The Executive Update

Ask the Coach: What's in Your Career Toolbox?

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with Nicola James, Managing Partner of Thomas Brooke International.

This week, Nicola James hosted out Ask the Coach call. Much of the discussion revolved around developing all the career documents you can as part of your career toolbox.

As Nicola points out, resumes are a basic tool. They are not very exciting (in fact, they are often downright boring) but they are designed to deliver the facts quickly, succinctly, and thoroughly. And, of course, they are supposed to be sufficiently interesting to capture the reader’s attention. That’s a tall order, but one worth striving for.

Remember that when preparing your resume there is no time or room to address subtle nuances. You have to capture the reader’s attention in 15 seconds or less. The challenge is delivering the right information to capture their attention.

Of course, your resume can’t stand alone as the only tool in your career arsenal. Nicola strongly urges all executives, whether actively seeking a new job or passive candidates, to make sure their LinkedIn profiles are up to date and structured to capture attention. Many will look for your LinkedIn profile or search for you on Google before they engage with you. And a complete LinkedIn profile will increase your Google rankings. (If you are interested in learning more about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, be sure to check out this month’s Experts Connection: “LinkedIn for Executives – Beyond the Basics.”)

Other tools you can include in your career toolbox to add that extra something – case studies, executive biographies, white papers, SlideShare presentations, and other marketing materials. Services like Box.net and SlideShare let you add more dimensions and depth to your online presence. They allow you to present additional content and materials that demonstrate your real value.

So think about ways to build your online persona. Don’t let your resume be your only means of introduction. Identify other online resources that can help you tell your story and point out your skills and your real value.

LinkedIn at 100 Million Members

I received an interesting little reminder from Reid Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of LinkedIn, today. He reminded me that I was member number 154,825 on the, then fledgling social network. Today, LinkedIn topped 100 million members (that’s 100,000,000), and they are reported to be adding two new members every second. That’s one-fifth of the population of North America. However you want to measure it, it’s a big number.

It has been fascinating to watch the growth of LinkedIn since Hoffman and his cronies launched it back in 2002. It was originally conceived of as a networking and career resource; a place where you could post your credentials and look for job opportunities. They actually launched the LinkedIn Jobs as their first premium service in March 2005. Since then it has evolved into the go-to resource for professionals in all walks of life looking to network with peers, potential customers, and potential employers.

Today’s note from Hoffman is, in itself, an interesting experiment in social networking. In monitoring Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels, I see my other connections sharing their membership numbers with their friends to see when they joined LinkedIn – “where were you when.” It’s generating a lot of buzz.

Of course, you can’t count 100 million people in your pool of closest friends. This is where the theory of the Strength of Weak Ties comes into play; where you find the connections you are seeking because you know someone who knows someone who can introduce you. It’s also interesting to see the sub-groups that have evolved within LinkedIn. LinkedIn Groups have proven an ideal way for peers and professionals to connect, just check out our main NETSHARE group as an example, and we have a number of sub-groups open to members. Clearly, LinkedIn has become the first stop for recruiters and hiring managers looking for talent because it offers a vast pool of searchable talent.

By contrast, I have been reviewing the history of NETSHARE. Our web presence predates LinkedIn by almost a decade – we launched our first web site in 1995 and our first searchable online job database in 1997. Where LinkedIn has built its user base with job seekers suddenly thrust into the job market, and demand from sales professionals and others prospecting for contacts, NETSHARE continues to remain focused on serving senior managers ($100,000 salary and up) with personalized services and networking. Where LinkedIn uses loose associations to build contacts, we provide one-to-one counseling and introduce members who can help one another, often with a phone call rather than an in-mail. We believe that networking needs to be more personal, which is why we continue to check all our job listings before they are posted, host weekly welcome calls, and career coaching calls for members.

So by combining the personalized service and custom career management tools we provide at NETSHARE with the broad reach of resources like LinkedIn, executives can develop a cohesive career management strategy and find the right hiring authorities and companies who can advance their careers.

(If you want to learn more about NETSHARE membership you can always visit us at www.netshare.com. And be sure to check out our next session of Experts Connection session with Jason Alba on “LinkedIn For Executives - Beyond The Basics.“)

Ask the Coach: Working with Recruiters – Find the Senior Associate

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in career coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with Kristin Speer of Accelerated Search Consulting.

On this week’s Ask the Coach call, the callers discussed one of the first questions asked by anyone considering a job change: “How do I get through to a recruiter?” If you remember that the recruiter is not working for you but for the hiring company, you’re off to the right start.

To help the callers out, Kristin explained how retained search firms operate. As much as you are tempted to go straight to the top of the decision tree, this is usually the worst path you can take. Knowing how recruiting companies are organized and who has responsibility for which task makes it easier to identify the correct authority in the right office. Most recruiting offices have areas of specialization or practice areas – technology, biotechnology, financial, board-level, etc. You need to work with the office that most closely aligns with your objectives; where you are coming from and where you hope to go. In short, where do you fit? The subtle nuances that set you apart from others with a similar background will matter here. You also want to look for specialization by industry. For example, industrial manufacturing is very different from technology.

Identify the Senior Associate associated with the practice. This person will be most familiar with the job search parameters, the hiring company, and the candidates. It is their job to know who in their database has the specific qualifications their client company is seeking. Once the Senior Associate has searched through the potential candidates, done an initial screening, and narrowed the field, he or she sends the short list to the Partner. What the Senior Associate will look for is who was an active candidate for similar searches in the past. They also will see who has returned calls, even if that person is not looking. The Senior Associate is the person you need to impress with your attentiveness and industry knowledge. They are learning at the same time and appreciate your insights. And they will remember those who help them do their job, so earn major karma points for assisting a senior associate, even if you aren’t interested in the job. The notes from that exchange that end up in your file can make or break your next career opportunity.

How do you find the right Senior Associates? LinkedIn is a treasure trove. You can search on the company using the advanced search option and ask for Associates. Then you can see what their specialties are. Reach out to them with your information and with an offer to help. Once you’ve made the connection be clear about your credentials and objectives. Make sure your marketing documents clearly show the "scope of management" – what you achieved and how you achieved your goals.

And don’t expect a personal meeting unless you become a final candidate. Nothing personal, but they can’t spare the time.

Want a Raise or Promotion? If You Don’t Ask, You’ll Never Know

Job satisfaction is an elusive thing. I was struck by an article I read on BNET recently about how to get a raise, which cited a recent Accenture study on job satisfaction among men versus women. What was striking about this study is that only 43 percent of people seemed satisfied with their jobs and the biggest complaint was that they are underpaid. This was especially true among Generation Y (52 percent) who seem to expect more from their jobs in the first place, but that’s the topic of another blog.

So why don’t these unhappy workers get higher salaries? Because they don’t ask for it! The study also showed that only 44 percent of women and 48 percent of men ever tried to negotiate a pay increase. However, when they do ask for a raise, chances are their bosses will give them something to increase employee satisfaction. By the numbers:

· 38 percent said they got the raise they were expecting.

· 25 percent said they got more money than they were expecting.

· 17 percent said they got more money, but not as much as they were expecting.

· 5 percent did not get more money, but did get some other incentive.

· 15 percent received nothing at all.

So if you ask for a raise, the odds are 85 percent in your favor that you will be rewarded.

The other leading source of job dissatisfaction was lack of growth opportunities. Of the 3,400 professionals surveyed, 34 percent said they wanted more opportunity and 25 percent reported burnout. Again, only 28 percent of American women and 39% of American men ever asked for a promotion. When they did ask, here were the results:

· 42 percent got the role they wanted.

· 17 percent got a better position than the one they expected.

· 10 percent got a new position, but not the one they asked for and not clearly a promotion.

· 5 percent received new responsibilities to help them move their career forward.

· 10 percent received nothing.

Again, 59 percent got the promotion, and another 15 percent got something when they asked for a promotion.

So if you are thinking about a career change, you might consider looking closer to home first. If you ask for what you want from your current employer, you may just get it.

Ask the Coach: How to Stand Out from the Crowd When the Crowd is Outstanding

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with career transition coach and career management consultant Randy Block.

Randy Block was Monday’s career coach and he began by bemoaning the fact that, in the current job climate, recruiters are looking for a perfect candidate. As Randy says, actually hiring a candidate who can fix your problem has taken the back seat to “we can hire the perfect candidate.” Of course, there is no perfect candidate, but there are ways you can look more close to perfect than the next guy with effective personal branding.

Being well-branded means having a consistent message across all of your marketing documents. Where some great candidates rely on their resume, the truly exceptional candidate relies on a multipronged attack that encompasses a great brand, great web presence and a strong digital footprint, and interesting and value-filled interaction with industry groups, blogs, articles, etc. Oh, and be sure to offer a personal touch so you can stand out even further.

Randy is also a strong advocate of the “lobby drop”; a sure-fire tool that will help you stand out. You have just finished investigating your target company and its hiring manager. If you have done your job effectively you will have made some inroads to connect with that hiring manager through your professional network. Now drive over to the company, talk to the receptionist and ask to speak with the hiring manager. Okay, you don’t have an appointment. They might see you anyway. Then you can explain that you are aware of the problem they are facing and can help fix that problem and save or make the company money. If they can’t see you, leave an envelope with your marketing materials, including a carefully drafted bio and cover letter outlining how you will fix their problem, with the receptionist. Remember you are asking for a meeting, not a job! Then be sure to follow up!

If, by chance, they do offer you an interview, try to be number five or six on the interview list. By the time they get to you they might have their priorities for the position figured out.

Ask the Coach: If They Tag You, You Can Be It

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from a recent session with career coach Don Orlando .

Technology is both a friend and a foe when it comes to job search. Certainly the ability to email a resume or complete an online application makes it easier to get in front of decision-makers. However, technology also may be filtering your resume out of the race before you even get a chance to make your pitch.

This week, career expert Don Orlando shared his insight into how to make sure your credentials are included in the mix. As Don noted, a number of organizations use applicant tracking software (ATS) to “parse” your resume into raw components, and then send a summary to a hiring authority. The hiring manager may never actually see your resume, but instead they will see a summary built from keywords extracted from your resume.

As Don notes, keywords are a moving target. The job description may specify a certain special skill, accreditation, or some other qualification (“no MBA; you need not apply”) but you have no idea what keywords the ATS will use. Your best strategy is to identify a number of job announcements that seem best suited to your expertise and credentials, then identify keywords embedded in the descriptors.

One tool that Don recommends is using Tag Crowd to uncover those terms that are most commonly used in your position and field. The process is simple:

1. Find sample job listings that most closely align with your criteria. If you can, use the job description for the specific job you are applying for.
2. Either past the URL for the job description into the Tag Crowd box (http://tagcrowd.com) or upload a plain text file containing the job description.
3. Set the parameters for maximum number of words displayed (Don recommends 25).
4. Click on “Visualize” and watch the result.

What you’ll get is a visual representation of keywords that the system weights as significant. Now perform the same exercise for your resume and marketing documents. If they highlight the same keywords then the ATS technology is working in your favor. If you get a different set of keywords, then consider revising your marketing documents to include more key phrases that are machine-readable.

If the hiring authorities are going to rely on computers to help them find the best candidates, your best defense is understanding how they work. So why not fight technology with technology?

Ask the Coach: It’s All About Affinity and Relevance

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from this week’s session with Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers based in New York City.

During this week’s coach call, the conversation honed in on two keys to a successful job search. As Barbara noted, it’s all about affinity and relevance.

You have to have an affinity for the work, the situation, the people, all the factors surrounding your target company and their problem. Your skills and background also have to be relevant to the task at hand.

She also noted that social networking is a double-edged sword that helps you address the issues of affinity and relevance. Companies are using social networking to determine “fit” within a corporate culture, or affinity. Networking provides the interaction that lets all sides get a feeling for how the other party operates, how they think, how they handle pressure, etc. Your online participation in groups, blogs, and online discussions also helps the “other side” understand your expertise and how you might be able to help them. Your answers and actions show that your skills and abilities are relevant to the problem at hand. And demonstrating your expertise and value through social networking eliminates the question of being “too old” before it’s even broached.

Another part of the discussion focused on being ready to make a move when necessary. Every executive should have a two- to three-year business plan for himself or herself. Take the time to look at the companies you might consider working for. Do your homework and gain an in-depth understanding the company, its industry, where they fit, where they are going, and what challenges they face. You do the research by networking. Contact people who know the company best, such as current and former employees, customers, and suppliers, and ask questions. Then become a subject matter expert and make sure you are seen by the hiring managers or those who have access to the hiring managers. Join the same LinkedIn groups and stay active. If you are blogging, make sure to share your industry knowledge with influencers and ask for comments. When the target company is ready to make a move, or you are ready to make your move, you will have already built affinity and demonstrated relevance.

Barbara also notes that once the economy starts to rebound, there will be mass exoduses from companies with employees who are overworked, undervalued, and underappreciated. When that exodus starts you need to be prepared to step in and take advantage of these openings.