Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Fri, May 10, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, having spent numerous years building world-class Sales Engineering organizations at companies such as Oracle, Sybase, Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects and most recently Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-Sales at CA. MasteringTechnicalSales.com
“Stop! Now!”
As a 22 year-old Chemical Engineer, those were probably the most important words I had ever said in my life. They saved my life. I was working on an oil refinery and was out with a welder to live tap into a water line for a new project. As a raw inexperienced engineer I worked through my safety checklist and as a 25-year veteran of the refinery – the welder did not. The water line turned out to be a mislabeled oxygen line. Five more seconds and we both would have been with the angels.
So yes – I am a big fan of checklists, repeatable solutions and the old adage of “measure twice and cut once.” What does all this have to do with being a Sales Engineer? Well, making mistakes may not cost you your life, but they can cost you our job, your deals or even at the very best, your time. With the increasingly complexity of business, the broadening of portfolios and the heavy demands put upon the SE team there is a high capacity for error. Sometimes perfection is as much about not doing the wrong thing as it is about doing the right thing.
So let’s take a look at the role that mistakes and error prevention play in the everyday life of the Sales Engineer. For the purposes of definition errors are generally the result of either ignorance (not knowing something) or execution (knowing but not doing). What are some of the typical situations in a sales cycle that can benefit from repeatable processes?
1. Discovery
Errors and omissions caught in discovery will prevent untold pain later in the sales cycle. It’s my belief that, up to the point just before customer frustration sets in, every extra minute in discovery can save you five later during a demo or presentation. Very few SE’s will disagree with that – yet we seem to rush through discovery (aided and abetted by both the customer and the salesrep) and up guessing about the customer’s situation. I’m amazed by how many organizations with broad and complex solution sets conduct both discovery and “the big demo” in the same sales call before it “makes the deal go faster”.Or there is no discovery at all and an out-of-the-box demo is shown.
The solution – a simple Key Business Issues worksheet embedded into your sales process. If you don’t know why the customer is really talking to you (the pain – as many systems call it) and what it is worth to them to get it fixed (the gain) I’d say you are clueless and have a greater than 50% chance of missing the mark in your call.
2. The Web Demo/Presentation
Many of my mid to large clients across the world now report that up to 50% of their calls are now conducted virtually. Yet there is less planning that goes into a virtual call than a physical one. We have all sat in, or even ran, a virtual call where the technology and/or the product failed us. Does your organization have a checklist for the pre-demo set-up?
There are about 12 essential and simple steps you should be performing before every webcast – up to and including a Plan “B” if the connection fails.
3. The Physical Demo/Presentation
A “pre-launch” checklist is essential for a successful demo. So many things can now fail –all the way from the cloud/SaaS through the internet connection to the software and ultimately the laptop device and projectors. I’m not talking about the one in a million flukes, but the simple stuff like not spinning up a VM, failing to cache or log-on beforehand, forgetting to reload and update sample test data or even not having an external internet connection. (Work with any federal/state government anywhere in the world and I guarantee you will hit that problem).
I used to insist that all my junior SE’s had a checklist they ran through to prepare their demos – not a script – as I hate demo scripts – but a simple “have you done this” or READ DO list. I watched it save multiple young SE’s – and burn multiple senior SE’s who thought they knew it all and promptly forgot something really basic. There is prize or award given to SE’s for running a demo without a safety net, the only prizes are the deals and commission checks at the successful conclusion of an opportunity.
4. The Install or Proof-Of-Concept
If there was ever a place in the sales cycle for process and procedure – it is when you actually have to install your software/hardware onsite, or run a proof-of-concept with a customer (hosted or not). As a presales VP I used to insist on a completed install checklist or site survey before we’d go onsite. Did I always get one? Not always – but when there was a measurable 15% increase in win rate between the with/without surveycases it always provided a ready answer to the rep who said “John – make sure your team brings their A game” and then became a roadblock to getting the proper preparation completed.
In a single product/service environment a checklist is a savior, when the complexity increases by introducing partners, professional services personnel or multiple solution sets from your own company – it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Most customers really appreciate the thought that goes into such a list as long as it is not too burdensome. The resistance always seems to come from certain sales and presales personnel within your own company. Strange.
In Summary
Every professional SE team should have a series of checklists and standard documents built into their sales methodology. It doesn’t matter if it is formal or informal as just the discipline of creating these lists will reduce mistakes.
"Mulligans are OK in golf, but you can’t afford any in sales – it’s the difference between professionals and amateurs.”
Article By John Care
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/How_Much_Is_An_SE_Worth.pdf
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/news.html
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Apr 15, 2013 @ 10:00 AM
John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales, having spent numerous years building world-class Sales Engineering organizations at companies such as Oracle, Sybase, Vantive, Clarify, HP, Business Objects and most recently Vice President and Area Manager of Pre-Sales at CA. MasteringTechnicalSales.com
Several times a month I hear a sales or presales leader say something like “we need to move our sales engineers from being feature/function speeds-and-feeds oriented to being more business oriented – can you help us?”. The answer is often (but not always) yes – but it comes at a price.
Before I even look at the “how?” it is worth spending some time looking at the “why?” After all, as I often say in my classes – ‘It’s not a problem until the customer says it is a problem!” So what is driving this shift from the highly technically oriented SE to a technical-business balanced SE?
1. SE’s are expensive! The average fully burdened cost1of a field SE is now well over $200k in the US and approaching $250k in large enterprise companies. It’s a little lower in Western Europe, a touch lower still in Singapore and Hong Kong and smaller in India. Yet salaries in traditionally cheaper places like Bangalore are rising rapidly – the time of inexpensive presales labor is behind us. If you run a balanced team of 20 presales engineers with managers and a leader in the Americas, that is a $10-12m investment.
2. Obtaining an ROI on SE’s. Given that level of investment, companies need the SE team to be more than just the demo dollies and RFP hacks of old. Companies used to have Business Consultants, Solution Consultants and Technology Consultants who ranged across the spectrum. That model is no longer viable because of portfolio breadth or affordable because of headcount requirements.
1 Covers Salary, Commission, Overhead, Travel, Training and Benefits. Subtract 25-35% off the number for inside SE’s.
3. Your Customers Demand It! The #1 skill that mid to senior level executives want from the vendor presales team is someone who understands their business. Follow that with designing innovative solutions, communicating clearly and trust. Ranked at #5 on the list is deep technical knowledge–in poker terminology that is the table stakes required just to get in the door and play the game.
4. The Salespeople Need (And Ask For) Help! There are dozens of sales methodologies out there – and from an SE point of view, it doesn’t matter which one sales uses, as long as they actually use one. Sadly, other than complying with the minimum data entry requirements of salesforce.com, methodologies and process are abandoned at the first sign of trouble in favor of whatever sales feels is the right thing to do. This causes deals to fall out of the forecast, to disappear totally from view. Sales needs a counter-balance (most Sales VPs will admit this)
and a technical SE cannot do that. They can judge a technical fit, but not the feel of the business side.
There are a few other drivers, but those four are a good start. So now let’s move onto
the “and exactly how do we transition our SE’s?” section. Here are some ideas for
implementation based on many years of direct experience.
1. It’s A Journey, Not An Event. Holding a meeting to declare that everyone will now be more business-oriented, or even holding a 2-Day training class are just catalysts to get things started. You are looking at a 12-18 month process and need to set out milestones and targets for achievements. There is no magic wand.
2. You Will Take Casualties. Not everybody will make it. The classic split is 1/3 will easily adapt, 1/3 will adapt with effort and oversight, and the final 1/3 will resist, complain and ultimately fail. Yet all is not lost – one of the major parts of your plan is to determine exactly how many SE’s you need in which role in the future. Is this a plan for your SMB (Small Medium Business) or Partner SE’s? Depending upon what you sell and how you sell it, there is still a valued place for the Super-SE Technician. Someone has to conduct Trials and Evaluations and maybe even Implementations. Someone has to go toe-to-toe with your customer’s technicians.
3. Build A Profile. Building on the prior point, you probably need to revamp both your hiring profile and job descriptions for the SE team. As an individual, you need to think about what you should incorporate into your performance review cycle with your manager to assist you in “getting there”.
4. Build a Curriculum. The SE team have different skills, so get everyone to a standard base level, and then develop from there. You will probably need basic, advanced and applied level “courses” over the 12-18 months. These may be a mix of internal and external courses. Set the tone by dividing training into technical and professional skills. For example – when providing technical training for a new product or release, also incorporate the business and professional skills required to communicate the business benefits. I do have a sample curriculum I can supply if you email me.
5. Get First Line Sales Management BuyIn. Like anything else in the sales world, all internal change and cultural shifts live and die with the buy-in of first-line management. This also applies to presales managers and the senior / principal level SE’s as well. You cannot afford to have people holding you back and whispering negative thoughts in people’s heads. To refer back to poker terminology again – the SE team is going “all-in”.
6. Get Help (From Everywhere). Do not forget this! When looking to increase the financial acumen of the SE team, why not ask someone from the Finance department to spend a morning with the team? Look to do the same with our CMO and any other sources of tribal knowledge. You’ll have to translate some of this into SE-speak but it is a great start. Then approach your customers and ask them to help. You will be surprised. I learnt about Clinical Trial Systems, Financial Trading Systems and Telco Mobile Phone Turn-up from my customers when I ran a SE organization!
7. Remember The First Law Of Discovery.
“Every business problem comes down to a single number. Either that number is too small and needs to be larger, or is too large and needs to be made smaller.”
The art of being an amazing business-oriented presales engineer is finding out what that
number is, who cares about it the most, and how much it is worth to the customer to
change it. Then you need to demonstrate, in all senses of the word, why only your
company can do it.
In Summary
Like almost everything else in business, you need a plan to transition the SE team from highly technical to balanced technical-business. It won’t just happen, and requires an investment of time, money, people and a great deal of patience. Be prepared for casualties within the team, and make sure you publicize all the successes. But before you do anything else – learn from the basic principles of discovery, and ask “what exactly do you mean by more business-oriented?”
Article By John Care
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/How_Much_Is_An_SE_Worth.pdf
http://masteringtechnicalsales.com/news.html
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Feb 11, 2013 @ 09:00 AM
Employers do check the social media presence of job applicants at some point in the interview process. Some check upon stumbling onto your background when searching for talent on LinkedIn, others right before the interview and other employers do a thorough investigation before extending an offer. No matter what the employer’s process is, you have to assume, people will want to check you out online during the recruitment process.
Here are some ways to not only clean up your online image, but put forth a positive image that will leave employers wanting you on their team:
1) Google your name in Google Search – Perform a search on your name to simply see what comes up. This will help you come up with a game plan not only to clean up your profile, but to proactively strategize on what to include to improve your online image and set you apart.
2) Search on your name on other Search Engines other than Google, such as Bing and Yahoo. While search results should be consistent, sometimes they vary. Double check and ensure you are coming across as you wish.
3) Maintain a professional, but fun, Facebook profile. Mind the pictures you post and consider limiting tags by others to pictures on your wall. Ensure your wall and photos are professional in nature (so take down the party pic of you dancing on the bar with your friends). Post academic achievements (I received an A on my chem. Exam!!), athletic wins (I just did my PB during the 5K race!) and non-profit initiatives (Loved participating in the food pantry fundraiser last night…consider joining me at the next event).
4) Check your name in Google Images – Here you will see what pictures are online that are connected or tagged to your name in a public manner. You may not have all of your and your friends’ Facebook pictures come up, depending on the privacy settings. However, all public photos that are tagged to your name will arise.
5) Check your privacy settings on Facebook and other online media. Assume nothing you put on the web is ever private—that is my cardinal rule. If you are in doubt if you should put it up, well, maybe you should not do it.
6) Write a professional LinkedIn Profile that is optimized with key words to improve your ability to be found by recruiters and land an interview. 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find their next hire. You need to be here.
7) Create a Twitter account to follow target companies and network with contacts who can help you lead to your dream job. Twitter provides real time data to improve the content of your communication with key contacts.
8) Consider removing information that references topics that should not be considered as part of a hiring decision, such as religion, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or other group represented in Title VII or the American with Disabilities Act. It is discriminatory to ask for this data or use it in a hiring decision. But if the information is offered by the applicant, it can (wrongly) be used in a hiring decision in an unconscious manner.
9) Share positively across all social media channels. Negative rants are major turnoffs to employers, as no one wants to hire their next problem. Demonstrate your ability to communicate constructively and don’t overshare.
10) If you do have negative information about you that you cannot remove, or share a name with life-long criminal, one option you have is you can create new content by launching a blog, writing online book reviews, creating a personal website URL (i.e. www.yourname.com), and using other tactics to bury the information.
11) Not coming up anywhere online is almost as bad as having a negative online image. Employers wonder do you get technology and/or what have you been doing all this time? So get online to get hired.
Maintaining a professional online image without losing your personality is very doable. Take the time to craft the image that is true to you and resonates with employers to land that first job—making your time in school all worth it.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Feb 04, 2013 @ 09:00 AM
Wondering why recruiters call you back after you have submitted your resume? Feel you’re perfect for the job they posted, you know you can do it, but you are baffled by the fact they have not returned your call? Well, I have some answers for you as to why and outline a few things you can do about it. Read on if you are open to honest, tough talk, you are serious about optimizing your job search time and you are prepared to do something about it. Here goes:
Why Don’t Recruiters Don’t Call You Back
(1) Just because YOU think you can do the job, does not mean they think you are QUALIFIED for the job.
Search firms are paid a significant fee to evaluate candidates that the client company cannot find on their own. They are charged with having to determine if that candidate will exceed expectations for that client in the given job. The client company gave the search firm a series of parameters to meet that they feel justify paying a fee to the search firm if the candidate embodies those requirements. Frankly, it just does not matter that you think you can do the job. The search firm has to ensure you have the proper years of experience, company caliber exposure, demonstrated track record of results, culture fit potential, professional training and educational credentials requested before sending you to their client. And if you are missing one piece of it, typically you will not be considered by the search firm and never submitted for the job. As long as you have neither been contacted by the search firm nor submitted to the company by them, apply through a different venue (following a job search plan, networking, submitting directly, company website, etc) that does not add a fee to your head if hired.
(2) Search firms are not paid by you, and therefore, do not work for you.
Reputable search firms are paid by their client company ONLY. The company is their client–not you. Credible search firms do not accept fees from candidates for representation to companies. As stated in reason #1, you will receive a call from the recruiter only if your background is dead on for their client. Search firms typically only get paid to make the placement. So if your background will help them get that placement fee since you meet the client requirements, I assure you they will call you. Remember, they work for their client. They do not exist to find you a job.
(3) You paid a firm to send your resume to 1,000 recruiters…and it shows.
If you are doing a mass direct email, you cannot expect personalized response results. A very successful direct email campaign has a response rate of 1-2%. If you have a properly targeted, well written direct campaign to 1,000 contacts, you will get 10-20 quality calls. If you have a well-written campaign sent to a random sampling of recruiters, you may get 5-15 calls from recruiters who may not place what you do. And if it is an untargeted, poorly written campaign, no one will call—or you will receive calls to sell you job search services since you clearly need some help.
(4) Search firms don’t place what you do.
You are a Medical Director of a Big Pharma Firm and the recruiter places digital media experts within high tech firms. You live in Wyoming and the recruiter works with companies in New York and New Jersey—no matter how great you are, you are not getting the call. Know your audience before you send your resume.
(5) The search firm has no idea what you do.
Your resume is filled with so much corporate-speak and fluff on the first page that they have no idea what you do. Saying ‘Leader in the industry” does not help anyone understand what you do. What kind of leader? What level of leader? What industry? If the recruiter has to work at figuring out what you do, you are not getting the call.
(6) They do not have the right job for you.
The search firm actually thinks your background is amazing. They know what you do and are impressed where you do it and how you have done it. But they simply do not have the right job for you. Given that recruiters need to focus on finding candidates that can fill their jobs to make a living, they will not have time to call you, most likely. It’s not personal.
(7) Your background is not worth a company paying a 25% fee.
I know this is harsh—but it is true. Accepting this fact about your background does not mean you are doomed to be jobless. It means you will probably not find one through a search firm. This really is not that bad of a lot in life. Search firms account for a small percentages of hires in the US. Most hires are made through networking. If you are unemployed or you have too many jobs in a short period of time, you may fall in this category. If you do not have a series of promotions or you have an eclectic group of varied experiences, you are in this boat, too. Yes, they know it was out of your control…BUT this is a simple economics issue. The supply of these types of candidates is too great right now where companies will not pay a fee for this type of candidate. But they will hire you through other venues without the price tag attached—so go to those venues.
(8) The search firm is overwhelmed and, unfortunately, cannot get back to every applicant with the “Thanks, but no thanks” email. Please do not take it personally when recruiters do not call back to tell you that you are not right for the job. Yes, it is good manners. Yes, they should call/email. But do not cause yourself added stress by thinking it is personal —it is simply a logistics issue regarding limited resources. With the volume of resumes third party and corporate recruiters receive in today’s market, it is physically impossible to get back to everyone, even if they hired a team to do it—which they won’t. To help ease the rejection you experience, set up metrics of outbound activity you commit to perform each week, knowing a certain percentage will reap results. It is a numbers game. It is not a personal attack. It is reality that a good amount may not get back to you ever.
(9) Your resume is posted on all the job boards…for a while.
Companies pay recruiters to find candidates they cannot find themselves. If your resume is posted on all of the job boards for any length of time, you are not exclusive. You are readily available and easily found. When I recruited, I have had past company clients tell me I could not submit candidates that were found on the job boards–even if I sourced that candidate myself or the candidate was referred to me! As frustrating as it was, I understood. Why would they pay me $25,000 for someone they can find readily available on their own? Does this mean you should not be on the boards? Not necessarily. It depends on your story. If you are not working or know that you will be laid off soon and you cannot be without a job, do what you have to do to get that next job. If after reading the article, you know that you will not be well served by recruiters, then you must use other means to advance your career. But consider being selective and not post yourself everywhere. Or consider submitting to job postings only. The best option is to commit to networking within target company list you create and approach contacts directly.
(10) You are looking to switch careers or start your career.
You are a successful pharmaceutical sales manager, who just recently graduated with a bachelors in accounting. Now you are looking to get an entry-level position in accounting. The best option for you to take is contact companies directly for a position in your new career path. A recruiter cannot help new college graduates typically or individuals who want to change careers. Why? Remember, recruiters get paid by clients to find candidates who have had prior success in the job at hand. A company is not going to pay a recruiter to hire someone start a new line of work with no proven track record in the position.
(11) Don’t test the waters on the recruiter’s time.
On paper, you may appear too comfortable in your job. Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to make a move. If it seems you may be shopping or comfortable, but not serious about a new position, your resume will be passed over. Reformat your resume to show career progression, achievements and promotions. If you present yourself as someone out looking for the next ripe opportunity and who brings results, you increase your chances of getting the call.
You find that you identify with a few of the reasons and fall in a few categories above. Does this mean you are not destined to find a job? Absolutely not!! This is a lesson in marketing and economics. You need to present your background in venues where you will be reviewed and perceived as a valuable candidate that should be hired.
What You Can Do About It – TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR SEARCH!
(1) Set yourself up to succeed. Do not set yourself up to be rejected. If in reading the above content you know you have a background recruiters won’t work with, then stop approaching recruiters. Find other channels to market and present yourself.
(2) Commit to doing the work YOURSELF needed to execute an effective job search plan. There are no short cuts. Do not pay someone to do the dirty work. If you need help, pay someone to show YOU how to do it correctly. But the key is to do it yourself.
(3) Be Creative In Your Job Search. Use venues that you increase your chances of being reviewed and called for a particular job. If you have a background that is not going to be attractive to search firms, then choose other venues: Target Company List Job Search Plan, Industry-focused job boards. Effective Networking, LinkedIn Utilization, Company Websites, Career Fairs, Volunteering, etc…
(4) Quality over Quantity. Better to create a target list of companies and research 30 leads to mindfully contact directly than to send a mass, impersonalized, poorly targeted email to 3,000 people. Garbage in equals garbage out.
(5) Commit to have the best branding presentation ever. You would not go to an interview in a yellow suit without having taken a shower, would you? I cannot tell you how many resumes and cover letters I have received as a recruiter that were poorly written, formatted in an amateur manner or simply did not do the candidate any justice. Make sure your communication documents (resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, networking communications, etc) are in their best suit and showered. Doing this will not ensure you get the call, but I can assure you not doing this properly will prevent you from getting the call if you were.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Jan 28, 2013 @ 09:00 AM
You can triumph and advance your career in this fiscal cliff economy! Whatever happens in Washington over the next few months, the fact remains that the uncertainty posed by the fiscal cliff have many people worried about how it will affect their job and their career. The rumblings about how the fiscal cliff outcome can affect people at work is loud. Despite this growing concern, I believe you can win in this economic turmoil. How, you ask?
As a general rule, focus on what you can control and ignore what you can’t control to stay sane and win during this tumultuous economic time. Companies want to hire and keep productive, resilient and happy employees…so here are some things you can do to demonstrate this characteristic in you:
1) Remain calm, stay focused and simply do your job. If your employer sees you as someone who is resilient and productive amongst the economic noise, they will note that you might be worth keeping around if cuts are to be made.
2) Be the voice of reason: stop talking about what can go wrong and focus on what can be done right. Again, employers want to keep the employees that are positively contributing to the environment and not the Chicken Littles who are running around that the sky is falling.
3) Stay social – ask a work colleague out for lunch and call a long distance professional buddy to chat. And, for God’s sake, don’t talk about the fiscal cliff or any other negative economic fodder. Chat about productive topics.
4) Join a professional networking group and stay abreast of what is going on in your discipline and your industry. Make new friends.
5) When doing your performance appraisal spell out how you contributed to revenue initiatives, saved money and streamlined processes. Tell your boss how fabulous you are in concrete, measurable terms.
6) Be grateful and happy…seriously. If you come across happy and grateful, your employer does not have to worry about making you happy. One less thing to worry about on their growing to-do list can help you stay employed. I find that demanding, disgruntled, never-satisfied employees who contribute to the problem rather than the solution do not tend to stick around long.
7) Update your executive resume and optimize LinkedIn profile to reflect these winds outlined in your performance appraisal. Have these documents ready to roll if needed.
8) Audit your LinkedIn connections and see that you are connected with vendors, clients, external and internal partners. Maximize your reach.
9) Get LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements…can’t hurt, right?
10) Be active online…post interesting articles, endorse other people, and participate in groups to stay visible in online mediums.
11) Research professional development initiatives you can do…certifications, professional credits, and ongoing learning initiatives improve your credentials and create natural networking opportunities, whether they are in person or online.
12) Book yourself to attend a conference…when was the last time you went to one in your industry? Promote yourself as a leader in your field and for your company.
13) Time to turn off the news…don’t listen to it. Unless you are contributing to the senate meetings or advising the President on how to proceed, you really don’t need to listen to the play-by-play.
14) Sign up for interview coaching class or work with a private coach to hone your message and improve your confidence. This type of preparation can help you with a promotion at work, communicating during your performance appraisal and interview for a new job, if needed.
15) Help others. Be a resource to your network. Connect people who can benefit from knowing each other. This will be remembered when you ask for help.
The bottom line is keep your eye on the prize—retaining and excelling in your job—by just over-delivering on what you are supposed to do. Even you lose your job due to economic circumstances beyond your control, the good karma that will come from doing most of what is suggested above will increase your opportunities to be hired quickly. Again, companies want to hire and keep productive, resilient and happy employees. Companies realize they cannot make you that way, you have to come to them that way, despite the fiscal cliff looming or the financial opportunities arising.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Dec 18, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
Performance Appraisal Time? Update your Resume at the Same Time
Performance Review. Employee Performance Evaluation. Self-Assessment. It goes by many names, but that time of year to evaluate your performance has arrived. <Insert “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” song track> There are arguments made from two camps that justify and nullify the purpose of doing performance reviews, but I say there are two main purposes to capitalize on this corporate event:
(1) Turn the opportunity into an event that can help increase your salary
(2) Use the information to update your resume with your recent achievements and title changes.
I say make the most of it and multi-task. Here are the items you want to include in your resume update:
- Job promotions or transfers that result in a title change.
- New accomplishments that will demonstrate your value to the firm. Revenue production, sales increases, cost savings, labor efficiencies, streamlined operational issues, and improved profitability, for example.
- Initiatives that you led, contributed to or advised. Outline the results of these initiatives being managed by you.
- Relationships that have been created, nurtured or saved as a result of your efforts. Describe new clients landed, existing accounts expanded or troubled accounts revived. Consider outlining realigned vendor relationships and third party partnerships that contributed to top or bottom lines.
- Awards or recognitions received.
- New professional associations joined, contributed to or selected to speak/lead.
- Major project wins that are of interest to management.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
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If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, <a title="Executive Resume Writer Services" href="http://chameleonresumes.com/category/resumes-social-media-profiles-cover-letters-jobsearch-interviewcoaching/" target="_blank">an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant </a>, to achieve social media exposure and land the interviews you want, <a title="Sign Up for a Call with Lisa at Chameleon Resumes" href="https://my.timedriver.com/827HS" target="_blank">sign up for an exploratory call now</a> and learn about Chameleon Resumes services that can help you.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Dec 11, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
10 Holiday Job Search Tips to Do NOW
Hiring and recruiting during holiday seasons often brings up multiple opinions of its effectiveness by job seekers, recruiters, human resources managers and hiring managers from the field. As a former recruiter, my stand is unless you are mentally burned out and need a break, have volumes of family members visiting or simply have to travel often during the holidays, there is every reason to keep job searching during the holidays. Don’t stop the job search just because it is December. Here’s a few reasons why and what to do about it now in December:
1. Don’t Stop Job Searching during the Holidays—Hires Happen in December! - When I was an executive recruiter, I found our busiest or second busiest month was December. Why? I found if a job was open in December, it was because there was a 110% urgent need to fill it—or the company would wait until the New Year. No candidate shopping or long interview processes going in December—just down and dirty, get-it-done hiring being done in December.
2. Use December to prepare for January – Even if you do not want to job search in December, I strongly recommend using December to update your resume, identify your job search targets and brush up on your interviewing skills to get ahead of fellow job seekers coming out of the gate in January, as well.
3. Make new friends…Attend networking events for industries or career fields you have always wanted to explore. The social aspect of these events is heightened during this time of year, so you can learn about a new field while making new contacts. Build relationships in target areas to get positioned for the new year.
4. But keep the old….. This is a good opportunity to reach out to former co-workers, old college buddies, neighbors and previous contacts that you have not spoken to in a while.
5. Introduce your network to each other. Invite people out to drinks or host your own get-together, in essence, creating your own networking event. Connections made by your contacts will be credited to you. Helping others meet is always a great way to serve your network.
6. Expand your social media reach. Be sure you have all of your professional contacts in LinkedIn. See where you can cross Facebook contacts on to LinkedIn to make your reach wider. Explore a new social media that fits your personality and industry, such as Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram. Look at job search-rich job sites such as Glassdoor, BranchOut, Jack-a-lope Jobs or Tim’s Strategy. Commit to being more proficient on social media to advance your career in the new year.
7. Say thanks in person, on the phone and in writing. Review who has helped you personally and professionally over the past year and reach out to express your gratitude over lunch, with a note card or a Skype chat. Co-worker help you at work? Friend recommended a training course? Client make a key introduction for you? Someone help you with your job search? A personal ‘thank you’ note or phone call is very meaningful. Even if you have already showed appreciation earlier in the year, a year-end “Thanks” goes a long way.
8. Have fun with your job search: Seek out holiday parties to attend to socialize with work friends and enjoy the festivities (within reason). Belong to professional or industry associations? Attend the end of year holiday party to make new connections. Participate in the planning of the company party to meet leaders from other departments. Be yourself and let your radiance shine through to attract new friends.
9. Help someone else with your time and donations. So many volunteer services are needed during the holiday time. When you volunteer your time and resources, you can make yourself feel grateful and fulfilled, while giving you the opportunity to meet other like-minded, good hearted professionals that can lead you to your next opportunity.
10. Rest. Period. Like I mention in the beginning of this post, if you need to take a break, then just give yourself permission to take a break. If your body is looking at this list as one big list of “have to’s” and “should’s,” then it just may be time to rest and recharge for the new year coming, If none of this seems fun or festive, your body language might be screaming “I don’t want to be here.” In that case, best to curl up on the couch and watch a good movie. I can assure you, the job search will always be there and it is best that you are rested and on your game.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
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Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Dec 04, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
How the New LinkedIn Profile Can Affect Your Job Search
New changes to your LinkedIn profile are coming soon. Invites to receive the new profile have been issued in a beta test (I received invitation early last week—so I am now waiting for the profile switch.) I received some information from my contacts at LinkedIn that have started to shed some light on how these changes can affect job seekers in being found by recruiters who use LinkedIn to find talent. How your LinkedIn profile is written has never been more important:
Here is an example of LinkedIn’s new profile:http://www.linkedin.com/profile/sample
• The right LinkedIn picture is now paramount – The picture on the new LinkedIn profile is bigger than the picture of the current LinkedIn profile and placed in a more visually prominent position. So not having a picture, or possibly worse, having a poor picture choice is now front and center. Invest in a professional picture or just choose one where you are professionally attired, closely cropped and not a cut out of yourself amidst your friends at a reunion (I will confess, that was my first LinkedIn profile picture in 2006 when I first joined – so I humbly give you this feedback.)
• Set up Your LinkedIn Skills section and get your LinkedIn Endorsements – LinkedIn endorsements matter, regardless of your opinion of them being too easy to obtain or possibly diluting your recommendations. I have not received information on how it will directly affect your profile’s placement in search results (I asked—but apparently talking about LinkedIn’s search algorithms is like asking for the Coca-Cola formula), but I was told “emphasize endorsements” when writing this article. You can see in the new profile that the LinkedIn Skills section housing the endorsements is prominently displayed. Heed the advice as you wish.
• Make the most of your Summary and Headline – With the number of recommendations and website links and de-emphasized in the new profile, it is crucial to optimize the selling points and communication impact of your LinkedIn Summary and LinkedIn Headline (can also be known as the tagline under your name).
• Data visualization emphasis is apparent – As a culture, we are infatuated with infographics, pictures and visual demonstrations of data and this fact has not gone unnoticed by LinkedIn with its new profile design. For example, in the right hand column of the new profile, you will be able to see stats about your network (or others’ networks) visually outlined with graphs and other tools. It will be easier to identify which of your contacts have connections at your target firms, which will unearth more opportunity and inspiration, without having to always go to the advanced search function.
• Value is placed on engagement – Activity is more prominently on the new LinkedIn profile and valued by LinkedIn. I find this not surprising given that Klout, Facebook and Twitter are placing more weight on live (versus scheduled) engagement with users and sharing information with your connections. I am glad that LinkedIn is putting back the activity line (if you recall, the status update line used to be under your picture on your profile and has been since been removed). Soon when someone looks at your profile, they will see how active (or not so active) you have been on LinkedIn and how often you have posted/shared relevant information. Staying current on your profile will be more important now than ever.
• The new LinkedIn Profile seems more mobile friendly – If you have LinkedIn on your mobile device or tablet, compare a profile on that device with this new profile sample and you will see similarities. It probably will address uniformity of data to ensure the info that can be found on LinkedIn viewed on a computer is the same info that can be found on a mobile device. Right now, only certain info can be found on a mobile. So I hope this change addresses this issue.
• Contact info is in neatly hidden in an Address File – Gone are the days where some of your contact information was next to your picture, on the right side of your profile or at the very bottom of the page. Now, as it currently is housed, your Twitter handle, three websites, company web address, phone number, and email address are neatly placed in an address file at the lower right hand corner of your intro box—alongside your LinkedIn url, which you should still customize to a vanity url. This is much easier and a much needed improvement. Will make it easier for you to find info to contact people on your target list and simpler for hiring managers to contact you.
My sources at LinkedIn say there will be more to come over the next few weeks, so I will be staying tuned and be ready to communicate more as we all learn more. Feel free to comment and share any information you are seeing, as we are all in this learning journey together.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer.
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, LinkedIn Profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about Chameleon Resumes services that can help you.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Nov 27, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
Seven Ways to Design an Effective CIO Executive Resume
Designing a high-impact executive resume as a CIO, or if you are evolving to become an information technology (IT) executive, is one of the most effective means of communicating your skills, promoting your achievements and demonstrating how you are the best candidate for a coveted CIO role. The key difference in creating an effective CIO executive resume versus a professional-level IT resume is to integrate human capital management skills and fiscal acumen abilities alongside with technical hardware, software and cloud solutions throughout the resume. An example of how this is done is outlined in this CIO Resume Sample. The bottom line is, as an IT executive, you need to demonstrate how you can utilize human and technological resources to improve corporate profitability. Period. Here are nine ways you can achieve this goal:
1. Practice what you preach. IT recruiters tell me that nothing irks them more than an IT executive that does not include website or social media links on their resume. I am told that a CIO or upcoming IT Executive that has very little to no presence on the internet, or worse, a poor presence on the web, demonstrates that either they are not a lover of technology or that they are a poor promoter of themselves.
2. Gravitate from tactical implementation and graduate to strategic perspective. When compiling your CIO resume, be sure that you showcase your corporate contributions to top line, expense line items, workflow productivity and the bottom line. Graduate from citing specific tactical skills and responsibilities, that can be common in a staff-level or middle management information technology resume, to outlining initiatives where you have added value and projects that you have led to achieve results. The key with a CIO resume, as with all c-level resumes is to include the long-range effects of your work in addition to the short-term results. You want to show how you can strategize on the big picture and cause movement with what is directly in front of you.
3. Showcase soft skills alongside strong financial achievements. Don’t have readers get lost in your resume with a list of systems, software, hardware and applications in which you have expertise. Your CIO executive resume will be read by technical and non-technical types and you must cater to both audiences. We know you have impressive credentials and achievements, but don’t let the metrics overshadow your human capital accomplishments. Outline how you incorporated technology and human capital to drive workflow productivity, revenues and profits for the business.
4. Demonstrate that you can attract high quality talent and lead teams to achieve results. Effective IT Executives not only manage technology, but they successfully manage people to manage technology to bring results. Successful CIOs set up deals, influence key decision makers, nurture vendor relationships, possess sharp negotiation skills and attract key talent. Do not lose sight of the importance of your people skills contributing to your past and future success.
5. Use appropriate context when communicating to prospective employers.Talking about your biggest achievement is not always best. Reframing it, however, to showcase your accomplishments in a way that is digestible for the prospective employer is always preferred. If you saved $7 Million dollars on one initiative within a $125 Million dollar employer, but now you are applying to a $18 Million firm, you may be perceived as being overqualified for this next position. Either choose achievements that are within the fiscal scope of the prospective company, or consider using percentages to outline your accomplishments. Another tactic to use is to focus on downplaying or highlighting the size of regional budgets, global budgets, business lines, or other business entity sizes to match the prospects.
6. Showcase results and downplay technical jargon. Outline your technical and human capital achievements in universal language and not just financial jargon. Appeal to the many types of audiences by whom your resume will be read. You may be most comfortable speaking in acronyms or technical vernacular, but not all CEOs and executive hiring teams are aware of techspeak. I suggest that you speak about technology in approachable terms to be understood by many types of executive management. This will demonstrate your ability to work with non-technical types in a subliminal manner.
7. Be what they want but never lose yourself in your resume. The content in your resume, social media profiles and communications should be congruent with your personality, beliefs and work style, while still meeting the needs of the prospective employer. Ensure your resume will be in line with the person who shows up on the interview. Always be who you are on paper, online and in person.
The resume of a successful Chief Information Officer must not only demonstrate that you know the why and how behind the technology, but it also must tell a story on how you have communicated effectively with managers, lenders, shareholders, vendors and others key partners. Frankly, the best CIOs will show how they identify and implement current technology that breeds financial benefits that improves the company’s position within its marketplace. strategically, design and implement business plans and inspire leadership within the financial departments and with the executive management team to solidify its company’s future.
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant for Chief Information Officers, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about Chameleon Resumes services that can help you.
Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Nov 20, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
How Will the Election Results Affect Your Job Search?
Clearly after this election, there were some happy and not-so-happy people stemming from these election results. If your candidate won, you may be thinking, “Things will pick up now…I can feel it in my bones that I will find the job I want soon.” If your candidate was not elected, you have a tendency to ponder, “We are now on the wrong track. I am afraid I will never find the job I want.” Here is the good news and the bad news…both of these people are right….and very wrong.
After speaking with job seekers, recruiters, business leaders and human resources managers this past week, the bottom line is this: if you think you will or will not find a job, you are right. A variation of the infamous Henry Ford quote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you‘re right.” Finding a job is more about the actions you take each and every day and less about who is residing in the White House. While those who are happy about who is in office may benefit in the short term because of a positive attitude, the reality is these people will only find a job if they take proactive action to network and contact people to advance their job search. Any success they see will because of actions they take, not because their guy won. So then the good news for those whose guy didn’t win is positive job search results have nothing to do with who is in office, as well.
Regardless of your political persuasion, here are some tactics you can use TODAY to help jump start your job search and generate the results you seek:
Review your resume, social media profiles and job search documents to see if they are presenting you in the best light. Are you using a contemporary visual format? Have you included achievement branded language that defines how you succeeded in your job. Ensure you use pivotal keywords throughout your resume and social media profiles to improve your chances of being found by corporate and search firm recruiters.
Expand your online presence. Only have 50 connections on LinkedIn? Increase it to 100 quality connections. Not on Glassdoor, BranchOut on BeKnown? Try something new online to expand your professional presence.
Make social media social. Get out from behind the computer and talk to people. Have you not talked to your former office mates from your previous job in a while? Can you meet some of them for coffee, lunch or a drink? When was the last college alumni cocktail hour you attended? Have you joined a professional networking group that supports your industry or profession? Make new contacts and nurture the relationships you already have to increase your ability to generate leads and information for your job search.
Contact companies directly. Don’t just apply through an ad or even wait for an ad to apply. If you are an accountant looking for a senior accounting role, look for Controllers at target companies where you want to work and introduce yourself directly. Are you a Marketing Executive looking for a new leadership role at a technological upstart? Locate the contact information for the CMO or the CEO and ask for an informational interview. What do you have to lose? And don’t wait for a job to be posted to do this. Just do this.
Turn off the news. Really. So much of the regular and business news in these turbulent times is just outright negative. Keep your mental health sharp without large and small dosages of negative energy and information found in today’s news.
So here is your to-do list for today, or this week, to jump start your job search and take back control of your destiny:
(1) Add 10-25% more connections to your LinkedIn Profile—or a minimum of 50, if you need to start there.
(2) Call two co-workers from your previous job and say hello…just see what is going on with them. Do not tell them about your job search yet, if it does not come up naturally or seem appropriate. But just making the call will open you up to make more calls of the job search kind.
(3) Introduce yourself to a hiring manager at a target company where you want to work and ask for an informational meeting in person or on the phone.
(4) Pick one person from your social media channels that you have not spoken with in a while and either call or email them using the message I provide in the bullet description in the blog article…
(5) Shut off the news. Read something positive and that will make you happy.
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and land the interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about Chameleon Resumes services that can help you.