SET Personal Marketing and Going for More

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Admin

You need to have goals when it comes to looking for a job. Yes, the goal is to find work, but you need to have other, smaller goals in mind while on the path, so you can make sure you are getting to the major one. Goals along the way will also help serve as a benchmark, showing you if you are moving in the right direction while you are looking to make it in the executive world.

It may surprise you, but many people actually pursue the wrongjob titles. However, if they understood their real transferableskills, they could be repositioned for different goals, and sometimesfor much more advancement than they thought possible. Regardless of your most recent position, you need to think ofyourself as “one of a kind” with diverse potentials.

We all have seen career fi elds change dramatically over adecade. Fields that once offered great opportunity have becomefi nancially confining with limited growth possibilities. Does printadvertising offer the same career possibilities as it did a decadeago? Does selling in the steel industry? Does being a doctor anda general practitioner? Career fields change at a much fasterpace than most people realize.

Experience has proven that if you take a narrow view ofyourself, you could be making a mistake. For example, if you seeyourself as a specialist (e.g., a banker), you may believe you arelocked into a given career. On the other hand, you may feel youhave few options because you are too much of a generalist.More and more professionals are finding that they can haveseveral direct careers over the course of a lifetime.

Sometimes you can’t see them and you stumble into them. Someone couldbe a radio sports broadcaster, then become an actor, then apolitician… and subsequently governor of a major state andpresident of the United States (Ronald Reagan). And, of course,we all know many other examples, many famous and millions not so famous, but successful at many levels.

It may be that you should consider positioning yourself formore than one possible goal at this time, and running what werefer to as a “dual campaign.” For example, a logical step maybe seeking a new job as a VP of Marketing. But you might alsohave accumulated knowledge and experience that would allowyou to seek a position as a General Manager, or perhaps ChiefOperating Offi cer, or even Chief Executive Offi cer in the righttype of organization… in the right industry.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and Publishings

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Admin

When looking for a job in your choose career field, make sure you know all the right places to look, Networking is important, but do not forget about published job openings. The more solid leads you have, the better your chances will be on closing the deal on one of them.

When employers decide to hire someone… there is an event thatleads to their decision. Typically, someone has retired, quit or beenseparated. Turnover leads to over 95% of all jobs opening up.Now once that decision has been made to fi ll a job, what doemployers do first? Well, they look within their company… andthey look at candidates on file in their recruiting database. Ifthey can’t fi ll a job, what do employers do next? Some considerreferrals and those who network their executives. If that doesn’twork, they need to go public and see if they can fill their jobopenings.

This is where the top half of the pie chart on page 69 comesin… “the published job market.” This is also where 99% of alljob hunters compete. The bottom half is “the unpublished jobmarket,” which we will discuss later.Let’s fi rst talk about the published openings and the employerwebsites.

Over 300,000 employers now post their openings. Youcan also fi nd openings in 2,000 newspapers, 2,100 magazinesand over 1,500 job boards.Newspapers have declined rapidly, but in many instancescan still be a good source for lower and mid-level openings forprofessionals. Employer websites represent the fastest growingmeans of recruiting staff.

There are more than 300,000 employerswho recruit this way… and many of them recruit through theirwebsite exclusively. The sole exception may be when they go toan executive recruiter for a very senior executive. So, if you’vepinpointed your best prospects, check out their websites.Trade magazines are a worthwhile source for those seekingmiddle level and upper mid-level openings.

Many director andvice president openings, where industry knowledge or experienceis important, can still be found in these publications.In terms of job boards, Monster, Career Builder and Hot Jobsare best known here, but there are many others that might helpyou. Job boards have replaced newspapers as the largest sourcefor openings. Staffi ng industry sources now claim that upwardsof 40,000 job boards now exist. Our research staff estimates thatabout 1,500 have some significance.

Aggregators are sites that go out and “spider” other sites… andsubsequently list all openings in one place. They by no meansrepresent the entire published market, but these sites make itmuch more convenient for people to fi nd what they want andrespond accordingly.

The major aggregators include: indeed.com, simplyhired.com,advertisedjobmarket.com, and ladders.com. Some sites are freeand others charge a fee to subscribe to their service. Currentlythey claim to aggregate openings from thousands of sources, butnone come close to representing the entire published market.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and the Face-to-Face

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Admin

Make sure you are ready when comes down to the time for an interview. This is where you will close the deal, so make sure you know what you are doing. An interview is not something that should be approached lightly. Make sure you do your homework a head of time to make sure you are prepared for success when it comes time to make the best impression.

Find out what’s mostimportant to the interviewer -

Ask questions that will get interviewers to articulate what’s mostimportant. Of course, you’ll need to fi nd out what happened tothe last person in the job. Ask about his experiences and thoseof his superiors. Find out to whom the position reports and howlong that person was in the job.

Ask… “What would be the biggestchallenge I would face?” Find out how the interviewer seesthe problem, what the expectations are and what progress hasbeen made. Of course, once you fi nd out what’s most importantto the fi rm… you need to tell them that you have what theywant.

Too many people let their resume be the basis for thewhole discussion.

Tell stories that make people remember you -

In these stories indicate positive things you did to help organizations.The idea is to show how you demonstrated a particularskill or a personal quality.Develop SOAR stories that cover situations where you candemonstrate the value of fresh thinking as a means to improveproductivity or solve problems.

Employers need to feel that youare the answer to one of their problems. If you can show themhow you met or exceeded the needs in other places, they mayconclude that you can do the same for them.The idea is to create stories that demonstrate the benefi tsyou bring.

Remember, your “tickets” alone (degrees, titles, etc.) will not necessarily motivate another employer to hire you. Youmust use action words and phrases that add interest beyondyour credentials. In the fi nal analysis, employers hire peoplefor what those phrases imply.

Your next key to interviewing is to be able to overcome objectionsin a smooth and seamless way. With today’s competition,if you stumble, there are too many others the employer canturn to. So, why play this by ear? Here is a simple method forhandling objections, the “ARTS method.” The letters stand forthe following:

A = Acknowledge the objection.

R = Redirect the person’s concern.

T = Test to be sure you’ve removed the concern.

S = Use a story to make your point.

 

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and the Number

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Admin

As on older executive looking for new opportunities, don’t think your age will be an issue. Some do, and it effects how they go about their job search. Make sure you know that your age is something that can be turned into a strength when looking for a great executive opportunity.

Today there are many dozens of either young or vibrant industries. And, in these industries there are thousands of recently formed companies with young management, and their emphasis is definitely on youth.

Despite that, you are likely to find most of them have at least two or three senior professionals who are highly valued. Don’t forget that several studies have shown senior employees to be more reliable. Many are just as quick to pick up new information as other age groups.

Young management teams often realize that they need to be balanced with the wisdom that extra experience brings, and will prefer an older candidate for functions such as legal, finance and administration.Another daily reminder should be to review your beliefs and attitudes.

Here is a well known fact among psychologists who study such things. We are limited or not limited according to our beliefs about ourselves and what is possible for us, and that generally we are treated by others in accord with our expectations—about how they will treat us.

Because we tend to get what we expect, and because people tend to reflect back to us the beliefs and attitudes we are projecting, you need to examine your beliefs about yourself and about what’s possible “career wise” at this stage.If your beliefs are limiting or negative, start working on them.

Recognize that all of us fi lter reality through our attitudes and beliefs, so what we perceive doesn’t necessarily refl ect reality, but just the way we are seeing it at the moment.If you have held some limiting beliefs related to age, it’s very likely that your “fi lter” has been distorted toward the negative, and has been reinforced by many of those around you.

So, consider writing down your beliefs in this area, not as fact, but as beliefs. Start each one with the words, “I believe.”If any of them are negative or limiting, then write a corresponding positive version. As you may know, any belief can be justified by the facts, depending upon which facts you focus upon. Use “selective perception” to focus on and write down all the events that support the positive beliefs and ignore any negative ones.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and the Skill Set

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Admin

While looking for that next great executive opportunity, you may find you have skills that would make you perfect with a company you had not considered. This is an important aspect to remember. If you have a wide range of abilities, this means you will have more job opportunities. Sit down and really take a look at what you have to offer and what could be good crossover talents for a business.

You’ll need to do more than just present your background. Don’t trap yourself by thinking, “This is simply who I am, where I’ve been and what I’ve done.” People fail because they never surface and communicate all that is marketable about themselves… and they never build their appeal beyond factual credentials.

Your starting point is to organize your lifetime of experiences and achievements. Whether you are a young attorney or a company president, there is probably much more to your story than meets the eye. Experience has proven that many people never identify 50 percent of their own assets, simply because they’re so close to their own situation.

We’ve learned that most people need to identify 10 to 20 skills that, if properly communicated, can make a major difference in their career opportunities. Each year, about 20 percent of the clients who come to us have settled for less, simply because they are not able to communicate their real skills.

For example, one client was earning a $65,000 base after almost 20 years. Three years later, she is earning $180,000. Another executive came to us at $125,000. Three years later, he is a CEO at many times that amount. The key in both situations was to market their true assets.It has been said time and again by psychologists, spiritual leaders and coaches that the most restrictive limits you face are those you put on yourself.

So, don’t put any limits on your thinking, and look at some factors that you may have overlooked… which will expand your marketability.

Do you have knowledge of a job, a product, a process or a market… from work, hobbies, alumni relationships, research or suppliers? If so, it may be marketable.

Personality, of course, is just a word for that combination of traits that either attracts us to someone or leaves us unimpressed. More employment decisions are based on personality and chemistry than any other factor. For example: “He’s certainly professional and quick-thinking. I like him, and better yet, I trust him. He’ll fit in with our team. I need to get him into the fi rm.” The perception of your personality has to do with your interest and enthusiasm. How many people get hired because they showed real interest? A lot.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and The Plan

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Admin

One of the best tools you can have in your bag as you look for work is a plan of action. Many people don’t think of this or do not know what this is. Having this plan will help you with goals and knowing exactly how you will attack the job market. This is vital as too many people wait for something to happen in their search, rather than making it happen. Make it happen for you with a plan of action.

Over the years, we have seen equally talented people produce widely varying results. One will struggle while the other moves with speed. Those who move rapidly usually have had the benefi t of a game plan—a step-by-step track to follow.

In today’s competitive arena most people will never get enough interviews with a hit-or-miss approach. This leaves too much to fate. Think of it this way. Chances are you’re marketing a “product” with millions of dollars of earnings capacity remaining in your career. That much value deserves your best effort. Besides, job hunting is a numbers game.

So, why take a chance at doing a lot of things haphazardly, without a well-designed plan? Since job hunting is a matter of having the numbers on your side, your action plan should be targeted to produce 25 to 35 responses that result in a phone discussion.

The goal is to have several offers maturing at the same time, and you have to be realistic about rejections in the interview process. Similar to any company who is about to market a new product,  a good plan can cut job hunting time in half and save money. It also helps people produce better results, and when people generate a lot of activity in a concentrated time period, they feel better and do better. Much better.

To begin with… (1) Surface the right information about yourself and set clear goals; (2) pinpoint what you should be marketing, especially your transferable skills; (3) identify industry alternatives to target; (4) if you have liabilities, you need strategies to neutralize them; and (5) you need a step-by-step game plan… an action agenda… to get your story told to all the right people.

Here’s a recap of some of what our plans cover:

Job hunting goals: Surface all critical information about yourself and then decide on the goals that will advance your career. This includes specific job titles and income goals.

Liabilities & solutions: You need to identify liability issues that might restrict your success… and arrive at ways for minimizing their impact in all written materials and conversations.

Assets, transferable skills & how to market them: All of your assets and skills need to be identified. Then, they need to be incorporated into your resume and letters, and your personal marketing websiteIndustry alternatives:

More and more people are changing industries. The key is to identify industries with characteristics that match those where you have experience.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, Network, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and Overcoming Adversity

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Admin

If you are currently unemployed you are in the same place as many others. Try not to be hard on yourself. Many people are when it comes to not having a job and this will take its toll. Instead, you need to think of all you can to get back into the boardroom. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you are looking for a great opportunity, which you will find. Trust us.

As a group, virtually everyone who is unemployed eventually becomes reemployed, but some do it quickly, while others struggle, give up or settle for poor positions. With the right effort many can win new jobs that are more attractive than what they had and in healthy industries.

Experience has shown that as time passes, the less capable you will be (both psychologically and emotionally) to do what must be done to win a new job. So, the key is to have a schedule of full activity: meetings, interviews, letter writing, phone calls, follow-ups and negotiations.

For action oriented people, being unemployed simply means having the time to do a lot of the things that need to be done. On the other hand, if they aren’t active… many quickly get discouraged. Here are some observations.

Get support from your employer. Many employers are concerned about their people and want to provide help.With respect to severance, corporations will sometimes extend fi nancial support or maintain benefi ts. Some firms will also extend outplacement counseling, if you think it would help.

Make sure there is total agreement on the reason for your separation. Work out an explanation that puts you in the best possible light. Once you have arranged for the best possible support, be prepared to explain why you are unemployed.

You may be able to state that the termination was due to factors beyond anyone’s control, such as a cutback, merger or reorganization. Where it applies, make the point that the final separation was made at your initiative because you are a loyal person who gives 100 percent, and you did not want to look for a job while drawing a paycheck, or take a lesser position. And, be ready to provide references who will speak enthusiastically. Consider people you worked with, those who worked for you, customers, suppliers, or infl uential people in any part of the company.

Never imply threats. If you are in a position to harm your employer, they will know about it without your saying so, and they’ll take it into account when they deal with you. It is to your advantage that your relationship remain positive. If you were terminated for performance, remind your employer that judgments about performance can be subjective, and point out that you could be seriously harmed by a negative reference.

 

 

Posted in Advice, Network, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and the Great Sites

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Admin

The more tools at your disposal to land a great executive job, the better. This is no secret, but if you don’t know all you can do to be noticed, than you are at a loss. A personal marketing website may seem like something that everyone would have, but few think to create one. On top of a resume, the website gives a better look for employers as to who you are and what you have to offer their company.

Job hunting is all about getting enough of the “right people” to look at your credentials. A “Personal Marketing Website”… PMW for short, is a website that presents your universal resume… and sometimes your biography… for those who wish to review it.

What information should it contain? When your PMW site opens, it should bring up a summary. It should enable interested parties to view a brief summary about you… one that can be read in 20 to 30 seconds. Your name and contact information should be at the top. Then the position (or positions) for which you are best qualifi ed should be highlighted.

After that you want a subset of key words that represent experience factors or skills that people normally want with the position you are seeking.

The remaining information in your summary should be the most marketable information about you. In terms of length, your full summary should be equivalent to about one-third of a normal 8-1/2 x 11” page. Besides a summary, you want a second menu button for people to click to read a brief listing of your work experience and titles held.

Other menu selections should also allow people to click to your education separately, as well as your full resume, and a button for download. Create your personal marketing website in HTML… not in “Flash.” Don’t go wild and overdo your presentation. It may be impressive, but it will look as if you are trying too hard. Also, including a photograph may be good if you are in a special situation, or perhaps in the broader entertainment industry, but it is usually not the approach that’s best for most people.

Here’s how this works at our fi rm. When we write resumes, we create a distinctive and professional “Personal Marketing Website.” Displaying one on the web in color… is an impressive way of presenting yourself. It gives you a fast, no-cost way to get your presentation in front of the right decision makers.

Posted in Advice, Network, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and Keep Your Head Up

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Admin

If you are looking for a job and have been unemployed for a long period of time, you may be pretty down on yourself. Even if it has not been a long period of time, it may feel that way as it starts to drag you down. It is vital to remember that you need to keep pushing ahead. This may not be easy, but it will be the difference maker when it comes to finding a job in a shorter amount of time.

As a group, virtually everyone who is unemployed eventually becomes reemployed, but some do it quickly, while others struggle, give up or settle for poor positions. With the right effort many can win new jobs that are more attractive than what they had and in healthy industries.

Experience has shown that as time passes, the less capable you will be (both psychologically and emotionally) to do what must be done to win a new job. So, the key is to have a schedule of full activity: meetings, interviews, letter writing, phone calls, follow-ups and negotiations. For action oriented people, being unemployed simply means having the time to do a lot of the things that need to be done.

On the other hand, if they aren’t active… many quickly get discouraged. Here are some observations: Get support from your employer. Many employers are concerned about their people and want to provide help.

With respect to severance, corporations will sometimes extend financial support or maintain benefits. Some firms will also extend outplacement counseling, if you think it would help.Make sure there is total agreement on the reason for your separation.

Work out an explanation that puts you in the best possible light. Once you have arranged for the best possible support, be prepared to explain why you are unemployed. You may be able to state that the termination was due to factors beyond anyone’s control, such as a cutback, merger or reorganization.

Where it applies, make the point that the fi nal separation was made at your initiative because you are a loyal person who gives 100 percent, and you did not want to look for a job while drawing a paycheck, or take a lesser position. And, be ready to provide references who will speak enthusiastically. Consider people you worked with, those who worked for you, customers, suppliers, or influential people in any part of the company who can be of help.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, Network, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SET Personal Marketing and a Sharp Site

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Admin

When looking for a great executive opportunity, you need to make sure you are using all tools at your disposal. You may think you are because you are doing all you can with what you have, but the trick is to think outside the box. One of the best ways to do this is to make what you will need. A personal marketing website is the perfect example of the suggestion.

When your PMW site opens, it should bring up a summary. It should enable interested parties to view a brief summary about you… one that can be read in 20 to 30 seconds. Your name and contact information should be at the top. Then the position (or positions) for which you are best qualified should be highlighted.

After that you want a subset of key words that represent experience factors or skills that people normally want with the position you are seeking.The remaining information in your summary should be the most marketable information about you. In terms of length, your full summary should be equivalent to about one-third of a normal 8-1/2 x 11” page.

Besides a summary, you want a second menu button for people to click to read a brief listing of your work experience and titles held. Other menu selections should also allow people to click to your education separately, as well as your full resume, and a button for download. Create your personal marketing website in HTML… not in “Flash.” Don’t go wild and overdo your presentation. It may be impressive, but it will look as if you are trying too hard.

Also, including a photograph may be good if you are in a special situation, or perhaps in the broader entertainment industry, but it is usually not the approach that’s best for most people. Here’s how this works at our fi rm. When we write resumes, we create a distinctive and professional “Personal Marketing Website.” Displaying one on the web in color… is an impressive way of presenting yourself. It gives you a fast, no-cost way to get your presentation in front of the right decision makers.

How? Because you can simply send out emails with a link to your “Personal Marketing Website.” All you need to do is get the names of decision makers… and emails of key employers… throughout the U.S.… or the world… in industries that are right for you… or in the area where you want to live.

Posted in Advice, Employed but looking, Portfolio, SET Career Blog, Unemployed | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment