6FigureExecs: Personal Branding, Resume, Cover Letter, Networking, Career & Job-Search Strategies

Prospering When Your Many Predecessors Have Failed

2008-06-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

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Prospering When Your Many Predecessors Have Failed
Posted by Teena Rose, President of Resume to Referral, an Executive Resume Writing Service

It is perhaps one of the most challenging and exciting executive jobs to hold--filling a position where others have failed. How do you go about succeeding where your predecessors have failed? By applying some common sense, using effective communication techniques, and learning from past mistakes--both theirs and your own.

Avoid Past Mistakes
Your predecessors failed in one or more areas, yet the CEO and the Board expects you to follow in similar footsteps. How do you handle this situation? It can be difficult to contradict the views of senior management; however, your job is to create the turnaround situation that others before you were unable accomplish. If previous methods proved ineffective, yet are the company norm, you need to assert yourself as the expert.

There is more than one way to contradict expectations, but all require tact. If you have been hired to perform a turnaround, a gentle reminder of this may be all you need to do. Senior management chose you following an executive search or through an executive recruiter for a reason. Defer to your executive resume, past accomplishments, and turnaround record. Change is difficult, even when current practices aren't working. People are more comfortable with known factors, and this includes CEOs and Board members. The known may be losing money, but it is familiar. Understand that resistance to change is simple human behavior.

Use research to assert your position. If you come from previous turnaround situations, use examples from similar circumstances. Provide numbers for senior management that are presented simply and easy to understand. When the information is in black and white, it is easier to accept. Offer a variety of scenarios forecasting different outcomes, including those that did not succeed in the past. You can make your case much more effectively when you have concrete information to back it up.

Show You're on the Team
As the new kid on the block, others may view you as a threat, regardless of the accuracy of this. Make the effort to get to know your new colleagues and demonstrate how you fit in. People are more comfortable and trusting with others who are like them. If you are able to show that you are not there simply to shake things up, but are genuinely interested in creating meaningful change, you will find cooperation rather than resistance. Your CEO and Board are not an exception to this rule.

When you enter an executive job where people before you have failed, the others may see this as a reflection on themselves. What CEO may not feel a twinge of failure when choosing a string of poor leaders? As you seek to make change, it is at times necessary to do so gently, as one of the team, and without passing judgments. Be patient as you work to gain the trust of your colleagues and decide which changes you need to do now and which you can implement gradually. You're here for the long haul. Make this known.

Determine What's Best for the Company
As the expert, it's your responsibility to determine what is best for the company, even if this goes against the opinions of senior management. While some changes should be done gradually, others need to be avoided completely or undertaken in a more effective way. When you find yourself in a situation where you must disagree with top executives, make your case as best you can, understanding that your suggestions may not be accepted.

Again, solid research is key. If you don't have the numbers to support your position, there's no point bringing it up in the first place. However, if you have the strategy and the numbers, move forward and utilize effective communication techniques to present your case.

Remember that everyone takes his or her opinions seriously, so do not state that the other way of doing business is wrong (you may end up doing it that way, and you'll need the support of your team members). Acknowledge everyone's opinion as valid before showing why you believe your way of doing things is better. Demonstrate why this method is best for the company and how each person has a stake in the outcome. When people can relate to change on a personal level, they are much more likely to cooperate. Show how your method will benefit all involved and the company as a whole. Put the information into perspective. Use examples. Show the numbers.

Finally, learn from your own mistakes as well. When presenting a new way of doing things, for example, communicate your own failings in the past, particularly if they are the same or similar to how your predecessors did things. When your new colleagues see that you are not infallible and that you have made and learned from your own failures, they will be much more inclined to trust and believe you. One easy way to explain that a plan is not best for the company is to use personal examples of how you found a better solution to the problem in the past.

The bottom line is building trust. As the turnaround person in a new executive job, you must earn the trust of your colleagues, from the Board to the CEO to senior management. This will create a trickle-down effect, but you must start at the top. If the Board does not have faith in you, there's no reason to expect that anyone else in the company will. Building trust takes patience and time--time that you may not always have. Do everything in your power to build trust and show that your interest is with the company's success, from the bottom up.

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Related Topics

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Resume Help for Managers & Executives

Posted by Teena Rose, President of Resume to Referral, an Executive Resume Writer

Value Proposition for Executives

2008-06-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

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The Value Proposition; Everyone Needs One
By Randy Block

Remember the good old days? People used to return calls and email. When inquiring about a job, applicants used to ask, “What do you want?” One well-written resume fit every opportunity. Demand for people far exceeded supply. Conveniently, hiring companies did all the analysis to see if the applicant was a good fit for the job. All that the candidate had to do was just show up for the interview and answer the questions.

Well, those days are well behind us now. Globalization, the dotcom bust, business consolidation and many other factors have insured that. These are factors the job seeker had no control over.

Today, the job seeker and/or candidate must have a value proposition. Companies are now hiring solutions and not people. The 90’s were driven mostly by the “wants”. Companies in the new millennia now hire based on their needs.

There are two main needs common to most organizations today. Put succinctly, they want to know, “How can you increase our revenue?” and/or “How can you help us be more productive”? No matter what kind or level of job you are applying for, that is the crux of the screening. If you can’t deliver productivity and/or revenue proposition solutions and the other candidate can, you are definitely at a disadvantage. I have found this to be true in non-profit organizations as well.

Conducting retained search in the 80’s and 90’s, I would expend a lot of time and effort evaluating the candidate's background relevant to the clients’ job description. I had to dig sometimes very thoroughly to bring out the candidates relevant strengths. Today, the candidate has to “connect the dots” (their strengths and skills with the employer’s needs). They have to show why they are a good fit with the employer.

Applicants need to show the relevancy of their backgrounds to the employers needs. In networking, they must focus on listening for the needs of the person with whom they are networking. The cover letter and resume have to be slanted to demonstrate that their background is a good fit for the employer. The thank you note needs to again “connect the dots” (“these are the challenges we discussed in our meeting and these are my strengths and experience relevant to those challenges”).

Organizations like to be chosen. If you have targeted them because you share their excitement with the industry, products, services, culture etc. that increases your marketability and prospects of being hired. You are genuinely excited about them vs. “I am looking for a job.”

Your value proposition reflects you and what you do not only well but also naturally. Candidates who impressed me in the interview, were not only excited about the job and my client company but were excited about who they were and what they liked to do

Once you have proven that you can fulfill a need then you can talk about how you can best work together. Your value proposition comes usually in 3 flavors: Full time, part time and short term contract. Always leading with “Do you have a full-time opening?” can greatly limit your exposure and opportunity for meaningful work and cash flow stress reduction (e.g., short term leading to full time.)

As Bill Bridges suggests in his book “JobShift”, the full time permanent job is slowly disappearing. However, in today’s world there are plenty of challenges requiring unique value propositions.

So what’s your value proposition?

(c) 2006 Randy Block. All rights reserved.

Randy brings expertise in executive search as a certified career coach. He has guided all levels of professionals in the areas of career transition: changing careers, choosing a career direction, evaluating/negotiating offers, executive career marketing, finding jobs, getting organized, as well as finding opportunities for self-employment, freelancing and consulting. He holds an IJCTC certificate from the Career Planning and Adult Development, a CCMC (Certified Career Management Coach) from Career Coach Academy and a PCRC (Professional Certified Retirement Coach from the Retirement Coach Institute. His email address is randy@randyblock.com or visit his website at www.randyblock.com.

Posted by Teena Rose. Republished with permission from the author.

How to Write a Resume with Purpose and Pizzazz!

2007-09-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

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Written By Jimmy Sweeney; President of CareerJimmy and Author of the Amazing Resume Creator Jimmy Sweeney Resume

You may wonder if such a thing is possible. Aren't most resumes about as interesting as yesterday's news?

Yes, most are. But yours doesn't have to be. You have about three seconds to grab the hiring manager's attention. So don't waste it with trite, cliché-ridden sentences or a long list of the jobs you've held––from bagging groceries to supervising a sales team. Instead, start your resume with a powerful objective, which includes your desire to be called for an interview, which will lead to the job you're seeking.

Place that statement at the top of your resume like this:

Objective: Communications Trainer
Seeking an interview for a position where my ability to increase and open communication between management and employees will transform interpersonal relations, resulting in an increase in the bottom line and in company morale.

When it comes to writing a resume, opening with an objective is a relatively new technique. How can you be sure it will work? Because the more specific and direct you are with your purpose, the more compelling you will appear to the hiring manager. When you are clear about what you want, he or she will be clear about wanting to meet you.

1. A clearly stated objective will cause a hiring manager to sit up and notice you as an individual with a goal in mind.
2. A clearly stated objective will cause a hiring manager to begin 'picturing' you in the position for which you are applying.

A strong purpose-filled statement like the example above leaps off the page of your resume. It will keep your goal front and center. And if your objective is to land a job interview, what could be more important than commanding the reader's attention the moment he or she starts to read.

Here are THREE more examples of excellent resume openers:

Objective: Executive Secretary
Seeking an interview for the position where my organization and communication skills will increase the executive's ability to manage key affairs without delay.

Objective: Director of Marketing
Seeking an in-person meeting to secure a job where I can enhance the bottom line as a result of my ten years of experience moving a company from start-up to successful corporation.

Objective: Head Chef
Seeking an interview for the opening at Chez Francois, Century City, where my prize-winning entrees with an international flair and my unique 'very French' chocolate desserts will increase the bottom line within three months—guaranteed.

Punch up your resume with a clearly worded objective and the hiring manager just may open the door for you—one that leads to a new career in the profession of your dreams.

Senior Workers Need to Stay in Tune With Technology

2007-08-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Provided by Executive Resume Writing Service

For older workers rejoining the white-collar world, don’t expect to find typewriters and rotary dialed telephones. Technology has taken over, and workers in the 21st century are armed with personal computers and PDAs.

Older workers tend to be less tech-friendly, or so the story goes. In a working environment where technology seems to be changing at the speed of light, the challenge for workers over 50 is not to get lost in a world of gigabytes and Web applications.

The stereotype is that older workers are resistant to change … high-tech products, such as computers, for example, are sort of a modern-day boogeyman. Studies, however, have shown that older workers are willing to learn, but their experience at the workplace and within society is a natural barrier that’s not present for younger workers who have grown up with the technology. In fact, it has been shown that when older workers are given the necessary training and support, they have the ability to keep up with their peers on the tech front.

The simple fact remains, though, that a 16-year-old who hasn’t even entered the workforce, may be more savvy than a 60-year-old who has spent four decades in the working world. A clear example of the gap is shown by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which found that just 31% of people age 65 and over were going online, compared to nearly 100% of 16-18-year olds.

With a tightening supply of employees expected over the next two decades, the job scene will include millions of older workers returning to the workforce out of desire or financially necessity. At the rate technology changes, it’s likely to change rapidly over the next 20 years, possibly making today’s computer a thing of the past.

In order to thrive in Workplace 2.0, older workers must be computer literate, even if it’s just the basics of managing email, moving the mouse or operating the keyboard. Whether it’s a job with a white, blue or grey color, finding any job without possessing simple computer skills will be hard to land. With roughly 78% of working-age American adults using computers at home or work, a senior who re-enters the workforce will be left in the dust if they don’t master some computer competency.

Computers aren’t the only tech tools some seniors may face a fear factor over. Staying connected through BlackBerry’s and cell phones is the norm in many jobs today. Seniors need to maintain a certain level of savvy about devices and computers, simply to stay in tune with the company culture.

Closing the gap on the digital divide is not as hard as some senior workers may think. First stop, the teen-agers. No other age group adapts quicker to technology than teens, who have the market cornered on everything from Web surfing to social networking.

Once on the Internet, older workers can find a treasure trove of information geared specifically for seniors at the AARP website, www.aarp.org. And, there’s always the old school way to learn new technology. Community centers, community colleges, and public libraries offer a number of courses for the beginner.

How To Start Your Cover Letter With a BANG!

2007-07-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

Learn how to write an amazing cover letter using Jimmy Sweeney's Cover Letter tool. Click now ... view Jimmy's tool in minutes.

HOW TO START YOUR COVER LETTER WITH A BANG!
Want to grab an employer's undivided-attention?

Use this little-known cover letter secret to land more quality job interviews immediately.

A fantastic, 'must-read' headline practically 'forces' a hiring manager to keep reading right through to the end of your cover letter.

BUT, headline placement is all-important so listen up…

Put your show-stopping headline right above the cover letter body text. Use bold font so it stands out. It'll be the first thing the employer sees. Keep in mind that a knockout headline will do more for your cover letter than any other single ingredient. Why? Because it pulls the reader into your letter. And without that, your cover letter has an excellent chance of being completely overlooked and fed into the paper shredder.

Reread the above headline in this article. How To Start Your Cover Letter With a BANG! Does it bring a smile, a question, a bit of curiosity? You can do the same for your reader––with your own sizzling headline.

Why do well-written headlines work so well?

The answer is simple: Advertisers, marketers and columnists have literally trained us to scan headlines in newspapers and magazines for decades. We'll always stop and read more when a great headline attracts our attention. It's no different with a cover letter.

Here's what to do…

Directly above the greeting in your cover letter (Dear Ms. Smith), place your winning headline. To make it even more effective, use boldface print and center it on the page. (Two lines maximum).

Here are THREE examples of excellent cover letter headlines:

I would love the opportunity to interview for the
position of [fill in job title here]

I believe I'm an excellent match for the position of [fill in job title here].

Prompt, Friendly and Results-Driven. May I interview for the position of [fill in job title here]? I would love the opportunity to meet with you in person.

How can an employer pass that up?

Remember, the first step of your job hunt is to land the job interview. Using a headline to attract the attention of a potential employer AND asking for the interview at the same time is incredibly powerful.

Try one of these examples or create a winner of your own. Next, take a seat by the phone because it's about to start ringing!

WARNING! Your cover letter may be killing your job search. Here's how to land more job interviews and great job offers immediately. Visit Jimmy Sweeney at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today.

© Written By Jimmy Sweeney
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Two Amazing Cover Letters

2007-07-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Write an amazing cover letter using Jimmy Sweeney's Cover Letter tool.

TWO AMAZING COVER LETTERS 99% OF ALL JOB SEEKERS WILL NEVER DISCOVER
… and how to use them to land your dream job

Now there's an offer you can't refuse! Two job-search tools that will help you dig deep when others are merely skimming the surface.

Up to now you've probably heard of the traditional cover letter—a nice polite business letter that introduces you to a hiring manager with the hope of gaining an interview.

If only it were that easy. You write. He or she reads and hires. But with millions of people searching for employment each year, we both know there is more to this process than meets the eye. You need to plan your work, then work your plan!

And I have just the plan for you to work. . .two little-known cover letters that will help you maximize your job search.

#1: Networking Cover Letter

The networking cover letter reaches into your pool of resources–family members, friends, neighbors, associates, and professional men and women–for a specific purpose, not to ask for a job but to ask for help getting a job through their employment leads, referrals, advice, knowledge, and introductions.

Create a master list of everyone you can think of. Pull out business cards, association and club rosters, church directories, mailing lists, and so on. Then send your networking cover letter to each person on the list. It will take some time but the payoff can be greater than you imagine.

Networking Cover Letter Tips:

• Keep it short and focused.
• Summarize your strengths and needs in a list.
• Ask for job leads and referrals.
• Attach your resume.
• Follow-up responses with a thank you note.

#2: The All-In-One Resume Cover Letter

The resume cover letter allows you to condense and combine the best of a cover letter and resume into one brief piece. Use it successfully with recruiters, headhunters, and agencies where brevity and speed are essential.

Put the most important information from your resume into a numbered or bullet point list within the body of the cover letter. Stick to basics. Strive for one page—two pages max. Use this powerful tool whenever you want to keep your communication brief and focused or when a recruiter or hiring manager asks for a short letter that outlines your ability and background in one document.

Increase your 'net' worth today with a networking cover letter and an all-in-one resume cover letter.

© Written By Jimmy Sweeney
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"

Building Teams the Mark of a Good Executive

2007-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Building Teams the Mark of a Good Executive
“… because not all resumes and cover letters are created equal.” Resume to Referral offers sample cover letters within "20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer," a sample brag book in "How to Design, Write, and Compile a Quality Brag Book," and sample pharmaceutical rep resumes in "Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales."

Parents pushing team sports on their kids may seem like a crafty way to just get them active and out of the house, but most know that the skills of teamwork learned as a youth never go out of style.

Company executives also know that the benefits of team-building can pay off big when it comes to the bottom line. Employees working together for one common goal has always worked better than encouraging the individual stars to carry the load, and now executives have some high-end research to back that up.

Researches put teamwork to the test during studies that were published in 2005 in the Wall Street Journal, finding that in wide-ranging fields from medicine, to business to basketball, working together meant working better.

Harvard researchers found death rates in hospitals dropped when surgeons consistently worked together with the same team that included anesthesiologists, nurses and other technicians. The same successful results were found by Harvard professors regarding teamwork at Wall Street investment firms. A study from Santa Clara University found that NBA teams where players had played together longer won an average of five more games per season due to their “tacit knowledge” regarding their teammates.

The team approach may not appeal to every employee, but the anecdotal and fact-based research overwhelmingly shows that it’s an extremely important component of company success. Implementing team-building strategies, however, aren’t as simple as scheduling a meeting with refreshments. When an executive drops the ball on putting together solid team-building exercises, it can result in employee skepticism, frustration, and futility. If nothing gets accomplish, or worse, the exercises drive a wedge between workers, the chance for getting fresh ideas from employees is severely reduced.

Executives can stay on course with effective team-building strategies by following some simple rules:

Expect the Expected
An offense on a football team knows what its expectations are – score points. If the expectations aren’t clear for a team at work, you can bet it will fumble the assignment. The team has to clearly understand project goals, why the project matters to the company and must have the leadership, support and time to accomplish whatever task is at hand.

Keep it Real
Don’t try an reinvent the wheel or come up with goals that are unattainable. The bar should be set high for members of the team, but the bar shouldn’t be made of pixy dust and magic beans. Employees tend to scoff when an executive sets impossible goals, which signals defeat from the start. Making it attainable will keep employees motivated and on track.

Everyone Bats
There’s no I in Team is the oldest cliché in the book. Nevertheless, it’s extremely important that each member has defined goals and is participating in the process. A team, of course, needs a leader. After that, if there’s a pecking order of favorites the system can break down with cries of favoritism. The team members must be working together, sharing ideas, understanding their roles and feeling like they are part of the process. Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” television show is a great example of how a team comes together – or falls apart – when faced with a particular project.

The People’s Executive

2007-05-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Professional Executive Resume Firm

Being a good executive isn’t always easy. There’s a fine line sometimes between keeping the customers, shareholders and employees all happy. It’s a constant juggling act that sometimes results in executives dropping all of the props and making a huge mess of things.

There’s no shortage of executive missteps and bad behavior. Think Enron and you have the poster child for the poor executives. But Enron crossed the line into criminal behavior, which is more the exception than the rule. There are plenty of incidences that outline what to do and what not to do from the executive suite.

A recent example involved the struggling media giant Tribune Co. As the industry has continued on a downward spiral over the past few years, Tribune executives received millions in bonuses after securing a deal to take the company private. Originally, a pool of $6.5 million was set up to pay 32 executives when the transaction closed.

Two weeks after the bonuses were made public, including a $400,000 windfall for Scott Smith, president of Tribune Publishing, the company set in motion another round of job reductions throughout its properties. The idea that executives were receiving lavish bonuses one week, while cutting back its workforce to trim costs the next week, naturally created a high level of resentment among Tribune employees. Smith, who later forfeited his $400,000 bonus, insisted that the pool was appropriate and that “there were others who worked exceptionally hard and are very deserving.” Nevertheless, the actions and Smith’s comments are perceived by compensation experts as a major misstep by a company that’s struggling to connect with a disgruntled, disenfranchised rank and file.

Tribune executives aren’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last, to make bad decisions that alienate their employees. There are, however, standards that can be followed by the CEO’s, CFO’s and all the other C’s at a company to remain in the good graces of their human capital, while still hitting the bottom line.

For starters, a good executive must understand the business. Some believe if you’ve managed a company that makes widgets, you should be able to manage one that makes computer chips. Wrong. If an executive comes into a business as an accounting or marketing wizard, he or she should have a working knowledge of how the new business works before making critical decisions.

Second, executives in charge of other managers must build a team around them. One that focuses on expanding the footprint of the business and taking on responsibility. There really is a skill set to delegating assignments. It’s something that can make or break an executive.

Finally, avoid the hatchet man/woman label. The only thing employees resent more than executives who lavish themselves with riches are the ones whose only solution to pumping up the stock price is to get rid of the workers. In business, cutting loose employees are sometimes a necessary evil, but all too often it’s the first resort instead of the last.

MIT Dean Resigns

2007-04-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

A steady flow of news surrounding high-profile professionals misrepresenting credentials (oftentimes, academic credentialing) has continuously surfaced. The recent headlines concerning former MIT Dean, Marilee Jones, struck a cord with me. A twist to this particular story, however; she isn't receiving the societal lynching that one might expect. She has generated a long record of successes; in fact, never raising a red flag that she was/is "academically challenged" on handling a dean position. Lloyd Thacker, founder of the Education Conservancy, highlighted Mrs. Jones' impact and inspiration prior to her resignation. The real story lies in the fact that Mrs. Jones did her job so well that no one questioned her credentials until recently. She generated the same substantial results that another would generate with far less academic credentials.

Read more of MIT Dean Resigns.

Executives Should Lead by Example

2007-04-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Executives Should Lead by Example
For an impressive resume contact SuccessfulResumes.com.

As an executive, it's your responsibility to get the most out of your employees. Your leadership style will have a significant impact on their motivation to produce. Leading by example is one way to accomplish this, and it means more than simply walking the talk. It also includes such ideas as integrity, taking action, and following through. If, for example, you introduce a new set of workplace rules, not only do you need to follow them yourself, but also ensure that they are enforced. If not, you send a very clear message that you're not worth listening to.

Of course, you don't need to create a set of rigid rules to be an effective leader. In fact, the fewer you have, the more weight they will carry, and the more likely your employees will remember them. However, any type of rule, whether explicit or implied, can demonstrate your executive leadership style. Even a minor infraction on your part can lead your employees to seeking guidance elsewhere. In other words, as a leader, you need to be the best you can be at all times. When you do make a mistake, admit it rather than make excuses, and you will gain the trust and respect of your team.

Leadership involves much more than laying down the law and expecting people to follow. While this approach may have worked in the past, it is not the way of today's workforce, and should you choose this route, you will likely lose good people. How then, do you lead effectively and by example?

Take the time to listen to your employees and get to know them. If you want your employees to trust and respect you, then extend these courtesies to your staff. The added benefit is that, in an executive position, you simply cannot know everything that is going on throughout the company. Your employees, on the other hand, may have their fingers on the pulse of the business--or certain aspects of the business--that you should know about. Your staff will also (ideally) include a wide range of talents. This knowledge and talent combines to provide you with an effective business strategy if you let it. Listen to your employees, use their strengths, and observe the benefits.

Moreover, do ensure that you walk your talk. It sounds obvious, but too often executives forget to follow-through on this. It's easy to become caught up in deadlines and other urgent business, and it can be tempting to bend the rules for convenience; however, each time you do this, you give your staff another reason not to trust you as a leader, and this can quickly lead to company-wide division.

The benefits you will reap by acting in a manner you expect of your employees are well worth it. If you lead from on high, shut away in an office, or cut-off through your actions and attitude, you risk being viewed as someone cold and distant. This puts you, as an executive, at a distinct disadvantage, as potential problems will not reach your ears. However, if you lead with an attitude and actions that you expect of your team, you foster a company culture of working together and reaching a common goal. If the executive can say hello to everyone, for example, so too can the rest of the staff.

Bear in mind that actions speak louder than words. You can develop a fabulous mission statement, but it means nothing if there are no actions to make it happen. Too often, executives or others in leadership fall into the trap of talking about great ideas, but without the follow-up, they're just empty words.

Effective leadership means learning how to prioritize and using people to set the right course of action. Throughout your executive career, you've likely developed the ability to prioritize quite well; however, if you have not yet learned to delegate effectively, now is the time. As mentioned earlier, if you have a talented staff to choose from, you can easily choose the best people for the job and implement a variety of plans. Moving beyond the talk and into the action in this manner speaks louder than words ever could--it shows, in clear terms, the trust you place in your team.

Finally, approach your leadership style with a bit of common sense. Be courteous to everyone you encounter and in all situations, including those where you find yourself having to reprimand or discipline employees. It's only natural that your staff will want to work hard for you if they respect you, but you have to give them good reason. One way this can be accomplished is leading by example.

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Read more articles at SuccessfulResumes.com

Employers Look Toward Recruiters for Some New Recruits

2007-04-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

There’s a reason most executives attain their position. They deserve it. Well, at least most do. They’ve worked hard, know how to manage a company, are familiar with details of the business operation, and have strong leadership skills. But like entry- and mid-level employees, executives know the grass may be greener elsewhere, and turn to professional recruiters to help manage their careers.

The recruiter, also known as a headhunter, contracts as a third party with a company to solicit individuals to fill jobs or positions within that company. And if you’re a quality executive, there’s no doubt that someday, either you will contact a recruiter or they will contact you.

When deciding to retain the services of a recruiter, it’s best to keep your options open, and spread out. It’s not like hiring an attorney. Using more than one recruiter is perfectly acceptable in order to cast a wide net over the job market. Different recruiters will bring different perspectives on a particular network of jobs. Since recruiters are paid by the companies looking for candidates, it’s not cost prohibitive to use more than one recruiter.

It is possible, however, that one recruiter may want you "solely." When a recruiter spots a candidate with exceptional skills, one that stands out above the rest in a particular market, a recruiter may ask for an exclusive contract, which allows them to represent an individual for a specified period of time. The trade off? The recruiter gets a crack at placing the candidate without competition from other recruiters, while the candidate gets put in the high priority category. It’s a situation that can pay off big for a candidate, who gets more than the usual amount of attention, and the recruiter, who is trying to earn his or her percentage.

Many job seekers are under the impression that nowadays, if a company has an opening they post it on an online job site like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com. That’s far from the truth. In fact, most employers don’t even bother to advertise positions, especially the high-end ones for executives. The most senior and highest-paying jobs are usually reserved for the third party or in-house recruiters.

Finding a recruiter is relatively easy. Finding the right one may take a little more leg work, because every recruiter is not created equal. Connecting with the right one that specializes in your area is a no-brainer. But keep in mind the recruiter is really working for the employer who cuts the check. Naturally, their reputation is on the line if they don’t match the right candidate with the job, but there are some recruiters who see commission first and ask questions later. A job candidate should find a recruiter who is going to do more than do a mass email of their resume. Like hiring any other professional, getting references on a recruiter is extremely important.

Firing up the web is a good place to start the search for a recruiter, one that’s honest and has a keen insight into your particular industry. Recruiting directories and profiles can be found online. Message boards and networking sites are also outstanding resources. The direct approach can work as well, calling the employer you’re interested in and asking an HR representative what recruiting service they use.

The bottom line in business will always be "who you know." It’s a simple fact that any good recruiter is going to know and have more connections than you. It’s their job.

Reasons Why Executive Resumes Need to Stay Fresh

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Reason#1
Avoid lost data. Incorporate recent achievements and other changes in the scope of your position while fresh in your mind. Our minds seem to perform "dumps" of information, making it difficult to remember specific details the older the information becomes. So, update your resume continuously throughout the year ... or minimally, put a post-it note on your desk or in a special file so you don't forget the needed change. Make note of sales figures, client names (if you're not under a confidentiality clause), and other specific details to avoid an unneeded search later on.

Reason#2
Use your updated resume to create a mini sales pitch that you can use as needed to sell yourself as an executive professional and to sell your company. You never know when an opportunity to promote yourself and your business will present itself. Stay ahead of the competition and be prepared.

Reason#3
Be a minuteman, or minutewoman. When you have reached the executive level, chances are much greater that an executive recruiter or another firm will call. If it's one of those opportunities that is too good to pass up (or at least investigate), having an updated resume is a distinct advantage. The option may be fleeting, and your competition may not be as savvy as you. While they struggle to update their resume, you can hand over an executive package complete with resume, biography, and sample projects summarizing your executive career.

How do successful business executives stay on top of the game in an ever-changing global marketplace?

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By being prepared for the unexpected, of course. When senior management and executives are up-to-date on industry movement, they are better prepared to know when to act and when to wait. Just as investors must understand and learn when to act in the stock market, so too do executives need to understand which industry changes necessitate action. Read more about, "Expect the Expected," an article by Teena Rose, executive resume writer.