the first interview, inform the interviewer of your formal title(s) on HR file and that you slightly modified them on your resume only in an effort to remain confidential, but that you intended to perfectly match the titles’ true universal meanings.
This professional social media platform has many tremendous benefits not previously afforded employees and employers. It is critical that your profile communicates a message consistent with your story and all your other marketing assets (CV / resume, Cover Letter, references, etc.). LinkedIn is not meant for your work history details but is meant to provide additional color to your thinking, values, aspirations, desires, and achievements.
Your LinkedIn profile should display approximately 30-50% more of your personality and personal interests than your resume. This is done through your photo, postings, projects, hobbies, interests, and the companies, groups, and people you follow. Two other very important opportunities in LinkedIn are the Recommendations and Endorsements sections. It pays to put forth significant effort to ask those who know you to write a recommendation and to endorse your skills, as this is a way for hiring managers to cross-reference their understanding of you with the words of others who have worked closely with you. Be aware that an obvious imbalance between the number of received recommendations and given recommendations communicates a subtle message. Give many more recommendations than received communicates that others might not be willing to publicly support you. Receiving many more than given might communicate that you are a taker and not a giver. Be thoughtful about this powerful LinkedIn capability and be sincere about how you use it.
Another wonderful use is job opening research. LinkedIn can help you identify people within your network who might be able/willing to provide you with additional information on company, industry, hiring manager, etc.... Another powerful use is to identify people within your network who trust and value you, and whom have access to, and influence with, people related to a specific job opportunity. Asking these people to provide an unsolicited endorsement to those involved in hiring can build social proof, giving you an edge over others competing for the same job.
Proactive Brand Building
It is not about who you know, it is about who knows you. Companies such as Apple, Coco Cola, Nordstrom, and Ritz Carlton are entirely deliberate about their brand identity, and make a tremendous investment in embedding their brands into the conscious and subconscious minds of their target audiences. They do this to capture category opportunity, and to build demand and customer loyalty. This can be done in our careers as well. The result is ever-increasing job options, job offers, and career control. Never again feel desperate and be left out in the cold.
Every industry contains member organizations and people who are considered industry-leaders possessing an extraordinary blend of industry experience, education, credibility, and influence. They are typically known for adding exceptional value outside of their own direct benefit, and for working toward the greater good of all industry beneficiaries and benefactors. These are the folks we tend to most watch and respect.
Being highly effective in your job is the beginning of building and promoting your brand, but it also requires much more. We must identify the thought-leaders, learn what they know, and seek what they seek. We must try new things. We must share liberally what we know and help others. We must stretch. We must inspire and encourage and endeavor to make others better. Industry leaders with the greatest exposure and respect write and share papers, books, and blogs / vlogs. They share their time, interest, knowledge, and connections with others. They attend, promote, organize, and contribute to industry learning and social events (conferences, meet ups, summits, associations, user groups, coalitions, etc.). In essence, they operate from an abundance mentality, carry a sense of industry duty, and invest in the greater good. Do this thoughtfully and you too will be known for your strong brand.
Image and Attire
Everything communicates, period. We consciously and subconsciously select a large volume of communication cues that speak louder than our words and tone. How we dress, carry ourselves, speak, and act are powerful subconscious indicators to the ‘Reptilian brain’ of others, as to whether we are friend or foe. When we resemble the herd, the herd’s instincts approve. Do research to identify the general physical image and demeanor of your target audience, and the unique aspects of the more respected, influential, and admired members of this group. Emulating this image can subconsciously create target audience affinity and demonstrate that you strive to excel amongst your peers. This applies to clothing and accessories (jewelry, eyeglasses, bags / briefcases / purses, tattoos, makeup) as well as grooming, hairstyles, and fingernails. There are other more modern accessory cues to consider, such as writing utensils, and electronic devices.
Networking and Follow Up
Networking is vital in today’s modern business environment, yet uncomfortable for most people because of how they are wired; that is of course unless you are a natural-born salesperson as only a small fraction of the population is. Networking when you are not in need is ideal, but how does one network when in need? Initiating contact is the hardest part. Reaching out to people requires a thoughtful and compelling request for help, and a specific reason why they might be helpful. But sometimes pride gets in the way, and we fear appearing desperate. It is important to remember that helping others feels good, and you are giving people a chance to help. Being authentic, and showing openness and vulnerability, is human and endearing. Ask for ideas, direction, suggestions, recommendations, and introductions. To show that you will make the most of the time and energy they have shared with you, send a thank you email with a meeting recap and your intended resulting actions, and then provide updates from time to time. And, of course, abundantly express your gratitude. Consider creating a master distribution list containing all people who you have asked to help, and every 2-3 weeks provide a brief, detailed, and succinct update on your job search efforts, activities, and results. This will keep them mindful of you and your situation. And it demonstrates you are taking full advantage of the help, interest, and caring they have and continue to provide for you
Networking vs. Online Activities
This debate can be quite befuddling. On the one hand the internet has made job search very efficient; you can look for, and submit to, job openings in your pajamas. On the other hand, many people say that you must network to gain a competitive advantage, and to uncover job openings that are more appealing and not published online. Both approaches have value and should be incorporated into your plan. Internet job search websites are efficient in research and can alert you to interesting possibilities. You can set job search agents to look for selected job openings while you sleep, which can help you keep your pulse on the job marketplace and help you identify prospective employers. However, because most people find networking to be uncomfortable and confusing, it is too easy to fall into the trap of endless online search and submittals and never making enough time for face-to-face interaction. Most would agree that getting outside of one’s comfort zone provides value. This is where planning and execution comes in. Thoughtfully deciding how you will spend your time and energy in advance, and then executing your daily planned activities, will help you move into the discomfort where there is a high likelihood of added value.
Refreshing your Network
You likely haven’t invested in growing and maintaining your professional network as much as you could and should. Most people feel this is the case but are faced with this stark and undeniable reality during job search. But how do you work through the negative feelings of initiating a reconnection with people only because you need their help, but you did not invest in the relationship when you didn’t? There are three main mental and emotional barriers that must be overcome: “I don’t want to make others feel used,” “I do not want to be seen as someone who selfishly uses others” and “I don’t want to be thought of as sad, pitiful, or desperate.”
It is important to reconcile these feelings, so they do not hold you back from maximizing your volume of networking activities, and so they do not negatively color the tone of your networking interactions. First, you must accept that the vast majority of people are kind and will be sensitive and caring about your employment needs. We can all relate to the pressures and importance of managing our career and livelihood, and financial impact. They will likely want to help, but not feel or show pity. It feels good to help people. By asking for help you are providing people who have a positive or neutral history with you the opportunity to help and feel good.
So how does it start? Every network contact in a lapsed relationship will suspect that your attempt to reconnect is because you have a need. Rather than dance around this topic and perpetuate the awkwardness for both of you, your initial contact should contain four (4) elements: 1/ Make your intent clear; 2/ Be warm and human as if time has not passed; 3/ Make your request clear; 4/ Communicate your gratitude for their interest and willingness, and that nothing more is expected. What should you expect? Ask them to share their professional life story so you can glean insights, and then ask them for advice and direction about your situation. Remember, they will feel compassion and empathy and not pity. They will likely feel compelled to help, even if it is merely to provide encouragement. And helping feels good for everyone.
Application and Interview
Follow Up
Deciding on the frequency and manner of follow up can be perplexing. Done too frequently and you might come across as rude and / or desperate. Done too infrequently and you miss the perfect timing and are not doing enough to demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and appreciation. Here is what to do: Follow up at the level of frequency that is beyond your comfort and GET THE MESSAGE RIGHT. If you feel desperate, frustrated, aggressive, angry, insulted, etc.... due to your perception of their poor communication, then your message (written and voice) will reflect those feelings; no matter how clever you are and how hard you try to hide it. Clearly, projecting those feelings will work against you. Get your head and heart right and understand that you are not trying to force something un-natural. Your job is to research what might be a fit, make contact and show your interest, and as you learn more and become more interested then show it. And then respect the fact that you are only one side of the equation. Declaring your intent at the beginning of your follow up communication can put both parties at ease. Make it clear that you do not want to come across overly persistent, but that you simply want to demonstrate your growing interest. And you want them to take comfort in knowing that if they have growing interest in you, then the feeling is mutual.
Interview Preparation
The internet has made it possible to uncover vast amounts of information (and misinformation) about a prospective employer’s leadership team, customers/clients, and hiring managers and influencers. Please take full advantage of this information yet be cautious with how this information is applied when communicating with interviewers. Demonstrating that you have made a heavy investment into research during their interview process will be flattering, and this will communicate positive attributes such as thorough, resourceful, respectful, curious, invested, committed, etc. However, if the information you uncover is delivered in a mechanical impersonal way it will come across as simply a robotic check-list exercise, and not representative of your personal interest in them and their opportunity. Make it clear that, because of your high interest in the job opportunity and your appreciation for their interest, time, and consideration, you have done extensive research and what you have found has you excited for the interview and the additional clarity and color it will provide.
The final preparation for networking and interviewing involves building confidence through message rehearsal and emotional centering. Read through your resume and LinkedIn profile and create a list of any and all unique questions that might arise out of an interviewer’s curiosity. Write and refine your answers to the point that you can naturally and comfortably answer these questions without referencing your written answers, and then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearsing in front of a family member / friend or a mirror is a common practice for sales professionals. You can also record and play back your delivery (video or voice) as this is a very helpful tool for self-evaluation from the third-person perspective. Regarding emotional centering, Harvard research proves that holding the “superhero pose” in private for two (2) minutes has a positive impact on the body language others subsequently read, and a positive impact on how we feel about ourselves. Another great tool is visualizing yourself in your future successful state, so you can feed off the positive feeling in your current state. And lastly there is gratitude. Exercising gratitude is a very powerful practice that provides positive energy and a relaxed state, which has a positive effect on those around us. Starting every day by writing a list of five (5) things for which you are grateful, and never repeating the same list items, perpetuates the belief and feelings of more good things to come. Optimism is an endearing and magnetic trait.
If your interview is a phone interview, strongly consider dressing in your full in-person interview attire and then stand in front of a mirror during the call. Watch yourself interacting with your image, as if you are in-person, and use all the positive body language you would during an in-person interview. This approach can make you more comfortable and provide you with a positive frame of mind, thus increasing the probability that the interviewer will pick up on the positivity.
Employment References
Checking references is still a common hiring practice today, but due to employment law, has long been losing its relevance in the ultimate hiring decision. A growing trend in Human Resources practices is the application of policy prohibiting the release of performance information on past employees, due to the risk of lawsuit. Many companies will only validate employment dates and titles and hiring companies desire to know much more. In addition, it is also commonly believed that references are worthless because candidates are only going to offer references to those who they are assured will provide purely positive remarks. Regardless of these challenges, enthusiastically sharing names and contact information of highly relevant references comforts the interviewer that you are proud of your work history, the ups of your accomplishments and the downs of your learnings and growth. When possible, provide references for every immediate supervisor during the past several years. Providing only co-workers indicates the strong possibility of poor performance. Showing a history of pleasing your supervisor will suggest that you will likely please your next supervisor. When possible, include references with the highest-profile titles (C-level, VP-level, Director-level) even when they are not your direct supervisor. This will indicate that the quality and value of your work was broadly recognized and appreciated by highly discerning high-influence people of power and stature. And if you are well-known by high-profile people outside of a work relationship, include these people as personal character references. This has a similar positive subconscious effect.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers....
”
“
Negotiating Compensation
There are many different opinions about how to handle this topic, and most people are very uneasy discussing compensation with potential employers. Some advice found on the internet suggests that the first party to name a number loses, and that you can always move down from your original number, but you cannot ever move up. And if you leave ‘money on the table’ such as $3,000 in salary, for example, then you can extrapolate over a 20-year career and miss out on $60k plus interest in lifetime income, making this a high-stakes $60k plus discussion and negotiation activity. This is antiquated thinking from a time when people expected to work for one company their entire career.
The best careers today are dynamic and fluid. However, how does one handle the question of most recent and expected compensation, when we are directly asked for this information early in the application or interview process? Without knowing the job-opportunity pay-range and / or flexibility, it is common to fear that your answers will reduce their interest in you, or eliminate you altogether, even though you would have been quite satisfied within their range, when considering all unknown factors relative to the opportunity. So, what to do? Speak first and risk being immediately eliminated with no further discussion or explanation. Duck, dodge, or sidestep and risk alienating, annoying, or irritating the interviewer by appearing uncomfortable or uncooperative.
You do not want every job offer. You only want the right job offers, and you do not want to miss out due to miscommunication. Remember that your interaction with an interviewer is driven by the fundamentals of human Psychology and Neuroscience. Interviewers are attempting to make decisions based on facts and logic, but their Limbic and ‘Reptilian brain’ processing will still subconsciously and unknowingly dominate their decisions; facts and logic only get you in the game.
Here is what to do when asked about your most recent compensation. Immediately and freely, without discomfort, share the precise details of your previous / current compensation package, and then make it abundantly clear that this has minimal bearing on the compensation you seek. Explain that due to the dynamic and fluid nature of modern careers, what matters to you is not that you continue to make more money or never move backwards, but that you are fairly compensated based on fair-market standards. Explain further that compensation is not your most important decision criterion, and that you trust that the company you choose to join is a quality organization only interested in compensating its people fairly.
Temporary Assignments
The nature of the modern employment environment creates a growing dilemma, when faced with the decision to pursue and / or accept a temporary assignment or wait for permanent employment. What is permanent employment anyway? There was a time in U.S. history when the workforce was expecting and expected to stay with one employer for their entire career. When considering the entire history of humanity, the Industrial Revolution was a very short period when large free-market companies employed a vast workforce. During this period, the workforce felt loyalty to their employer, and vice versa. This all began to change about 60 years ago, when corporations showed loyalty to increasing profits over employment. Today, the source of employment is more dynamic and fluid than ever, due to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leadership regime changes, startups, and shutdowns. Permanent employment is nearly as temporary as disclosed temporary work. Many companies today are nearly as willing to employ a temporary worker as a permanent worker for the same role, and often temporary assignments extend or convert to permanent employment status.
If you hold two active job offers at the same time, and one is temporary and the other is permanent, it might be an easy decision. But what does one do when accepting and / or working in a temporary assignment and a permanent offer comes from a different employer? Is it acceptable to resign from the temporary assignment earlier than the agreed upon duration? Since the employer is legally and contractually allowed to cancel the temporary assignment at any time and without cause, and it is legally and contractually allowable for the temporary employee to do the same, then shouldn’t each party be allowed to cancel for any reason with absolutely no negative backlash? We must remember that each party has also entered into a non-binding social contract that comes with expectations and emotions. Both parties agreed to provide something specific to the other party in exchange for what was committed to themselves, and to do so for a specified duration. When this non-binding social contract is interrupted, we must remain cognizant that the deciding party is making a decision that will likely immediately improve their own employment situation but will likely create some difficulty and disappointment for the other party. If employers do this frequently, their reputation might indicate that they callously consider employees totally expendable, thus harming their ability to affordably and effectively attract talent. If an employee does this frequently then they can become branded as unreliable. And if an employee does this infrequently, we must still remember that wherever we have terminated a temporary assignment early will likely maintain a negative opinion about us for quite some time. Recommendation: Either decide upfront that you will follow through no matter what, or openly discuss this dilemma with your potential temporary assignment employer. Or bail at will and accept the possible consequences. No matter what you choose, stay aware of the emotional effect.
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
Selling Yourself © 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group
© 2024 Belleader Management Group