Category: Resume Tips

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Jim Weber Presents to The FENG Atlanta Chapter

June 13, 2018, Atlanta GA.  Jim Weber Presents to The FENG Atlanta Chapter  on the topic of career management based on his book, Fighting Alligators:  Job Search Strategy For The New Normal.  It was an excellent event with a lively discussion.  Many thanks to Juliet Denise who facilitated the meeting.

Jim Weber, President

NEW CENTURY DYNAMICS EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com

 

Current Assignments

1. COO- Northeast-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New

2. CEO- Northeast-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – Complete

3. Corporate R&D Chef, Atlanta-based Home Meal Replacement Company – Complete

4. Area Supervisor – Legacy Pizza Chain, Carolinas – New

5. Operating Partners – Legacy Pizza Chain – New

6. VP Operations, SE-based Casual Dining Chain – New

7. General Manager, SE-based Private Club – New



 

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“Time is short! Find me a Specialist!”

“Time is short!  Find me a Specialist!”  Those may not be the exact words, but that is most definitely the message.   My clients have specific needs that must be addressed and do not have time for a generalist to learn how to attack the problem.  They want people who have been there and done it.  Most of my clients are small to mid-cap companies. Many are owned by Private Equity Groups, (PEGs).  The rest are a mix of privately held emerging brands and more established niche players.  Virtually all are working to make their brand relevant in a very dynamic and challenging business environment.  Time is of the essence, so their planning horizon is short.   Certainly, shorter than for larger, Fortune 500-class companies.

 

 

 

 

 

Most recently, my clients have been facing the following situations:

  • Change of ownership
  • PEG buy/sell transaction
  • Pre-IPO
  • Public to Private
  • Chapter 11
  • Debt Covenant Issues
  • Turnarounds
  • Start-up
  • Joint Ventures
  • Installation of Management Accountability Systems
  • New CEO
  • Major Systems Upgrades

Other searches have required experience in franchising, consumer packaged goods, and experience in family-owned businesses.  Industry-specific experience is almost always required.  I have even had searches requiring the candidate to move to remote, less than desirable locations.  This parallels the demand for our consulting practice, but not as much.

Most people know that tenures have decreased significantly.  Three to five years in position is not uncommon for C-level executives.  Three years or less is common for other senior-level executives. Much of this is related to heightened levels of accountability due to intense competition.  This level of senior-level turnover can affect the entire management team.  Some of it, of course, is due to a change of ownership which often means a new management team, or changes for key executives.   As the planning horizon shortens, the enterprise focus is on the best ways to enhance competitiveness.   Companies in the small to mid-cap sector need people who can make an immediate impact.  Generalists requiring a learning curve are eschewed over candidates with more specialized skills and experience.  It has become an ad-hoc world.

The good news is that most of you have lived through the situations listed earlier.  You have been through the break-up of Conglomerates.  You have seen global competitiveness affect your employers.  You have seen employee-led Leveraged Buy-outs.  Without a doubt, you have seen the productivity benefits of technology.   These global changes have resulted in right-sizing; down-sizing; re-engineering; and outsourcing.   You have likely seen several ownership changes, IPO’s, and the public to private transactions, and probably have experience with PEGs.  By now, you have a wealth of experience and skills for specific situations.  Face it, with reference to Peter Drucker, we have been living in turbulent times.

The objective is re-branding oneself as a specialist, but not necessarily one specialty.   If you look back on your career you will find common themes.  You will notice that you have thrived in situations which have been identified in this post.  Those situations can become the themes for your positioning as a Specialist.   The good news is that word-processing programs allow you to have multiple resumes which you can tailor to a given specialty.  It doesn’t mean that you are fabricating a career history.   It means that each version of your resume puts more emphasis on the specialty (read skill-set) you wish to promote.

Time is short for small to mid-cap employers, especially for PEG Portfolio companies.  They need specialists to help resolve immediate issues.  Become the Specialist they seek for success in your job search or in your freelance career.!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so please leave a comment.


Jim Weber, Managing Partner

ITB Partners

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New

2. Controller – Atlanta-based Consumer Products – Digital Company – Completed

3. Director of Biz Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company:    Completed

4. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Complete

5. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. Complete

6. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company: New

7. Outplacement Assignment – Atlanta-based Manufacturer:  Complete

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A Conversation With The Business Executives Networking Group

Tuesday, I presented to the monthly meeting of the Business Executives Networking Group (BENG).  The topic was “working with executive recruiters.”  My presentation style is to facilitate a discussion, not a lecture, so I used the following PowerPoint Presentation to frame the conversation.

 

 

 

 

WORKING WITH EXECUTIVE RECRUITERS

  • —Be competitive; assume that the recruiter has plenty of viable candidates.
  • —Present a resume that includes your complete work history; it is relevant and important.
  • —When you are scheduled to talk with the recruiter, be prepared.
  • —Make it easy for me to find you and don't make me chase you down when I need you.
  • —Check in from time to time to reaffirm your interest and receive updates.

 

To help jump-start the dialog, I asked each of the folks to offer an issue, pet peeve, question, or comment regarding executive recruiters.  I worked this task into the personal introduction period when each participant is given thirty seconds to deliver their elevator speech.  It is also a useful tactic to focus my delivery, and help increase audience participation.  The issues were largely anticipated, as I’ve heard most of them before. They included:

  • —Why don’t executive recruiters call you back?
  • —Why is it so difficult getting through to a recruiter?
  • —After all these years, why are educational credentials still an issue?
  • —How much information should I include in my LinkedIn profile?
  • —How does one find an executive recruiter that specializes in my professional niche?

These questions were quickly answered; however, based on overall discussion time, their most pressing issue was overcoming age discrimination.

Regarding age discrimination, my recommendation is to take a perceived negative (which really isn’t a negative) and make it a positive. In other words, job seekers should understand that most Fortune 500 companies have a recruiting and selection model that favors young professionals. These companies prefer to hire people they can train, develop, and indoctrinate into their culture for a long-term career. This orientation works against baby boomers at the end of their careers.  I recommend that Baby Boomers internalize this fact and look for employment where their skills and experience is valued.  They should look for mid-caps, emerging brands, and Private Equity portfolio companies which offer the most opportunities.  Our experience is our strength, we should lead with this.

My second point is to present yourself as a specialist as employers are looking for people to solve particular problems during their tenure. Even if you have what appears a generalist background, you will find that you have specialized skills that have shaped your career.

Presenting yourself as a specialist aligns well for the Digital Age. Job tenures are decreasing as people are hired to work on specific projects and then transition out of the company. This is particularly true of private equity groups.

We also discussed the value of resumes presenting only the last ten or twelve years of employment. Whereas that might be a useful strategy when talking to an in-house recruiter, it is just irritating to executive recruiters. We are interested in your total package. We want to know where you came from, the foundation for your career. It is important to understand where someone received their initial training and development.  It is a predictor of your habits supporting continued success. Eventually, I will get your entire work history, so why not save us both some time?

As most of the folks in the room were Baby Boomers with established careers, one would expect they had developed relationships with a few recruiters. I have my doubts, however, as they seem not to understand the differences between recruiters and how they work. That might be an interesting topic for another blog post.

My presentation was well received and generated a lot of discussions. I am grateful for the help I received from Kerri, another recruiter, Beverly, an employment professional, and Julie who hosted the meeting.  I could write a book about working with executive recruiters based on our dialog. Next month I will make the same presentation to the Financial Executives Networking Group, (FENG).

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.  

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New

2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Complete
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

 

 

 

 

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Free: Executive Resume Cheat Sheet

SEND ME THE FREE EXECUTIVE RESUME CHEAT SHEET!

 

I see a lot of resumes, believe me!  It is a fundamental part of my job.  Most of the resumes I see are dreadful. They are working against the job seeker, forcing them into a prolonged period of unemployment.   Unfortunately, most job seekers don’t appreciate that their poorly written resume is hurting them.

If you are unemployed, you can only think of getting another job to protect your financial well-being.  That is understandable.  You might not know that your resume is working against you.  That it costs you time and money, you cannot afford.   It is hurting your career and your financial goals.   Do you want to get back to work, or suffer a prolonged period of unemployment?   The solution is in your hands.

From time to time I help my candidates craft an effective resume for a fee.   My most successful candidates understand the need for an effective resume and are willing to pay a reasonable price for my help.   No, resume writing is not my primary line of business, but I am happy to help when I can. 

I understand that conserving cash is a priority for most unemployed people.  I get it! 

So, what if you knew the secrets to crafting a killer resume; one that would shorten your job search.  A resume that will help you get the job you want.  Wouldn’t you want to know that secret?  Wouldn’t you want to shorten your time between jobs?   I certainly would!

Fortunately for you, I have been presented with a fantastic resource which I can make available to you, compliments of my friends at CareerTuner.   I have been authorized to share the secrets of the best resume writers, at no charge to you.  That’s right.  I am allowed to help you craft a killer resume at no cost to you.  I have been granted the right to send you The Executive Resume Cheat Sheet, free.  I wholeheartedly endorse this fantastic tool!  It will ensure that you have a professional resume which will help you land that ideal job in the shortest time possible.

SEND ME THE FREE EXECUTIVE RESUME CHEAT SHEET!

 

Need a Resume for a Manager Level Job?

SEND ME THE FREE MANAGER RESUME CHEAT SHEET!

 

Need a Resume for a Non-Manager Level Job?

SEND ME THE FREE NON-MANAGER RESUME CHEAT SHEET!

 

Need a Resume for a Career Change?

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Are You a Recent Grad in Need a Resume?

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Tips on Job Change To Different Industry

I talked with two very accomplished job seekers this week. Both have MBA’s from prestigious Universities and twenty-five-plus years with Blue-chip companies. Both are accomplished in their fields, having held senior level positions. Both lost their job due to a company-wide reorganization. However, the similarities end there. After a short hiatus, one found a new situation in a smaller, entrepreneurial company. The other is approaching two years in job search. The difference in their results is instructive.


In my last post, I wrote about the hiring criteria for senior managers in a tightening labor market. I wrote that employers looking to fill senior-level roles expect the new hire to have a very short learning curve. They are expected to make an immediate contribution. Adapting to the employer's culture should be the majority of their learning curve, a reasonable expectation.

Keys For A Successful Transition


1. Lead with your Leadership skills
2. Be the Specialist
3. Optimize your Network


Much of my work recently has been placing CFOs with Private Equity Groups' (PEG) portfolio companies. In case you have been disconnected from all economic news for the last decade, PEGs have been reshaping the economy, creating a lot of opportunities. These companies have a defined timetable to divestiture. Their time horizon is relatively short. During their holding periods, they maintain a focus on strategic initiatives to maximize terminal value. They need senior level managers who can help them achieve their goals within the holding period. They seek specialists.


The lack of industry-specific experience is another obstacle facing Baby-boomers in transition. There are many factors in play in this situation; however, this bias is not absolute. To be sure, a transition into some industries is difficult. Job functions like CEO, COO, and senior level marketing positions may require significant industry experience. Hiring a senior manage without relevant industry experience is usually unwise, but not always. Typically, there is somewhat more flexibility regarding specific industry experience for other job functions.


If you want to change industries, focus on your leadership skills. Senior-level jobs are about directing and managing teams, leadership. As a serious job seeker, you will research new industry segments to become familiar with revenue models, customers, and operational
challenges. That work will help nullify a lack of industry experience. However, in competition for any job, you must sell your strengths. As a senior executive, leadership should be your greatest strength. As a candidate for a senior position, focus on accomplishments which required effective leadership, then translate those situations to the needs of the employer.


As an effective leader, you will have developed “street cred,” specialized skills. You did not get to this point without becoming proficient in a particular discipline or activity. In the New Normal, employers are looking for people with specialized skills. For example, some people are great at turnarounds, whereas others may be adept at penetrating new markets. Some executives are good at building new companies where others are skilled at protecting mature brands. If you look back on your career, you will find common threads for your success. Do you have particular strength in re-engineering, business development, or maybe, systems implementation? If so, these are your specialties. Your next step is to build a resume that highlights these skills so as to match the job. Skill sets that are transferrable to other industry segments are highly desirable.


Referring to the two Executives mentioned at the beginning of this article: the difference in their results is due to the quality of their networks. More to the point, the successful job seeker (a CFO type) has a contact that is well-networked into the community. His contact made an introduction to a CEO who needed a CFO. The referral source was highly credible, which led to a positive hiring decision. The other candidate’s networking efforts have not been as successful.

Since most job seekers find employment through networking, managing your network is vital. However, the size of your network is not as important as are high-quality, highly-motivated contacts working on your behalf. They must understand your search strategy to best present your capabilities. Actively manage your network to ensure its effectiveness. Make sure they know how to help you.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.  

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

 

 

Current Assignments

1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Director of Business Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Complete
3. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company:  Offer extended.
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. In Process
5. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company:  New

 

 

 

 

 

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What Is Your Story?

Once upon a timeI’ve been spending a lot of time pouring through resumes this week.  It has been a disappointing effort.  It hasn't been disappointing because the quality of candidates is poor, far from it.  It hasn’t been disappointing because the formats are poor, generally speaking, they are fine.  It hasn’t been disappointing because the candidate's contact information is missing either.  Well, one resume was missing an email address.   They are disappointing because the content was poorly structured and tedious.  The prose lacks critical information making the resumes less than compelling.  It also costs me more time!   Looking at resumes is fundamental to  my work.   I see a lot of them.  It’s the resumes from two current assignments that are giving me angst.

 

One of my searches is to find a new Financial Controller for a small, but successful company.  The job specs call for someone with Controller experience in the restaurant industry.  Many of the candidates have experience with companies I don't recognize.  No problem.   I don't know all of the employers in the market.   The problem is that these folks do not provide a description of their employers .   Their resumes lack company revenues, product lines, years in business, and industry sectors.   This is a problem because it makes the reader's job much more difficult.  The other problem is that these resumes don't make  a clear distinction between roles and responsibilities and accomplishments.  That creates, even more, work for me.  I might not like reading resumes that are poorly constructed, but I know from experience that good candidates don't necessarily have the best resume.  I have also seen excellent resumes from candidates I would not present to a client.  I will invest the extra effort to find viable candidates for my client.   On the other hand, I am confident that many of these poorly constructed resumes are going into the circular files of other recruiters.

 

Also at this time, I am working with a Senior Executive to help him craft a new resume and rebuild his LinkedIn page.  He is a smart guy who knows that he needs help.  He is willing to hire a professional to solve his problem.  His issue is similar to those of my Controller candidates as he doesn't showcase his accomplishments as distinct from his job responsibilities.  His biggest issue, however, is that his verbiage is confusing and doesn’t position his capabilities appropriately.   I will fix his resume  and dramatically improve his digital presentation.

 

We all know that recruiters and software quickly scan resumes. Job Seekers have precious little time to make an impression that will lead to an interview.   Putting extra effort into the quality of your resume is vital to your success as a job seeker.   Make sure to provide a short sentence that describes your employer by industry segment, sales volume, and whether it is public, private, or a PEG portfolio company.  Provide a short sentence or two to describe your job responsibilities.  Use bullet points to list your accomplishments at each job.  Also, it can be very helpful to mention the circumstances for leaving you employers.

 

Your resume is not just a job history; it is your career story.  By describing each employer, your job responsibilities, and accomplishments your story is revealed.  Your strengths and interests become evident.  In all likelihood, you will find a common theme to your work, your positioning statement.   You will become a compelling character in your play, stimulating interest on the part of the reader.  

 

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

 

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, President

Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
New Century Dynamics Executive Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Another Step Closer To…

Another week, and another step closer to publishing “Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal.”  The artwork for the cover has been finalized.  Actually, I hired a freelancer through Upwork to complete this task.  Upwork is one of a number of on-line resources that connect freelancers to the market.  Fiverr is another widely used service.  I posted my job on Thursday afternoon, and by 10:00 a.m. Friday I had a finished product.  Upwork operates like any other job board where employers post jobs for permanent hires with some notable differences.  The service is menu driven, which is similar to Job Boards, but the overall feel is much more like a community.  Think of Monster meets Facebook.  UpWork is very interactive, unlike your typical job board.

 

Thursday afternoon I posted my job.  The posting included a description of my need, my budget for this task, and my contact information.  My project was open to all freelancers registered with Upwork. However, Upwork also provided me a list of highly qualified freelancers to consider.  I sent those people a personal invitation to bid on my work.    Within a few hours, 16 interested respondents had expressed interest in my job.  These folks came from the four corners of the planet.  The biggest concentration of applicants came from the U.S., the Philippines, Pakistan, and Eastern Europe.  By clicking on their name, I was able to view their recent projects and references.  Upwork helped the process by allowing me to archive people who were not a good fit and “like” candidates who I wanted to consider.  I sent thank you notes to everyone I could.  For those I considered serious contenders I sent a more detailed message and directed them to my web page.   Imagery with an Alligator seemed obvious, but the cover still needed to be conservative, appropriate for my target audience.  I also wanted a subtle reference to the digital age.

 

Friday morning I was in a text conversation with Vanessa, a highly recommended freelancer from The UK.  Upwork provides for instant messaging and video conferencing through their portal.  While we were chatting it up, so to speak, Vanessa offered a few mock ups that were most impressive.  It was her responsiveness and speed of service that made the difference.  I made her an offer and she accepted.   Working with Vanessa was fast and effortless.  After we had arrived at the basic layout and the correct species of reptile, we worked on my need for a subtle reference to the digital age.  Within minutes, she provided three more mock ups with a bit of a digital feel.  I settled on the least obtrusive of the three, and the project was complete.   I am very pleased with Vanessa’s work, and so far, all of the critiques have been positive.

 

Completing this task is a great example of employment options in the New Normal.  In a brief period of time, I evaluated the work of potential vendors from all over the globe.  I chose my preferred freelancer, and we worked together in real time, arriving at a finished project within an hour.  As soon as I was satisfied with the end result, I notified Upwork that the contract was complete and authorized payment to Vanessa.  With the project completed, we provided each other with references.

 

While evaluating the freelancers interested in my project I learned that many of these folks are gainfully employed, earning extra money on the side via Upwork.   Others are full-time freelancers who are active over a number of platforms.  This is the “Gig Economy” sector of the New Normal. 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so, please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, President
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com

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NETWORKING WITH THE ALUMNI

Alumni Staying ConnectedAn often overlooked networking resource is your college alumni association.  Atlanta has a rich alumni culture with representation from Colleges and Universities across the country.  There are even a few local Schools with a big following.  It is on full display every Saturday during Football season.  Just try to get a table at a local sports bar.  Not easy to do.  I was reminded of this fact after attending an Alumni dinner this week, hosted by two Business Development Managers from my Alma Mater’s College of Business.  These folks were in town on other business and because they are good networkers, they reached out to a number of local alums.  They offered an invitation to dinner with an update of activities at the College.  Who could resist?   

These events have a tendency to attract the same people and this dinner was no exception.  There were, however, a few new faces, including four alums who had not attended the College of Business.  After a little small talk and a cocktail or two, the ten of us took our seats and proceeded to order our meals.  It was a cozy affair that included two young couples, three more-mature alums, and the protégé of one of my peers, Bill, a retired AT&T Executive.  Also in attendance was the Chapter President, a current AT&T Manager and his fiancé.

After the waiter left with our orders, the senior Business Development Manager formally welcomed us and invited each of us to introduce ourselves.  Since I was immediately to her left, I was the first with my brief bio.  I was followed by a young lady who turned out to be an account executive with Career Builder.  Next was Bill, followed by a College of Engineering alum, the junior Business Development Manager, the married couple, and finally the Chapter President and his fiancé.  It was a very interesting group which gave us a lot to talk about.  I learned that the AE with Career Builder was calling on many of my clients; that Bill is active in volunteer work helping Military Veterans find jobs; that the young married couple across the table from me are looking to open their own business; and that the Chapter President and his fiancé were leaving for the weekend to begin planning their August wedding.  Bill lives near me, so we agreed to get together to explore some mutual interests, especially in connection with helping Military Veterans with their job search skills.

The next day, I fired off my thank you notes and sent invitations to become connected on LinkedIn.  Bill and I scheduled a luncheon meeting next week.  I am confident that the other attendees have been active in a similar way since that dinner.

Many people are a bit surprised when I speak to the value of participation in one’s alumni association to further their networking goals.  It just doesn’t register on their priority list.  But think about it.  The most difficult part of any networking event is establishing a connection with someone.  Can you really think of a networking venue with as powerful an immediate connection?  When you attend an alumni event, you are with people who shared the same college experience.  The hard part is done.  You already have the connection.  I have made some very good friendships which transcend alumni functions. 

Having learned the value of my association with the alumni association I have become a passionate advocate, especially to young alums and recent graduates working to build their careers.  In a major city like Atlanta, seeking out your College Alumni Association should be the first thing you do when moving into the area.  So, to broaden your networking reach give strong consideration to your college alumni association.  Its value cannot be underestimated.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

 

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2014 Was a Tough Year for Faith.

2014 was a tough year for Faith.  Displaced from a Fortune 500 insurance company early in the year, Faith finally landed a great job before the Holidays.  Faith is not her real name, of course, but it fits her well.  Faith is in her mid-50’s, single, with an excellent image and a solid work history.  Admittedly, her last job was not a good fit to her profile.  She is excellent at building relationships and supporting customers so she is much better suited to the Account Executive job she eventually landed.  Faith is also the inspiration for many of my blog posts. 

I have known Faith for over ten years.  We are friends, and partners in a networking group.  She considers me a mentor and I consider her my go-to person for information on insurance matters.  She is a role model for anyone in transition.  Faith was not surprised to have lost her job.  Her employer had been through a lot of change and turmoil.   She took the news in stride and was totally professional on her exit.  She did not spend much time wallowing in self-pity, but got right to work.  The first step in her journey was to develop a job search strategy.

She spent a lot of time with friends and colleagues, listening to their thoughts and advice.   By the end of this process she came to understand that she was best suited to working with existing clients, building relationships that would keep them in the fold.  This revelation become the foundation for her job search strategy.  Since her entire career has been in the insurance industry, she focused on opportunities in that field.  The insurance industry has seen many changes, however, new opportunities are emerging.  Faith understood that she had many viable options.  Crafting the right strategy led to a very positive result.

This is not to say that it was smooth sailing for Faith.  It was a tough, grueling search.  There were many ups and downs.  Great opportunities came and went.  Prospective employers took their time moving from one step to the next.   In some cases, employers changed their thinking and canceled searches.  The length of time involved in her search was a constant source of frustration.  She knew she was doing all the right things.  She knew that she could not control the employer’s selection process.  That was what made it so frustrating.  Their timetable was beyond her control.  It is easy to say that you should not worry about that which you cannot control.  It is something else entirely to live it.   I am sure she got very tired of my reminder; “the employer does not work off your timetable.”

Faith’s coping skills were put to the test and then some.  But she is well grounded and stayed true to her plan.  She maintained a positive, optimistic attitude.  She made optimal use of her network, gaining strength from their support and encouragement.  Always enthusiastic about leading a healthy lifestyle, Faith maintained her exercise routine and diet.  She also pursued opportunities to take on short-term assignments to help supplement her cash flow needs.  She is a class-act and true professional.  She kept the faith.  Eventually it paid off.    The lesson is to begin with the right job search strategy then work your plan.   Stay focused, stay positive, and stay in the game.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

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Developing your Job Search Strategy: Specialists are the Rage

As I draft this post I am reminded of three current clients.  One is a small, growing enterprise trying to optimize its resources to aid in profitable development.  A second is an established manufacturer reorganizing itself for sale.  The third is a large company which has made a number of acquisitions that must be integrated into their core business.  Each of these businesses compete in diverse industry segments following different strategies to achieve their objectives.  As one would surmise the experiences they look for in potential hires is distinctive.   You can be certain, however, that the hiring managers in these companies are looking for senior executives with experience that matches their particular situation.  Call it situational experience.

 It occurs to me that this is a fair representation of the “new normal.”  The career opportunities are declining within large established companies.  Major corporations have learned to be more efficient with less.  They offer fewer opportunities for middle managers and highly compensated, over-50 aged candidates. However, the organizations currently looking for people are emerging companies or those working to find a relevant niche.    Emerging brands, PEG portfolio companies, established companies repositioning themselves and those experiencing major change are looking for people with experience that closely matches their situations.  These situations may be more risky but they can be very rewarding.   Private Equity Groups want C-level candidates who have experience working with PEGs.  If the employer is a start-up, they will be looking for people with start-up experience.  If they are preparing for an IPO they are looking for people with IPO experience, especially CFOs and controllers.  You get the point.  Today, employers are looking for specialists who can make an immediate impact.   They are looking for people with situational experience.  Generalist backgrounds are not in demand so much, especially for the 50+ age group. 

There are three primary components to one’s career positioning strategy:  Job Function; industry segment; and your pay grade.  All of these components are fairly straight-forward.  Begin by evaluating your experience to understand where you have particular strengths and experience which can be packaged as a specialty.  Seriously, this task cannot be that difficult.  After all,  personal experience gained with LBOs, mergers and acquisitions, rightsizeings, and re-organizations are all great examples of situational experience.    Perhaps you have been involved in implementing new hardware and software solutions to automate processes.  Or you have been involved in re-engineering activities to help employers become more efficient.  Experience gained in involvement with a company turnaround can be invaluable..  Maybe you have been in a family-owned business or experienced an IPO. Maybe you have been involved in a successful Chapter 11 reorganization.  There are many employers today who face those same issues.  They are looking for you!

Hiring managers have become very particular in their requirements.  They seek industry-specific candidates with situational experience.   The key to a successful job search is to position yourself as a problem-solver who will assuage the hiring manager’s risk aversion.  The Over-50 job seeker must have a career story which speaks to high-value, specialized knowledge and experience.    The flexibility of today's word processing software allows you to create resume versions tailored to emphasize certain parts of your background, positioning you as a specialist.

Think about your career.  Find those common threads that you can position in a compelling way to fit the new normal.

 

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Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com