Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from the most recent session with Nicola James, Managing Partner of Thomas Brooke International.
There was a common theme in this week’s career coaching call – how to get companies to take you seriously? Nicola fielded a number of queries from executive job seekers in different circumstances. One senior manager has been living abroad for a number of years and is trying to find a way to convince U.S.-based companies that he is not “geographically undesirable.” Another caller was concerned about ageism; how do you get a company to look seriously at your credentials if you are over 50? And yet another caller asked why, with all the great talent currently unemployed because of the recession, companies still insist on looking only at candidates who are working?
Nicola notes that in each of these cases, you have to know how to overcome the objections. Recognize that some companies have a mindset that will be hard to overcome. Avoid those companies. Instead, identify companies that value your unique skills and talents and where you will be happy and work to overcome those obstacles.
As a general strategy, Nicola recommends reading The Long Tail by Chris Anderson. In his book, Anderson explains that most people try to sell to the middle of the bell curve. You need to be different and sell to the ends, where there are fewer competitors, less demand, and where it only takes one sale – getting hired!
In the case of the U.S. expatriate, it’s important for him to clearly articulate his value to companies that offer a great fit for his talents. If they have blinders or are not interested, move on. And be upfront about issues such as “no relocation costs” in order to remove objections as quickly as possible.
With regard to ageism, it is a real issue. Nicola said she has found that many Fortune 500 companies do not generally hire people older than their mid-40s, largely because they have very controlled and regulated succession planning, which means they often don’t know what to do with older employees. However, she also has clients who are only interested in employees in their 50s or older. These are usually smaller companies looking for self-managing professionals who don’t need a lot of guidance. Wherever you choose to focus, know that cultural fit is crucial.
And why do companies fail to look at talented candidates who are unemployed? Nicola says it’s an arbitrary choice by someone within the company. If you encounter these “dinosaurs,” move on. Find a company that appreciates your skills and that is a good cultural fit.
