Interviews With Millennials

Tuesday, I received a phone call from my friend Ellen. We haven't talked since the election, so it was a good time for her to check in and catch up.   I have known Ellen for many years. A fellow Baby-boomer with a marketing background, she is currently selling syndicated research services as an independent contractor. Ellen had some interesting thoughts about our future under a Trump administration; however, she is most interested to see the repeal of Obama-care. Like so many Americans, her insurance premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Ellen said that she had found an opportunity to work part-time and receive insurance benefits. The prospective employer is a health maintenance company, a natural fit for her as she is very health-conscious and athletic. She went on to say that being interviewed by a Millennial is strange, yet amusing. At one point she was asked, “where do you see yourself in five years?” In other words, what are your long-term goals? I pictured her sitting on a beach drinking a Pina Colada.   We had a good laugh about that, as she plans to retire in five years. I told her that the interviewer was probably working off a script and needed to "check off" that question. I thanked her for providing the inspiration for this post.   The next day, I had a meeting with a CMO candidate currently between jobs. Let's call him Bill. Bill, also a baby boomer, said he is frustrated interviewing with millennials.   His concern isn't that he cannot work for a younger boss, but he believes they are biased against older candidates. His belief creates a natural tension. He told me that he had completed a series of interviews the prior day which did not go well. His prospective supervisor, a millennial, admitted that he was not an experienced interviewer. At some point in the interview, he asked Bill a series of questions as to how he would resolve particular problems the Company is experiencing. Bill admitted that he was disappointed with his response. He told the interviewer that he was uncomfortable answering the question as he did not have enough background information about the situation. That comment caused his interviewer to become defensive. It created a tense moment that may have cost Bill the job.   He said that he finally answered the question, speaking to how he had resolved similar issues for former employers. My advice to Bill was to focus on how he dealt with similar situations in the past and to omit the comments about his feeling for the question.

[Tweet "There reasons why Baby-boomers and Millennials might not connect during an interview."] The biases held by each group toward the other are challenging. However, I think the underlying issue is a lack of skills. I have long known that most people are poor interviewers. It is not surprising, as I have met few people who have had any training for recruiting and selection. They may have read a book on interviewing, but they don’t put much effort into planning for the discussion. Most companies don’t make this kind of training a priority, or they assume their hiring managers know how to recruit and hire employees.   It is somewhat baffling to me as recruiting, selection, and team building is vital to the success of the firm.

If one has not been trained to conduct an interview, it is unlikely they have the skills to be interviewed. I coach my candidates to prepare for the not-competent interviewer. I advise them to be proactive, to find opportunities to exercise some control over the discussion. I make sure they are prepared to answer questions a competent interviewer would ask. I direct them to articles for additional insight on the subject, including those I have written, which are available in my archives.

This is the New Normal. Baby-boomers will be working for Millennials. We must learn to adapt to this dynamic. Interpersonal skills must be developed and refined. In response to this need, our consulting group, ITB Partners, has begun training hiring managers to be more effective interviewers. If you are an employer looking to improve the effectiveness of your recruiting and selection program, we should talk. If you are a job seeker looking to improve your skills, we are here to help you.

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

Current Assignments

1. Strategic Partner – Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company – Complete
2. Director of Business Development, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company.
3. Human Capital Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company. New
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer.
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company.

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December 3, 2016

Holiday Networking Tips

It is Prime Time! The end of 2016 is upon us, and the celebration is beginning. You may be attending a lot of parties, and networking events. In keeping with the season, it makes sense to offer up some advice and guidance to ensure that you have a productive month.

The Holiday Season is all about bringing people together. It is a time of celebration, reflection, and anticipation for the New Year. It is a time for networking groups to schedule events to close out the year. During this month, you have the opportunity to meet people you will want to add to your business network or social circle. These events are target-rich environments to identify and connect with influencers. Although each event will have a specific focus, you can exercise some leverage. In other words, social events can generate useful job-search connections, while professional networking events may result in social opportunities.

[Tweet “As you contemplate your calendar for December, begin with a plan.”] Determine what you want to accomplish this month. If you are between situations or looking to make a move, you may be looking for people who can help you locate your next job. In this case, you should try to attend as many events as you can. Of course, you will necessarily want to prioritize your time for friends and family. Religious activities are an important consideration. If there is a conflict, all things being equal, opt for the event that best supports your objectives for the month. In some cases, you may be able to attend multiple events, dividing your time between them on the same day.

Set a goal for each party! Begin with the guest list. Who do you want to meet? Plan to meet specific people who may be helpful. Learn who will be attending each event and determine who you want to meet. Conducting research on guests is a lot easier to do today, as more and more event planners are using on-line applications to manage attendance. Those applications will notify you as others accepted the invitation, so you will know who plans to attend. Then, you can cross-reference individuals to their LinkedIn profiles.

Time is short. Be strategic! The objective is to meet influential people, gain their interest, and schedule a follow-on meeting. Make a good impression, so they will want to help you. Leverage your friends, family, and acquaintances to help identify these influencers. Make sure that your elevator speech and appropriate variations are well-honed and committed to memory. Bring business cards to distribute. Make notes on the back of each card you receive so you can send a personalized message. Remember, ask to schedule a meeting. Additionally, become connected to these folks on LinkedIn. Everyone is a potential lead to a job, so introduce yourself to someone new.

Stay focused on your objective. The approach you chose to follow will be different depending on whether the event is business related networking or more of a social event. If the event is for business networking, stay focused on business. If the event is a social gathering, be sociable. As you get to know the other party, there is nothing wrong with getting to know about their occupation, if in a social setting, or about their personal interests, if at a networking event. Begin with casual conversation. Ask questions, including advice. Listen with interest. Stay away from religion, politics, or other potentially sensitive issues, unless you are talking with like-minded friends or associates.

Here are some parting thoughts. Maintain a friendly, positive attitude. You will attract more interesting people. Dress appropriately. You don’t want to stand out in a negative way. Eventually, most people will migrate in that direction. Don't overindulge in food or alcohol. Remember to thank the host before leaving, and later, send a thank you note. Enjoy yourself; the Holiday Season can be a lot of fun!

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

Current Assignments

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August 17, 2016

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome Part II

As mentioned in my previous post, I am preparing for a September presentation to our local BENG Chapter. My audience is comp osed of Senior Executives in transition and career development professionals. These folks are savvy professionals who understand business strategy. My objective is to help them to become better prepared to evaluate their options. I expect to learn from them as well. The title for my presentation/discussion is “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.” I have it on good authority that this is a motivational phrase used by the Marines. You may recall Clint Eastwood's character in the movie "Heartbreak Ridge," Gunnery Sergeant Highway, used this phrase often while training his Recon Marines. This title seems appropriate.

[Tweet “At sea level, it seems easy to understand “The New Normal.””] We are in a period of slow growth, and historically low workforce participation. The current administration has focused on adding new regulations to business, a disincentive to growth and employment. Notwithstanding the officially reported unemployment rate of 4.9%, recent College graduates, saddled with heavy debt cannot find jobs. Many employees are working multiple, minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. Productivity, the engine for wage increases, has been low to nil. Globalism has moved manufacturing facilities to lower-cost, developing countries. The good news is that inflation isn't much of an issue, and the cost of petroleum products is very low.

If one looks at the environment from a broader perspective, the effects of the Digital Revolution become more evident. The Digital Age is about increased automation (productivity) and connectivity (communication). This powerful combination should lead to continued innovation and social change. We are becoming more connected via the internet. Systems and applications are helping companies become more productive, requiring fewer employees. Many occupations are fading away. The ranks of the long-term unemployed may be growing into a permanent underclass. Job tenures are shrinking to the point that soon, the average will be close to two years. By 2020, it is forecasted that 25% of workers will be 1099 employees.

The Bank of England recently presented a report predicting the occupations likely to be impacted by automation. Sectors they forecast to be most impacted are skilled trades; caring, leisure, and other services; sales and customer service; process, plant, and machine operatives; Associate professionals and technical; administrative and secretarial. Occupational categories less likely to affected by automation are professionals, managerial, directors, and senior executives. Also, occupations that require a lot of creativity and human interaction, like interior design and decorating may be more difficult to automate.

The outlook I just presented seems bleak, however, it is not all bad news. Just take a look at CNBC’s Disrupter 50. A lot of innovation is occurring in the fields of Bio-Technology/Food Technology; Space Travel; Transportation/Logistics; Intelligence/Marketing Research; Financial Services ; Cyber Warfare/Intelligence; and Telecom. This information points to opportunities for managing your career.

[Tweet “Occupations requiring a high degree of an interpersonal transaction will still be in demand.”] Their tools and support will become more automated, so they will need less staff to support their services. Senior Executives, Planners, and highly creative personnel will likely be in demand, but here again, they will have more tools and less need for support staff. The trend to flatter organizations will continue, reducing the opportunity for middle management. The ranks of 1099 employment base will swell requiring government intervention to support these folks. The demand for professionals with STEM backgrounds will continue to facilitate innovation. We are moving rapidly into an “ad hoc” employment paradigm. We must adapt to the Freelance Economy.

So what of my fellow Boomers? Throughout our careers, we have learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome. We have the skill set to adapt, but I wonder if we have the mindset.

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

Current Assignments

1. GM, Private Club based in Southeast, Confidential Search: New
2. Director of Business Development, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: New
3. Training Director – Southeastern-based Restaurant Group: New
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. New
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company: New

June 19, 2016

What Is Your Story?

I’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.

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

June 5, 2016

Wantrepreneur:

Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?

Business is picking up, and so are my networking activities. Of course, a lot of my networking lately is about creating "buzz" for my new book, "Fighting Alligators." Perhaps, you have heard about it. Creating buzz is an indirect way to attract new searches, consulting business, and help those people between jobs, so it is all good. One recent networking meeting was brokered by my friend Brownell who has been very helpful in the process of publishing my book. Brownell introduced me to Mark Myette. Mark is also in private practice as an Alternative Career Coach. He helps people determine if they have what it takes to become an entrepreneur and guides them through that process. He published his first book, Wantrepreneur, in February. Brownell surmised that our work is complementary, so she thought we would be able to help each other.

Mark and I scheduled an early morning meeting last week for breakfast at his club. As we are both Fortune 500 refugees with similar entrepreneurial pursuits, we connected immediately. We began by exchanging background information and our connection to Brownell. I told him about Fighting Alligators and its underlying thesis, and he presented the theme for "Wantrepreneur," which he described as the "One Minute Manager" version of becoming comfortable with franchising. The book's subtitle is "Do you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur?" Wantrepreneur is a clever bit of “word-smithing” that speaks to people who would like to be their own boss, but can’t or don’t know how to get started. Mark's book dovetails nicely with Fighting Alligator's message about building a career in the "New Normal."

To say that it was a productive meeting would be a gross understatement. Mark gave me a copy of his book and an intelligent bookmark he created as a marketing tool. He confirmed my thinking that the opportunity for speaking engagements would increase significantly now that I am published. We explored ways to collaborate, and help each other. Some follow-up steps were discussed and confirmed.

Over the next few days, I made a point to read Mark's book. He was right about the reference to the One Minute Manager. Wantrepreneur is a short read, but very much to the point. Much of the book summarized the current employment statistics and trends in small company formation and related career opportunities. He also broke down employment by industry sector with each sector’s contribution to GDP. He went on to talk about the general dissatisfaction many people have toward their jobs, especially the middle-aged. These folks are not happy with their careers and want to find a new situation, something more fulfilling. I am confident that job security is a major part of their angst. Mark spoke to an epidemic of addiction, depression, and suicides among this group, rooted in economic despair and hopelessness. People are looking to create a better life by "doing their own thing."

The remainder of Mark’s book is about defining alternate career options, including entrepreneurial pursuits, so the reader can better understand each path. Finally, he presented a template to assist in determining one's suitability for those options.

Mark did a thorough job describing the New Normal, without getting into cause and effect. The current economic situation is part of a much larger transformation as we move further into the Digital Age. Traditional employment is in a state of flux. There is no going back to an earlier time. Understanding the current playing field and one's options is a critical first step to building a successful career in the New Normal. Wantrepreneur is an excellent companion to Fighting Alligators, which I recommend to anyone who is serious about managing their career. Wantrepreneur by Mark Myette is available on Amazon.com.

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

May 12, 2016

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

March 2, 2015

It’s Not Personal. It’s Just Business

It has been a very interesting week. Most are these days. It wasn’t because it has been snowing in Atlanta, although that has created its own issues. No, what made this week interesting was the extremes of networking results we encountered. My team was reminded that not everyone is a viable networking partner. That will never change.

While discussing our business development activities I told a colleague about my progress with a new partner. This contact, John is a referral from an associate who recently joined our team. John owns a Professional Services Firm whose model is very complimentary to ours. He is very personable and clearly understands the benefits to networking. After three visits to explore mutual interests and opportunities, with a handshake, we agreed to work together to exchange leads and referrals. In fact, both of us have already made connections on behalf of the other.

I then recapped a list of people I had contacted to set up meetings in the coming weeks. When I got to a specific name my colleague stopped me. “Don’t expect any help from him. He is funny about referrals.” In other words, this person will accept your help, but don’t expect him to reciprocate. I was a bit surprised, to say the least. I was fascinated by my colleagues’ recap of several encounters that made his point.

It is a sad part of life that not everyone is interested in the give-and-take of effective networking. Some people, albeit a small percentage from my experience, are about taking, not giving. It may be conscious or not, but not everyone is blessed with the networking gene. It just isn’t in their DNA. I have seen this phenomena all too often in my work. I cannot count the number of people who would not give me the time of day when I called on them, only to find that I am their long-lost friend when they need my help. Clearly, not the norm. Over time it has been a source of amusement. I have recognized this to be a fact of life. It is a cost of doing business. It’s not personal. I have long had the policy of helping these “long-lost friends” as best as I can without expecting anything in return. Punishing bad behavior with equally bad behavior is a poor business practice which likely leads to bad Karma. It’s not personal. I took my colleague’s admonition to heart but still plan to follow through on our meeting. Who knows, it might lead to some interesting intel.

In life, I have learned that I cannot expect everyone to behave to my expectations. Networking is no exception. So, when planning your networking activities follow the 80/20 rule. Focus on those people who are adept at networking and avoid the takers. Help everyone you can without expectation. If they do not reciprocate, recognize their behavior for what it is, a cost of doing business. It isn’t personal.

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

February 9, 2015

Jim, What am I Doing Wrong? IS Professionals in the New Normal

As I write this post it is a balmy 72 degrees with clear skies over Tampa Bay. Yes, life is good. I drove down yesterday to meet with my protégé as a part of the USF College of Business Mentor Program. Yesterday was down-time, so I caught up with friends and family. It was an interesting afternoon and evening that perfectly framed the “new normal.”

Upon arrival I enjoyed lunch, a few beers and a cigar with friends. Shortly after the arrival of our beer and a brief toast, Mark asked; “Jim, what am I doing wrong?” Mark spent 25 years with a global technology company, followed by 5 years with a local governmental body. Now unemployed, he is seeking his next opportunity. Mark is most adept at directing large teams, but not close enough to the actual technology. He is finding it difficult to gain employment in the same line of work. I reminded him again that those jobs don’t exist anymore and that he must explore other options. My comment to Mark was clearly hyperbole, but not completely. As in most recessions, employers have reconfigured their overhead to the chagrin of highly compensated executives. This time around, technology has created more options for employers, particularly out-sourcing. Everyone has heard about activity moving to “the cloud.”

Later that evening I had dinner with relatives. Christopher, a recent honors graduate, is learning his new job. He is literally on the front lines, using technology to help management make better decisions. Christopher is making a good salary and has some excess funds to save and invest. He had a lot of questions about investing, so we talked about 401ks, IRAs, and the benefits of mutual funds in general and index funds in particular. We also talked a little about advancing his career skills. He is like a sponge, soaking it all in.

His father has a good, middle-management job with a global professional services company. He spoke about his relief to have passed a series of technical proficiency exams required by his employer. He clearly understands the importance of staying current in his career, so he welcomed the training, even if it was a bit unnerving. Interestingly, Mark, Christopher, and his father, are MIS/IT/IS professionals, and USF Alums. I can hardly think of better examples of the current employment situation.

I am reminded of two IS Professionals I met recently through a referral. Chris and Joe have backgrounds very similar to Mark but they decided to start a Consulting Group when they lost their jobs. These guys have a very clear understanding of the new normal, taking a proactive approach to achieve their career goals. They have developed a positioning strategy which they are diligently working to validate via client acquisition. As with any start-up, they are having their ups and downs. The key take-away is that Chris and Joe are in the game. They are learning how to be relevant to the market, making adjustments on the fly. I am confident that their abilities and tenacity will ensure their success. I hope to be helpful to them in this connection.

If you are going to be in the game, (my metaphor for gainful employment) be in the game! We live in a very competitive world which requires constant learning to find your niche and maintain a competitive edge. The game has changed in the new normal. You must adapt or plan to warm the bench.

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

February 1, 2015

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

January 21, 2015

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