the brand of me

7/31/2019 The Brand of Me

1/36

The Brand of Me

Managing your own seniorlevel career should be a lot like managing your companys brands: you

cant expect results if you dont properly promote and advertise your product. Marketing has become

highly scientific, with best practices that can be applied to the management of your own career.

Proper promotion is not a one-time event. It frequently requires multiple "exposures" across a variety

of media. Too many normallysavvy executives botch their own career management by skipping

important steps. In fact, the most common form of career-icide is proceeding directly to the "close"

(see below) without properly preparing the prospect.

Consider my own, threepronged approach when developing your career campaign:

Image Building You need to improve your image long before you need to make the sale (or change

jobs). Image building establishes, and reinforces, your desired positioning as a skilled executive

whether it be as an innovative problem solver, an efficient operator or a strong leader.

Image building can take several forms: It can be as simple as establishing early relationships with

influential executive recruiters, or it can mean establishing yourself as a subject matter expert by

speaking at industry events or getting quoted in your industrys trade press. Any of these methods will

help establish your credibility and put you on the map as a serious contender when a top position

opens.

Consistency Timing really is everything. Advertising most often works not because it is creative or

brilliant, but rather because it is frequent. Likewise, you need to consistently keep in front of the right

people. Keep your resume up to date, and contact executive recruiters as you develop new skills or

have new accomplishments. Remember: you have much more likelihood of being at the right place atthe right time simply by being at the right places all the time.

Plus, by consistently hammering away with your message before you need your prospect to take action

(by considering you for a desired position), your credibility has increased exponentially for.

The "Close" Salespeople refer to this stage of the sales cycle as the most critical element in sales.

Likewise, it is a critical final component of your own sales campaign.

Once your credibility has been established and you are properly positioned, you can easily attempt the

close from a position of strength. You are a known quantity, and you have effectively managed risk.

Now you can contact colleagues you met at industry events or recruiters with whom earlier

relationships have been established. Suddenly (yet deliberately), it is you who is "entertaining offers."

The Six Ways Executives Botch Their Resumes (and Ruin Their Career)

Successful executives are frequently good at many things, but few are experienced at writing an

effective resume. As a result, the general standard of resumes ranges from poor to lousy. Simply by

avoiding these common pitfalls, you will already be well ahead of the pack.

1. Too vague

Far too many resumes fail by making claims that are vague to the point of banality. Examples include


2/36


3/36

it is immediately clear what the executive's current (or most recent position) is

the resume includes to-the-point but descriptive text that provides context and understanding

the document is understated, perfectly laid out, and on premium stock paper

How to do it: The three key principles for creating an outstanding executive resume

1. Loosen-up

Many people are daunted by the framework of a resume. They focus too much on bullets and action

verbs. In trying to force-fit a unique career into a rigid system they end up with a resume devoid of the

personality of its owner. Take a deep breath, go for a run or play Scrabble with your kids.

Summarizing your professional career in a couple of pages is hard, but there's no value at all in making

yourself generic. Copying other resumes and cover letters will make you generic. You'll do better if

you write your own material.

2. Edit and proof

Ask any novelist or screenplay writer and they'll say the same thing: a great piece of writing is 10%

creation and 90% editing. Expect to rework your resume extensively. Think of it as a living document,

continually being polished and "spun" for its next outing. Proof your work obsessively. Get someone

else with fresh eyes to proof it too. Use your PC's spell-checker but don't rely on it alone. Remarkably,

around 25% of resumes have stupid typos, spelling snafus or grammar errors ("its" versus "it's" is a

favorite). Almost every resume with dumb mistakes will swallow dive into the trash can because these

errors signal sloppiness.

3. Write with your reader in mind

Generic resumes don't work at the executive level. Whether you are applying for a particular job as VP

Marketing in hi-tech, or mailing your resume to recruiters who specialize in senior technology

marketing positions, your resume must show that you have the exact skill-set required to be a hero at

this job, even if you are coming out of Business Development. Some executives customize their

resumes from a single "core" skeleton, while others maintain a few different "starting point" versions.

Scannable Resumes

Senior executives should write their resume with a human reader in mind. It is unwise to distort thecreation of your "business stories" by skewing the language to pass muster with computer scanners anddatabases. Nevertheless, once you have finalized your basic resume package, it is wise these days to beaware that resumes frequently are scanned. Should you send your resume to a destination wherescanning is likely (for example, an uninvited resume to an executive recruiting firm), you may wish toconsider whether your language and format are compatible with automated scanning.

Fortunately, most of the stylistic advice for a "scanner-friendly" resume is consistent with good resumestyle in general. The following section on language does raise some distinct issues.

Style Advice for Scannable Resumes

Use white or very pale 8 1/2" x 11" paper. Use crisp black laser printing, on one side only. Use easy to read typefaces, 10-12 point size. (Good scanners do fine with serif fonts like

Times, but prefer sans serif fonts like Helvetica and Arial. Don't use any fancy typefaces.)

Keep text simple: e.g. no indents, tabs, italics, brackets, underlining or bold text. Avoid boxes, lines, shading or any graphic elements. Use generous margins (at least 1/2" on all four sides).

Use generous white space throughout. (This helps computers recognize section breaks.)


4/36

Don't hand-write anything on your resume.

Use separate lines for your name and contact/address information.

Send original laser prints; photocopies or faxes don't scan well. Mail the resume unfolded and unstapled so that it lies flat on the scanner.

Writing Advice for Scannable Resumes

As discussed earlier, traditionally resumes employ action verbs like "achieved," "managed" and"defined." Scanners can't do much with verbs, so they focus on nouns, the bare facts. Make sure yourresume includes descriptive nouns such as company names, industries, job titles and functional areas(Bank of America, corporate lending, Director and account management, for instance).

Taking this further, resumes should contain the keywords about education, experience and skills thatemployers are looking for in filling a position. For example, a recruiter may search a large database ofelectronically scanned resumes to find just those that include the keywords: "Vice President,""marketing," "New York," "MBA" and "electronics." The more of the likely keywords that you match,the better your odds of being selected for human review.

Although scanners are getting better, often they don't recognize abbreviations or jargon. This means itis wise to make sure you explain your expertise with commonly understood words. Fortunately, this isconsistent advice with simply writing well.

In summary, document scanning is a fact of life these days, but it's not a reason to re-jigger yourresume. Write your resume for a human reader and then check it to make sure it is intelligible to amachine. Beyond that, don't worry.

Real World Executive Resumes: How To Handle Potential "Problem" Areas

PART 1

Too old

To avoid being rejected on account of your age, make it impossible for your reader to figure out howold you are. Exclude jobs held more than 20 years ago. Omit dates for your degrees. Consider thecurrent / prior experience technique to avoid having to include older dates. Focus the resume on yourskills and be sure to use dynamic language. Don't put any material on your resume that gives the readeran easy-out. Once you get an interview, you'll need to appear dynamic and full of energy, just like yourresume.

Too young (not enough experience)

Being too young is less of a problem than it once was, but can still be an obstacle whenever therecruiter in question has in mind someone who has a lot of experience. High-fliers with limited years ofexperience should limit disclosure on their resume of dates that might suggest you are still wet behind

the ears. Eliminating education dates and use of the current / prior experience technique can help.Ensure that your employment experience is rich in accomplishments even if your tenure has been brief.Emphasize skills generally associated with older candidates: people management, sound judgement,ability to take the long view.

Over-qualified

Recruiters sometimes reject candidates when the new position appears to be a title demotion, or alateral move to a smaller company. Their thinking is: why would someone who is a VP at a Fortune500 giant, managing 100 direct reports, really want to be (or be effective as) a VP of a $50 millionoutfit with a staff of three? They're also concerned that you may be too expensive.

Presumably you want this job and think you could be effective in it. Once again, edit and customize theresume so you don't give the recruiter easy-outs. If the target position is at a smaller company, de-emphasize the scale of your prior job. Say "middle-market firm" rather than "$500 millioncorporation." State that you managed a department but don't mention the budget and headcount you


5/36

supervised. Describe what you did in more practical and operational terms, avoiding grand strategiclanguage. This toned-down approach will make you seem a better fit for the position.

Weak or no education

Education is less important for more senior executive positions. If your educational background islimited, simply keep it very brief at the end of your resume. Ensure that your employment experience

more than makes up for it. Absent full degrees, list seminars and certifications. For incomplete degrees,say "graduate studies in" or "studies in" Do not fabricate or even stretch the truth about youreducation. It is the easiest, and thus first, item checked.

Real World Executive Resumes: How To Handle Potential "Problem" Areas

PART II

Demoted

In today's world of downsizing and reengineering, positions are frequently eliminated. The rightapproach is to explain that you were one of the few kept on by the company following re-organization -a sign of excellence. For example: "One of only three executives retained following elimination of theBusiness Development group."

Parallel moves are commonplace nowadays, thanks to flatter corporate pyramids. There is no need tocomment on them.

Fired

Being fired is no longer the problem it once was. Depending on the particular circumstances you maysimply not disclose the nature of your leaving on the resume. A firing based on personal disagreementover direction or due to an unreasonable or irrational boss is easier to explain. However, it may be bestcovered in person, at the interview stage. A good resume should never misstate facts, but controlleddisclosure is smarter than complete disclosure.

Too long in one job

The concept of the executive who spends an entire career at one company is today the exception, notthe norm. Recruiters might wonder if a person who hasn't made a move in decades will be able tosucceed in a new company culture. Will you be able to adapt to new points of view and new ways ofdoing business?

Break apart long tenure at one company by showing each assignment held as though it were a distinctjob. Exclude positions from your early days with your employer. Emphasize activities that involvedoutside contact, such as participating in industry groups or speaking at conferences. Seek to convey thegrowth in your set of skills via different work experiences that just happen to be at the same parentcorporation.

Job-hopper

Moving every few years from one employer to another is no longer a cause for raised eyebrows. If youheld a position for a short length of time and feel it adds nothing to your skills and accomplishments,consider eliminating it from your resume. With dates presented as years only (no months), it is unlikelythat any awkward chronological gap will appear.

Where To Send Your Resume

Executive Recruiters

Executive recruiters, also known as headhunters, are often the key player in filling top managementpositions. Hired by corporations who don't have the expertise or time to evaluate senior executives, orwho don't wish to be seen directly poaching talent from their rivals, professional recruiters maintain

vast databases of executives. Your intent is to be known to the top recruiters in your field, not justwhen you want to make a move, but on an ongoing basis. It's less valuable to mass-mail thousands of


6/36

recruiters than it is to follow-up periodically with a smaller group. If you can cultivate personalrelationships with a handful of excellent recruiters who specialize in your area, you will occasionally

be told about mouth-watering jobs that would otherwise have been filled before you knew the positionwas vacant.

The best resource to identify executive recruiters is The Directory of Executive Recruiters, published

by Kennedy Information. Call (800) 531-0007 to order it in print or on disk. You can also access it viathe web atwww.kennedyinfo.com

Corporations

Usually, you will contact corporations in response to particular job advertisements. However, you mayalso wish to mail your resume directly, so that when a position arises they call you instead of placingan ad. The challenge is often finding the right person in a large corporation. A number of databases anddirectories exist, including The Database of Human Resources Executives, available on the web atwww.kennedyinfo.com

Venture capitalists

Venture capitalists seek great new companies to invest in and great managers to run their portfoliocompanies. While a cold mailing to a VC firm will generate less "deal flow" for you than contacting anexecutive recruiter, if you are interested in working for a start-up, this is an important tactic. KennedyInformation publishes the Gold Book of Venture Capital Firms, which lists the leading VC firms in

North America. Call (800) 531-0007 to order, or visit the Kennedy Information website to order thedirectory, or access the database on the web (www.kennedyinfo.com)

Basic Types of Executive Resumes

You have a choice of ways to present your resume. However, the best structure for most executives isthe "reverse chronological." Consider alternative structures only if a chronological approach does not

work in your case.

Reverse Chronological Resumes

In this standard structure, you start with your most recent position and work backwards. This places themost important information first, which helps the reader quickly decide whether you are a plausiblecandidate. Chronological resumes also have the advantage that most readers are used to them and

prefer them.

Note that work experience comes first, with education at the end. Placing education first is onlyappropriate for recent graduates.

For executives who had a long tenure at one company, followed by one or more brief positions,chronological is still the correct format. Simply cover the most recent jobs quickly and then give morespace to the major earlier position.

If you have been unemployed recently, chronological can still work well. Depending on yourcircumstances, either explain your time away from work in the cover letter (e.g. took a year to travel,wrapped up family estate, wrote a novel, acted as full-time parent), or include your self-employment inthe resume itself. Independent consulting work is now a common practice for executives in betweencareer positions. What's important is that you get real clients and do real work, whether it's for aFortune 500 corporation or your local charity, school or homeowner's association.

Functional Resumes

A functional resume lists skills first, then covers specific positions and accomplishments. Mostrecruiters are immediately suspicious of this approach because it's too easy to fudge what you did and

where you did it. For example, a resume could say "supervision of teams of 20+ technical / operations
http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/http://www.kennedyinfo.com/


7/36

personnel" and then list employment at AT&T. Is this a seasoned Network Engineer, or was the"supervision" a holiday job at the post office?

The main reason to consider a functional resume is when you are seeking to make a significant careerchange, such as from business development to marketing, or from consumer brand marketing totechnology. A standard reverse chronological resume emphasizes what you've been doing, whereas

with a functional approach you can explain that you have the skills needed in the new area you aretargeting, and you happened to develop these skills elsewhere.

Other formats

On occasion, a different structure may be useful. A "vita" (Latin for "life") is a terse, one pagesummary of the basic facts of your career. Consider this approach in situations where a request for yourresume is simply a formality, or sometimes as an introductory document when initiating contact,

provided you plan to follow up with a fuller resume later.

Academics and doctors tend to use a resume style known as a CV, which is short for the Latin"curriculum vitae." CVs tend to have basic lists of positions held, but longer lists of papers published,

patents, research work and so forth. Overall they can be long, often over ten pages. Their intent is to

summarize credentials, rather than performance.

Profiles are resumes written as third-person descriptions. The advantage of a profile is that it allows thewriter to load up on praise and gloss over awkward details. The disadvantage is that praise can seeminsincere and the lack of detail is a red flag to many recruiters. Profiles are rarely used in executive jobsearches.

Resume length

The correct length for an executive resume depends on the amount of skills, accomplishments andexperience you have to summarize. There's no one best length. Rather, writing a good resume is a

balancing act between being "to the point" and providing adequate context and explanatory detail.

On occasion, a senior executive resume could be a single page, sometimes seen with finance resumes.As a general rule of thumb, two pages are typical for executives with around 10 years of experience.Each additional five years might add another page. Resumes rarely exceed four pages, becauseexperience more than 20 years ago usually doesn't merit much space.

Resume Style: Visually Appealing Documents

How your resume looks is as important as the words it contains. That's why you should be very carefulover the appearance of your resume. As many as a quarter of otherwise excellent resumes ruin theirchances with bad layout or dumb misspellings. While it may be sad that we live in an age of shortattention spans and sound-bites, the fact is we do. The phrase "you never get a second chance to make afirst impression" applies in resumes just as much as in dating. Just as you wouldn't dream of going to a

big interview in anything other than your best suit and polished shoes, your resume should score a "10"for how it looks. After all, your resume is your ambassador, your packaging, an extension of yourself.

Give it the Brooks Brothers treatment - conservative and immaculate - and you can't go wrong.

Your Resume Is Obsolete, The Old Rules Are Dead

Chances are, the last time you created a resume you tried hard to keep to a single page, you werecareful to use action verbs ("accomplished," "oversaw," "directed,") and you ended up with animpressive array of bullet points. Well, it's time to throw out that old resume and start over. Executiveresumes are different.

College-level rules no longer apply. An executive resume grants you much more flexibility to tell yourunique story and, in doing so, communicate what you're good at. But while there are no longer hard,fast rules, there are still plenty of smart tactics and techniques to present yourself in the best possible

light. (We'll dig into these tactics in the following sections.)


8/36

The commodity trap

Resumes have become big business. There are hundreds of resume advice books and thousands ofresume consultants. There is software that lets you cut and paste a resume together from lists of well-oiled phrases. Or you can find a company to bulk-mail your resume to a database of HR managers onthe dubious theory that if you send out a thousand resumes, you're bound to get at least a fewinterviews. Over on the employer's side of the job marketplace, resume-reading scanners and software

try to process the torrent of inbound mail.

The implication of the resume industry is that resumes are becoming commodities. They all start tosound alike - the same dull cliches about seeking new challenges and working in a growth-orientedenvironment. Resumes like this, probably 95% of all resumes, are instantly thrown into the trash to beshredded, recycled and re-appear as brown paper bags at your local grocery store.

The importance of creativity

To be one of the 5% whose resume escapes this fate, you must be creative. Review other outstandingresumes for inspiration, but then write your own story. It's all too easy to spot a resume that has beencobbled together from a mish-mash of other resumes, especially when you recognize that most peoplewho will read your resume do so for a living. Being creative means writing a resume that sums up justyou and would fit nobody else. Being creative does not mean novel typefaces or including a headshot.

Write for a reader

As with all great stories, you must tell your tale to appeal to your readers. The only thing your readerscare about is whether you can solve their problem. If not, it's grocery bag time again. If your resumesuggests that you can, you may get a phone call or be invited for an interview. Viewed this way,resumes are like advertisements trying to get you to buy a car or laundry detergent. Effective ads sell

products, and in this case the product is you.

Often you will be applying for a particular job. In this case, you can customize your resume with thejob description in mind, showing that you possess the most important qualifications needed for thisposition.

Customization is critical. At this stage in your career, you can present yourself in different ways toappeal to different kinds of employers. What matters is that in each case you determine which versionof yourself is called for, and then present just that. This means that you no longer have a single resume.Rather, you have a "skeleton" or "template" that you adapt to fit the precise requirements of each

person who receives your resume.

Experience versus Accomplishments versus Skills

What are the building blocks of an effective executive resume? While experience can be an asset (and alack of it can be a detriment), few employers are buying experience nowadays. Accomplishments are astep up, because they explain what you've done successfully. Recruiters, being risk-averse, tend to pick

people to do something when they have already done that same thing before. The trouble withaccomplishments is that they happened in the past and you did them for someone else. Is there really

any guarantee that you will deliver again?

Skills are the best guarantee. The most important job your resume must do is tell the reader what youare really good at. Think of accomplishments as the hard proof of your skills. Skills are ultimately whatcounts.

Four Facts You Should Know About Working with Executive Recruiters

1) Individuals do not pay fees to search firms.Executive search firms are paid by the companies who hire them to fill a position, typically a fee ofone-third of the job's first-year compensation. Search firms are not working for you, but for their

paying clients. Therefore, do not expect firms to be overly responsive when you contact them. If yourresume is impressive, they may add you to their database of executives. Our servicewww.ExecutiveAgent.com is a confidential way to e-mail your resume directly to executive recruitersmatching your selected criteria. Recruiters may contact you if they have a position that fits your profile


9/36

or to ask you to recommend other people who might be interested in the job. In either case, you will bestarting the process of building a relationship with the recruiter. Every phone call or meeting will

probably be noted in the firm's database.

2) The difference between retainer and contingency search firms is important.There are two types of recruiters: Retainer and Contingency. Both charge the client employer a fee and

neither should ever charge the prospective employee. The distinctions between retainer andcontingency firms are:

Retainer Firms:

Retainer recruiters are hired by a client company for an assignment, typically for 90-120 days, andare paid regardless of the results of the search. They may also be kept on retainer by their clients, to fillwhatever assignments they have. One retainer firm is hired by a client company for a given job opening. They are more often used to fill higher-level positions with salaries of $75,000 and above. For these assignments they will assemble a short "slate" of candidates. Therefore, if a retainer firm

seriously considers you for a position, you will probably be part of a small group of candidates. While your file is being used by a retained recruiter for an assignment, no other recruiter at that

firm can contact you, even if you would be the perfect candidate. As a result, you are unlikely to becontacted by a firm for more than one or two positions a year, at most.

If you work for a company that has hired the search firm during the last year or two, you will be

"off-limits" for any other position it may have, no matter how well qualified you are. For this reasonalone, it is important to be known to multiple search firms.

Contingency Firms:

Contingency recruiters are more often used for junior and mid-level executives, typically forpositions with salaries below $75,000.

Contingency recruiters receive payment only when their candidate is hired. Contingency recruiters do not usually work on an exclusive basis with their clients. Since they are

competing with other recruiters to provide candidates for each assignment, they tend to work fast andto submit to the client company as many candidates as they can. This means you may be one of manycandidates for a given job.

Contingency recruiters provide you with a great deal of exposure, since they send many resumes to

their clients. This can be useful to you early in your career or if you are unemployed. However, bear inmind that you may not always want your resume widely distributed if you are happy in your current

job.

When a headhunter calls you, it can be hard to tell whether they are from a contingency or retainersearch firm. Kennedy's Directory of Executive Recruiters, 2001http://www.kennedyinfo.com/js/der.html will clarify that information. Even so, contingency firmsoccasionally work on a retainer basis and some retainer firms do contingency work from time to time.Our advice is to ask explicitly the nature of the assignment before giving your permission to anyrecruiter to distribute your resume.

3) Some search firms specialize, while others don't. Consider both kinds.Recruiting firms are often generalists, covering many different management functions (e.g. sales) andindustries (e.g. textiles). Quite a few firms and many individual recruiters, however, do specialize. Tomake your search as effective as possible, consider recruiters who cover your function and specialize inyour industry. Generalist firms should not be ignored, especially at the higher executive ranks. Thelargest multiple-office search firms tend to cover all functions and industries, but will often have

practice areas for particular areas of expertise.

4) Most recruiters work nationally, so don't limit your search by geography.At the lower salary levels, companies may be reluctant to consider out-of-town executives because of


10/36

the expense of interviewing and relocating them. In these instances, search firms may focus on localcandidates. However, for many executive appointments, search firms will look nationally or eveninternationally. It is in your interest to be known to search firms who fill positions in your industry,function and salary range, no matter where they are. A New York recruiter is as likely to have anassignment in Los Angeles as in Boston.

Why Use a Headhunter?

My first response is "Why not?"

"I can get a job on my own," you say, "through all the Internet resources available: job-posting sites,various resume "blasting" services, as well as direct company contact through corporate job boards."

"Go for it!" I say. "Yet that still doesn't answer my question: 'Why not?'"

"Because I don't need a recruiter" you reply. "I just told you-I can get a job on my own."

"Right! You might, and with all those resources at your disposal, what does it cost to have yet another

avenue working for you? It's a free service."

"Because sometimes they're pushy, only thinking about their fee, and I've heard from people who'vehad bad experiences with recruiters."

"OK, so don't work with those recruiters. But what about the rest?"

"To heck with the rest. What can a headhunter do for me that I can't do for myself?"

"So glad you asked! Let's talk."

You may or may not relate to this dialogue but, regardless of your personal experience with recruiters(aka headhunters), this article contains some ideas worth pondering. Consider that there are both short-and long-term benefits to managing your career through recruiters. I emphasize the word "managing"

because most of us have lived life from job to job with no left-over consciousness at the end of the dayto maneuver ourselves into the next step. However, when you look at Hollywood actors (both "stars"and strugglers) and sports figures, what common denominators stand out in their career process?Personal Managers. Agents. Individuals responsible for their "clients" attaining and expressing theirhighest potential. Yes, more money, but also those "quality of life" intangibles that can't always bemonetized: creative fulfillment, personal growth and expansion, enjoyment of what they do, etc.

"So," you say, "that's great for them. It's the way that business works. But I'm just an employee."

"Who's 'employee' are you," I reply, "if not your own?"

Look, recruiters can help you in the short-term, for sure. What you get through them that you don't getthrough your own e-effort is:

Noticed: a recruiter presenting you to a client company makes you stand out from the crowd of otherresumes/e-mails and ascribes to you a certain energy of "this person is good enough to haverepresentation for his/her career"

Presented: you get heard about rather than your information only seen by a hiring company, withmany good feelings (from the recruiter) attached

Financial Security: a company paying money for you is, generally, financially strong


11/36

Insurance: a company paying money for you is more committed to your success than to that ofsomeone they get for free-they have an investment on the line

Hidden Job Leads: even in today's wild e-world, for many reasons, many positions are still assigned as"confidential" to search firms

Interview Preparation: yes, you think you know how to interview, but a recruiter's income depends onhaving you land the job. So, they offer not only an inside view of the hiring company but a feel for the

people you'll meet-more than you'll discover on the net!

Negotiation: the headhunter's compensation depends on your compensation, so they're out for your(and their) best good. Plus, all but few professionals can feel at ease dealing with this very personalarea: your paycheck!

Buffering: through the interview and hiring process, as well as the initial period on the job, a recruiterserves as a useful information channel between you and the company-sometimes a critical factor ofsuccess (e.g., "What she meant was"; "Their impression of you was"; "What we want toemphasize more on the next interview is"; etc.)

Perhaps just as important as these short-term benefits, however, are the long-term rewards fromaffiliating with a few recruiters for life! Just as the Hollywood and sports types can focus on what theydo best by having someone else manage their movement, a few chosen career partners can support yourlong-term goals and desires. This only happens when you stay connected with your recruitersnot bywaiting until you need to make an emergency move. So my advice is to always, always, always keepyour eyes and ears open. Keep your contact information current and your resume and "wish list"continually updated.

I respect your loyalty to a company that continues to provide the opportunities and compensation youdeserve. Respect yourself enough to always have a secret agent informing you of whether they aredoing so-or not. It never hurts to hear what's going on out there. When you find those headhunters youcan hold as family career doctors, stay tuned in. You may be very surprised at what they might uncoverfor you over the long run.

"OK," you say, "you win."

"Correction," I reply. "You win!"

Darrell W. Gurney (CPC), is Principal of A Permanent Success National Career/Search Partners andauthor of Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters($14.95, Softcover), available atwww.ExecutiveAgent.com/resources/bookstore.html

Executive Cover Letters

The sad truth is that a great number of solid resumes never get read because they are let down byinadequate cover letters. Many executives are capable of following the structural requirements of a

basic resume but panic when it comes to the relative freedom of crafting a letter. In truth, the coverletter is a great opportunity to tell your story in whatever way works best for you. Spend as much timeon it as on your resume.

The more your career trajectory departs from the norm, the more useful your cover letter becomes,because you have the chance to explain why you made the moves you did - going back to school,resigning from a bad situation, taking a leave of absence. With a letter, you can also communicate moreof your personality than in the rigid confines of a resume.

Style and Tone
http://www.executiveagent.com/resources/bookstore.htmlhttp://www.executiveagent.com/resources/bookstore.htmlhttp://www.executiveagent.com/resources/bookstore.html


12/36

The secret of success is to set the right tone. You must come across as confident yet unpretentious,professional yet likable. What you say should be to the point, credible and sincere. Letters that seempompous, defensive or long-winded send clear signals that the writer is likewise.

A good letter is a person to person communication. Thats why you should always seek to address theletter to a particular person, using their preferred title (call their assistant to ask). If the letter has to be

blind, the salutation should be Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Recruiter. Always include your addressand phone on the cover letter, since it may become separated from your resume.

Once into the body of the letter, aim for short sentences and simple words. A good letter becomes agreat letter via a process of repeated editing. Take out unnecessary adjectives like major andimportant. Replace words used repeatedly with alternatives. Dont include peripheral material aboutyour general background, personal information or pearls of wisdom about how competition in thewidget business has never been tougher.

Even if the letter is based on a generic starting point, seek to make it specific to the recipient byreferring to the company or industry. Generic letters are more likely to be treated like bulk junk mail -thrown away.

The Three Act Structure for Cover Letters

Screenplays in Hollywood almost always follow the tried and true three act structure. The reason issimple: it works, and it works for cover letters too. This doesnt mean you have to have exactly three

paragraphs, but you should consciously structure the letter around an attention-grabbing introduction, amiddle that makes the case for you, and an effective close that gets the reader to browse your resumefor more details.

Act One: The Opening

Your letter should begin with an attention getter. Its like the start of a well-crafted newspaper article,

where the lead draws you in and makes you want to read on. When your letter concerns a specificjob, your objective with the first paragraph is to convey that you are interested and that you believe youcan contribute. The reader should understand that the match between your skills and the positionsrequirements is strong. When your letter is with no specific position in mind, your objective is to

present your qualifications for the day when they need someone like you. In either case, try to providea degree of specificity that will give your reader immediate understanding of your capabilities, withoutdefining yourself too narrowly.

By the way, dont over-stretch in your attempt to start with a bang. Dramatic claims such as Yoursearch is now at an end will lead to the dreaded chuckle / crumpled syndrome.

Act Two: Accomplishments and Credentials

A good middle will usually emphasize your current or most recent position, unless a prior position isthe more compelling fit for the job in question. The key is to focus exclusively on whatever sells you

best. If you need to demonstrate that you possess, say, three qualifications, it may be effective to use abullet point list. This middle section is also where you would highlight your most relevant andsignificant career accomplishments. Keep things brief: refer the reader to your resume for additionaldetails.

Act Three: The Close

Preferably, end the letter with a request to move forward to a phone conversation or meeting. Continueto focus exclusively on how you can meet their needs and solve their problems. Dont say you want todrop by to talk about job prospects. Dont be passive and say I hope to hear from you. Here are some

useful ending phrases:


13/36


14/36

For a list of recruiters by specialty, go to: www.executiveagent.com.

TOP TIPS

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing an Executive Recruiter

Do you have what it takes for a recruiter to be interested? Executive recruiters exist to get employers the talentthey cannot find themselves-- specifically, the top echelon of performers. Before contacting an executive recruiter,consider the experience, accomplishments, and professional reputation you possess that will make the recruiter wantto include you in his or her candidate list.

Does the recruiter specialize in your field? Increase your chances of being an attractive candidate by targetingrecruiters who specialize in your industry or functional area. Sending a resume to a recruiter who doesn't recruit foryour specialty is a waste of time; they won't be able to use your qualifications.More...

TOP TIPS: Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing an Executive Recruiter (cont'd)

What other organizations is the recruiter affiliated with? Recruiters often have national and internationalconnections providing access to many open positions. Partner with a recruiter who can deliver opportunities from

varied employers, not just the same three clients they have been serving for the past 20 years.

Is the recruiter up-to-date technologically, with e-mail and a keyword searchable database? Ensure yourprofile is maintained in a database that can be searched easily to find your specific qualifications.

How many years has the recruiter been in executive search? High turnover plagues the recruiting field.Concentrate your efforts with a recruiter who is experienced in understanding client needs, setting expectations ofboth client and candidate, and is not a short-term entry in the profession.

Who does the recruiter typically place? One way to find out is to ask the recruiter directly for information on theprofessional and salary levels of their recent placements. This information will identify whether the recruiterregularly places executives in the senior ranks-particularly important if you view the recruiter as a potential careerpartner for the long-term.

Compiled with assistance from Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, author ofHeadhunters Revealed! Career Secrets forChoosing and Using Professional Recruiters, available in the Kennedy Information bookstore.

NEGOTIATING EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS BEGINS WITH THE INTERVIEW

Many executive job seekers see the employment agreement as the first step in their new relationship with a company.After all, the employment agreement sets the terms for the employer-employee relationship, by detailing job title,responsibilities, all aspects of compensation, bonuses, benefits, stock options-- even what happens if the relationshipends, in the form of a severance package.

This way of looking at employment agreements certainly makes sense. However, there's another view that works outbetter for you in the long run: Consider the employment agreement as thefinal step in the hiring process.

The fact is, long before you receive the employment agreement, the employer has made a lot of decisions about you--decisions that will affect the terms in that agreement. The best way to make sure those terms are in your favor is tokeep the agreement in mind throughout the interview and hiring process. You have the most leverage in a jobnegotiation after they've made you an offer, and before you accept it. The more valuable you appear to the employer,the more likely you are to get the employment agreement you want.

How do you maximize your value in the employer's eyes? Try keeping these principles in mind throughout the hiringprocess:

Present yourself as the solution to a problem. Every job opening represents a problem the employer istrying to solve. The problem may be a positive one, such as trying to keep up with strong sales leads, butit's just as much a problem for the employer as a negative one, such as trying to breathe new life into a

failing product line. Focus on identifying the employer's problem; then you can show how hiring you willbe the perfect solution.
http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011004.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011004.html#sidebar1http://www.kennedyinformation.com/js/catalog.html#hhrevealedhttp://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011004.html#sidebar1http://www.kennedyinformation.com/js/catalog.html#hhrevealed


15/36

Use your research to position yourself. Before the first interview, you found out as much about thecompany as possible. Use that information to position your skills and experience in terms of the company'sneeds.

Be enthusiastic-but not eager. A prospective employer certainly wants executives who are enthusiasticabout the work. However, you don't want to seem too eager. If you give the employer the impression thatthis is the job you've always dreamed of having, they may feel they can pay you in job satisfaction, ratherthan money. Don't make them think you'd pay them for the chance to do this job!

Have alternatives, and let the employer know you have them. It's poor strategy to pin all your hopeson one possibility-- and not just because you're stuck if that possibility fails. You can negotiate with moreconfidence if you have a secure backup plan. Also, this can enhance your value in the employer's eyes,which can result in a more favorable employment agreement.

If you keep these ideas in mind during the interview stage, you're more likely to be able to negotiate an agreementthat will mark the beginning of a positive employer-employee relationship.

OCTOBER 18, 2001

Courtesy of

ExecutiveAgent.comEXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

The Essence of the Employment

Agreement

Steve Peck has been CEO, CFO,and managing director of variousprivate and public companies. Inthis interview, Steve discusses

executive employment agreements.

"For me, the most important part of

the agreement is the description ofthe responsibilities. You want to beperfectly clear as to what you areexpected to accomplish. After that,you need to look at income level,salary, bonus, and other benefits,including stock options andownership in the company. Andyou need to be aware at the outsetthat things don't always work out,so you need to address severance.

"You always want to go intonegotiations knowing you have

other options. One thing you learnin business is, there's never a dealuntil it's done.More...

Also, having other options gives you a level of confidence to push harder for all the points you want; if you can't getthem, you have the choice of either backing off from those points or saying 'The deal isn't going to work,' andmoving on to these other deals.

"When you look at an employment agreement, you need to understand what you personally need, especially in termsof salary, bonuses, and benefits. What do you need in order to live on a day-to-day basis? What is fair compensationas rewards for reaching milestones?

"During the actual discussion, it's important to understand what the culture at the company is; you don't want to askfor things that are at odds with the company's culture. You can find some information by doing research, but part ofit comes from your interviewing them, not just the other way around. Ask the right questions to find out, 'Am I reallya good fit for this company?'
http://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011016.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011016.html#sidebar1http://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011016.html#sidebar1


16/36

"And, of course, once you have worked out all the details, have your attorney review the final agreement."

TOP TIPS

"Tighten"

Your

NoncompeteAgreement

Manycompanies askall newemployees tosign anoncompeteagreement. Tomake sureyou're able towork in yourfield once you

leave thecompany, it'simportant tonarrow thescope of thenoncompeteagreement.

In fact,tightening thescope of theagreement is tothe employer'sbenefit, as well

as theemployee's.Courts in manystates haverefused toenforcenoncompeteagreementsthat are toobroad. Afocused,specificnoncompeteagreement can

protect theemployerwhile notcausing theemployeeunduehardship.

To tighten upyournoncompeteagreement,look at thefollowing

areas:More...

BOOK

NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS AND YOU

After five years as PerfectPage's VP of Engineering, Marcus no longer feltchallenged. Confident his skills would quickly yield new opportunities, he left

PerfectPage.

Four months later, Marcus has had job offers, but he doesn't have a job. The reason:PerfectPage has made it clear that they will enforce his noncompete agreement,which prevents Marcus from doing Web engineering work in New England for twoyears. "When I took the job at PerfectPage, everyone was being given noncompetesto sign, so I didn't really think anything of it," says Marcus. "Under the terms of theagreement, I'm stuck."

Noncompete agreements are designed to protect employers. If a formeremployee moves to a competitor, inevitably, there's a transfer of knowledge. Toprevent this, many companies routinely ask new employees to sign statements thatthey won't work for a competitor for a certain period after leaving the employer.

From the employer's perspective, this is a reasonable solution to a real problem.Employers often try to make the agreement as broad as possible in terms of length oftime and geographic area.

From the employee's perspective, however, the broader the noncompete agreement,the harder it is to earn a living. As Marcus saw it, the agreement he signed left himwith three choices: to change his field of work; to move out of the area; or to spendtwo years not working. With regret, Marcus chose to move to the Atlanta area.

In fact, Marcus had a fourth choice: litigation. In some states, courts have refused toenforce noncompete agreements, for a variety of reasons. However, the law in thisarea is far from clear, and varies from state to state and profession to profession. Formost employees, the risk of losing a suit against the employer isn't worth taking on.

What can you do to avoid ending up in Marcus' position? Start by taking thelong-term view when you're offered a job. No matter how great the job is, and howwell it suits you, the days when employees stayed at one company for life are longgone. Sooner or later, you're going to want to move on. If you sign a broadnoncompete now, it will be hard to convince the employer to change the terms whenyou want to leave. The best time to get changes made is now, when you have themost leverage-between the time they make you the offer, and you accept it.

Sit down with the employer to find out exactly what they want the noncompeteagreement to protect. In some industries, the core concern is that you will persuadeclients to move to the new company with you. Where a company's clients are itscapital-for example, in the advertising field-a loss of clients can be disastrous.

If your employer's major concern is protecting its client base, you might propose a

nonsolicitation agreementinstead of a noncompete. Under the terms of anonsolicitation agreement, you agree not to solicit any of the company's currentcustomers, clients, or near-term prospects. However, you are not prevented fromworking for a competitor, or even from setting up your own company. You areusually not even restricted from accepting your former employer's clients if theycome to you, as long as you don't go to them looking for business. Combined with anondisclosure agreement, which states that you will not share certain information, anonsolicitation agreement often addresses an employer's concerns.

Sometimes, however, a nonsolicitation agreement just isn't enough, or an employerdoesn't want to switch from a noncompete agreement. In that case, your bestapproach is to tighten up the noncompete agreement as much as possible. (See

sidebar, Tips to "Tighten" Your Noncompete Agreement .)
http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar1


17/36

REVIEW

Win-Win

Career

Negotiations

Have you eversigned off onanemploymentagreement,even thoughtthe termsweren't justwhat youwanted? Evenexecutiveswith greatskills and

experiencesometimes findthemselves at aloss when itcomes tonegotiating theagreement. Itcan be hard toknow justwhich aspectsof anagreement arenegotiable--and the best

way toapproach thiskind ofnegotiation. Ina rapidlychangingeconomy, theodds seem tobe stackedincreasingly inthe employer'sfavor.

Win-Win

CareerNegotiationswill help youredirect thatbalance tomake jobnegotiations amore positiveexperience.This book is acomprehensiveapproach to thenegotiationprocess, andwill help you

understand andnegotiate all

Remember, the best time to negotiate these issues is when you are first being hired.


18/36

the essentialelements of theagreement--from how toidentify anappropriatesalary tolimiting theterms of anoncompeteagreement andusingperformancereviews as partof your careeradvancementplan.More...

TOP TIPS: "Tighten" Your Noncompete Agreement (cont'd)

Time period. Obviously, an agreement that includes the word "ever" is too long, but what is reasonable-for both parties? If two years (a standard period) is too long for your particular situation, would six monthsbe manageable? Would this give the employer reasonable security? Try to define the shortest possible timeperiod.

Geographic area. Again, try to limit the geographic scope of the agreement. If you work for a hugemultinational, it may be hard to define a region where you wouldn't be in competition, but for mostpositions, this should be possible. For example, a CPA working for a firm in Evanston might agree not tohang out her shingle in Evanston itself, but could work in other areas around Chicago without hurting herformer employer.

Define "competition." Two companies may be in the same general field without being in directcompetition with each other. Rather than agreeing not to work for "competitors," try to get the employer toname names. An agreement not to work for Competitor A, Competitor B, or Competitor C should protectthe company while still giving you plenty of scope. Alternatively, narrow the industry sector. Rather than

agreeing not work "in publishing," you might agree not to work "in college-level textbook publishing."Again, try to keep as many options open as you can.

If you can narrow the scope of the noncompete agreement in these three areas, you should have an agreement thatworks for both employer and employee.

And if the employer insists on using its standard wording for the noncompete, you should ask for a severancepackage that will balance your needs with the company's. But that's another negotiation!

YOUR FIRST STEP IN CAREER TRANSITION:SELF-ASSESSMENT

Self-assessments are not just for college students and young professionals deciding on a career path. They're equally

important for experienced executives-- both on the job and when in transition.

There are hundreds of assessments to choose from, so before getting started decide whether you want to use self-guided worksheets, professionally scored assessments, or both. Worksheets and scored assessments require differenttime and financial commitments, and often produce very different results.

Worksheets and self-scored instruments are available in most career books and through career development firms.These worksheets take you through a structured thought process of evaluation and reflection, leaving it to you todraw your own conclusions and make the assessment useful in your career. These self-guided instruments can bevery rewarding-- if you have the discipline to stick with them.

Scored assessments typically focus on behavioral style/personality, work values, and skills, and provide an extralevel of professional evaluation and personal feedback. Unlike self-guided worksheets, professionally scored

assessments offer a career counselor or coach to review the feedback with you, giving you an extra edge in guidingyour career.
http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011106.html#sidebar2


19/36

Combined, the worksheets and scored assessments help create your unique Executive Profile-- which differentiatesyou from other candidates with equal qualifications. Knowing your communication style gives you the power todeliver on your technical and interpersonal strengths and to leverage your preferred methods for getting things done.Here are five tips for using self-assessments successfully in a career transition:

Use proven assessments. There are LOTS of assessments to choose from. Use an instrument that has

demonstrated validity and research to back-up its conclusions, particularly for behavioral style andpersonality assessments. Since time is short, choose a skills assessment vendor that employers recognizeand respect. It's a waste of time and money to do otherwise.

Discuss your feedback with someone else. Scored assessments typically flood you with information,some on-target and some not. Run the results by a family member or friend to get a reality check. Theymay see evidence of your behavioral style where you cannot. A professional coach can target areas of thereport most applicable to your specific situation and work to leverage your strengths throughout yourcareer journey.

Incorporate your behavioral strengths into your resume. Take general strengths from your assessmentreport-such as "Motivates others toward goals" or "Good a reconciling factions-is calming and addsstability"-and get specific. Can you demonstrate to prospective employers how you've embodied thesebehavioral strengths? Generating these examples helps you draft your resume and prep for the interviewsthat will follow.

Understand your own communication style and that of the interviewer. "Reading" the interviewer is

one of the most essential skills you can develop as part of a job search. Knowing your own communicationstyle gives you an advantage in adapting to the interviewer's expectations. Observe the interviewer-does heor she expect a polished presentation or more casual conversation, a high level of interaction or a logicaldiscussion of facts?

Trust when an organizational fit is not quite right. Listen to your gut when deciding on a company.Oftentimes, reviewing your self-assessments when an offer is on the table is a double check on whether theemployer is the right place for you. See if your values and preferred manner of working will be welcome inthe new work environment, or whether you'll have to adapt to survive.

NOVEMBER 26, 2001

Courtesy ofExecutiveAgent.comTOP TIPSUnderstand Behavioral Styles

If left to your own devices, how

would you get a job done? Throughpersuading others, delegating specifictasks, or coaching your team? Being aneffective executive requiresunderstanding your unique behavioralstyle, both your strengths andweaknesses, and developing strategiesto meet the demands of yourenvironment.

A behavioral style assessment, suchthe DISC (available atwww.myjobcoach.com/behavior.cfm ),measures observable behavior. That is,how you do things, communicate, paceyourself, and handle problems.Specifically, the inventory measuresobservable behavior in fourcategories...

TOP TIPS: Understand Behavioral Styles (cont'd)

The DISC behavioral style assessment measures a person's:
http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDYhttp://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDY


20/36

D - Dominance

How you respond to problems or challengesIndividuals who are high in Dominance are: Competitive, confrontational, results-oriented

I - Influence

How you influence others to your point of viewIndividuals who are high in Influence are: Trusting, persuasive, self-confident

S - Steadiness

How you respond to the pace of the environmentIndividuals who are high in Steadiness are: Accommodating, persistent, adaptable

C - Compliance

How you respond to rules and procedures set by othersIndividuals who are high in Compliance are: Precise, quality-oriented, critical listener

Use your behavioral style to your advantage, particularly when choosing an environment in which to work. If a jobcould talk, would it consist of bold, aggressive actions or logical thinking and systematic routine? Would it involvebeing a change agent and the testing of new ideas, logical decisions, or diplomacy and cooperation? Know yourunique behavioral strengths-- and make smart decisions about your career.

What does

a coach do?

A coach actsas yourAgent, anundeterredchampionsupportingyou throughthe ups-and-downs ofwork andlife. This

includes helpto identifyyour valuesand assessesbehavioralstyle, skills,andexperienceas a basis fordeveloping ajob searchstrategy orother actionplan. In

short, apersonalcareer coachhelps youmake yourdream jobreality.

Today'seconomicrealities arecausingmanyprofessionals

to usecoaches tohelp regain


21/36


22/36

Those in the inner circle, your family and friends, may not know of opportunities in your immediate field, but theymay know people who do. The point of networking is to expand outward on the bull's-eye, making connections withpeople you know, then leveraging those relationships to meet even more people.

Don't stop there! The outer circle of the bull's-eye can be daunting to enter, but provided me with prime opportunitiesto leverage my professional association, alumni association, and volunteer activities. If you're actively looking toexpand your bull's-eye of contacts, networking groups exist in most cities to help executive job seekers meet otherexecutives, share information, and improve networking skills.

For networking contacts to be useful, you need to concisely explain what it is you want to do and how you cancontribute to the field. Be very clear about what you want to discuss with the contact and how you will use the advicein your job search. (For questions to jump-start your networking meeting, see this issue's Top Tips: "Network!") Theonus is on you to keep it simple-- you'll need people who are not in your field to understand your career goals and beable to tell others about you.

Best of luck to you as you build your network!

TOP TIPSNetwork!

While every Networking meeting is unique, these tips can help you make the most of your efforts.

Be ready to network whenever and wherever-- every individual is a potential contact.

Select a location and time that are convenient for the other person.

Be clear about your goal for the meeting, such as: learning about an industry, a company, or testing yourcandidacy on the market.

Keep the meeting to the scheduled time, generally no more than 20 minutes.More...

PRODUCT REVIEW

ExecutiveAgent

Executive recruiters can play a critical role in your next career move-- if you use them the right way. Here's how twoexecutives put ExecutiveAgent to work:

John *Current position: CFO of mid-sized biotechnology company

Goal: Obtain comparable position in bigger company in the same region

Requirements for ExecutiveAgent: Confidentiality! John wanted to remain employed while putting feelers out on themarket. He used ExecutiveAgent to identify recruiters who specialized in his target industries and who knew themajor employers in his region.More...

TOP TIPS: Tips for Networking (cont'd)

Ask questions about industry trends, keys to being successful in the field, how to break into the sector,what the individual likes and dislikes about the sector, and sources for additional information.

Listen for challenges the individual's employer or industry is facing, and how those provide opportunitiesfor you.

Never ask a networking contact for a job-- they are providing you with information and should be the oneto take the lead in discussing actual job opportunities.

Bring a resume or CV, to help the contact know more about your experience and background.

Dress professionally, and in accordance with industry standards.
http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar1http://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar1http://www.executiveagent.com/http://e/Contents/ecsn/20011211.html#sidebar2


23/36

Send a thank you note to the networking contact after the meeting.

When you land a new position, close the loop and let your networking contacts know where you are andwhat you'll be doing.

PRODUCT REVIEW: ExecutiveAgent (cont'd)

John focused on retained recruiters-- though they do not typically respond to candidates' resumes, John was wellregarded in the region and industry. John contacted a handful of recruiters, firms he felt were quality professionalswho would best enable him to stay abreast of unpublicized opportunities.

Outcome: Shortly after submitting his credentials through ExecutiveAgent, John received a call from the SeniorSearch Consultant at one of the firms he had selected. As a specialist in the biotech industry, this recruiter knew thecomings and goings of executives at the top companies in the area. A Fortune 1000 company 15 miles away waslooking for a Financial Executive for its startup medical products division. Through the recruiter, John confidentiallysubmitted his candidacy and was offered the position.

Cynthia

Current position: Senior Marketing Director for Fortune 500 company in the Northeast

Goal: Relocate to the Southwest US

Requirements for ExecutiveAgent: Diversity of recruiters. Cynthia used ExecutiveAgent as one prong of her activesearch. She contacted numerous recruiters in her target region to have the broadest reach.

Outcome: A contingency recruiter contacted Cynthia for a marketing position at a large company just five minutesfrom her desired location. Cynthia put forth her candidacy and was offered the position; the new employer evenhelped defray relocation expenses. Today, Cynthia maintains contact with the recruiter who placed her, keeping hereye on the goal of being VP, Marketing.

To find your ideal recruiter, go tohttp://www.executiveagent.com.

* All names have been changed

EXECUTIVE RESUMES THAT SELL

Considered the best resume writer in North America, Alesia Benedict knows what it takes for your resume to getnoticed and for you to get in the door for an interview. Here she tells Executive Career Strategies what it takes foryour resume to hit the mark.

Essentially, employers look for what you can do for them. This will not sound flattering to mostexecutives, but candidly, you are a product that you're selling and marketing to the reader. The ego needsto take a back seat during a job search. Just like in any other sales situation, you sell the sizzle, not the

steak. Obviously, you will need the details to substantiate the claim, so have all the factual informationavailable. What will create the sense of urgency is if you can demonstrate that YOU are the better product.This is especially important in soft markets. The mindset is not to inform, but to sell, market, showcaseyour skills and results, highlight what you've done for former employers, and emphasize what you can dofor a new company. This is where most people miss the mark tremendously.

Write your accomplishments with the employer's bottom-line in mind. Take a look at your resumefrom the employer's perspective: "I'm the company and I'm spending 'X' on you. What is my return oninvestment? How can you make my life better? How can you make the company more profitable?" That iswhat your resume should scream to the reader. Particularly your accomplishments, which should addresshow a previous employer's bottom-line benefited from your employment. You want to answer: Why me,and not one of the other 135 people whose resumes are sitting on the employer's desk.

The resume needs to be reader friendly. Make it easy to find the names of companies, titles held, anddates employed. At the executive level in particular, recruiters want "reverse chronological" resumes thatlist your most recent work experience first, rather than a skills based or functional resume. You cannot

expect the employer to do ANY work; all important details have to be accessible and right there. Onaverage, an initial screener will only spend 15-20 seconds reviewing the document.
http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/http://www.executiveagent.com/


24/36

Use current verbiage. Many executives have not written a resume in some time, and they will use oldverbiage-such as "responsibilities" or "duties"-that undermines their executive-level position. The languageemployers expect in resumes is always changing, and many executives don't educate themselves aboutcurrent expectations before they attempt to write their resume.

Leverage your international connections. International experience is becoming a more desirable trait.The opening of markets or opportunities that were untapped should definitely be pushed.

Deal with periods of unemployment appropriately. There still an old school of thought with executivesthat being out of work is a stigma. With today's more volatile economy, with cutbacks, layoffs, andbusinesses closing, it's not uncommon to have periods of unemployment. Here are some suggestions:

o If you've lost your job recently, say in October or November of 2001, put the month of the end

of employment so employers don't think you've been out of work the whole year.o If you lost your job earlier and you've been out of work for a longer period, don't put the month.

o If you've done interim work you'd consider "beneath you," put it at the end of your resume in an

"Additional Employment" section. Here you can build up the work you've been doing, withouthaving it be at the forefront of your resume.

Don't sabotage your candidacy with lack of follow-through. It can be very emotionally difficult to bejob seeking as an executive, and because of that, at times you may not be as objective as you need to be.When you're used to being sought after for leadership and consultation, it is hard to view yourself as aproduct that needs to sell itself. In fact, some executives almost sabotage their job search by not doing thefollow-up that is necessary. It may feel beneath you, but in this economy, the squeaky wheel gets the

grease.

For questions to use in writing a winning resume, see this issue'sTop Tips.

Alesia Benedict, CPRW, JCTC, is Executive Director of Career Objectives, North America's leading resume writingand career marketing firm, and is MyJobCoach's Resume & Cover Letter Advisor.

TOP TIPS10 Questions to Write Your Resume

To make it sell, answer the following:

What have you done on the job that distinguishes you from others in your field? What projects or teams did you lead, or innovative concepts did you introduce, that had the most positive

results on the company?

Have you quantified accomplishments in detail versus just listing them briefly? Are they tangible, bottom-line benefits from the employer's perspective?

TOP TIPS: 10 Questions to Write Your Resume (cont'd)

How will your unique work style benefit a potential employer? How has your style fueled youraccomplishments with previous employers?

Does the document include up-to-date language and the buzzwords hiring decision-makers are looking for?

Does the resume read like a marketing document that SELLS you, rather than a narrative of your workhistory?

And a final checklist

Do you use numerals instead of spelling out numbers, to make the quantifiable accomplishments standout?

Have you used a personal e-mail address and not your employer's? (e.g., Yahoo!, AOL, Hotmail versusyour at-work account)

Is your resume easy to read, with all contact information and employment history basics readily visible?(e.g. name of company, title, dates of employment)

Have you proofread your resume at least twice and had another person review it for spelling errors, typingmistakes, incorrect dates, etc.?

PRODUCT REVIEWResume Writing
http://e/Contents/ecsn/ecsn.html#tipshttp://e/Contents/ecsn/ecsn.html#tipshttp://e/Contents/ecsn/ecsn.html#tipshttp://e/Contents/ecsn/ecsn.html#tips


25/36

How many resumes

got you how many interviews?

You are more than just an inventory of your credentials, or a biography of your work history. Resumes are meant tomarket your strengths to potential employers and SELL you above your peers -- individuals just like yourselfwho possess the same qualifications, training and experience as you do-- who are applying for the same position.

A no-charge critique will tell you if your resume is doing all that it could. More...

PRODUCT REVIEW: Resume Writing (cont'd)

With a professionally written resume, you will:

Feel more confident in presenting your qualifications

Obtain a sales-oriented document that is flexible enough for multiple situations

Deliver your quality message at the level and in the manner you planned

Alesia Benedict, The Career Expert, CPRW, JCTC, and Executive Director of CAREER OBJECTIVES, provides

resume writing services for Executive Career Strategies subscribers. A high-profile industry leader with more than 15years of experience, Ms. Benedict is a nationally published author who has been cited by Jist Publications as one ofthe "best resume writers in North America" and quoted as a Career Expert in the Wall Street Journal's publication,The National Business Employment Weekly. Alesia is an Executive Board member of the Professional Association ofResume Writers (PARW), a certified Job and Career Transition Coach, and is affiliated with the NationalAssociation of Job Search Trainers.

Ms. Benedict's firm is so confident in their ability to create winning documents which market your skills andexpertise, that it offers the following guarantee:

GUARANTEED INTERVIEWSin 30 days or we'll rewrite for free!

Professional resume writing services begin at $195. See how your resume stands up to Alesia Benedict's success

criteria with a No-charge Critique. Visit MyJobCoach, and once logged in, click the link to "Critique YourResume."

HOW OLD IS YOUR CAREER STRATEGIC PLAN?

Companies use strategic plans to direct their future and set annual business goals. Why not do the same for yourcareer? Whether planning your next career move, courting a promotion, or forecasting your retirement, setting goalsis a necessary part of making life what you want it to be. Do you have a clear picture of where you want your careerto be a year from now? How about in 5 or 15 years? Career plans lay out the roadmap for future success.

Some tips to craft a strategic career plan:

Write it down. It shows commitment to making career goals happen. Look back when planning the future. Plans for the future are only built on past achievements. It's time

to take score and move on. Write down all of your successes from last year-- big or small-- and see how faryou've come. You probably accomplished more goals than you think. If there were some "To Do's" thatdidn't get done, analyze why you didn't meet the goal and whether they are still relevant to your new plan.

Align goals with values. Businesses develop goals in line with their defined values and philosophy.Consider what motivates you-- money, prestige, collaborating with others, providing support to those inneed, healthy living-- and match your career goals to those values. With your values and goals aligned,you'll have the enthusiasm to stick with them.

Capitalize on strengths and identify areas for improvement. Organizations stick with what works andchange what doesn't. In crafting your personal career plan, the same philosophy applies. Look at yourbehavioral strengths and how they contributed toward your success. If your strengths aren't leveraged inyour current role, and you have to adapt significantly to be effective, take a hard look at the areas yourealistically can improve. Can changes in your work environment or additional resources enable your

success? If not, move on. Establish specific goals with actionable tasks. Make your career plan quantifiable, with clear actions

steps. For example, "I will join my professional association and connect with three people in my network
http://e/Contents/ecsn/20020103.html#sidebar2http://e/Contents/ecsn/20020103.html#sidebar2http://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDYhttp://e/Contents/ecsn/20020103.html#sidebar2http://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDY


26/36

(two to re-connect and ONE NEW CONTACT) each week," instead of "I will expand my network." Themore specific you are, the easier it will be for you to stay focused on executing the plan.

Build in accountability with deadlines and assignments. Every successful plan makes someoneaccountable and sets timeframes for execution. Your career plan is no different. A career coach or a trustedfriend or family member can provide the accountability to help keep you moving forward.

Provide structure for follow-up and measurement of progress. Revisit your career plan on a regularbasis to assess your progress. Make sure you're on-track and re-orient your activities as the marketrequires.

Have a champion. Who's the CEO of your career plans, driving them toward success? You may have theenthusiasm and discipline to do it yourself. Most people need a push now and then, to jump start theirexcitement and refocus them on what's important. Find a mentor or coach who will be your champion.

Executives today are driving their careers with the same strategic vision and planning they do for their companies.Take the first step and write your own career strategic plan.

Things to Do with a Coach

With a coach, you can:

Assess your behavioral style. Get an objective look at how and why you work the way you do, then learn how toleverage your strengths in work and life.

Create an action plan to achieve your goals. In each coaching call, you'll identify 2-3 objectives for the followingweek so you'll continually see progress.

Eliminate clutter from distractions. Coaches utilize tools and assessments to help you achieve greater clarity andfocus on what matters most to you. If you have trouble saying "No," a coach can help you set boundaries and havemore control over your life.More...

With a coach, you can:

Obtain support and structured guidance through a transition. Whether you're looking for a new job or striking

out with a business of your own, a coach will help you strategize and execute on your plan.

Have an unyielding champion. A coach is always on your side, wanting what you want and encouraging you to getthere. When you falter or question your ability to reach your goals, your coach will motivate you to keep going.

Work with someone who will listen attentively, but not be afraid to tell it like it is. Although a coach is yourundeterred supporter, he or she will also be straightforward and honest. Coaching is grounded in inquiry-- andcoaches will ask the tough questions to get you to the heart of the issue.

Get "unstuck." Using active listening, structured goal setting, and undeterred encouragement, a coach will help youovercome the hurdles that are in your way.

Be inspired to live a more passionate, fulfilling life.

Do you have a confidant, champion, and challengerwho:

Provides personalized guidance through job transitions

Enables you to leverage your behavioral and professional strengths effectively

Diagnoses reasons for career dissatisfaction, and

Motivates you to take action in networking, interviewing, and taking on new opportunities?

No?

Career Coaching

If you're considering broad changes in your life, planning the next steps in your career, or are feeling stuck in your

current role, a Career Coach can help you get on track. Career Coaches help their clients sustain professional successand maintain balance in their work and personal lives. They work with clients to manage change and overcome thehurdles that could impede their success. With a Career Coach from MyJobCoach, you can:
http://e/Contents/ecsn/20020122.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20020122.html#sidebar1http://e/Contents/ecsn/20020122.html#sidebar1


27/36

Obtain comprehensive feedback on your unique behavioral strengths and work style

Build a compelling value proposition for a potential employer, and

Get ongoing support through all phases of your career.

Negotiations Coaching

If you're actively interviewing and seek to negotiate the best job offer possible, a Negotiations Coach can provide the

information and structure to make your employment negotiations a success. MyJobCoach's Negotiations Coaching &Salary Analysis service provides individuals with a powerful combination of credible data and one-on-onepreparation to:

Communicate interests and desired outcomes for the negotiation

Present objective data on a position's market rate

Understand the employer's interests and limitations, and

Evaluate alternative solutions, including modified compensation structures and opportunities for leveragewith other employers.

For more information on Career and Negotiations Coaching, visitMyJobCoach.

EXECUTIVE NEWS & VIEWS

Where are the jobs now?

Demand for talent continues to grow in the Pharmaceuticals/Healthcare/Biotech industries, according to theExecutive Talent Demand Index published by ExecuNet. The sector experienced an increase in demand in the 4thquarter of 34%, compared to the 4th quarter of 2000, and was the only sector to experience an increase during theperiod. ExecuNet anticipates demand in this sector to remain strong despite the economy given the continuedstrength of this sector on Wall Street.

However, demand for executives in the High Tech sector continued to decline in the 4th quarter of 2001 with adecrease of 65% from the 4th quarter of 2000. The tremendous downturn in High Tech (and other sectors) has causedonce huge advertising budgets to dry up, wrecking havoc on the Media/Creative/Publishing sector as evidenced bythe continued decrease (-43%) in demand for executive talent in the 4th quarter as compared to the same period in2000. Business Services, Financial Services and the Retail industry also continued their decline with a decrease in

demand for executive talent of 40%, 25% and 23% year over year.

Where will the jobs be?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an increase of at least 12 million professional specialty jobs and morethan five million managerial jobs in the next decade. Over the 2000-2010 period, total employment is projected toincrease by 15 percent, slightly less than the 17 percent growth during the previous decade, 1990-2000. BLSestimates that 22 million new jobs will be created in the next nine years and that 36 million more openings mayresult from retirements and others who drop out of the labor force. Health services, business services, social services,and engineering, management, and related services are expected to account for almost one of every two nonfarmwage and salary jobs added to the economy during the 2000-2010 period.

Is "fit" more important than you think?

According to research by theNew York Times advertising department, most (84%) job seekers in the New York areabelieve that hiring managers are looking for experience, but most (84%) hiring managers tend to value personality

over experience. In addition, resumes may open doors, but surveyed hiring managers don't rely on them to makehiring decisions. More than two thirds (68%) of hiring managers consider an interview the most effective way ofdetermining whether they will hire a candidate, compared to only 1 in 10 (10%) who consider resumes the mosteffective determinant. Only about one third (34%) of job seekers put the interview on top.

Are recruiters a necessary nuisance?

ExecuNet surveyed 300 executives nationwide on their attitudes toward recruiters. According to the survey, 98% ofexecutives take calls from recruiters - even if they are happy with their current position, 60% describe theirrelationships with search professionals as productive, and 57% have landed new positions through a search firm.Despite widespread interest in working with search professionals, the majority (71%) of executives describerecruiters as a "necessary evil," 5% use the term "nuisance," and 24% characterize them as a "valuable resource."

Who's determining executive compensation?

Compensation committees are gaining clout. This, according to The Compensation Committee of the Board,

published by The Conference Board. Since these committees determine pay for performance, grant stock options thatcan dilute shareholder value, and buy back company stock to enhance share prices, their members have a growing
http://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDYhttp://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDYhttp://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDYhttp://www.myjobcoach.com/index.cfm?associationID=KENNEDY


28/36

impact on overall corporate strategy. According to the study, a growing worry is whether the members of thesecommittees have enough expertise to effectively monitor compensation programs and whether they are toodependent on CEOs and outside consultants.

TOP TIPS

Sources for Industry & Company Research

Position yourself as a top executive candidate in today's competitive market, with solid research on your potentialemployers. The Internet provides tremendous resources to research companies, track industry trends, and get jobsearch assistance. We've compiled a list of our favorite sites:

Links, Links, Links

The Riley Guide outlines employment trends and provides other links to government reports, industry surveys, andemployment news. Once on the site, go to "Preparing for a Job Search" and then "Employment & Industry Trends."URL:www.rileyguide.com

CEOexpress.com is an easy-to-navigate site that puts links to key business and financial publications, web sites, and

organizations within a single click. URL: www.ceoexpress.comMore...

Finding the Employers You WantNumerous national and local publications offer rankings of top companies, largest employers, and the best places towork. Consider these:

General

Fortune Best to Work For: http://www.fortune.com/lists/bestcompanies/index.htmlFortune Most Admired: http://www.fortune.com/lists/mostadmired/index.html

Largest Companies

Fortune 500: http://www.fortune.com/lists/F500/in