The Executive Update

Ask the Coach: Be Found, Be Flexible

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from our most recent session with Christine Dennison, The Job Search Coach.

This week, career coach Chris Dennison fielded questions from NETSHARE members about their online profile, and how to position themselves for work either full time or on a contract basis. No matter what type of work you are seeking, your LinkedIn profile is extremely important. It serves as your online calling card, whether you are looking for full-time employment or contract work. You want to make sure your LinkedIn profile effectively represents your personal brand and that it’s structured so hiring managers can find you for all the right reasons.

Here is the advice that Chris fielded from callers regarding LinkedIn and finding the best job opportunities”

Question: What does a great LinkedIn profile look like?

Chris: When building out your LinkedIn profile, you need to think about it from the perspective of a recruiter or hiring manager who is looking through hundreds of profiles seeking just the right candidate. Your LinkedIn profile should be concise and readable, and it should focus on accomplishments rather than presenting a long chronology of jobs or a rehash of your resume. Think of your LinkedIn profile as if you were hanging out your shingle – you want to present your expertise. Emphasize your areas of specialization in the summary and the skill sets. Remember it’s what’s “above the fold” that sets you apart.

Question: I’m interviewing for two opportunities: one contract assignment and another full-time position. Both are with target companies. How do I handle this?

Chris: It’s important to evaluate each opportunity individually. Prepare a list of pros/cons for each position, being sure to eliminate any emotional and timing issues. That should give you a clearer understanding of which opportunity might be the best one. Also let each company know that you are interviewing for another position as a courtesy, but don’t try to play them off each other in a hardball way.  Keep the conversations positive – just be sure to keep each party informed and clarify where you are in the process. It’s important to express a strong interest in the position you want, but you want to make sure that all parties are kept in the loop.

Features, Benefits and the Principle of Timely Relevance

If you have participated in one of my strategy calls, you know that I like to use marketing and sales metaphors when talking about job search and career management. One of the most important concepts to understand in either case is the difference between features and benefits.

Features are your skill set - your innate skills, as well as everything that your experience has taught you.

Benefits are the positive outcomes produced by your skills – what your features enable you to accomplish.

So why is the distinction important? People buy and hire based on benefits not on features. This simple distinction should inform every part of your search process. Take your resume, for example. I see a lot of resumes and sadly, more of them focus on features than benefits – responsibilities rather than accomplishments. The same goes for most elevator speeches - long on experience and short on deliverables.

Where it really falls apart, however, is when you get in front of the decision maker. If you are still trying to get by on features without bothering to understand the benefits, it is unlikely that the conversation will result in a positive outcome for either of you.

If you lead with your one size fits all resume, trusting that your experience will speak for itself, you are behaving like an inexperienced sales person who dumps every brochure he has onto the prospect’s desk and says, “Just tell me what you need.” Like the hapless salesman, you need to do your homework and understand what they need. You must then be able to articulate how your features will benefit that company – and it doesn’t hurt to have a tailored resume!

If you can’t turn your features into benefits and answer the decision maker’s unasked question “what’s in it for me?” you are wasting time, no matter how impressive your experience is.

Finally, there is the “Principle of Timely Relevance”, a phrase coined by Nicola James in her presentation for Experts Connection. Nicola used the expression in discussing how to get on a recruiter’s radar – i.e. you have the experience I want for a search I’m conducting now! Relevance and timing are everything when it comes to a successful landing. Understand that it’s not personal. You can be recognized as the best electrician in the world but if I need a plumber, I’m not going to call you.

Some New Year’s Resolutions for Your Career in 2012

It’s a new year, and that means a renewed effort to manage your career. If you are like most people, you have made some New Year’s resolutions to improve performance for the coming year, and you may abandon those resolutions before January is over. However, if you are serious about making a positive career move in 2012, consider hanging on to some of these New Year’s resolutions:

1. Complete your LinkedIn Profile – If you haven’t done it already, complete your LinkedIn profile, and if you have completed it, consider revising it. Spend some effort reworking your profile to integrate the right key words and make it compelling. Talk to co-workers and others who can offer recommendations. Add a professional photo. Think like a hiring manager and look at your profile and ask yourself, “Would I contact this person?”
2. Network with a Purpose – Networking is important, and with social media it’s easy and it’s free! However, remember that you get what you pay for. Making thousands of LinkedIn connections has no value unless you know what those contacts can do for you. Identify a handful of networking groups and dig in so they know who you are. If you identify four LinkedIn groups, for example, each with 50 members, and you target those four groups, you emerge with 200 people who know who you are and what you have to offer.
3. Clean up your digital dirt – It’s time to do some housekeeping. Look at some of those old accounts you never use and close them, or refresh them if you have to. Do a Google search on yourself and see where you might have to do damage control, or where you might have to focus your energies to improve the rankings for content that matters to your personal brand. Try to remove those embarrassing photos on Facebook and check for past rants about your coworkers and your boss on Twitter and elsewhere. Resolve to be a clean and sober cybercitizen this year.
4. Determine your true value – Times have changed. Rather than chasing the salary you used to get three or four years ago, determine what your true market value is today. What are your skills worth today’s market, and how can you maximize your value? Check out Payscale.com, Glassdoor.com, Salary.com, and your peers and network contacts to reset your market value.
5. Focus Your Efforts – Don’t throw your resume at any job that appears. Don’t pursue arbitrary networking opportunities to build your contact list. Focus. Determine where you are going to get the most traction. Identify your skills, what market you want to work in, and focus your efforts to network into that industry, targeting company and people who can help you achieve your goals. Apply laser-like focus to your career goals.

Of course, these aren’t just New Year’s resolutions but are useful the year round. The beginning of a new year is a good time to re-think your career objectives, and how best to achieve them.

“I Know We’re Connected on Facebook. Who Are You Again?”

So can you identify every one of your contacts in Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter? Do you know who they are? What they do? Where they work? How you know them?

Social networking has overwhelmed us with contacts, but those connections don’t have much value to you unless you understand where they fit in your universe. As Keith Ferrazzi said in Never Eat Alone, “it’s not enough to collect names and numbers (and email addresses), we should know how strong the relationship is with our contacts” (with thanks to Jason Alba at JibberJobber for the reminder).

You should understand how each contact has value to you and your job search, and how you can assist them in return. Some networking systems like JibberJobber give you a star ranking system, with five stars being highly connected. Facebook has a new way of tagging friends, family, and acquaintances, and Google+ lets you create circles of contacts to help you stay organized. You can come up with your own system but you should be able to understand where every one of your contacts fits in your world.

If you want to use a ranking system from 1 to 5, 5 being your best contacts, consider this approach:

1. Someone you met, either in person or via email, but you aren’t sure where they fit in the greater scheme of things.
2. Someone you met and you had a good conversation. This could be the start of something valuable to both of you, but you need to see what that might be.
3. This contact is someone you have spoken to more than once and who is interested in networking because you can assist one another. This is a contact worth getting to know better because you are confident you can help each other.
4. This is a contact that is worth cultivating and you feel really good about developing a stronger relationship. Your goals align and this contact could prove to be an ally or champion in the future, and you may have contacts that are valuable in return.
5. You are lifelong chums and this contact will come to birthday parties, hang out at the ballpark, and give you the shirt off of his or her back. These are the close contacts you can call on at any time for help or advice.

If you have emails and phone numbers for people you don’t remember, then you can probably purge them from your database, or at least push them to the bottom of your contact list. Keep your contacts up to date, and remember how you know them and why you are connected to them and you will be able to do more with your network than shouting at unknown faces on the online crowd.

“Creative” No Longer Cuts It – the Most Overused Words on LinkedIn

We spend a lot of time and space on this weblog talking about the need to network and how important your online profile is. In fact, today we sponsored an Experts Connection webinar with social media expert Glenn Raines talking about how to create professional social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google. As part of that process, it is becoming increasingly important to stand out from the crowd. Hiring managers and recruiters are using social media outlets to find fresh talent, and they are using proactive search terms. That means you need to keep your social media profiles fresh as well.

According to the latest poll from LinkedIn, users continue to use the same hackneyed adjectives in their profiles. “Creativity” is the most overused buzzword for 2011, followed by “organizational” and “effective.” The problem with all these buzzwords is they do not differentiate you or your expertise. Everyone can make claims about vague capabilities like “creativity” and “effectiveness.” And such platitudes don’t promote searchability. No hiring manager is going to search for the term “creativity” or “effective.” They will search for nouns, such as “sales manager,” “telecommunications,” “top seller,” “Ruby on Rails,” and other specific terms that will help narrow their search. In his Experts Connection presentation, Glenn Raines noted that you need to keep your keyword density at 3 percent if you want your profile optimized for the search algorithms.

So don’t waste precious space on adjectives that are meaningless, actually less than meaningless because they just make you part of the herd. Try to use terms that differentiate you, and your expertise. Identify key phrases and terms that speak to your expertise and your profession. Think like a hiring manager. How would you find, well, you? What search terms would you use to find a hot property like yourself? If you can describe yourself as you want others to find you, you can build a solid social media profile without falling prey to buzzword bingo.

Ask the Coach: The Holidays Are the Time to Reconnect with Lost Contacts

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.

In our last blog post we noted that this is the perfect time to be networking. This week’s career coach, Barbara Safani, concurs, noting that this is the time to make the most of holiday cheer and to get back in touch with those contacts who may have fallen off your radar.

It can be a bit awkward reaching out to someone who has fallen out of your professional life. Things happen and people get busy and you don’t have time to keep up, and after a time you realize that you have not been in touch and maybe you have even fallen down on the job and missed a promise or two. Your friends and contacts who may have been close at one time have all but disappeared.

No matter! The holidays are the perfect time to re-establish those connections. You feel guilty about letting the relationship lapse, but chances are so does the other party. Networking is a two-way street, and if you were busy and forgetful then probably the other person shares the same feelings. The holidays offer you a chance to get reacquainted.

Use holiday greetings as an excuse to reconnect on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. Reach out with an e-card or an email or a telephone call. Ask about their family, their hobbies, or some personal concern. What are their goals these days? If you open with such an icebreaker chances are the conversation will turn around to “and how are you,” which gives you a chance to bring them up to date on your successes and your goals. This is an excellent opportunity to ask if they know any experts who can offer counsel about a target company or market.

Remember that “out of office” responses are normal when you reach out via email in December. You should not be discouraged. Many recruiters may take time off until the New Year, but in tough economic times many are working through the holidays, while others leave someone to mind the store. Since things are slower and they are in a holiday mood, they might be more receptive to phone calls or even a chat over coffee. You can stand out from the crowd if you haven’t already packed it in for the season.

One of executive on the coaching call noted that whenever a recruiter views his LinkedIn profile, he immediately sends that recruiter a note offering to help with his search through his own network, and he almost always receives an email back from the recruiter.

Timing is everything, and the holidays are the perfect time to renew your connections and make some new ones. It’s also a good time to refresh your LinkedIn, Google, and Facebook profiles – our next Experts Connection session shows you how to approach low-maintenance social networking.

'Tis the Season to Be Searching!

The holidays are approaching and for many, it is a time to celebrate with friends and family and to forget about the woes of work. However, the holidays are the time you should be stepping up your job search. It is the season when companies are thinking about the year ahead, including staffing challenges, and when a little good cheer in the right quarters can land your next interview.

Why are the holidays a good time for job search? There are a number of factors:

1. Planning for a new year – For many companies, the New Year is a new fiscal year as well and they need to plan their staffing before January 1. Since many of the other executive candidates will be taking off during the holidays, this is your chance to step in and demonstrate your expertise because there will be fewer competitors and possibly more opportunities.
2. Vacations create opportunity – The holidays are the times when many key decision-makers are out of the office, which can complicate the hiring process. This also creates opportunities for creative job seekers. Business is slower so you make get key decision-makers on the phone. And if they are out of the office, they still need to hire for the coming year so they may actually call you back if you can address their problem. Executives have been known to interrupt their vacations to meet with short-listed candidates. Remember, they may have vacation days they need to use while balancing their hiring needs for the coming year, which could be a winning combination for you if you can get in front of the right hiring manager.
3. Good will toward men and women – The holidays also are the ideal time for networking. Use the excuse of holiday cheer to get together with former colleagues and others. Show some interest in their holiday plans and forge a deeper relationship. Send holiday greetings to your online connections to promote conversation. Catch up with an eye toward your contacts’ needs for the coming year.
4. Use the time to strategize – While others are taking time off, you can use the time to strategize to improve your search. Research potential hiring companies and refresh your existing research with an eye toward competitive challenges that you can help address for target companies in the year ahead. Use the time to refresh your marketing documents.

Remember that the season of holiday parties is full of networking events and companies are looking to fill positions before the New Year. Don’t take a break for the holidays but be even more aggressive in getting out there to rub elbows will holiday merrymakers. Who knows, Santa may put a new job in your stocking for Christmas.

Ask the Coach: In Job Search, Perception is Reality

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’s career coach, Nicola James, emphasized the importance of projecting the right image, whether on the phone, in person, or in your marketing documents. You only have an opportunity to make the right impression once, so how do you portray the real you?

To illustrate her point, Nicola related a story:

It seems that aliens were studying the earth and saw how everyone was interested in the daily newspaper. So they bought a paper, analyzed it, and all they found were wood pulp and ink. They couldn’t understand what all the excitement was about.

So when you meet new people, either in person or online, are they seeing the real you, the you that you want them to see, or are they seeing a two-dimensional representation of who you are? It’s important to have the right message, but it’s equally important to know how to convey that message correctly. You need to leave an impression of not only who you are but what you represent.

Nicola reminded the callers then when you are selling anything, including yourself, you never know if the prospect is ready to buy until you communicate with them. You can’t turn a “no” into a “yes” if the perceived fit or need isn’t there. You can, however, have an impact on how you are remembered. But to have an impact, you have to listen! Listen closely to what the other party is saying. Don’t assume that you understand. Be responsive to their needs rather than trying to push your own personal brand first.

Nicola urged everyone to hone their listening and questioning skills. You need to listen before you can present yourself in an engaging manner.

When you make a new connection, try to offer information as well as ask for it. You should be sure the other party doesn’t leave empty-handed. Make it easy for them to help you, and offer whatever help you can in return. Also be sure to close your conversation like you would close a deal, with a question that requires an answer, such as “Who can offer me more insight?” or “Who would you suggest I contact?”

The objective is to present a clear understanding of what you represent and where you offer value, leave a lasting impression with a thoughtful conversation based on carefully listening to the other party, then parting with information that cements the relationship and leaves the door open for future conversations. You want to make a lasting first impression because, in job search, perception truly is reality.

Online Networking Hinges in the Right Questions

Most people have poor online networking skills. That’s not because they are antisocial or unable to hold a conversation, but making a connection online is different from meeting someone at a conference or a cocktail party. And those who master the art of online networking find a multitude of rewards.

Consider that there are 500 million Facebook users. That is one out of every 13 people on the planet. And each of those users has an average of 130 friends. So when you think about the exponential possibilities of tapping into the larger Facebook network, you can understand why online networking has become such an important part of job search. With the right series of introductions you can meet almost anyone online.

The challenge is using the proper approach to get the desired results. The right exchange of information can open the right doors to your next career move. However, most job seekers don’t understand their networking needs. They don’t understand that nurturing connections leads to other connections that lead to desired contacts. Job seekers are too quick to say “hire me” and not open to exchanging information to deepen a relationship. You have to ask the right questions and have a clear idea of what you need to get from those questions. You can use questions to move the conversation from casual chat to information sharing. However, you also want to keep the questions friendly to build a rapport and not make the other party uncomfortable.

The best approach is to pose open-ended questions, rather than “yes or no” questions. You want to enter into a dialogue and give the other party a chance to demonstrate his or her interests and expertise. If you put these open-ended questions to work in the right way, you can forge a connection that can be valuable in your job search and in other aspects of your career. Try questions such as “What advice would you give someone starting in this business?”or “What credentials to you look for in this position?”

At some point in the exchange that follows, you will be able to steer the question to getting the insights you want for your job search. Don’t ask “Do you know anyone…?” That’s too direct and will turn off a potential contact. Back into the question by asking “who do you know…?” instead. A lot depends on how you ask the question. If you pose it in the right way, you are more likely to get the right answers.

Of course, you can’t make the conversation all about you and consider it a dialogue. You need to be able to offer assistance and information in return. Find out what your contacts are interested in. What are their networking objectives? And offer what assistance you can from your network of contacts or whatever resources you can provide.

Ask the Coach: Practice Organic Networking

Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from our most recent session with Christine Dennison, The Job Search Coach.

This week, career coach Christine Dennison continued on the theme that was begun in last week’s coach call – networking to advance your career while you are still employed. Many executives feel that building their personal networks will raise concerns with their current employers. Some employers may raise an eyebrow, but networking in today’s online world is a natural thing. And that was Chris’s advice – keep it natural.

Make networking a natural or organic extension of your interests and activities. Base your networking on curiosity, education, mentoring, and learning more about the industry, whether it’s your industry or a new one. This works for you whether you are looking for a new opportunity or not.

You can also start making natural inroads into target companies through online commentary. Conduct online research to determine what’s happening at your target companies. Identify what sets them apart in their market. Identify the movers and shakers within the organization and start communicating with them in a natural way. Using this approach, you become familiar to others in a low-stress manner that forges strong connections for the future without shouting “Hire me!” As you build your network you can keep yourself open for opportunities that may arise, either for yourself or for another network connection.

As you start to build that organic network, opportunities will arise. You will start to look at openings that are worth pursuing. How many openings can you try to juggle at one time? That’s up to you. However, you want to make sure you give each opportunity proper consideration. You don’t want to shortchange yourself or your potential employer by not assessing the opportunity properly. Dig deep. Assess the cultural fit as well as the job fit. Is the position you are going after what you really want to do. If you can’t give yourself the time you need to get all the information required for a fair assessment, then you are stretched too thin.

Remember, each opportunity needs to be considered on its own merit. If it’s a fit, excellent! If it isn’t a fit, then don’t close the door. Keep your options open. That same company may have a new opening just down the road and you want to be remembered in a positive light. If the job isn’t right for you, then be polite but offer to help find another candidate from your network. Show you want to work with them. It’s good karma for you and for the corporate recruiter, which can only lead to good things.

And if you want to learn more about how to effectively network using LinkedIn, be sure to join us next week, November 15, when LinkedIn expert Jason Alba presents the webinar, LINKEDIN FOR EXECUTIVES: BEYOND THE BASICS, 2012 Edition.