Increase Your Net Worth by Increasing Your Resume-Worth

June 21st, 2010

In speaking with executive job seekers on a daily basis, three of the phrases I most often hear are:

(1) “I haven’t needed a resume since my first job … I was always contacted by a recruiter, or I just relied on my professional network”,

(2) “I know I’m underselling myself on my resume, but I’m not good at bragging about myself”,

(3) “Once I’m in the door, I feel confident and can promote myself well, but somehow my resume doesn’t send out the right message.”

In response, I always make clear to executives that you don’t have to re-invent your career to have a more interview-generating resume, but that it’s simply a matter of “what you’re saying and how you’re saying it that truly affects the perception of your demand in the market.”

The Art of Intelligent Bragging:

It’s not surprising that many executives admit that they undersell themselves.  The reality is, many executives are Type A’s — talented, resourceful and good at getting things done, even in highly intensive and ever-changing environments.  In fact, the more pressure the better.  Somewhere along the way however, perhaps engrained in our upbringing, the thought that constructive deeds, not words is the safest way to boast, stuck in our heads.  Although I agree with that idea, it’s the content strategy (the words) within your resume that must communicate effectively on your behalf, and in a way that sells and differentiates your value-add.

As an old proverb says, the really tough thing about humility is you can’t brag about it. In other words, considering that the end reader doesn’t know you or your performance track, it’s critical that your resume is a balance between tooting your own horn, and not blowing your own horn.

It Is Not All About You:

What does surprise me though is how many executives still have the habit of using the word “I” in their resumes (you know who you are).  Sometimes this is so persistent within the resume, I wonder if there was ever a team involved, or any customers, or anyone else working at the company for that matter.  Not only is it assumed that in a resume you are talking about yourself, but more importantly, it sounds very self-centered and can get very repetitive.

One key point to remember is that your resume needs to focus on the employers needs, not yours. In essence, you are selling your future potential, and not a list of all the great things you’ve done in the past.  Consider your resume as an RFP (Request for Proposal), where you are making a promise of what you are GOING to do, and the potential impact you can make for your next employer.  They are always interested in W.I.I.F.M., “What’s in it for me?”  Therefore, you are building up anticipation for your performance, appealing to them directly, and engaging them to find out more.

It is not necessary to create a separate resume for each and every opportunity.  In fact, I highly recommend against it.  There are certain “universal” targets that any business is looking for, such as Revenue & Profit Increases, Market Share Gains, Productivity Improvements, Cost Reduction & Avoidance, Team Building Success, etc. that you can leverage in your value proposition.

From Reactive to Proactive:

One of my favorite discussions when working with clients is the one where the executive has an epiphany that although he is an expert in “X” field, he has limited skills in crafting a compelling marketing-style resume. What I adore even more is when these executives have this revelation BEFORE they engage in an active job search.  Too many times, I work with executives who are begging for a resume reconstruction out of desperation vs. inspiration.  They have been in the job hunt for many months, and have come to realize that their resume has not been effective.  Too much time has been lost, and those really great opportunities don’t come around too often.   Of course, all has not been lost, but isn’t it better to be ahead of the pack, rather than struggling to catch up?!

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June 21st, 2010

As an executive resume professional, I work with many talented, extremely qualified senior executives and one in particular, “Joe”, whom I recently worked with, stands out.  Joe is a CEO and was flustered that his resume, which very thoughtfully outlined his passion, enthusiasm, communication savvy and creativity, was not getting him any results.

Of course, a strategically designed resume will have a blend of both soft skills and hard skills.  However, the difference between many interviews and no interviews, and what Recruiters and Hiring Managers are looking for, is someone with the necessary skills, expertise and experience in the right areas – the hard skills.  When a recruiter is assessing your resume, they are not immediately looking for an “excellent communicator”.

Joe was surprised to hear that.

Hard skills are all about getting things done and are pivotal in a resume.  They define processes, procedures, key jargon, and are easily measurable.  A Grade A player resume needs to be robust with industry/position-specific keywords and phrases that demonstrate success in areas such as: business development, revenue increases, productivity and performance improvements, talent acquisition and development, cash flow optimization, etc. in order to create impact.

Soft skills (personality and people-oriented descriptors) centered on enthusiasm, respectfulness, creativity, passion, listening, verbal and written communication, motivation, etc., are not as paramount.  What is especially important is that soft skills need to be substantiated on your resume.  You can weave them into accomplishments that highlight your soft skills in action.  For example, problem solving, critical thinking, and the ability to lead and motivate others under challenging circumstances.

I do want to stress however, that soft skills play a crucial role in employability and ensure professional survival and success.  In fact, the higher position you are in, the more soft skills you will need — skills such as initiative, learning, self-management, communication, teamwork, problem solving, flexibility, planning and organizing.  Leaders create synergy and spark in others when they apply the value of “people matter”.  This can’t be faked.  When you walk into an organization where soft skills are practiced, you can sense it.  And we all know that “nothing happens until people are on board.”

Here’s the bottom line:  Properly promoted hard skills get you interviews, but your soft skills ultimately close the deal and get you hired.

If your resume is not comprised of the right keywords, phrases, and terminology, you are selling yourself short, which will have a negative impact on your job search.  By using the right content strategy in your resume, you will significantly increase your results.  And that is exactly what a well-written resume will do for you – get you in the door for the right kinds of opportunities.  Fortunately, Joe realized the importance of packaging his solid background correctly, and went on to land an excellent role.  His resume was transformed into a blend of distinctive qualifications, expertise, and content strategy robust with key words and phrases that positioned his resume much more effectively.

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What Type Of Executive Job Seeker Are You?

May 5th, 2010

Every executive realizes that job search is a competitive activity.  In a soft economy, truly exceptional positions attract hundreds of applications (a recent posting for a VP position with a major technology company generated over 5,000 resume submissions in less than a week).  Of these, only 3 candidates were invited for an interview.   Not surprisingly, many rejected candidates were qualified, but did not make the list.

While executive job seekers offer a wide range of credentials, there are essentially 2 types of applicants – ‘Employable’ and ‘Valuable’.   The difference is significant.

Employable applicants restate what they “accomplished”, “developed”, and “managed” for someone else in the past.  The focus is mainly on previous employment and achievements, not on transferable benefits.

Valuable candidates, on the other hand, go beyond dated descriptions.  They expressly translate their knowledge and experience into what they actually CAN do for new employers.  The emphasis is on their potential contributions and how they can deliver results.  The message is current and practical.

Also, in their job documents and interviews, Valuable candidates differentiate themselves from similarly qualified applicants.  They promote their distinguishing leadership strengths, thus making their presentation much more compelling to gatekeepers.

How to use this in your job search: When you are asking risk-averse employers to invest in you, present clear reasons why your candidacy is better than average.  As impressive as your prior career experience is, it is wise to translate it from old news into a magnetic proposal.  A proposal-style resume and interview strategy is the best way to transform your candidacy from ‘Employable’ to ‘Valuable’.   This is the intelligent shortcut that helps you increase your executive appeal, rank ahead, and get great job offers.

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The 3 Key Ingredients Employers Are Looking For

May 5th, 2010

After being laid off by a large telecom company, Tom secured an excellent position with a new employer in less than 6 weeks.  Yet, many of his former peers were still anxiously looking for jobs for many months and weren’t getting suitable offers.  Surprisingly, some of them were more qualified than Tom.  So why weren’t they as successful in securing the right jobs?  The answer is in these three ingredients that can help you generate more employer interest, accelerate your search and get better job offers:

1.  Employers want you to understand their needs

Having more years of experience or a degree from a prestigious school does not automatically put an executive applicant on a short list of most employers.  What employers really want is relevant experience that can be immediately applied within their organization.  Relevant experience and keen understanding of specific challenges will make you a more valuable contender than someone who merely has an impressive background.  If a shoe fits well, it’s practical; if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t matter how famous the label is.

Practical Application: Make each contact with employers highly personal and focused on matching your expertise with their unique business requirements.  Promote yourself as the missing link by assertively indicating why and how you can effectively perform in your new role.

2.  Employers want to make sure that you will make them money

As obvious as this point may seem, many executives don’t clearly convey the financial benefits potential employers are likely gain from hiring them.  Instead, they spend more time describing benefits they brought to previous employers, expecting new employers to make a connection.

Practical Application: Let others congratulate themselves on their past victories and sound like a broken record. You will be way ahead of the rest if you strategically fast-forward the financial advantages of your experience (in your documents and interview sessions) by articulating how you can help new employers be more successful, in terms of expected savings and realistic revenue increases.   Help employers clearly see that you are a lucrative investment.

3.  Employers want you to make a great first impression

While a personal interview determines whether or not a candidate gets hired, few interviews result without a top-notch resume.  Since employers get swamped by thousands of applications, a resume becomes an important pre-screening device.  If it’s seen as canned, it generates little or no interest.  But when a candidate has a solid and uncommon presentation that reads like a professional proposal instead of old news, it saves employers a lot of guesswork and leads to a positive response (i.e. more interviews).

Practical Application: Start with the end in mind – to make yourself appear unquestionably professional.  Would you buy a $200,000 product that has a second-rate brochure?  Neither would employers.  Get a no-compromise professional resume that makes you look like a superior candidate.

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3 Ways You Can Get Better Executive Jobs In This Job Market.

February 1st, 2010

By Michael Collins

Executive Career Expert  / Recruitment Strategist with www.ResumesForLeaders.com

To get a top-tier executive job in today’s economy, you need more than just your prior executive experience – you need a solid strategy.  An effective job search strategy basically comes down to effectively differentiating yourself from others and generating genuine interest of hiring decision makers.   Remember, today you are competing with millions of very qualified candidates, and unless you are in a narrow and specialized field it is wise not to take things for granted.  When you are approaching employers, you need to give them a clear incentive to talk to you or you will be seen as “just another applicant”.

Here are three practical ideas to help you boost the power of your job search:

  • Understand that you control the success of your job search.  Simply posting your resume online or waiting for recruiters to call you is not enough.  If you want to get hired, you need to treat your job search as a priority and avoid passivity.  You need to approach companies on your own and promote your value to decision makers.  But don’t do it cold by sending unsolicited applications.  A personal phone call to one of the top decision makers is often all it takes to get the ball rolling.  Then, aim to meet in person whenever possible.  As convenient as email is, a handshake and a one-to-one meeting will get you hired faster.
  • Stop using a canned and boring resume.  In a pile of thousands of resumes less than 1% get any serious consideration.  Why?  Because most resumes sound alike!   If you expect to impress employers and get a first-class 100K+ job, start with a first-class resume.  Anything less is a sure way to diminish your importance and eliminate yourself from competition.   When you are going head-to-head with similarly qualified candidates, you want to be ahead of the herd, not at the tail end.
  • For optimal results, create the job you really want.  Many executives are realizing that ‘off-the-shelf jobs’ are not necessarily the answer.  Fewer and fewer jobs are following traditional job descriptions.  Start with a mission of what you want to accomplish and then aim to match your interests with employers’ (both on paper and in person).  This will get their attention quickly and, if your potential value is seen as high, you will start getting excellent and, most importantly, suitable offers.

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Want Top Jobs? These ‘Magic’ Executive Qualities Guarantee Your Success

October 1st, 2009

What is the secret of being a candidate of choice in this market?  Hiring companies consistently give priority to executive job seekers who demonstrate the following qualities:

Executive Value:

Employers have little interest in your former successes – they want to know what you are offering right now.  Let them know exactly how you can help them achieve their short-term and long-term business goals.  Your practical value ultimately equals your employability.

Potential Compatibility:

No matter how good your skills are, you need to be seen as a good fit within your new employer’s corporate culture.  Your emotional intelligence (also called EQ) is absolutely essential, and will usually be perceived as more significant than mere technical expertise.  If dealing with all levels of a corporate organization is one of your strengths, don’t forget to make this clear to prospective employers.

Flexibility:

Companies are increasingly realizing that the best executive candidates are those who can quickly adapt to – and often initiate – corporate changes.  Today, flexibility is sought more than ever in senior management ranks.  If you sincerely thrive in a changing business climate, emphasize this to employers.

Professional Image:

Promoting a great candidacy with a second-rate resume is counterproductive.  Your career documents play an important role in your job search, so getting an effective, up-to-date resume is obviously a smart move.  A well-written resume communicates your distinctive benefits, not only past responsibilities.

Scarcity:

If you are seen as a ‘common’ executive applicant, the odds are against you.  Always aim to emphasize your unique knowledge, explaining why it is not readily available in the marketplace.  Employers pay particular attention to candidates who will bring distinctive competitive advantages to their organization.

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The Ultimate Job Search Success Tool: Your Executive Resume

September 14th, 2009

By www.ResumesForLeaders.com

So you are looking for a better job?  Thousands of other executives are doing the same.  According to a recent survey, over 30% of candidates at the $100,000+ level are actively searching for new positions, whether they are employed or not.  How can you compete effectively?

The answer is so obvious that many people don’t pay attention to it.   They look at the economy, lay offs, shifting industries, and other things they CAN’T control.  Even the smartest executives often ignore the one thing they CAN control – their marketability.  And hence they make themselves as ‘one of many’ instead of ‘one of a kind’.

The tool that can significantly improve your competitiveness and marketability is your RESUME.  Yes, that dreaded document you need to properly update if you want to stand out in a crowd.   And yet, many executives use canned, recycled or obviously imitative resume formats hoping that their original careers can be adequately promoted in such unoriginal (and frankly counterproductive) ways.

A better resume does not guarantee that you’ll get every job you apply for.  But a resume that looks like a recycled template almost guarantees that you are underselling your career.

In this executive job market, the most successful candidates are those who properly present their relevant value and convincingly communicate why they are a ‘good catch’. This is a shift from outdated thinking that relies on repeating the same points and merely promoting past accomplishments.

So what can you do right now to ensure that your executive resume is a winner?  Here are the 5 essential ingredients that will help you optimize the quality of your message and get top jobs:

  • Awareness of Key Issues: your understanding of industry challenges.
  • Value Proposition: what you offer and where you fit in the value chain.
  • Competitive Advantage: why you are a better choice than others.
  • Leadership Dynamics: how your leadership can benefit organizations.
  • Executive Promise: synopsis of tangible and sustainable solutions.

Does your executive resume have all of these?  If yes, then you are already promoting yourself as the type of candidate companies prefer to hire.  If not, don’t despair – most resumes can be improved and turned into winning documents.  The right strategy that focuses on the needs of this market (not on archaic rules or overused formats) enables you to enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of your presentation.

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Two Surefire Ways You Can Be More Attractive To Employers In This Market (And Get Great Job Offers!)

September 14th, 2009

By www.ResumesForLeaders.com

You probably have impressive credentials.  But when looking for new job opportunities, you are racing against other candidates with strong backgrounds.  So how can you stand out and get employers’ attention?   By effectively ‘packaging’ your career in a way that makes you an obviously better choice.  Here are the 2 practical ways to do this:

1.  Clearly Define Your Unique Brand

Let’s say you are a CIO and just saw an ad for a new position that you are really interested in.  Chances are, hundreds of other CIO’s have seen the same ad.  What will make you stand out?  The answer is – your distinctive brand.  This means defining what differentiates you from other CIO’s, and then effectively promoting these differences to employers.

How To Do This: Instead of simply describing your previous duties and responsibilities, give special attention in your resume to value-added factors that will give your candidacy a notably higher appeal.  For instance, if you are a CIO, explain how you can reduce corporate risk, highlight what you can do to optimize customer relationship management, emphasize your ability to minimize resource consumption, and let employers know how you can bridge business and technology within an organization.  Position yourself as a specialized generalist, i.e. someone with a well-rounded general background but also with one or two specific areas of expertise that distinctly make you more attractive than others in your peer group.

2.  Be Seen As a Great Investment

Boasting about past achievements is what most applicants do when looking for a new job.  After all, executives have a lot to show for – that’s how they got to where they are in the first place.  However, employers are naturally more interested in their own future gains, not those of other companies.  By indicating why you are a good short-term and long-term investment to employers, you will logically make yourself a better choice.

How To Do This: Translate your leadership experience into specific financial benefits employers can expect to receive.  In other words, clearly convey – on paper and in interviews – how you can help new employers make and save money.  Give illustrations of prior successes but most importantly, expand on the potential value these can add to companies.

In summary, you can’t control your prior experience and current market conditions, but you absolutely can present employers with a more

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3 Secret Strategies For Getting The Upper Hand In This Job Market: How Savvy Leaders Get Top Opportunities

August 14th, 2009

By www.ResumesForLeaders.com

Finding the job of your dreams should not be a struggle.  Yet, too many executives either experience more rejection than they have to, or end up in ‘default’ positions and regret their choice.  Good news is you can prevent this from happening to you and take charge of your job search and career advancement.  The following three strategies will help you optimize your search and get the job you deserve.

Strategy #1:  Offer Better Executive Value Than An Average Candidate

In a sea of competition, it is unwise to be seen as ‘just another candidate’.   In this market, employers have a lot of choice, and will not likely notice you if you are not distinctively different from the rest.  Internet job boards and networking groups are flooded with talented, first-rate executives who have very impressive credentials but lack one critical component – unique value proposition.

While most executives are busy glorifying their past achievements, you can get an instant advantage by focusing on future benefits you can bring to prospective employers.   It may be impressive what you did for “Company X in 2003”, but if you really want to get attention, concentrate on what you have that others don’t.  Convey one-of-a-kind, specific and hard-to-get benefits that most people can’t match (skills, connections, technical knowledge, etc.).   When employers see you as a ‘superior’ rather than ‘average’ candidate you are ahead of 95% of other job seekers.

Strategy #2:  Replace Common ‘Mass-Market Packaging’ with a High-Impact Presentation

Ask any recruiter and you will hear the same story – “He seemed like a promising applicant but I didn’t think his resume would impress my corporate client”.   In other words, an applicant was good but the resume wasn’t. The trouble with most resumes is that they look canned, common and frankly, uninspiring.  Most resumes make a mistake of sounding like elevator music and are written from a candidate’s instead of an employer’s point of view.

Just as successful companies realize the importance of high-impact promotion, successful job seekers never cut corners with something as basic as their resume.  Instead of having a flawed assumption that employers will guess how good they are at an interview, savvy executives ensure that their ‘packaging’ (their resume) gets interviews in the first place.   Seeing a well-prepared and original resume is refreshing for hiring decision makers and ultimately leads to more and higher quality offers.

Strategy #3:  Minimize The Risk Of Hiring You To Make Employers More Receptive

If you’ve done hiring, you know how important it is to recruit the right candidate.  Hiring the wrong one can be a nightmare and most companies (especially in this market) are not willing to take this chance.   By offering a lower risk proposition, you can help employers be more receptive to offering you the opportunity you want.

Recruiters know this strategy well – if a candidate does not work out, they will find a better match.  You can do the same (providing you are approaching employers directly and are not being represented by a recruiter), by giving employers an opportunity to walk away if things don’t go as planned.  This takes guts and many executives are not prepared to do this, but those who are get offers faster.  The risk minimization strategy works especially well with smaller companies.

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Are You Ready For The September Job Rush?

July 28th, 2009

By www.ResumesForLeaders.com

Starting your executive job search soon? So are thousands of others who are waiting for September to begin their search. The competition is heating up. Here are practical strategies to help you successfully navigate in this job market and get results.

HIGH-IMPACT ‘PACKAGING’ GETS YOU NOTICED AND REMEMBERED

In the age of electronic job search, employers have little time to decide who is a better candidate. Your resume is pre-screened by computers and if they don’t find what employers are looking for, it’s game over. Fortunately, you can make this process work for you rather than against you. Having a carefully structured resume (filled with the RIGHT keywords and phrases) immediately improves your odds of being selected for interviews. Considering that major employers and recruiters get 50,000+ unsolicited resumes every month, you don’t want yours to be lost in a pile.

Here are some steps to ensure that your resume gets noticed, and ultimately selected by gatekeepers:

  • Avoid canned formats.  Using a template approach is counterproductive for a serious executive job seeker and can waste you months of time. Instead, focus on your uniqueness.
  • Use keywords that are meaningful to employers. Minimize overused jargon that diminishes the value of your presentation. Strategically present your information in an industry-relevant fashion.
  • Make your presentation benefit-focused. Many executives have excellent credentials but few properly translate them into benefits. Click here to discover the 5 secrets of resumes that work.

INTERVIEWS ARE PRIMARILY ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO ‘FIT IN’

The easiest way to be successful at interviews is to use “you” twice as often as “I”. This may sound simplistic, but it’s a guaranteed way to stand out from the self-centered majority and make employers your allies.

A friendly interviewer will quickly forget about you a minute after the interview is over if you have not convinced her that you are the ideal fit. To make sure this does not happen, aim to determine what the type of candidate your new employer is looking for and focus on the genuine value you can bring to a new organization. In summary, make it about them and what they will gain. Your reward will follow.

Career tip of the week: Should your resume be limited to 2 pages? Not necessarily. Considering that a longer resume likely has more keywords, a 3-page resume is often appropriate for executives. When you are promoting your skills, remember that the substance of your message is what’s really important.

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