The Dysfunctional "Functional" Resume

I received yet another executive resume for review today that for reasons that are completely a mystery to me was prepared using a functional format. The candidate is a highly experienced CFO with a solid work history showing increasingly challenging and responsible positions. His current resume falls so short of doing his career justice that I was shocked to learn that he had paid a professional resume writer to develop it.

As you may know, a functional resume allows you to highlight major accomplishments up front regardless of where in your work history they occurred, categorizes accomplishments from different positions, and eliminates repetitiveness in a work history consisting of very similar positions. It also permits de-emphasizing current or recent positions not related to your career objective, frequent job changes or gaps, or apparent demotions in responsibility. These last characteristics of the functional resume are, of course, the very reason that employers and recruiters almost universally do not like them!

Generally I recommend preparing a chronological resume unless there is an extremely compelling reason to do otherwise. If a functional format is used, you will want at the very least to include a brief employment chronology after your functional presentation of experience and accomplishments.

There is another option which allows you to have the best of both worlds: the combination or hybrid style resume. In this style, you create a powerful profile or overview section which states up front your skills, knowledge, and capabilities in such a way that you make a "business case" for why an employer should consider hiring you. It can also be very effective to highlight a small handful of accomplishments you are particularly proud of and which exemplify the potential value you bring to the table. Then your work history backs up the claims made in the opening section of the resume, providing specific examples of when, where, and how you have applied your skills, knowledge, and capabilities to benefit your employers.

Check out this article that provides further reasons from the recruiter/hiring manager's side of the table for why you really want to avoid a functional resume if at all possible:

http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/2010/01/in-memoriam-obituary-of-the-dys-functional-resume.html

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First Interviewee/Last Interviewee - Who Has the Advantage?

An interesting discussion has been underway among members of the Career Management Alliance's e-list/forum this week. The question surrounds whether, given the chance to choose, one is better off scheduling a job interview at the beginning, middle, or end of the screening process.

One member who is a former recruiter observes that the first and sometimes the second candidate interviewed rarely receives an offer. He suggests to his clients that they want to be at least third or fourth in the interview order to maximize their chances.

It is also a consideration that many times hiring managers will modify the position specifications as the interviewing process progresses. This is because they are better able to crystallize the company's needs based on what is learned through conducting several interviews. This, of course, places the early interviewee at a competitive disadvantage.

Another factor is that the competition is so high in today's job market that it is extremely difficult to get hiring managers to make a decision. The prevailing attitude seems to be that they have the luxury of reviewing numerous candidates until they find the "perfect" match. So eliciting an offer if you interview early in a slate of potential candidates can be tough.

Then again, there is some logic to what another member recalls a professor/mentor telling her: If yours is the best candidacy and fit, and you eclipse everyone else in your interview, the order will not matter.

The overwhelming consensus seems to be that your odds improve if you interview last or near last among your competitors. This dovetails with what I have advised my clients who were wondering if it was worthwhile to submit their executive resume for a position well into the candidate screening process. The company may well have worked its way through a collection of disappointing or "not quite right" candidates, and maybe even re-thought their position requirements based on interviews to date. Then along comes the answer to their prayers--YOU!

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Out of Work? Chin Up! All It Takes is One 'Yes'

I find my work helping clients put their best foot forward with compelling executive resumes very rewarding in general, but it can also be distressing to see people suffering from the stressful, confidence-crashing effects of job loss, especially when unemployment has continued for an extended period. This is why Nick Corcodilos' Ask the Headhunter column this morning especially struck a chord.

He encourages us, especially in this holiday season, to reach out to someone we know who is distressed, feeling alone or depressed due to the trials of unemployment in today's economic climate. He relates the tragic story of his correspondence with a woman whose husband had been long-term unemployed and was sinking ever deeper into despair and seemingly paralyzed to continue his job search. One day he walked out and disappeared, to be found weeks later on a mountain trail--an apparent suicide.

As Nick reminds us in his article, though the job market circumstances are bad, this is no reflection on your worth--you are still good at your work. This down economy can produce successes, too--with perseverance. "You will hear 'No' a thousand times. You need just one 'Yes,' but you also need the perseverance to get to it."

In this season in which we remember and are thankful for the unparalleled gift mankind received a little over 2000 years ago, give a friend or neighbor who is unemployed your gift of love in the form of encouragement. Help them to remember that there are other blessings in their lives such as their loved ones, and that this time of trial will pass.

P.S. You can view Nick's full article at: http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/newsletter/OE20091222.htm

Are Cover Letters Obsolete?

As a member of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, I have been following and participating in an ongoing discussion of the obsolescence or continuing relevance of cover letters. The overwhelming consensus has been that they are necessary and in no way obsolete, and to pay no attention to career counselors who say they are not worth the bother because HR doesn't read them. Of course, if you are properly pursuing your executive job search, your primary contact is not HR anyway, but that is a topic for another post.

One colleague indicated that she had recently conducted an informal survey of hiring managers regarding this question and received an overwhelming response of ABSOLUTELY YES! Do include a cover letter. Many of these hiring managers indicated that an effective cover letter can make the difference in whether a candidate is called in for an interview, particularly at executive level.

I wonder why anyone would NOT want to include a cover letter! Firstly, it is simply business courtesy to introduce yourself when you make a new business contact, as you are doing when you send your resume in application for a position. Secondly, the cover letter can be used to express things that do not lend themselves well to or may even be inappropriate for inclusion in the resume itself. Thirdly, it gives you an opportunity to reinforce the business case made in the resume. Fourthly, along with some possible tweaking to the executive resume, sending a cover letter allows you to effectively customize your presentation to the particular audience and opportunity.

So, when I am asked by my executive clients whether a cover letter is needed, my answer is always an emphatic "Yes!" The worst that can happen if you include one is that the recipient skims it or even tosses it. The worst that can happen if you do not include one is that your recipient is like me--I would be completely put off by someone who lacked the business courtesy to tell me why they were sending me their resume! One of my pet peeves and something that always gives me an initial poor impression of a potential executive resume client is to receive their resume in an e-mail, with no message and sometimes even without a subject line!

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Recruiters and Job Boards: Are They Worth an Executive's Time?

I had yet another client ask me this question today. Here are my thoughts:

Regarding the efficacy of contacting recruiters or using recruiter sites and job boards in general, I do not think these activities are a waste of time and would not recommend them if I did. I can think of no more efficient way of getting yourself “on the radar” of a large number of recruiters and companies. However, I must point out that realistically, only a relatively small proportion of positions are found through recruiters OR job boards, with personal and professional networking accounting for 60 to 70% of hires.

This is why I encourage my clients to access either or both of these resources, but to do it in the most efficient way possible. Send your executive resume to a select, targeted group of recruiters. Upload your executive resume to executive-appropriate job sites. Set up automated job posting notifications to be sent to your e-mail inbox. Then you are free to devote the majority of your time to two activities:

a) Leverage and build your network by interacting with your personal contacts, participating in professional organizations, utilizing LinkedIn and other online networking resources (and establishing yourself as an expert there by asking and responding to questions), and perhaps joining executive networking organizations such as ExecuNet or Netshare.

b) Research companies that interest you and work to get your foot in the door by finding contacts who either work within those companies or know someone who works within those companies. You then initiate contact via online networking resources, phone or e-mail, or mailing them a customized letter expressing interest in their organization. (This works best if you can identify areas that may be of concern to them and offer your thoughts on suggested ways to address them, establishing yourself as an expert offering valuable advice.)

So although a relatively small proportion of positions are found through job sites and recruiters, positions ARE found through them every day. Why leave a possible source of job leads out of your strategy? However, take care that you do not find yourself devoting a large portion of your time to this. Get out there and network!

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Executives Plan to Delay Retirement

According to a Society for Human Resource Management report, The U.S. Recession and Its Impact on Employee Retirement, 68% of human resource professionals have observed an increase in employees extending their planned retirement date due to the current economic conditions. This agrees with ExecuNet observations from their research, indicating that executives as of 2008 planned to retire at an average age of 76.9 (if health allows them to work that long, and finances allow for retirement even then). This is in contrast to 2006, when the average targeted age was 65.8.


Combining the above statistics with the fact that executive tenure in each job has been shrinking to as little as 1.5-2 years, an executive at 50 could easily have another 25 years of career left (nearly as much as he or she has accumulated thus far) and multiple remaining job changes.


I write executive resumes every day for clients who come to me at age 50 or 55 with the attitude that this next career move will probably be their last, and many express fears even at age 45 that they are losing their luster as a candidate due to age. The mindset that you are over the hill as far as your appeal in the job market at age 50 to 55 obviously needs to change. Continue to polish your skills and increase your knowledge, and shine up that executive resume for an extended stay in the world of work--and possibly several more challenging job experiences at different companies!

CEOs: VC-backed Tech Firm Sector on Road to Recovery

Business Week's CEO Guide to the Tech-Job Outlook raises hopes for an industry turnaround by 2010, with senior executives reporting that hiring at small, VC-funded firms is increasing.

According to the article, these are the 10 best and 10 worst cities for salaries in the Tech Sector (averaged across at least 15 reports from each company surveyed).

BEST CITIES: (1 being the highest average salary)
1 San Jose
2 San Francisco
3 Seattle
4 San Diego
5 New York City
6 Washington, DC
7 Boston
8 Raleigh
9 Los Angeles
10 Austin

WORST CITIES: (1 being the lowest average salary)
1 Kansas City
2 Cleveland
3 Pittsburgh
4 Madison (WI)
5 Orlando
6 St. Louis
7 Columbus
8 Cincinnati
9 Minneapolis
10 Philadelphia

This has been the worst tech sector recession since the dot.com bubble burst. Among the first fields to begin job recovery are cloud computing, computer security, business analytics, and IT services for government and health care. CEOs indicate that they are gradually and carefully lifting hiring freezes in an effort to bring in the best-of-the-best employees before the economy recovers and the competition for talent heats up.

A piece of good news is that after elimination of more than 118,000 tech jobs in the first half of 2009 (the highest number in 7 years), "two-thirds of senior technology executives recently surveyed by audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG said they thought their industry would fully recover from the current economic crisis ahead of the overall U.S. economy."

After a long and dismal dry spell, this may be the time for technology executives to polish up their executive resumes and begin testing the waters.

Read the full article at: http://tinyurl.com/lsm5kr. You can also view a slide show with details about Glassdoor's salary survey of more than 28,000 companies.

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Should an Executive Write His or Her Own Resume?

I wrote the following as part of a Career Thought Leaders Consortium discussion that is ongoing regarding "Can You/Must You Write Your Own Resume." Hopefully my observations will provide some perspective on the subject for any of you wrestling with whether to write your own executive resume or delegate that process to a professional.


Consider the scenario of a brilliant inventor who has developed a fantastic, groundbreaking product that will change the world as we know it. He is also a savvy businessman, and has built a top-notch team around him to ensure efficient and timely production and delivery of the product, unparalleled customer service, and strong financial management. However, despite the fact he has no specialized marketing training or aptitude for writing marketing copy, he decides to develop all the marketing literature himself. He figures he knows best the features and advantages of his product and the difference it can make to those who buy it, and wants to pinch a few pennies. The marketing initiative falls completely flat, no one buys the product, and the company fails.

This situation is closely analogous to that of a high-caliber job candidate who thinks or has been told that "You can and must write your own resume." Even a casual observer could tell you that the man with the groundbreaking product in the above scenario was a fool to represent himself and his product to the market, and that he was "penny-wise and pound foolish." Anyone who has reached management or executive level knows that to be effective you must identify experts in key areas and delegate responsibility to them. Certainly a wise executive provides input and remains involved with the various functional areas of the organization, but does not personally execute.

A quality marketing department would have worked extensively gathering market intelligence and input from all departments regarding this man's groundbreaking product, ensuring production of powerful and compelling marketing copy. Any reputable and truly professional resume writer will work in a similar fashion, involving a client substantially in the information-gathering process and drawing out those aspects of his or her experience, education, management style, and achievements that distinguish this "product" from the competition. The candidate has engaged in extensive introspection and reflection regarding his or her past experiences and potential value in the marketplace, while at the same time ensuring that those things learned are reflected powerfully and articulately on paper.

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Should I Be Using Twitter in My Executive Job Search?

If you're not a "Tweeple" yet (someone who posts "tweets" on Twitter.com), you may wish consider becoming one. As you probably know, Twitter is one of the many social networking tools available online today (examples of other major sites that are relevant for executive job search are LinkedIn and Facebook).

Twitter was designed initially for personal socializing and a stream-of-consciousness type of communication based on the question "What are you doing?" However, it has quickly evolved far beyond that to become a place where professionals and business people "tweet" advice, opinions, and links to resources they have found on the web. Don't expect to post your executive resume there; you will need to show just how succinct you can be by posting a profile that is limited to just 160 characters. That's right, 160 CHARACTERS, not WORDS. And your posts will be even shorter--a maximum of 140 characters.

A major use for Twitter that has emerged is in job search. As a member, you will be able to "follow" numerous people who post valuable advice, including executive resume writers, coaches, and other careers professionals, recruiters, and other job seekers. There is even a Twitter job board.

Since recruiters DO search Twitter for potential candidates, an emerging Twitter job search strategy is to "pitch" yourself with a brief description of the skills you bring to the table and the kind of job you are seeking, to which you add what are called "hash tags" that will ensure your post is read by all who monitor or search those hash tags. Examples of hash tags are "#jobangels" (you'll get responses from this organization with advice, job leads, etc.), and #jobseeker, #ITjobs, #jobs, #careers, etc.

When using this strategy, be sure that your post is specific (not just "Help me! I need a job!), and that you spell out the important keywords and phrases in your post to ensure they are found in a search (e.g., "business development" instead of "bus.dev."). Here's one I found with a quick search on #jobseeker:

"Business Systems Analyst in Central FL (Orlando Area) w/10 yrs of IT, requirements, process & svc delivery exp. #jobangels #job #jobseeker"

As you build your "following" and "followers" lists, it can become a bit unwieldy to monitor them with the basic Twitter interface. Many have found it helpful to use third party apps such as Tweetdeck to make the process more efficient and manageable.

To fully leverage the advantages of social networking sites, work to drive connections among them. When you post to Twitter, occasionally include a link to your most recent blog entry (You DO have a blog, don't you?), work in a link to your LinkedIn profile or website, or to articles you may have published or that have mentioned you on the Web.

At this point in time, it seems that Twitter may be most effective as a direct job search tool for entry level to mid-management candidates. However, by creating a name for yourself as a subject matter expert with a substantial following, the indirect benefits to your executive career and job search could be substantial. I encourage you to join Twitter and see what it's all about. You can follow me at LSmithResumePro.

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Costly Executive Job Search Mistakes

A survey conducted recently for The Ladders job site of 500 executive recruiters reveals what recruiters consider to be the three greatest mistakes made by job seekers in these tough economic times:

1. They are too desperate and willing to take anything.
(Even if you feel desperate, make sure others cannot see it! And think twice before you take a job that does not seem right for you.)

2. They are poorly prepared for the interview.
(No excuse for this one! See my previous post: http://www.executive-resumes.com/2009/08/do-your-homework-before-that-executive.html

3. They provide a weak resume.
(Your executive resume is your ambassador--it represents you on paper. It must effectively make a business case for hiring you and vividly portray and exude your distinctive brand from start to finish!)

Avoid these costly mistakes to avoid sabotaging your executive job search. And if you want a shorter, more successful search, incorporate a well-thought-out search strategy that includes extensive networking among colleagues, former bosses and clients, and recruiters.

Do Your Homework Before that Executive Job Interview!

Consider the following executive interview disaster scenario:

Jack submitted his carefully crafted executive resume as a candidate for his dream position and, to his delight, won an interview.

Sitting in the hiring executive's office, he is congratulating himself that this job interview has been going really well, and observes to the hiring manager on the other side of the desk: "I don't know what products your company makes or what markets it serves, but with my 15 years of award-winning sales and marketing management performance I'm positive that I can dramatically boost your revenues and profit margin."

Suddenly the air in the room seems to chill and Jack is baffled. From here on things go downhill. Jack is soon dismissed with a rather perfunctory "Don't call us, we'll call you."

What went wrong here?

Jack has made a cardinal job search mistake. He did not prepare for the interview by learning everything he reasonably could about the company, its industry, vision, products, markets, customers, issues and challenges, financial health, etc. Displaying this lack of knowledge to the interviewer, he was immediately eliminated from consideration. "After all," the interviewer thinks, "If he has that little interest in us, why should we be interested in him?"

Jack has committed a major faux pas and offended the potential employer. He has also put himself at a disadvantage in terms of his ability to sell his skills and the bottom line benefit he might bring to the company. He was totally unequipped to paint a picture of how what he has to offer is specifically matched to that company's needs.

Looking at this from another angle, why would Jack have interviewed with a company that he knew almost nothing about in the first place? None of us would make a major consumer purchase without researching different brands and their features and benefits. Choosing an employer is much more important than buying a car or refrigerator! The employer/employee relationship is a critical one in Jack's life: His current livelihood and future earnings, success, personal satisfaction, and ultimate career path will be greatly affected by the job choices he makes along the way. How does he know that this company is right for him if he hasn't taken the time to learn all he can about it?

How to Avoid the Disappointment Jack Experienced

We all shudder at what happened to Jack . It vividly illustrates the importance of gathering considerable knowledge about companies before interviewing with them. Yet one might wonder, "How can I best gather this information and avoid a scenario like the one above?"

The short answer is: Do your homework. Below you will find a sampling of the easiest and fastest ways to find the information needed to both evaluate a company's fit with your career needs and prepare yourself to ace that interview.

Leverage the Power of Search Engines

With the power of today's Internet search engines you have literally at your fingertips just about everything you could possibly want to know about any company you are considering.

Submit queries about the company to all three major search engines-Google, MSN, and Yahoo. Each will come up with different results to help you round out your picture. Though I would not categorize it strictly as a search engine, About.com can also be a great primary resource for research sites. Type in the phrase "Company Research" in the search box and you'll get over 9,600 results. "Company Information" brings up over 31,000.

A primary resource you will be looking for is of course the company's own commercial website. Plan to spend significant time reviewing it thoroughly, but don't stop there. Look at articles where the company has been mentioned and blog entries where it is discussed. (This is often a good way to learn less favorable facts about the company's dealings with its employees and also to gain insights into its corporate culture.) Review summaries about the company contained on the websites of Wall Street analysts, business periodicals, etc. Read analyses of their industries and markets to gain a perspective of the company's current and emerging challenges and opportunities.

* Access Web-Based Clearinghouses of Company Information

There are quite a variety of these sites, some free, some at fairly nominal cost, and others involving a hefty fee. You will find many by querying any search engine with phrases like "company information," "company profiles," etc. Here are a few of my favorites:

Hoovers has long been known as an excellent source for extensive company information, but be aware that a very limited portion of the information there is free.

Corporate Information provides free snapshot reports on all companies, and expanded information for a fee.

Vault provides basic company information for free, and expanded information with membership. The site also spotlights employers, features employee surveys, and provides ranking lists.

Forbes provides a variety of lists such as the 400 Best Big Companies, 200 Best Small Companies, Fastest-Growing Techs, Largest Private Companies, Global High Performers, and others.

Fortune/CNN similarly provides lists of the Fortune 500, Global 500, Best Companies to Work For, etc., with reports on them as well a s links to News, Analyses, Blogs, and Press Releases about them.

The Inc. 500 lists and briefly describes the nation's fastest-growing privately held companies.

Wetfeet supplies basic company profiles covering company history, business, profitability, and jobs, and offers expanded profiles with a subscription.

AnnualReports offers free and easy access to companies' annual reports.

* Use Your Library Card

Nowadays many larger library systems allow card holders remote access via the Internet, or you can find information the old -fashioned way by visiting the library in person and enlisting the assistance of the usually amazingly helpf ul research librarian.

Valuable resources to be found in the library include databases of periodical articles such as Onefile and Proquest, Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys, Mergent's company overviews, and a variety of business directories.

The New York Public Library has kindly published an online, printable guide to searching for company information that is available either in print or on the Web. You can access a copy at the NYPL website.

* Talk With People In The Know

Ask your family, friends, and acquaintances if they know anyone who works at the company. If you are lucky enough to identify one or more such treasure troves of information, interview them thoroughly to get an insider's perspective.

* Use Social Networking Sites to Learn About the Company

In the process of leveraging all of the above techniques, you will identify names of people who work for the company. With this information in hand, search for them on social networking sites such as ZoomInfo and LinkedIn, and read their profiles carefully. You will likely find there links to articles by or about them, their personal or business blogs, etc. You may even be able to strike up an acquaintance with one or more employees through such sites. Wouldn't it be great to arrive at the interview able to drop the names of a few people in the company?

Don't Be Like Jack

The bottom line is that it is so easy nowadays to find a wealth of information about a company you are considering or one that you are scheduled to interview with that there is just no good excuse not to do so! Shame on the candidate who shows up at the interview without substantial knowledge about the company whose representative is sitting on the other side of the desk!





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Executive Job Market Trends

Most executive search firms report that they have experienced a double-digit decline in search assignments during the first half of 2009 in comparison to the same period for 2008. According to a recent ExecuNet poll cited in their RecruitSmart Today newsletter, more than 33% say that they received 50% fewer assignments during the first 2 quarters, with the average dip being 27.4%.

On the other hand, demand appears to be increasing for CEOs, executives, and board of directors members with one important qualification: They can skillfully balance risk management while meeting revenue targets. If you can integrate the latest techniques and standards in risk management and deliver sales and growth at the same time, your talent is sought at a high premium. The need for executives and directors with financial acumen is also high. Recruitment of directors is expected to accelerate as the end of 2009 approaches, so that new board members are in place for annual meetings as 2010 opens.

Ironically, with the possibility of government and court intervention in executive employment contracts, the performance-based compensation contracts that are most common to those executives responsible for P&L or revenue generation are most in the crosshairs. Search firm Michael D. Zinn & Associates recently polled executives and found, not surprisingly, that twice as many who held responsibility in these areas were opposed to government involvement, and thus reluctant to change employers based on the concern their compensation agreements could be changed after the fact.

What does this mean for you when writing your executive resume or interviewing for a position? Be sure to emphasize any expertise and experience you have in risk management, driving sales and revenue growth, and financial control.





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Executives' Top 5 Career Search Tactics

A recent article in myResumeAgent's e-newsletter for job seekers explores the tactics used by today's executives in conducting a job search during the current steep global recession. Lauryn Franzoni of ExecuNet quotes statistics from ExecuNet's 2009 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report indicating that 71% of executives have updated their online networking profiles in the last 3 months, versus 60% who have updated their resume.

However, when asked about the most effective strategies, uploading resumes to online databases and maintaining online profiles trailed networking activities by a wide margin:

1. Networking (70%)
2. Responding to online job postings (14%)
3. Posting resume in online database (5%)
4. Maintaining an online profile (4%)
5. Researching target companies/cold calling (3%)

Ms. Franzoni wisely points out: "While it is clearly important to establish a positive Internet presence in this Digital Age, relying solely on an online profile to build mutual trust--a critical component in developing and maintaining an effective network online and off--is not a productive strategy. To be effective, online networking should be focused, targeted and coupled with in-person interactions designed to strengthen the connections with new and existing contacts."

Social networking sites offer a tremendous opportunity to showcase your accomplishments and expertise, build credibility, and to store and track your contacts. However, don't forget that it's still all about building and maintaining personal and professional relationships. Don't let "high tech" replace "high touch"!

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A Little Perspective Helps When Life Throws You a Punch

I've seen this story in a number of variations over the years, and it always helps to bring me some perspective when times are tough. Running across it again in the PARW Spotlight (one of my executive resume writing professional association newsletters) this morning, it really struck a chord as I witness my executive clients and potential clients in distress every day with the realities of the economy and job market. So, I reprint this story for you:

The Mayonnaise Jar and the Beers

Students began to file into the classroom. A physics professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, without saying a word, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He held up the mayonnaise jar filled to the top with golf balls and asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He then shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open spaces between the golf balls. He once again asked the students if the jar was full. Tentatively, they agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else and he again asked if the jar was full. This time the students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then, unexpectedly, produced two cans of beer from under the lectern and poured the entire contents into the jar - effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your faith, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your dreams… things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

“The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. You see, if you were to put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there would be no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are most important to you.

“So my message today is this: Identify and focus on the golf balls of your life – those few things that are most important to you; those few things that truly make you happy. Play with your children and don’t take their good health for granted. In fact, take time to get medical checkups and don’t neglect your own health. Take your partner out to dinner, snuggle, take a walk and hold hands. Don’t take for granted those things you actually take for granted – like your eyesight, your hearing and the fact that you can walk. Use these gifts of appreciation – the golf balls – to address and overcome life’s other adversities – the pebbles. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. Then with your values and priorities firmly established, you will better be able to address the challenges you have with the pebbles.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem or what adversities you might face - there’s always room for a couple of beers.”

Maybe Obama was thinking of this story when he scheduled his "Beer Summit"? Who knows? But you'll be happier and reduce the stress of hard economic times and an uncertain employment future if you focus first on the golf balls. Then sit down with your family and discuss how to best handle the pebbles. Develop a plan to manage your finances (or what's left of them) in this economy. Next, if a new job is required, get together a knock 'em dead executive resume and search strategy and launch your campaign with the confidence and peace of mind that having the golf balls in place will give you.

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Where the Executive Jobs Are

A recent ExecuNet poll of executive recruiters and search consultants reveals that they believe healthcare and green technology will be the industry sectors with the highest growth in executive and management jobs over the next six months. Other fields that are expected to afford significant opportunities are the life sciences, energy, and environmental. Hiring in retail, distribution, media, advertising, publishing, and entertainment is expected to be slow.

For more details, see ExecuNet's RecruitSmart newsletter.

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Should You List Your Street Address on Your Executive Resume?

An interesting topic has been under discussion on the NRWA's professional resume writers forum this week: Is it advisable to list or to exclude your street address on a resume, particularly one that is going to be posted to the Web on job or recruiter sites?

With the increasing incidence of identity theft nowadays, omitting at least part of your contact information would seem to be a wise move. Since e-mail and telephone are going to be the route taken by most recruiters or hiring executives to initiate contact with you, the street address becomes the obvious candidate for omission.

If you provide your city and state, or perhaps city, state, and zip, that should be sufficient to indicate your general geographic location. Some opt to omit only the actual street or box number, and still include the street name. It would seem that the danger of identity theft would increase as the level of detail given increases, so omitting even a small portion of the information is preferable to publishing all of your contact information in full for anyone to see.

One of my colleagues pointed out that if you include your full street address, an employer can look it up and find out the value of your home through zillow.com or the local tax assessor. They'll know when you bought your home, the annual taxes on it, and whether it's for sale. This info could easily be used in determining the amount of any salary offer to be made.

I see more and more resumes every day that list only city and state in an effort to safeguard privacy. Some list either a cell number or an e-mail address, but not both. However, I have also seen a fair number of executive resumes that include neither an e-mail address nor a phone number. This is not a wise move! Even if your resume is going to be circulated in an extremely limited fashion, at least some contact information is necessary in order for someone to interact easily with you regarding an opportunity.

To protect your privacy and avoid the annoyance of spam e-mail, you can obtain a special e-mail address that is exclusively for your job search from one of several free Internet providers (e.g., gmail, ymail, hotmail). You can also forward all e-mails to your primary address, avoiding the inconvenience of checking multiple e-mail accounts several times daily. (Speaking of e-mail addresses: Be sure your e-mail address is dignified, not frivolous, vulgar, or silly! Also that it does not indicate your political views or a non-traditional lifestyle!)

I do routinely recommend that work phone numbers be excluded from the resume, due to privacy considerations and the fact that including them can be considered poor business etiquette by both your current employer (risking your job!) and potential employers. Privacy considerations and the fact that you do not want your 3-year-old taking important job search messages also make it a good practice not to use your home phone number in your employment search materials.

This leaves your cell phone number. If you are greatly concerned about telemarketing calls on your cell, you could set up a separate cell phone number for your search. However, the question then arises of when or if to disconnect this number, since resumes often remain on file with recruiters and corporations for months or years.

The level of interest in this topic has been high. One member did note that she had asked the chief HR officer for a very large company about it, and he responded that they do like to know the candidate's city, state, and zip, but do not care at all about the street address. A survey of employers' views on the subject is contemplated in the near future. Once that is completed, I'll post a summary of the results here.

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Executive Job Interview Landmines

I've been reading a series of articles based on research a colleague Katherine Hansen has been conducting with great interest. The data she gathered regarding executive interview peeves of hiring decision-makers for her upcoming book Top Notch Executive Interviews is fascinating, and I am sure the book will be an excellent resource for executive job candidates.

I find it particularly amazing that anyone would actually DO pet peeve #11: "Candidate trashes former employers." Finger pointing, playing the victim, expressing anger or dislike of your previous employer -- no matter how justified -- is obviously going to be an immediate turnoff in an executive job interview! One would think that this is not rocket science, but it is apparently something of which even some very accomplished and seasoned executives seem to be unaware.

Among other turnoffs cited were lack of enthusiasm, a weak handshake, reeking of cigarettes, scripted responses that sound like they came from a book, and failure to provide good examples of skills and experience. One that is particularly disastrous for any executive candidate is inadequate knowledge of the prospective employer's history, mission, business practices, and industry challenges.

I'll be watching for the book to come out in October.

Still Not on the Social Media Bandwagon? Could Be a Big Mistake!

Up to now, I've frankly been exerting a somewhat half-hearted effort to use LinkedIn, and only just in the past week started to explore the potential of Facebook and Twitter. I intend to change that, and after what I've heard today, would encourage executives, professionals, and managers who want to proactively manage their careers to do the same.

For some highlights from a seminar I attended today exploring how you can leverage social media effectively in managing your career, see my post over at CareerHub.

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Video Resumes Not a Great Idea - Part Deux

As a followup to my recent post on video resumes, some information I just received today confirmed my growing conviction that they are an idea whose time has not yet come, and maybe never will.

A colleague and Certification Chair at the National Resume Writers Association Cliff Framer noted in his article in today's newsletter entitled "Video Resumes. Yea or Nay?" that when this question was recently asked on LinkedIn, the response was unanimous. Recruiters and HR respondents without exception replied with answers that could be summarized as "no way in Web 2.0 h**ell!" Issues noted included some of those I noted in my previous blog post, including slowness of viewing time, vulnerability to discrimination or the appearance thereof, and storage difficulties.

Then Cliff made another observation that I consider astute: Perhaps the biggest problem with this idea is that video resumes force the reader into a passive role, forcing information down the viewer's throat rather than allowing them to do what recruiters typically do--scan the resume quickly to find needed information and read between the lines. All the flashy thingies and interactive features that technies can come up with in a video or multimedia resume will never replace articulate and succinct expression of your value as a job candidate in a printable executive resume.

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Network, Network, Network to Uncover Job Opportunities!!

Nearly 40% of all positions filled within a company result from internal transfers or promotions, according to the latest Source of Hire Study from CareerXRoads. The study (8th in a series) also affirms once again that for the remaining hires originating from external sources, referrals from current and previous employees, customers, and vendors are the number one external source, accounting for 27.3%. Notably, job boards (excluding company sites) produce just 12.3% of external hires and seem to have reached their peak. The big boards such as Monster and Career Builder also seem to be losing ground to niche boards.

These facts make cultivating “insider” connections one of your best sources for job leads. With the implied endorsement from a trusted source that you have when referred to a company, you gain a great advantage over your competition. Not only are you most likely going to get an interview ahead of the pack, you are also an attractive candidate due to the fact payment to a recruiter may be partially or totally removed from the equation, substantially reducing the employer’s cost of hiring.

In a tough job market, proactively building your network is arguably your best strategy to identify and pursue a new job before hundreds or even thousands of others have beat you to the door.

What Does Your Resume File Name Say About You?

I received yet another executive resume for evaluation from a prospective client today with a filename that was not only nondescript--it consisted of jibberish characters! I routinely counsel my clients to make sure that they include their full name (last, first) in their resume file name, and to avoid cryptic language or information that is meaningless to a prospective employer or recruiter, or worse yet, could make an unfavorable impression.


With today's incident in mind, I encourage my readers to see my recent blog entry over at the CareerHub blog about the importance of Resume Filenames.

Recent Executive Job Trends by Industry and Position

Indeed.com has some really useful and informative features, not the least of which is their tool that tracks job trends by industry. Here are some recent stats from their site:

Industry -- Job Postings (Annual Change)
Accounting -- 123,813 (-34%)
Construction -- 59,571 (-35%)
Education -- 55,300 (+ 22%)
Financial Services and Banking -- 122,187 (-30%)
Healthcare -- 599,186 ( +4%)
Hospitality -- 56,128 (-25%)
Information Technology -- 405,057 (-29%)
Manufacturing -- 67,470 (-31%)
Media and Newspaper -- 19,044 (-38%)
Real Estate -- 19,590 (-52%)
Retail -- 310,241 (-26%)
Transportation -- 52,231 (-34%)

As far as employment prospects for executives by field of expertise are concerned, a recent ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence poll shows that the following are fields where recruiters see the greatest possibility for growth in executive hiring over the next six months:

Business Development -- 17.3%
Sales -- 15.0%
Engineering -- 10.4%
Operations Management (incl. supply chain, logistics, quality) -- 8.7%
Marketing -- 8.7%
Consulting -- 8.2%
Finance -- 7.9%
Research and Development -- 7.7%

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Are You a Detail-Oriented and Quality-Focused ‘Manger’?

I was amused to visit a couple of blogs recently that spotlight real resume blunders that not only are real but also no doubt really ruined many job candidates’ chances before their qualifications could be given due consideration. To add a little levity to your day, you may wish to check these sites out:

http://resumehell.blogspot.com/
http://nothired.com/

(From a cover letter on this site: “I will get the job done, and I will get bitter each day.”)

While we can all derive some entertainment from this, the fact of the matter is sobering: Most hiring executives and recruiters when asked how they react to typos and mistakes on the resumes they receive indicated that the resume would immediately find its way to the circular file.

A survey by OfficeTeam.com found that even a single resume typo could ruin your job prospects. The survey was conducted for OfficeTeam by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “How many typos in a resume does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position with your company?” Their responses:

One typo-----47%
Two typos -----37%
Three typos-----7%
Four or more typos-----6%
Don’t know/no answer-----3% Total: 100%

The title of my blog entry today showcases a blunder that I see at least once a week in resumes submitted by executives for my evaluation: the substitution of ‘manger’ for the word ‘manager’. Be very careful of this one, as it will slip right by your spell checker. A good strategy to use is to make a habit of doing a “search and replace” for common errors such as this in your document to be absolutely sure they do not slip past you and into the hands of the recruiter or hiring executive who stands between you and that dream position.

And just in case your face has been red at some point in your job search due to a misspelled word or other mistake, you can gain some comfort from the fact that those on the other side of the hiring table are not immune. A recent discussion among my colleagues in the Career Management Alliance spotlighted just a couple of blunders in position announcements. One colleague encountered this gem:

“Must be detailed oriented.”

Another resume writer pointed out her favorite from a sample posting provided to her by a client. The ad stated that since the organization was a non-profit, “salary will be commiserate with…” She observed, “Now maybe they really did mean ‘commiserate’, but somehow I doubt it .”

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ZOOM Your Way to Visibility with Recruiters

In addition to active participation on business/social networking sites such as LinkedIn as part of their online identity strategy, savvy executives will wish to ensure that the informal "resume" compiled for them on the ZoomInfo site represents them well. Employers are increasingly sourcing candidates through this online information resource that compiles data on millions of individuals and companies. For more information on this, see my CareerHub blog post: "Can You Zoom Your Way to a New Job?"

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Are Video Resumes the Next Must-Have for Executives?

There has been a lot of talk recently in newsletters I follow and among my colleagues in various career professional associations regarding the pros and cons of video resumes. It also seems that at least every few weeks I receive an advertisement from some firm that offers video resume development services, touting them as the next must-have for employment candidates. But what is the reality?

In answer to a subscriber question, Nick Corcodilos of Ask the Headhunter recently responded regarding whether he thinks video resumes are a good idea. In addition to giving several sound reasons why they may not be, he also observes that those who are promoting them, including the media, are generally doing it because they see the phenomenon as something that could potentially yield them substantial revenues. They are not publishing genuine news articles, but most often what could be called “advertorials.”

Nick’s conclusion? “Should you submit a video resume? I promised you two reasons why not. Managers hate reading resumes. Do you think they're going to settle in for the afternoon to watch you and 200 other 'with it' applicants on video? And what about the human resources department? Video resumes create a trail of potential discrimination based on how you look. If you’re going job hunting, don’t put yourself on camera.”

Despite all the hype in the media, there is little convincing evidence that video resumes work. MSNBC.com observed, “Experts point out that video resumes rarely play a big role in the hiring process. Some hiring managers don't even care to watch them." And we all remember the story of Aleksey Vayner, whose video resume made him a laughingstock on Wall Street and YouTube. A year after his video resume made its big splash, he was still searching for a job.

Vault.com conducted an online survey last year of 300 employer members, which indicated that 58% of respondents would view a video resume from mere curiosity, while 31 percent thought it would be valuable in considering job applicants. The legal ramifications made 15% nervous, with the biggest concern of legal departments being the potential for discrimination (or the appearance of discrimination).

Recognizing this issue, the EEOC developed and launched E-RACE (Eradicating Racism and Colorism from Employment), in February 2007. Advice for employers includes taking into account that not all of us perform well on camera, and that this does not necessarily correspond to job performance. It was also recommended to install filters prior to viewing—enumerating objective criteria associated with the job opening to be evaluated. Thirdly, the video resume should be viewed only after careful evaluation of all other documents received in connection with the application.

A recent Career Management Alliance E-Bridge points out that less than 25% of employers are willing to accept video resumes, according to a July survey by staffing services firm Robert Half International. A whopping 58 percent assert that they definitely do not want them. The remaining 18 percent are unsure what they would do with a video submission.

Complaints about video resumes include:

> They take too much time to view, while a standard resume requires only seconds to scan.

> There is a great risk of problems regarding legal compliance in the area of employment discrimination, due to seeing the appearance of a candidate before even thoroughly reviewing their qualifications.

> The record-keeping required could be extremely burdensome. Since all information considered in the hiring process can be asked for by the EEOC, recruiters and companies would have to archive all of the video resumes they received, consuming a tremendous amount of electronic data storage space.

Overall, the consensus seems to be that there is lukewarm response to video resumes, and that they are long, long way from either substituting for a traditional resume or becoming a must-have accessory.

That being said, there are situations where it may be appropriate to create a video profile, not as a rehash of what appears in your print/electronic document resume but as an adjunct to it that absolutely shines with personality, trumpets your brand, and puts forth a clear value proposition – a business case – for why your audience needs to get in touch with you personally.

It would also appear that it may be a good idea to get used to the idea of being on camera when you are looking for a job. The use of video in recruiting is becoming popular among HR professionals and recruiters. Video-on-demand interviewing requires the candidate to record answers to interview questions and e-mail the resulting file to those making the hiring decisions to be viewed at their convenience. There is great appeal for this method, as it saves on travel expenses and time, and expands the potential candidate pool to essentially anywhere in the world that a video can be recorded.

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Don't Be a Victim of the Executive Marketing Rackets

Around once a year I have seen enough additional examples of executive marketing firm rip-offs that I find myself compelled to write another article on the subject.

Over more than 30 years in the career services profession, I have spoken with numerous executives and senior managers who have fallen prey to unscrupulous career marketing firms making outlandish promises about how, for a substantial fee, they will provide them with access to the hidden job market and unadvertised job listings. They promise to do this by using their exclusive network of contacts in hiring companies or by blanketing the corporate world with their resume in a completely untargeted fashion. I have spoken with executives who paid large sums--often $10,000 to even $25,000 or more--and received essentially nothing, except in most cases a very poorly written resume. In just the past several weeks, I have spoken with several very unhappy executives who had been ripped off in this fashion.

These scam artists are constantly reinventing themselves when the consumer outrage mounts, the authorities begin to take notice, and legal action begins. They will often reappear down the street or in a new city city under a different name, many times with the same owners. In fact, one way to quickly eliminate such a firm from consideration is to Google the owners' names and look at all the bad press they have left in their wake. Some names that have generated considerable notoriety in this regard are Bernard Haldane, McKenzie Scott, and WSA Corporation.

You may ask: How can I distinguish a legitimate career services/career marketing firm from a racketeer? After all, most resume writing firms (including mine) offer additional job search services to help their clients maximize the effectiveness of the self-marketing documents they have created. Here are a few characteristics of a legitimate firm:

* Fees charged are reasonable compensation for actual services rendered.

* The firm is willing to provide legitimate, verifiable references from its clients.

* If they "place" candidates (function as recruiters), they will also provide names and contact information for companies where they have done so.

* You as the job seeker remain the owner and architect of your job search; no claims are made that the firm will find you a job. If they do make such a claim, there is a money-back guarantee effective within a specified period of time that does not require you to meet virtually impossible requirements to qualify for it.

* No representations are made of exclusive access to executive opportunities or hiring decision makers; rather advice about effective strategies and tactical assistance are offered to help you identify and access those opportunities and decision makers.

The characteristics of the executive career marketing racketeer will of course be the exact opposite of the above.

I also wanted to mention a a new breed of career services firm that has emerged in the last several years that call themselves "executive agents" or "career agents." Where a headhunter works on the demand side for talent (filling companies' orders), the career or executive agent works on the supply side, representing the candidate. These agents attempt to determine the marketable value of the executive, to define a campaign strategy, and to position the executive to the market. Once they have "packaged" the client, the presentations to companies and headhunters begin. These firms are few in number, and typically represent only high-profile CEOs, senior executives on the CEO fast track, turnaround experts, high-power attorneys and consultants, and cutting-edge technology experts.

Executive agency could develop into a viable model, but the field is so new and there are no standards, track record, established ethics, etc., to point to. Just as would be the case with a movie star, athlete, or recording artist, you will be 100% dependent on the skills and ethics of your agent. You will have relinquished responsibility for your own career management, generally an inadvisable thing to do, in my opinion. Fees are usually substantial, and often involve a percentage of salary and bonuses--on an ongoing basis. So if you are considering hiring an executive agent, thorough due diligence would be imperative.

What actually prompted me to write this today was an article by Nick Corcodilos, entitled "How Much Would You Pay for a Job?" As with all of his columns that expose the executive marketing rackets, he is right on target. Dave Opton of ExecuNet also provides some valuable tips in his article on executive marketing firms featured on CIOUpdate.com. Execcareer.com used to be an excellent resource for sorting out the scams, but the site was long ago taken down under threat of multi-million dollar lawsuits from the same executive career firms who are constantly cited by job seekers as fraudulent and/or unethical. You can still view how the site appeared in previous years through the Wayback Machine, a site that archives everything that appears on the Web. Mark Swarz also has some excellent observations in his article at Workopolis.com.

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24-Hour Job Search Advice: JobRadio.fm

I was alerted to a great new career and job search resource this morning by a recruiter in my network, Chris Russell. Recently launched by veteran podcasters Chris Russell and Peter Clayton, it is an Internet-based radio station devoted exclusively to job search and career-related topics—JobRadio.fm.

They stream live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After just an hour or so of listening in, I can say I would recommend it for executives and professionals actively seeking a new job and also for anyone looking to keep up to date on what’s going on in the employment market. In just a short period of time, I heard tips about how to leverage the Internet in your executive job search, use networking to find your next job, find greater satisfaction in your career, and more. In addition to being a resource for ideas, the upbeat programming could help to mitigate the inherent loneliness of job search and provide encouragement when your search has you frustrated.

I’ve already gleaned ideas and reference material for several blog posts, which I’ll be putting up in the near future. In the meantime, I encourage you to check it out.

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Virtual versus Real World Job Search: Which is Better?

Recent Weddles research has found that more than 25% of all jobs are now filled over the Internet (and they speculate that far more could be found that way if targeted online search techniques were used).Their recent survey generated more than 17,000 responses that identified these top 5 strategies in order of how the respondent actually found their last job:

- Searching listings on job boards and/or archiving their resume on those sites;
- A tip from a friend (or what most of us call networking in the real world - can occur online or off);
- Reading ads published in a print newspaper;
- A call from a headhunter; and
- Being referred by an employee of the company (also a form of networking).

Notice that 3.5 of these are actually are offline strategies and account for most of the jobs found.

Notice also that at least 3 of these can involve some sort of networking.

Recent research conducted on behalf of Risesmart by Kelton Research shows that the majority of job seekers are spending massive amounts of time in online job search--upwards of 50 hours per month, to be exact. However, all of those hours invested do not necessarily translate into job search success.

In discussing online job search, a recent Weddles newsletter article stated, "You can visit the first job boards that come to mind and that step will certainly give you a check mark in the box labeled "Use Job Boards." It will not, however, ensure you see the best employment opportunities for you. To achieve that outcome, you must do your homework and determine which job boards typically post the greatest number of the kinds of jobs you want at the salary level you can command. Invest your time and effort at those sites, and you are much more likely to reap a real and significant return in job opportunities for which you are qualified."

In other words, activity alone does not mean success; it's the quality of that activity that counts.

On the other side of the recruitment table, executive recruiters are increasingly using online networks (social and professional) to connect with candidates. LinkedIn in particular is actively pursuing affinity relationships with talent management professionals, and the list of sites seeking to develop these relationships is growing rapidly. A recent ExecuNet survey showed that 45.7% of recruiters use online networks to generate referrals to potential candidates and 39.1% to actually engage with those candidates.

My takeaway on this is that job boards and online networking are definitely tools you want in your job search toolkit, but be careful not to let online activities dominate your search strategy to the exclusion of other traditional and proven methods. As the Weddles site points out, "The Internet is a very seductive place. Its vast array of resources and very engaging format can be hard to turn off. But turn it off, you must. As capable as the virtual world is, it is not the one and only answer to employment. It cannot be your one stop shop for finding a job."

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Ways That Recruiters Leverage Online Networks to Source Candidates

A recent ExecuNet newsletter discussed the results of recent research that indicates executive recruiters are making more extensive use every day of both social and professional online networks such as LinkedIn to expand their networks and open new avenues for sourcing candidates. There are a number of groups on LinkedIn that cater to recruiters and human resource professionals, and the list is growing rapidly.

ExecuNet's research provides some interesting insights into how specifically recruiters are using these networks:

45.7% use their online network connections to generate referrals to potential candidates.
39.1% use them to engage potential candidates.
15.2% use them for purposes of business development.

The take home? Nearly half of recruiters are actively using online networks to source candidates. If you are an executive who strives to proactively manage your career, it's definitely time for you to make your presence known in the online community.

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Executives Finding Jobs Faster

ExecuNet recently released research indicating that the average time for an executive job search has been declining steadily since 2004. For executives at director level and above, candidates reported that it is taking approximately 9.5 months on average to obtain a new position, versus the high mark of 12.8 months in 2004.

On a related note, ExecuNet's 2008 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report found that for the third year in a row the South/Southeast and West Coast regions of the country have produced the most senior management jobs. The Mid-Atlantic region (especially Washington, DC), which had placed third as recently as 2006 now does not even appear in the top 5 regions. Following the South/Southeast and West Coast are the Southwest (including Texas), Midwest, and Northeast/New England.

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What to Expect from Recruiters

When you forward your resume to recruiters you know or send it via e-mail to a targeted group of recruiters you have identified, you may get one or more calls immediately, or you may experience total silence--at first. A former internal recruiter in a professional forum that I participate in indicates that she held on to resumes of quality candidates for one or two years or even longer, waiting for a job requisition to come up that was a match. I have personally had numerous clients and friends who received calls months or years later from a recruiter, many times resulting in an exciting career move. So liberally plant those seeds; you never know when one will sprout.

On a related note, while statistics generally quoted say that recruiters fill just one to three percent of jobs, when you restrict the universe to high-level management and executive jobs, that picture changes. Think about it: If you were to suddenly vacate your current position, what would be one of the first steps your company would likely take to start the search for a replacement? More than likely, they would retain a recruiting firm.

Social Networking Sites Are "In" with Those "In the Money"

A recent ExecuNet newsletter cites results from a Luxury Institute Wealth Survey revealing that "60 percent of wealthy Americans with an average income of $287,000/year and net worth of $2.1 million participate in online social networks, compared to just 27 percent a year ago." It was found that on average they had joined about 2.8 networks. Affluent individuals with $300,000 or more in annual income were even more avid participants, belonging to 3.4 social sites. If successful people are this enamored with online networking, it bears our attention.

There are 100 or more social networking sites, some purely for recreation and personal socializing, and others dedicated to professional or business interaction. (For a list of notable sites, visit Wikipedia.)

Computer World did an analysis recently comparing the features and advantages of the two most prominent sites, LinkedIn and Facebook. They formulated 6 business scenarios to solve, and assigned writers to compare results on Facebook and LinkedIn. As might be expected, each site excelled in different areas, and neither was the clear overall winner. Scenarios tested include Looking for a Job Without Your Boss Knowing, Finding Information about a Job You're Interviewing For (LinkedIn was the winner in both of these), Solicit Ideas and Discussion from Team Members (Facebook won this one hands-down), and Keeping Track of Former Associates (yielded a tie).

So which site is best, and should you join more than one? There are so many, but for professional and business purposes, LinkedIn seems to be winning the war for members right now. I encourage my executive clients to maintain a LinkedIn profile as part of their ongoing professional networking as well as for building a digital signature. A web presence is becoming increasingly important in job search, as candidates are commonly googled--often before a recruiter or hiring manager initiates the first contact.

In executive circles, it seems to be almost an assumption now that you maintain a profile on LinkedIn. Adding to its utility for career management and job search is its recent integration into the Simply Hired job search engine, as pointed out by Louise Fletcher in a recent Career Hub blog post. What could possibly be more convenient? You search for a job, and then click on a button to find out who in your LinkedIn network may have an "in" at that company. Although Facebook has recently moved from being strictly a social tool to a business tool as well, it seems to be the preferred platform for social interation with family and friends. Its wider range of services and third party applications concern employers as a likely distraction for their workers.

While online networking is an increasingly important part of an overall career management strategy, one thing to watch for is devoting too much time to joining every "hot" new site with a flashy interface, maintaining your profiles, building your contact lists, and interacting with your networks. As with most things in life, there is a danger of "too much of a good thing." The ExecuNet article highlighted a Global Secure Systems estimate that employers in the UK lose 3 weeks per year of work time on employees' social networking activities during business hours.

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Are You Over the Job Market Hill?

A concern frequently expressed by my executive clients and prospects is regarding the age factor. Many fear that they are going to be subject to age discrimination as early as age 40, and either be let go by a current employer in favor of a younger hire or passed over by potential employers who want fresh, young talent that they can mold in the company’s approach and methods. Just this afternoon, I spoke with a dynamic young executive who was concerned that his age at 45 was going to close the doors to many opportunities.

A recent Herman Trend Alert explores the age issue, with news that I think should provide some encouragement to job seekers who fear they may be “over the hill.”

Approximately one million people reach age 60 each month, and as the baby boomer generation ages, it is estimated that the number of workers in the U.S. between the ages of 55 and 64 will increase by more than 50% by 2010. With life expectancy now at 77 and many enjoying better health during their increased longevity, many more people are staying in the workforce long past the traditional retirement age of 65. This is driven in good part by boomers’ realization of the potentially high health care costs they face as they age and the fact that many have insufficient savings to fund a lengthy retirement.

Both government and industry do appear to be waking up to this reality, with AARP observing that an increasing number of major employers and government agencies are actively seeking to hire candidates 50 years plus. The wealth of experience and skills that older workers can bring to a workplace are seen as increasingly valuable, as well as their maturity of judgment, stability, and turnover rates lower than typical of younger workers.

It would seem that employers' increasing interest in and appreciation of these older workers combined with the smaller pool of talent in the “baby bust” generation cannot help but benefit those workers in their 40s and 50s by altering perceptions of exactly when one makes that trek “over the hill.” According to an AARP-commissioned report from last year cited by Workforce Management, "Replacing an experienced worker of any age can cost 50 percent or more of the individual's annual salary in turnover-related costs, with increased costs for jobs requiring specialized skills, advanced training or extensive experience--qualifications often possessed by 50-plus workers." That’s a powerful financial incentive to keep aging workers on the payroll.

Unless You're a Purple Squirrel, Update Your Online Resume!

"Purple squirrel" is recruiter-speak for a candidate whose qualifications are rare and for which a recruiter can charge a higher fee to the company due to the difficulty of the search. When sourcing candidates, recruiters will look first at resumes posted in the last 1 to 2 weeks and will generally not look at older resumes, unless they are searching for that elusive purple squirrel.

Looking at it from the recruiter's perspective, you can understand why this is so. Recruiters are playing the odds, and they cannot afford to waste time contacting candidates who have already found a job or for some other reason are no longer in the job market. Time is money, and this is particularly so in the recruiting profession.

The take home on this? If you have posted your resume online, be sure to tweak or otherwise refresh it at least once a month, preferably every two weeks. Otherwise it will effectively become invisible to most recruiters, like those billboards you see on the highway that have become blocked by overgrown trees.

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Beware of "Career Marketing" Predators

Recently the topic of career marketing firms came up as I was talking with one of my executive clients, who indicated he had been contacted by several and wasn't sure what to think. He said, "I was contacted by Bernard-Haldane, McKenzie-Scott, and Montgomery-Gray Associates. They all have the exact same tactic. Fear. They build fear about the career situation, tell you the resume is horrible and then they have the answer."

After I e-mailed him my thoughts on the subject, he observed, "I did my research on ExecuNet and the horror stories were in parallel to what you have said. You must publish [this], because it is exactly how I felt." So reprinted below are some things executive candidates will want to consider before engaging a career marketing firm:

"It's important to realize that these firms are NOT recruiters. They are retail outtplacement or direct mail firms. I receive inquiries from many clients about this type of firm and have always advised them to be very cautious and make sure exactly what you are getting for your money before signing any contracts. I've accumulated a number of horror stories over the years. I have yet to work with a client who felt the $5,000, $10,000, or more spent for one of these types of marketing services was well spent.

60 minutes and other news outlets have done multiple exposés over the years. I have had clients come to me defeated and depressed after having spent as much as $25,000 (yes, that's 3 zeroes) on "marketing campaigns" with not a single response. The quality of the delivery of the services is highly variable from firm to firm and market to market.

You may want to consider the following fact: A recruiter will get from 20 to 33% of a candidate's first year salary as a commission for placement. This is industry standard. If a candidate is worth say $100K a year, then he's worth a potential $20,000 to $33,000 in commission. If he or she is worth $200K, that’s a $40K to $66K commission. So why don't these firms just go after the real cash for placement? I mean, if they know where the jobs are, then they should know where the money is.

Some very savvy clients have asked me about these services, flattered at being contacted and mistakenly thinking these were high caliber recruiting firms eager to represent and place them. I have also had clients for whom I've prepared excellent resumes meet with them, only to have their professionally prepared resume ripped to shreds. Fortunately, they have enough confidence in what I've done for them to see through this tactic. I've also re-written many resumes for clients who had inferior, boilerplate 1-page resumes or "marketing letters" prepared by such firms and then spent well into 4 or even 5 figures having themselves "marketed" (mass mailing), for little or no response.

Career marketing scams are not new, but the number of complaints against these companies has increased dramatically in recent years. A quick search on Google will verify this fact. If anyone promises you that they have access to "the hidden job market" and to "hiring decision-makers" that will allow you to bypass normal job interviewing processes, run, do not walk away. It is well known that any legitimate recruiter will be paid by the company, not the candidate.

The Web has info and resources for people who have been burned by career marketing firms and executive marketing firms, also called retail outplacement or advance-fee placement firms. There are discussion groups for well-known firms such as Bernard Haldane, McKenzie Scott, and ProSavvy. Complicating the issue is that the most aggressive of the career marketing firm scammers continually morph into new companies and change their names to escape the bad press and law enforcement interest they have generated.

The appeal of a firm that tells you they will do all the marketing for you and find you a fantastic new job is obvious. However, the reality of job search is that it is work, takes time, and that there are no guarantees even for the most qualified person with the best resume in the world. For higher level positions, the standard formula for many years has been that it takes approximately one month per $10K of expected salary for the search, and although that has thankfully decreased somewhat in the current market, it is still not far off the mark.

Candidates who actively build and heavily leverage a professional network in their search are generally the ones who land a new position most quickly, as well as those who pursue a variety of approaches to the search (traditional and e-networking, cultivating recruiter contacts, efficient use of job boards, researching and individually contacting a selected group companies of interest to them, etc.), rather than depending on one avenue.

You'd think I don't have a very good opinion of career marketing firms, wouldn't you ;-)? All of this is certainly not to say that there are no reputable firms out there. I would just be very circumspect before agreeing to work with one. If you decide to go with one of these services, I strongly urge you to get in writing exactly what they will provide for the money, and especially the terms for a refund. You should have a contact assigned to you and should deal with that person exclusively. That person should be reasonably accessible. You should inquire about their contacts and track record in your career field. And ask if they will prorate the fee if you find a job quickly on your own."

Following are just a few articles and resources that provide further information on career marketing scammers. (Beware that there are some pretty unhappy consumers commenting on some of these sites, and their language may be offensive.) If you do a quick Google search, you will find much more information.

http://www.rileyguide.com/scams.html http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/teeth20031013.htm http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/gv010822.htm http://www.pissedconsumer.com/consumer-reviews/employment-agencies/mckenzie-scott-complaint--employment-services-2007040196582.html

There is also quite a bit of commentary and discussion in the blogosphere, such as the following: http://randomconvergence.blogspot.com/2006/03/rest-of-mckenzie-scott-saga.html

Please understand that I do not personally endorse what is said on any of these sites and that I have not personally had a bad experience with any of these firms. However, I feel that the consistent negative experiences related to me by clients and prospective clients over many years, input from numerous career transition professionals in my network, along with articles written by career experts whom I consider reputable and reliable make it incumbent on me to make sure my executive clients are aware of the potential dangers out there.

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Free Career Networking E-Book

CareerHub, a group careers blog I co-author, has released a series of free eBooks featuring advice from some of the country's top career experts.

The latest is on networking--which is a valuable skill whether you are currently in the job market or happily employed. As one of several co-authors of this eBook, I know that it contains valuable information from the first page to the last.

If you'd like to grab your copy of this or one or more of the other free titles, just click below and download the PDF--no sign-up required.

LINK: http://careerhub.typepad.com/main/2007/04/free_job_search.html

Happy reading!

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Is the Online Networking Craze All It's Cracked Up to Be?

All the buzz in career professional circles these days seems to be around the emergence of online or virtual networking through social and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Ryze. I've attended several seminars on the subject, and read new articles almost daily about the phenomenon.

Is online networking something that you as an executive need to be involved in as part of your career management strategy? All the statistics seem to show that career transition and advancement for the executive is most likely going to occur through networking or referral, so taking advantage of the ability to network in cyberspace seems like a "no brainer."

For more on this topic, see my recent post on the CareerHub blog: Virtual Networking: Does It Live Up to the Hype?

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Executive Job Search Length Shrinking

According to ExecuNet, now may be the best time in the last 15 years for executives to launch a search for a new position. Their 1992 survey results showed that on average 13 months were required to land a new job, and the situation seemed to be approximately the same as of 2004. For quite some time it has been the conventional wisdom that an executive could expect to wait at minimum one month for every $10,000 of annual compensation, which of course for the $120K executive meant a long year of searching and for the $300K+ executive painted a pretty discouraging picture.

Executives can take heart, because the trend appears to be on a downswing. According to ExecuNet research, “it now takes under 10 months to find comparable positions” for high earners at director level and above. With a tightening employment market where the candidate seems to have taken the driver’s seat and companies seem to be losing their fascination with young hotshots and waking up to the value of baby boomers, your prospects appear brighter than they have in some time. Now may be the time to start working that network and circulating your executive resume.

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Top 10 Online Job Sites

Are you using the Web as just one item (I hope) in your comprehensive executive job search toolkit? If so, the following rankings of the most popular websites gathered by Weddles will interest you. These are the sites gaining the most user votes as of July 15, 2007, the halfway mark for the upcoming 2008 list. Note that they are in alphabetical order, not rank order:

Absolutely Health Care
AllHealthcareJobs.com
craigslist
Dice
ExecuNet
Monster
6FigureJobs.com
TheLadders.com
VetJobs
Yahoo! HotJobs

For the complete list of the Top 30 from the previous survey, see Weddles 2007 User's Choice Awards.

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How Recruiters Treat the Resume You Send

Wondering what happens to your resume when you e-mail it to an executive recruiter as part of a job search campaign?

Contrary to long-standing conventional wisdom, many recruiters are actually more receptive to receiving unsolicited resumes than used to be the case, and they do generate some good responses. Most will at least give your message a quick look and decide whether it holds potential immediate interest for them or at least may be something they'll want to keep in their files for possible future reference. Of course, there are still many who will ignore any resume received in this manner, preferring to source their candidates through networking or their own research.

ExecuNet's 15th Annual Job Market Intelligence Report offers the following statistics showing the shift in recruiter attitudes in the past 15 years:

Then/Now:

Selectively Respond: 45%/75%
Answer All: 24%/8%
Do Not Respond: 21%/3%
Other (such as postcard) 10%/15%

You can see that a large proportion do selectively respond, which tells me that (1) You want to make sure your e-mail message and resume are attention-getters, (2) Since most do at least briefly review the resume, lack of an immediate response does not mean all is lost--yours may be in the reserve-for-future-consideration pile, (3) It is to your advantage to actively network with recruiters when you DON'T need them for your own job search, so your name will be familiar and your resume welcome when you send it.

What Strategies Really Work in Executive Job Search?

I continually advise my clients that it is important to use a variety of strategies and resources in conducting an executive employment search, as one never knows from which source that great opportunity will arise. But as I work with my executive resume clients, they frequently ask me which in my experience are the most productive methods.

Conventional wisdom has it that networking is the way most executive opportunities are identified, with estimates that jobs found in this fashion account for anywhere from 30% to 60% of hires. Recruiters generally place candidates for about 20% of executive positions, so it is definitely worthwhile and relatively inexpensive to get yourself on their radar screens. Posting your executive resume or submitting it in response to publicly posted job openings in newspapers or on career sites such as ChiefMonster, SixFigureJobs, CareerJournal, ExecuNet, ExecutiveRegistry, Netshare, or RiteSite is also a relatively inexpensive route that produces about 10% of filled positions.

Then there is direct mail. Direct mail has received a bit of a bad rap in recent years, due to the plethora of mass mailing firms out there that indiscriminately blast poorly prepared one-page resumes to companies with no selectivity whatsoever and with a dead-giveaway, cookie-cutter look that often includes postage applied by postage meter.

However, according to Mark Hovind, owner of "JobBait.com" (a targeted direct mail house for executives), a high-quality, custom-prepared direct mailing to a carefully selected group of CEO's of companies in your field of interest can yield up to an 85% success rate when 3,000 letters are sent for each hundred thousand dollars in salary. Mr. Hovind says that from his experience direct mail is the most expensive but least time-consuming strategy. A direct mail campaign in this quantity at various vendors runs between $5,310 and over $13,000.

(Note: Many career experts say this strategy may not work as well for someone seeking a CEO position, since most mailings target the existing CEO, whose job you would be seeking. However, see a contrary view below this post.)

For executives with salaries in the $100,000 to $1M+ range, you can see that direct mail costs add up very quickly based on Mr. Hovind's formula. Still, for those with deep pockets who really have little network to work with and are not willing or able to build one, targeted direct mail to companies may indeed be a viable way to go.

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Postscript added 7/23/2007:

Mr. Hovind at JobBait.com commented to me via email recently that he does not concur that direct mail is ineffective for the CEO's job search. He makes the point that a CEO at a smaller company may very well be looking for a successor in order to move on or retire, for instance. Also, for those of you who are CEOs of smaller companies, perhaps contacting the Board Chairman of target companies could be fruitful, and you might well fit in as a Division President or COO of a larger company.

Some executives cannot afford to wait through the typical lead time for executive-level search (some say this averages a month for each $10K of income, meaning someone at $200K could have a 20-month search). In this case, accelerating the job search to conclude within 90 days with a $5K to $15K investment in direct mail may well be worthwhile. Here are your 90-day odds of success as stated on the JobBait.com site:

85% with Classic Direct Mail
30% with Networking
1% with Recruiters
1% with Resume Posting
1% with Job Boards

Lastly, Mr. Hovind mentions contacting money brokers (venture capital firms, investment bankers, etc.), which is a target audience I have long recommended my clients pursue (including my CEO clients). I recommend you visit his site at JobBait.com and see what you think. After all, the proactive executive candidate evaluates all options and pursues a variety of strategies that suit his or her particular situation.

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Job Search for the CEO

Once you have reached the top of the heap, the dynamics of employment search do undergo some changes. While you will still want to circulate your resume among a select group of retained recruiters and monitor online resources for opportunities, the opportunities are fewer and parties on both sides of the table are necessarily more selective than for lower level executives. At this level, "Who You Know" becomes not simply an important factor, but a critical one.

An interesting fact about working with headhunters, especially at this level, is that oftentimes they already have a short list of potential candidates that their client has indicated interest in - they already know about these candidates but want the headhunter to handle the transaction. This makes the strategy outlined below even more important, because it will go a long way to making sure you are on the radar screens of both recruiters and the clients they serve.

You certainly cannot contact the CEO of a company that has captured your interest and inform him that you'd like to take his job away! The people you really want to talk to are the Board, but it can be difficult to get contact information for these individuals, who understandably do not want to be bothered with many inquiries. So what do you do?

Your approach must be made in a roundabout way. You will want to zero in on individuals who have influence with and work with or service that Board. This includes bankers, accounting firms, venture capitalists, attorneys, and others. Developing these insider contacts is critical to your strategy.

The time you invest in developing these contacts is well worth it and may pay dividends in unexpected ways. Both the board members themselves and those who work with and serve them have inside knowledge of and access to a variety of companies. They may very well put you in the running for an opportunity of which you were unaware and with a great company you had not even considered.

As always in networking, leverage the contacts you do have to establish communications, and avoid where at all possible "cold call" contacts. You want to be able to say "so and so suggested that I contact you" when you are writing that letter, sending that e-mail, or making that phone call.

Another good resource are venture capitalists, especially for candidates who thrive in start-up, entrepreneurial, or turnaround environments. You can develop contacts with them through the network you are building. A selective direct mail campaign to this audience can also yield results. You'll also want to find out where and when events that attract venture capitalists will be held in your area, and be there to meet and greet.

Work/Life Balance: High-Power Executives Need a Break, Too

In a recent Herman Trend Alert, it was noted that it is becoming increasingly common to take a "sabbatical" from work, and the forecast is that increasing numbers of men and women at all levels in their careers will opt to take a break from their careers for periods ranging from 2 months to a year or more. I believe that our heightened awareness post-911 of just how fragile life is and the greater focus on what really matters in our lives that grows out of that awareness will drive this trend.

The article notes that "Some executives are now negotiating such time off as part of their compensation arrangements when they are recruited." Taking time out to care for elderly parents, pursue that degree, realize your dream of global travel, write a book, turn your beloved hobby into a business, or just refresh your mind and body – all of these can be excellent reasons for such a break. Executives in career transition may wish to consider this option in career planning, bearing in mind the well-worn but oh-so-true cliche – "You can't take it with you."