Executive Career Insights

Are You Underestimating Your Career Worth?

I recently had the pleasure of working with a very talented marketing professional who wanted to explore opportunities outside of her company. She was on the executive track within her company, but wanted to make sure that she was making the best decisions for her career.

After working with her on her resume and other career marketing tools, I was happy to learn that she received an "on-the-spot" job offer at a networking event with the first unveiling of her resume. (Wow!)

Now, you have to recognize that it was about being in the right place and being prepared with a strong marketing document (targeted, branded resume) that landed her the job offer. She is still in conversations with her present company for internal executive opportunities, but what a great position to be in - it's always wonderful to have options.

Her situation reminded me of another client who was able to successfully negotiate a 30% increase in her salary based on her revised resume that effectively documented her career achievements.

What do these stories have in common? Preparation + hard work + persistence + branded career tools = job offers, salary increases and/or access to new opportunities.

In both scenarios that I described, the women acknowledged that they were more motivated and confident about their skills, experience and qualifications after working with me to enhance their career documents. I have met too many professional women and men who want more for their careers, but are literally "sitting" on top-notch talents and unique capabilities that are undervalued and underestimated.

Have you been in your current position for a long time?

Are you allowing the recession to distort your true career value?

When was the last time that you advocated for a promotion, raise or new job opportunity?

You might be very surprised at your own results. Even if you are going to be conservative and hold off on any new career moves until the economy improves, here are a few things to keep in mind:

-- Don't wait for annual performance reviews to determine what your skills are worth. Make it a practice to peruse new job opportunities outside your company and compare your career background and experience against what other employers in your industry are actively seeking.

-- Take the time and extra step to quantify your efforts, impact and contributions. If you cut down the turnaround time for developing a report from seven days to two days, calculate the time savings. There is a big difference between saying "improved monthly report turnaround time" and "increased report turnaround processing time by 70%"

-- Get objective opinions and hire a career professional if necessary. When you are the primary person staring at your resume, so much tends to get overlooked and forgotten. Remove yourself temporarily from the resume development and career evaluation process and pay close attention to what others are saying about your career background.

-- Evaluate and compare your technology expertise. Are you only an expert at internal, customized company tools and software programs? Don't become so specialized at what your company needs that you are no value to other employers. Stay current on technology trends and take evening or online course to improve your proficiency.

-- Address any expertise gaps. You may discover that your skills are outdated and that you are in jeopardy of being inefficient in your industry or marketplace. Take advantage of every learning opportunity so that even if the dynamics of your existing position changes, you are still a valuable employee to your company and other employers.

Related posts:

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Is Your Professional Resume Carrying Your Career Baggage?

There is nothing more frustrating that spending hours on developing your resume, but not getting the response you need. Try this simple exercise, take a close look at your current resume.

Is it weighed down with outdated industry jargon, irrelevant job content and pages and pages of task-driven statements?

It is critical to carefully de-emphasize (not lie or embellish) non-related job tasks and responsibilities; this strategy can make a big difference between a vague and a target-focused resume.

-- Your professional resume is a strategic marketing document, more importantly, it is a living document. All this simply means is that you write for the future and keep your target audience's (employers) needs in mind.

-- Make sure that every word, sentence, phrase, and statement on your resume should support and promote your candidacy for your ideal positions.

-- Tailor your resume content to match your career goals and guide your content inclusion decisions on who you want to be (director of marketing, senior accountant, public relations manager) and how you want to be perceived (rainmaker, technology guru, finance wizard).

-- Once you have advanced in your career, there are certain basic skills and areas of expertise that you will be expected to have. For example, if you have been a CPA for the past ten years, it is no longer necessary to indicate that you have “strong analytical skills” or that you are “very knowledgeable of the GAAP rules”

-- Release yourself from any degree of emotional attachment when launching a job search for first time in a long time. You have to write your resume with hiring manager/employers’ needs at the forefront of your mind. Don’t be swayed or influenced by the fact that it was your best job ever or your really had a great time at the company.

Use these questions as a guide for screening out irrelevant content from your resume:

Are the skills, qualifications, and expertise listed on your resume inconsistent with what the employers and recruiters are looking for?

Can you provide a reliable reference that can support your career achievements and/or performance from a job you held 20 years ago?

Have you listed any technology tools and software programs that are no longer in existence today?

Did you include a lot of detail and content related to previous positions that are the opposite of your career target?

Is there a long list of certifications and licenses that are outdated or expired?

Do you have your high school diploma, college-related activities, honors and awards even though you are NOT an entry-level professional? 

Related posts:

You Cannot Have A "Brilliant" Resume Without A "Brilliant" Target

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Are You Marketing A Sleepy, Imposter Resume?

I was recently contacted by a former client who wants to update his existing resume. I smiled as I remembered his email updates to me on his previous job search progress; he jokingly said I had done such a great job on his resume that potential employers expected to see an "S" on his chest when he walked into employment interviews.

Well, if you have been following me for awhile, you know I don't embellish resume content, so it means that his original resume was simply not doing him justice until I came along:)

It also got me to thinking about jobseekers and potential clients who want to simply copy and paste one of my resume samples to market themselves. Believe it or not, you and your professional resume have to be a match and have to line up in a credible manner or you will keep running into roadblocks. 

1) Does your professional resume have a powerful handshake?

The top-third of your professional resume is like an appetizer to a six-course feast; it has to draw the readers in – start off your resume with a clear definition of who you are, outline you have to offer, and indicate the environments in which you perform best. For example:

SENIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

Start-Up, Emerging & High-Growth Companies

The Profit Builder: Systematically improving internal systems, strengthening operational processes and mobilizing vital resources that propel companies into stable, profitable entities.

2) Does your professional resume have an interesting career storyline?

Remember, to get to the top of the pile that is filled with other resumes and hungry job seekers, you have to make your career story an interesting and exciting one. Don’t bore and weigh down readers with heavy details about minute daily tasks; hit them with big picture, top-view, position responsibilities and “wow” them with your bottom-line, career-defining achievements.

3) Does your professional resume effectively showcase your bright personality?

Take a quick peruse of your resume and make sure that it is packed with vibrant action words, verbs and adjectives that will engage the reader and transform your "sleepy" resume into a career marketing tool. If you are an energetic, bold person then don’t be afraid to use words that bring out your personal flavor - eliminate phrases like "Responsible for" and avoid the overuse of the same verbs.

4) Does your professional resume pass the 30-second scan?

Don’t save the best for last - organize your resume content so that your key qualifying factors (for your target position) is apparent on the first page of the document. Don't be shy about confidently sharing your qualifications, expertise, and overall career theme with hiring managers and recruiters.

5) Does your professional resume have relevant, updated career information?

Don’t let time-sensitive promotions or job opportunities escape you because your resume has not kept pace with your career growth and achievements. A great habit to embrace is updating your resume every three to six months, so that you have a document that is current and living just like you!

Avoid The "Sour-Lemon" Syndrome In Your Executive Job Search

I recently had a conversation with someone who was simply overwhelmed by recent life experiences. His job search efforts were coming up short and he was having a tough time staying focused or positive about his future career goals. Unfortunately, he came across very negative, angry and bitter.

I have to honestly say that this economic downturn and recession has hit hard for so many people -  I keep hearing stories of lost jobs, lengthy job searches (often 12 months+), foreclosed homes and much more. The high unemployment rate and stiff competition for these new positions are requiring job seekers to be assertive, consistent, focused, and sometimes even aggressive. 

Like it or not, you have to be on your "A" game and stay on your "A' game at every interview, networking meeting and be positive and engaging with everyone you meet. 

I am not going to pretend that there is a magic pill or some profound phrase, spiritual poem or Scripture verse that can undo the trauma and stress that so many of you are facing - but how do you move forward?

1) Don't take it personally

The best of the best have been laid off, downsized and disappointed because of this recession. Understand that for every position that is open or advertised there are at least six qualified candidates. You will go though a lot of "no's" before you get the position that is right for your background and career goals.

2) Don't forget that you must give to receive

Your personal network and friends may not be helpful for your job search, but how about making the effort to see if they can help someone else looking for work. I can speak from personal experience that kind gestures go a very LONG way with people.

3) Don't blend in with the crowd

Resist the urge to apply for every open position or dummy down your resume to attract more employers. Companies want to hire candidates who are experienced, qualified and more importantly who have unique value that can take them (the companies) to the next level.

Keep your marketing message focused on what differentiates you from the crowd and why companies benefit from hiring you.

Related posts:

When being "qualified" is not enough to get you a jobo

Jobless and frustrated - who will you sue?

Five D's of a successful job search

Turn The Unprepared Interviewer Into Your Biggest Ally

I recently spoke to client who was very frustrated by her last interview. She had done everything she could on her part - researched the company, learned about its business challenges and prepared career success stories to support her strengths.

However, her interview did not go smoothly because the person she met was not properly prepared and subjected her to a myriad of generic, "career-book" interview questions that only merited the usual scripted responses.

I can certainly understand her frustration. How do you handle those situations effectively, turn around the interview and still leave a strong impression in the employer's eyes?

1) Provide a targeted 30-second pitch

Make sure your "tell me about yourself" response is tailored for the position. An executive in the non-profit world could start off by saying, "Well, as my resume shows, I have bring a solid background and wealth of experience in non-profit management. Throughout my career, I have been successful in helping non-profit organizations overcome fund development challenges and increase their fundraising efforts by more than 50%"

2) Focus on your career success stories

If you are asked a question like "What is the greatest strength that you bring to the position?" Use the opportunity to show that you understand the company's challenges and the solutions required for the situation.

Pull out one of your career success stories that directly address an issue that the company is facing - and of course, you would know that because you did your research, right?

3) Gently encourage interviewer to examine your resume

Certainly I don't expect you to push pause in the interview and wait for the person to read your resume, however, as you respond to questions, why not say "As my resume shows"; "As you can see from my resume"; As I have outlined or listed in the first page of my resume"; As you would notice on page two of my resume"

If he/she is completely unprepared, there are still key pieces of information he/she can get from quick glances at your resume - after all, professional resumes are read in less than 30 seconds.

4) Ask direct questions around a recent press release or media piece

Now, I have to emphasize that you should try your best to bring up a positive event in the company's history - if the CEO got recently let go for embezzling, well, that might be ackward to discuss in an interview:)

This strategy allows you to show that you are interested and that you closely follow the company's progress and new developments. Again, I would recommend linking one of your career success stories to a recent event.

5) Help the interviewer to get to know more about you

Ask questions like:

"Is there anything else that I can tell you about my background and experience that would be helpful?"

"What skills and strengths are need to be present in this position?" (then follow up a career success story that demonstrates those strengths)

"Based on what I have told you so far, is there anything else I could do to improve my candidacy?"

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