Happy 2013! Start the year with action!
It is hard to believe - we are starting week #3 of 2013. As an executive search firm, we see a flurry of activity from job seekers at the end of any calendar year. It is almost as if they need to get some level of activity started in the 'current' year so they 'start' to reach out. (Did they need to check something off a list before year end?) I'm going to recommend a different strategy - starting the new year this way instead!
ExecuNet e-mail - 12/21/12
While this Blog entry focuses on starting 2013 in an active mode, I want to refer back to an e-mail I received through ExecuNet on December 21st. The title was Six No-Fail Executive Job Search Tactics. Here are the six sub-titles with my (brief) thoughts for each:
- Don't waste energy fretting over the news - I once had a CEO mention to me that watching the news was depressing. My comment to her - stop watching! We can't personally control macroeconomic trends. We can't control Congress/Washington (they have trouble controlling themselves). We can control what we do. If you are a news junkie (as I am), control how much you watch and where you watch it. Make your own news by going out and acting positively with your own agenda. The macro news won't change, but your personal outcome will.
- Stop playing job board lotto - everyone that is actively OR passively looking for a job checks the job boards. It feels like a solid/concrete action. The problem - everyone does it so openings get hundreds of responses. It becomes a resume writing contest with the winner having more keywords than anyone else. The most productive activity in job search is networking. Take the same time you spend on boards and redirect it. The ROI on your activity will be much higher.
- Start acting like you are valuable - when you talk about what you have accomplished for your past or current employer, you see the impact you have on the bottom line. Write your resume in accomplishment terms and you will start speaking about your value. (Only speaking in terms of responsibilities makes you sound like you are reading a job description - and no one wants you to read them a job description.)
- Make insider contacts - I commonly ask people in transition if they have a company target list. The answers are usually (1) NO or (2) yes. The 'yes' is usually a list of 10 large well-known companies that everyone has on their list. There are thousands of companies in this market (Twin Cities) and identifying them is the first step. Through networking (live connections or LinkedIn), you should be able to make meaningful connections to people on a larger target list. It is worth the time.
- Invest in relationships - invest is the operative word here. Invest implies a long-term strategy. Your actions should not be viewed as a one-time event; actions are a long-term venture.
- Control the interview - everyone practices for the tough questions (or the anticipated questions). Rarely does a candidate practice getting their key agenda points across. While you have to be responsive, a well-prepared candidate knows the key point he/she wants to get across. Your interview should not end until your agenda has at least been introduced.