J Patrick + Associates Blog

How to Job Search When You Don’t Know Anyone

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Thu, Oct 01, 2015 @ 11:00 AM

How To Job Search When You Don't Know anyone

We have all heard that old saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” and in many things in this life that saying does turn out to be true. When it comes to the job search, how many times have you gained an “in” with a company because you are good friends with someone who works there or know a family member of someone who works there?

Well, what do you do if you find yourself in a situation where you need to find a job but don’t know anyone? There are many reasons why this could happen. Whatever the reason, don’t believe your job search is hopeless. Here is where you can start:

Make a List of Connections

While you may think you have to build your network from scratch, I believe if you take a few minutes to really think about it, you probably know more people than you think. Sit down and make a list of people that you do know. While it is a good idea to try to focus on the field of interest you will be searching for employment in, don’t discount anyone. Start making a list of names that can include your family members, friends, people you have met in your new area, neighbors, almost anyone that comes to your mind. This will be the foundation of your new networking list that you will use to build upon.

Leverage the Power of Your Connections

You may not know people directly that can help you, but the power of secondary, tertiary and beyond (4th and 5th degree connections) are where you might find the golden contact to help you. By reaching out to the list you made of your initial connections, no matter how small that list may be, see who they know on LinkedIn and by asking verbally who they know who can help you achieve your next goal.

Leverage Social Media Power

Social media sites such as Facebook and, more importantly, LinkedIn, can help you build a network of people in your field that could be helpful tools when you are ready to search for a job. Join as many relevant groups on the social media sites as you can for your field and regularly check in with them. Post in the groups and contribute to what they are doing so people begin to recognize you as an expert and look to you for advice. Consider using the advanced search functions to help you find companies that are looking for people in your field as well. Once you find these, don’t just apply for the job, but also make an effort to network with people employed at the company.

Be Consistent and Participate

Probably the most difficult part of building your networking list, is the ability to stay consistent with it over a long period of time and making an effort to regularly participate in conversations and activities that occur within your network. It’s the consistency that enables online connections to become offline relationships. Building a networking list isn’t easy, but if you take the time to actively participate on a regular basis and continue to do so over a long period of time, you will begin to reap the rewards. Check in with your network using your online tools and participate in any ongoing conversations. Try checking in one or two times a day if there is a particular conversation that is very interesting taking place.

Just Start With One Action Per Day

While starting a job search without a network of friends and colleagues to help you along the way may seem daunting, it is certainly possible. All you have to do is start building your network today. Whatever you do, don’t delay. While you may find that perfect job without knowing anyone, it will definitely be easier if you do. So start building your network list today so when you are ready to make a change, you have an entire host of people that could help you in your search. 

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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Tags: Social Media, Job Search, Networking, Career Strategies

Being Forced Out of Your Executive Job? 8 Things to Do Right Now

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Sep 08, 2015 @ 11:00 AM

Being Forced Out: 8 Ways to manage a crisis

You may sense that you are being forced to quit—see the signs below that it is happening to you. Or your superiors might already have told you they want your resignation. You probably are unhinged. The good news is that there are 8 things you can do right now to manage the situation. Those best practices will reduce or even prevent damage to your career and give you a competitive advantage in what you choose next.

Signs you are being forced out

The employer’s objective is to have you quit. Therefore, the signals that you should do that tend to be obvious. Here are the common ones:

  • You are left out of the communications loop. For example, you don’t receive emails about the meetings in the conference room for the product launch. Colleagues don’t return your calls.
  • If you are still attending meetings you are treated with disrespect. That can take any number of forms, ranging from ignoring your comments to showering you with hostility. The objective is public humiliation.
  • Your workload is reduced or increased significantly. Sales representatives might be given impossible quotas.
  • Your relationship with superiors changes. Instead of praise, you receive constant criticism. Likely they are documenting that alleged poor performance. That can be leveraged to nudge you out if you are reluctant to leave.
  • Colleagues and subordinates distance themselves.
  • Your superiors actually ask that you consider resigning or else they will fire you. As they wait for your answer, all your work may be taken away.

The 8 ways to manage the crisis

1. Find out your legal standing

As books such as “Fired, Laid-Off Or Forced Out! explain, there are many myths about employees’ rights. The reality is that in most states, the private sector can terminate employment at will. The exceptions are if you in a protected class such as disabled or aging, a member of a union or if the terms and conditions are covered by a formal agreement. When in doubt, consult with an employment lawyer. Do that before you say or do anything, especially if you are considering taking legal action.

2. Decide if you want to try to keep your job or even buy yourself more time

If so, initiate a conversation with superiors about the reasons they want you to leave. At the outset, state you are willing and eager to follow their recommendations on corrective action to align your performance with what is needed. This move may save your job. If not, it could extend the time you are collecting a salary and using benefits while you search for another job.

3. Avoid “craving closure” to end stress

Human dignity is important to most people. Employers recognize that. Therefore they know that subtle or obvious types of abuse can drive you to quit impulsively. However, financially, emotionally and in preparing yourself for a job search, you might not be ready to leave. Remain calm. Keep your finger off the trigger.

4. Negotiate

Every situation is unique. But there is always room for negotiation. That’s true even if your job performance has been subpar. Critical to negotiate is how the company officially classifies the resignation in your personnel file. Ideally, it should state that you resigned, without qualifying that with “in lieu of being fired.” Also, you can request a letter of recommendation, severance, outplacement, and use of office facilities.

5. Be pragmatic about finances

Investigate the possibility of collecting unemployment in your particular state. Your state may allow that even for those who quit jobs. An example might be that it recognizes stress as a valid reason for leaving employment. Therefore, you have to know beforehand how to frame your claim. If you are over-55, your odds of getting a comparable job are not ideal. Immediately consider downsizing expenses.

6. Prepare your cover story

The question you will be asked during interviews for the next job is why you quit. You must create an explanation that is diplomatic, positive and yet accurate. Of course, you speak well of the company and your superiors. You describe the negatives in a way advantageous to you. For example, you would say, “Our strategies weren’t aligned because I assessed that the company should put its computing operations in the cloud.” Those in the know recognize you had a valid point. “Given this disconnect, I felt it was a disservice to the company and myself to remain.”

7. Comport yourself from a position of strength

If you feel in charge of this process, your body language, facial gestures and conversations will reflect that. Everyone in the company is observing you. In a sense, this is the performance of a lifetime since they will remember how you handled yourself during this crisis. Those perceptions help create the platform on which you build the rest of your career.

8. Network

The way to search for that next good job is through other people. According to JobVite and other studies, less than 25 percent of hires are made through help-wanted ads and recruiters. The other 75 percent happen through the contacts you will make on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. You will also need to be visible in-person. That means participating in conferences, trade association meetings and local business social hours. “Hiding” is not an option.

Gaining the edge from this setback

No reasonable person welcomes failure. However, in Silicon Valley, it is celebrated as a rite of passage. That’s because the tech players know that more is learned – and more quickly – from setbacks than successes. In sophisticated organizations, failure is even hailed as a competitive advantage. If enough executives in those companies have a record for failure, there’s plenty of collective wisdom embedded.

It’s up to you how you position and package the experience of being forced to quit a job. Ideally, you treat it as a learning experience. Through it, you acquired amazing insight into your professional self and where it fits – and doesn’t.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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Tags: Networking, Career Strategies

3 Ways to Move from an Executive to C-Level Role

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Thu, Aug 20, 2015 @ 11:00 AM
How to Move From Executive to C-Level

 

The higher level the job, the more risk a company assumes. At this point, the job is less about generic qualifications and more about your people skills and leadership qualities.

This terrain can be tricky because it’s more subjective. However, by implementing some of our tips you’ll better your chances of moving from an executive to a C-level role within the organization.

3 Tips to move from an executive to a C-Level Role

Make sure you can work with different departments.

In order to be a top executive of an organization, it’s important that you learn to work with different departments

As a C-level exec, you would no longer responsible for just your sector, now you’d be the one creating strategies that affect the company as a whole.

That’s why it’s imperative that you learn how the different departments work cohesively. You’ll also want to beef up your skills in different areas. For example, if you’re more involved in the finance sector consider learning how the sales and marketing team works. Furthermore, you’ll want to learn how one affects the other and vice versa.

Lastly, build rapport with managers from different departments. They’ll be able to put in a good word for you and show how you’ve made an effort to understand the different aspects of the company.

Develop leadership qualities.

Leadership qualities are what truly separate executives from the c-level role. It’s easy to manage people, however, it’s not easy to lead people.

Leadership takes vision. It also takes the ability to move a big group of people toward that vision.

As such it’s your job to start taking more responsibility. Note, this doesn’t mean simply executing a campaign strategy that was handed to you for your particular department.

This may mean taking initiative on things that would require to work with departments across the board as well as create the strategy yourself.

The tricky part is you may not always be able to this within the role of your job, in fact, it will probably require looking outside of your job. For example, volunteer to spearhead the company’s annual corporate-run. Or, get involved with any big initiatives that require raising money for a charity the company is affiliated with.

These two examples may not seem relevant but consider this: both scenarios require you to work with a massive group of people from all departments. Both scenarios also require you to raise money. These are two skills that would be essential at the C-Level and your current executive role may not give you the flexibility to enhance those skills within the job.

As an added bonus, current C-level execs typically have to be involved in some way for these kinds of events, even if it’s just giving a keynote at the charity. This would increase your exposure to them which brings me to my next point.

Build a relationship with top managers.

When you’re vying for a C-Level job your chances of getting it may rely more on how you and the CEO get along rather than qualifications.

If you’ve made it this far you’re obviously qualified, as such what a company is more concerned with is whether or not you can work with the people on top. According to The Ladders, it’s almost as if you practically have to be sponsored by a top executive to be promoted at this level.

This is much more subjective and has a lot to do with personality, reputation, and rapport. As such it becomes your job to build a relationship with top managers. Find ways to get to know them and increase your exposure to them

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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Tags: Networking, Career Strategies

All the Right Moves: New Report Details Strategies on Reaching the C-Suite

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Aug 18, 2015 @ 11:00 AM

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Strategies on Reaching the G-Suite

A new report offers statistics and suggestions on successfully transitioning to the C-suite. For executives positioning themselves to make a corporate level move, this is news you can use.

I work with professionals and executives looking to make their best career transition. One way I help my clients stand out is by helping them understand what they need to rise to the top—and stay there. A new survey by McKinsey and Company offers some key insights into achieving a C-level position.

Transition is not just a phase—it is a job

The McKinsey survey takes a broad look at the conditions that new C-level executives face. Similar stressors and challenges face new hires, regardless of whether they are hired from within, without, or move laterally.

Take the case of Brian Cornell. Hired from PepsiCo, Mr. Cornell took the reins at Target, the first outside CEO in the 112-year history of the company. Since being named to lead the firm, Mr. Cornell made it a point to “listen and learn,” leveraging his outsider status as a selling point for a struggling company seen as too insular.

Like many C-level professionals, Mr. Cornell is expected to create a brisk turnaround environment while negotiating his own transition into the company. So far, Mr. Cornell, through pulling the company out of Canada and refocusing on essentials, is well on his way to success on both counts.

The McKinsey survey explores the geography of transition to a C-suite position. Unlike other jobs that pivot on skill and qualifications, C-level hires must transform into a different organizational asset. Understanding the territory of a C-suite transition can make the difference between a faltering first step, and a strong first year.

Whether you are a new C-level hire, or on your way there, map these areas first:

  • Business: Transitional tasks associated with the business aspect of the C-suite include understanding priorities, what to do, and what not to do. An essential task during this period is to develop a forward vision and promote alignment to that vision across the organization.
  • Culture: While internal hires already have knowledge of company culture, their familiarity with a company can also create challenges. Cautiously access company culture. As with business priorities, know what aspects of company culture to address at the outset—or to leave alone.
  • Team: Assemble a supportive, informed, and strategic group of direct hires at the outset. A well-functioning team offers the necessary structure and forward momentum.
  • Self: Through instruction, experience, or coaching, learn the unique skills you need to fulfill expectations.

A successful transition is the first project of any corporate executive. Your performance throughout that transition depends largely on how well you prepare for it. Always study the terrain before starting the trip.

The first 100 days—or not?

The first three months on the job offer insight into the effectiveness of any hire. But the transitional phase of a C-level hire can stretch past the first year. Consider these points:

  • Many companies do not have resources in place to successfully onboard a C-suite hire. Only about 27 percent of respondents to the McKinsey survey reported receiving adequate support to move smoothly into their position.
  • A majority of respondents noted finding the sweet spot of transitional success between 31 and 100 days.
  • Successful response to initial strategic tasks took some new hires between three and 18 months, while the majority found success between three and 12 months.

While most companies look for accountability at the outset of a routine hire, C-suite hires typically have time to put their 100-day plan into place. Keep in mind, however, that those like Mr. Cornell – i.e., hired to reverse an economic downturn – immediate action is expected.

Priorities for the C-suite

As I discussed in an earlier blog, there are well-known strategies for positioning yourself for the C-suite. Professionals in generalist and high-visibility positions are more likely to get the nod when an overarching organizational grasp is needed.

When you arrive at the C-suite, or an opportunity to advance appears, keep these concepts in mind as you make your way through the transition:

  • Understand the framework: Use research, interview, analytics, and other information to create a context for understanding your position and vision for the company. Alignment with company goals is possible only when you comprehend the pieces of the larger system. Each company, and each position within a company, is different. Sure-fire methods that worked for you during a previous transition, or job hunt, may fall flat if you do not do your homework.
  • Create your priorities: Know your business and personal priorities at the outset of the hiring process. From the interview, through hire and onward, revise and refine these points as objectives are met, your team solidifies, and the ground continually shifts. Remain adaptable enough to meet the needs of your position, stakeholders, employees—and your own life.
  • Know your messaging: Be aware of your story and how it is told. Media reports—positive and negative—have a powerful influence. Understand the key messaging of the company, and develop and display a calm and confident voice under pressure.

From the day you decide to initiate a corporate search, thoughtful attention and careful homework are needed. Use purposeful action and organizational knowledge to effectively traverse the landscape from interview to C-suite executive.

Know them and increase your exposure to them.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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Tags: Career Strategies

Career Acceleration Formula Review

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Thu, Jun 18, 2015 @ 10:57 AM
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When I was working as a search firm recruiter, I was always asking myself, “How do I get promoted more quickly?” And when I was working as a search firm recruiter, candidates were always asking me, “How can I land the next level position? How do I get promoted?” It always had me wondering and observing, why is it that some people get ahead fast while others fail to progress their careers for years?

My simple motto always was, “Do the job you want, then you get it.” While this mantra worked well for me in my search firm industry, it did not work so easily when I was in corporate. There was never a good, consistent answer to these questions beyond the occasional personal mottos. Everyone around me seemed to have had some idea about how to advance career fast, but no one has really cracked it. That is until the last year when I met Bozi Dar and learned about his program called Career Acceleration Formula.

Who is Bozi? Bozi is a senior executive in a major Fortune 500 company who figured out a specific formula that helped him achieve staggering success and get promoted 6 times in 6 years, increasing his salary 15 times. Over the years, he’s been mentoring other ambitious professionals so they can achieve predictable career success as well, until he refined his approach into a 6-step formula he teaches today.

I had a chance to meet Bozi and speak with him over the phone and apart from witnessing his zest to help others advance their careers, I also realized that he has an incredible talent of seeing the success patterns where others see complexity, as well as an ability to turn these patterns into action and get results fast.

Today I’d like to share with you my personal review of the Career Acceleration Formula.

First, what is Career Acceleration Formula? It is a 6-module online video training, containing 36 short and actionable videos as well as specific worksheets and action steps. All you need to do is set aside some quiet time (best is to cover one module per week, so you have some time to process the learnings and implement the action steps), turn on your mobile, iPad or laptop, start a training and follow Bozi’s guidance.

Here is what you can find inside each module:

Module #1: Developing a Winning Mindset. Bozi gives a beautiful metaphor on the importance of mindset. Mindset is everything that’s going on in our “invisible world” (in other words, in our head) and it is formed of your thoughts, values, emotions and beliefs. Everything in this “invisible world” dictates what we do in the “visible world”, which is our actions. This also means that in order to advance your career fast, the first place to look and see what’s stopping you is your “invisible world”. Inside the Career Acceleration Formula, Bozi shares eight most common mindset blockers that, when addressed, can unlock the potential for your career success. My favourite one is “You are the product”, where he explains how and why you are viewed by the company you work for (and any other company) as a product and how you can leverage that knowledge to make yourself irreplaceable in your company and your industry.

Module #2: How to Find the Perfect Next Job. In this module, Bozi takes you through a detailed, step-by-step process in order to give you clarity on your perfect next job. Most people choose their job based on how it looks on their CV, completely missing the point. Perfect job, as Bozi explains inside the training, is the one that is in the right place/unit (typically high-growth or turn-around), that leverages your strengths and competitive advantage and finally feels good to you (that’s where intuition comes in). He even shows you innovative ways to test your assumptions and get 100% clarity on what your perfect next job should be. The process he developed for this module takes some work, but is easy to follow and will give you a piece of mind on your next career step.

Module #3: One Big Thing. Bozi defines “One Big Thing” as a unique project/initiative that you will choose to relentlessly focus on starting from today, get known for it inside the organization and which in return, will take you to your next job promotion. This also means that you will consciously deprioritize other, less important projects and learn how to negotiate time for One Big Thing with your boss. This goes against what most people do to advance their careers! Most people work hard and work on as many projects as possible, hoping that one of them will get them to the next level. One Big Thing is one of the most effective career advancement strategies I’ve seen in a while. At the same time, it is a very counterintuitive strategy and that is why Bozi gives a very specific guidance on how to identify your One Big Thing, then create a daily action plan to execute it, and finally how to name it, brand it, and talk about it for success. Here (as in many other places), the devil is in the details.

Module #4: Make Your Boss Work For You. When I originally saw the title of the module, I was puzzled – make my boss work for me?! After all, most people have problems getting their boss to even talk about the career advancement topic. However, after the first few lessons it became clear what Bozi means by that. Basically, if you have a clear boss management strategy, you will get to a point where your boss is actively working to get you a new job promotion. What’s even more interesting, Bozi developed a 4-step process that you can use to gently move your boss from one level of endorsement to the next one, gradually helping you get the next level job. I’ve never seen anyone in career space develop a process like this and I learned from Bozi that many of his students experience major career shifts just from applying this module alone.

Module #5: Grow Into You 2.0. This module is all about making sure that you are successful in your next job before you even start working there. For example, most people meet their hiring manager (who is actually their potential future boss) during the job interview. This is not optimal as it can be seen as cold-selling. Inside this module Bozi teaches you how to get in front of hiring manager way before the interview, demonstrate that you’ve got what it takes to get promoted and then turn the interview into a mere formality. Furthermore, he teaches you how to identify one skill/competency that you need for the next level job and how to develop it in the most natural (and accelerated) way. Finally, inside this module you will learn about one of the best kept secrets of fast-track executives which is how to access the “hidden job market” (according to the latest research, 85% of executive jobs are never publicly announced).

Module #6: How to Become The Key Person of Influence. Just when I thought that Career Acceleration Formula is a truly innovative, action packed training that delivers incredible value, and that the first five modules are already more than enough to get you promoted, I got surprised. In module 6, Bozi delivers brilliant strategies on how to get away from office politics, become a master of ethical influencing, network like a true pro and finally how to build influence outside of the walls of your company. True to his style, he demystifies each of the components and then shows you exactly how to do this in the context of job promotion. This module alone is worth the price of the whole training.

Finally, is there anything to improve inside Career Acceleration Formula? There is, actually two things.

First, it would be good to have some sort of a guidance on how to handle the job promotion interview. Bozi often says that for the students who follow the formula, the job promotion interview is a formality, however in my opinion, having guidance on this topic would make the training even more complete. I shared this feedback with Bozi and last time we talked he told me that he partnered with one of the top experts on this topic and has developed an extra chapter/bonus.

Second, I believe it would be very useful for students of Career Acceleration Formula to have some face-time with Bozi (or Skype time) and get exposed to his strategies directly from him. I know that this is challenging due to time constraints but hearing him teach live and being able to get your questions answered is an experience on its own.

That’s basically it, my full review of Career Acceleration Formula!

In a nutshell, if you are currently stuck in a job with no future, want to land a job promotion fast and learn insider secrets on how to predictably and consistently advance your career, than Career Acceleration Formula is for you. Bozi has been there, done that, cracked the career success formula and has figured out the way to make it work fast for everyone else. Click here to learn more about Bozi’s strategies.

Yours truly,
Lisa Rangel

P.S. I know from Bozi that the price of Career Acceleration Formula has been steadily going up since the launch last year (no wonder, as people get huge return on investment from this training) so if you are the right candidate for this training, I would suggest you hurry up and get on one of his introductory trainings as soon as possible http://chamres.com/Bozi-b. And yes, this is an affiliate link, but I rarely endorse other’s products and services and only do so when I have gone through it and know the information and training is solid.

 
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Tags: Job Search, Career Strategies

6 Habit-Making Ways to Make Networking Easy and Automatic

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Jun 16, 2015 @ 10:00 AM

 

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Most things in life are a habit. Essentially we have to train ourselves to take certain actions each day until it becomes like second nature.

Networking is one of those job search actions that need to become a habit in order for it to be truly successful.

By making job search networking a habit, you not only increase your chances of finding a job, you’ll also start to feel like networking is more natural to you. Use these tips to help you create this new habit on your job search.

 

Call three contacts per day.

Calling three contacts per day, who are not part of your everyday dealings, expands your network and helps you touch base with your connections. The key point to emphasize that you need to call three contacts you do not already deal with on a daily basis.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone and contact people you don’t talk to as often. Look at co-workers you have not spoken with in 6 months. Vendors you dealt with at a previous employer. College roommates and friends that you have not chatted with in eons. Neighbors that moved away and you lost touch. By cultivating these relationships you expand your network and increase your chances of getting a referral, since you are reaching out when you do not need it, initially, so you come across more genuine if you every reach out and do need something.

 

Commit to having lunch outside of your office at least once a week.

You’re not going to make any new connections or build solid relationships if you eat lunch at your desk.

Instead, commit to having lunch outside of your office at least once a week. Invite contacts that are nearby, go to restaurants you know people in your field enjoy or reach out to local, relevant contacts on LinkedIn and suggest meeting in person over lunch.

 

When going to a conference or work trip, aim to connect with one new person who is not involved with the event.

How often do you go to a conference only to talk to the same people every time? Or, how often do you go only to talk to event organizers or sponsors in the expo hall?

None of these scenarios are a smart use of your time.

One way to ensure you’re meeting someone new is to contact someone who is in the area and is not involved with the conference in any way. You can use social media to find out who is nearby and ask them to meet during the time you are at the conference. Other ways to reach out to new contacts is to participate in any online networking activities sponsored by the conference to make connections before you get there. Tweet about the conference using the conference twitter hashtag. Look at the attendee list and connect with anyone beforehand and request a get-together over coffee while you are both there.

 

Develop a networking ritual.

If we create a ritual when cultivating a new habit then it increases the chances of us sticking to it. For example, one such ritual is to do the same thing at the same time every day.

This may look like reaching out to new contacts first thing when you walk into the office. Send emails on Monday to five contacts asking if they can join you for lunch over the next few weeks to have your requests for lunch appointments be taken care of early in the week.

You can also use calendar apps like Timeful to set reminders for yourself so you don’t forget.

 

Start simple.

One of the reasons people find it difficult to set new habits is because they set their sights too high. The reality is you can’t change your behavior overnight.

You can combat this by starting off with simple things. For example, are you having a hard time calling those three contacts? Use James Clear’s 2 minute rule to get you going. That means just find a way to get started in two minutes. In this case it may be finding a contact’s information on LinkedIn.

 

Don’t worry about results right away.

Another reason habits don’t stick is because people get hung up on the results and quit when they don’t see immediate benefits.

Rather than worrying about the payoff, just focus on creating the habit. The payoff will come in time if you manage to change your behavior.

 

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Tags: Job Search, Networking, Career Strategies

Inside Steps on Career Advancement

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Thu, Jun 04, 2015 @ 10:00 AM
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We all strive to be our best and develop successfully throughout our career. Successful recruiting agencies can help you in this process. In a changing marketplace, understanding the distinction between Career Advancement and Career Development can help clarify your goals and prime you for success. At J. Patrick & Associates, we understand employment dynamics and how to make them work for you.
 
 

Career advancement is generally thought of as an increase of skill or responsibility in the same role for which one was originally hired. Pursuing companies which support additional training and certification add value and supports career-advancement. In the AV/VTC/UC sectors, certifications such as CTS-i, CTS-d, CEIDA, Crestron DMC-D, and Extron are great when it comes to career-advancement over time.

 

Certifications build legitimacy as you advance in your career, but career development focuses on long-term professional development. If career advancements are the pages in a book, career developments are the chapters. Career development benchmarks include increased base-rate of pay, improved compensation packages, increased responsibility and the possibility of contributing to the long term direction of the company. Becoming an organizational decision maker is a hallmark of Career Development.

 

While discrete skills make up part of the career cycle, compensation packages and corporate culture engage the lifestyle needs of employees. Both specific skills and lifestyle needs are important.

 

Compensation packages vary between companies and the specific needs of employees. For example, the compensation package found attractive to a recent college-grad will look very different from the ideal compensation package sought after by an established professional.

 

The executive recruiters at J. Patrick & Associates have placed hundreds of candidates in the AV/VTC/UC sectors. We can help you find the kind of work and compensation packages that meet your needs.

 

Companies are stronger when talent is rewarded with the opportunity of career-advancement and the stability conferred by compensation packages with an eye towards career-development. Recognizing the interplay of these two factors can help you determine the next steps in your career. For more information on employment in the AV/TC and UC sectors, visit www.jpatrick.com/av-vtc/ or contact one of our sector specialists to see what J. Patrick & Associates can do for you.

 

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HOW TO TRANSITION FROM AV TECH TO MANAGEMENT

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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Career Strategies

Navigating the Reputation Economy: Lies Do Count

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Wed, May 20, 2015 @ 01:00 PM

 

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Whether achievements are listed on your resume or you are communicating accomplishments for a performance review on the job, truth-in-advertising is paramount.

A Walmart executive claimed to have an arts degree, but he did not. A dean at MIT with multiple university degrees turned out to have none. More recently, a story told about a wild helicopter ride taken by a Nightly News anchor in 2003 was grounded. These stories have two things in common—deception and discovery.

 

 

Your online reputation is a commodity

The reputation economy refers to an aggregation of networked data collected from sources all over the world. While you already know your mortgage, insurance rates, and business value rely on positive appraisal, your professional reputation does, too.

The day has arrived when your reputation affects whether you can share a car ride or connect on LinkedIn. ExecuNet reports that 90 percent of executive recruiters polled use online search engines during the vetting process. Employers do the same.

At the outset of your job search, take stock of your digital footprint including:

• Maintain an up-to-date, professionally written LinkedIn profile.
• Conduct your own social media search for personal references. Manage or remove negative remarks. Address unflattering comments or photographs posted by others.
• Boost your brand with social media posts about good works, community, and volunteer service

Unless your business demands otherwise, now and five years from now—keep your online presence, clean, honest and progressive.

 

Fact, fiction or omission?

Deception is relative. Only you know whether your resume is fact or fiction. Facts are fine, and omissions can be necessary, but there is no room for fiction.

There is plenty of disagreement about what constitutes a “lie.” During an executive employment search, most agree that intent to mislead constitutes lying.

Across industries, common mistakes made by job-hunters include:

• Embellished experience: Dates of employment, position attained, salary and job responsibilities are commonly altered by job seekers. Speak well of your skills and experience, but do not misrepresent your capabilities.
• Enhanced education: A background check quickly reveals whether you have the education you claim. The future is not built on a phony degree. Do not claim what you do not have.
• Fake the financials: Legal liability may follow mistakes made by CFO hires who fake financial expertise.

As a former executive recruiter, I have experienced job candidates who are not troubled by claiming an unearned degree or training certificate. While faking education and work experience is tempting, executive falsehoods do not end well. When discovered, a job is lost or not offered, and a reputation is ruined. Just ask David Tovar.

Online or on your resume, authenticity, honesty and professional self-marketing are the keys to navigating the fast-growing reputation economy.

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.

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Tags: Social Media, Networking, Resume Optimization, Career Strategies

Why Ageism Isn’t Your Real Problem

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Thu, May 14, 2015 @ 02:30 PM

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Ageism as a challenge gets thrown around a lot in the executive recruiting world. There is this false assumption that because you’re a certain age that you won’t get the job. The reality is there are plenty of companies who will hire you for your expertise regardless of your age if you can properly convey your value.

Yet many executives looking for work still cite ageism as their main challenge in landing the job. Pardon the bluntness, but perhaps “ageism” isn’t the real problem here. In fact, it’s very likely that perhaps you’re making some mistakes that portray you as dated, inflexible and victimized – characteristics that are unattractive at any age.

Use our tips to make sure you aren’t coming off this way in your job hunt.

 

Your resume is outdated.

Resume trends change all the time. What worked 15-20 years ago will not work today. Furthermore, if you’re still working with the resume your college’s career center taught you to write, and have just been adding your jobs as they happen, then you’re in for a very rude awakening. You wouldn’t wear a suit from 1995, so why would you use a resume format from the same era? The days of sending in paper resumes are gone. Objectives have also been thrown out with yesterday’s trash. Additionally, everything has gone digital so if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile or a way to participate in mobile recruiting then you’re going to struggle finding job.

 

The people you are contacting prefer corresponding via email—and you’re calling.

In the age of smart phones it’s a miracle if anyone uses a phone to actually talk on it anymore. The truth is several people loathe using the phone and prefer using email. It’s quick, easy, doesn’t really interrupt their day and doesn’t take nearly as much time. You may think it’s impersonal, but the reality is you can easily have the same conversation via email as you would on the phone. If you insist on calling (or worse, faxing) when your contacts clearly prefer email then you’re annoying them. It also shows you haven’t gotten with the times. That’s far worse than running the risk of being impersonal, which no one thinks of email anyway.

 

You don’t understand effective email communication.

The point of email and instant messaging is that it’s quick and to the point. If this is how a prospective employer operates for intercompany communications then you need to make sure you’re with the program. That means you must avoid sending confusing subject lines and emails that are the length of the Old Testament. MindTools has a great guide on how to properly write effective emails for business. Learning how to write catchy email taglines and first email lines is key to increasing the chances of your email getting read.

 

You make it hard for people to reach you.

Make sure your resume has a mobile number, email address and LinkedIn profile URL listing in the top section easily seen. Put some variation of your contact information in the summary section of your LinkedIn Profile, twitter bio and/or about.me pages. Google your name and see what options come up and see if it is easy to contact you when clicking on those links. Also, evaluate your email provider. Sometimes Verizon.net and aol.com email addresses can over filter emails and bounce emails being sent to you—even if you initially emailed the person. So ask friends to email you and see if messages bounce—and consider moving email to a more universal provider, such as Gmail.com.

 

You’re focused too much on the past during job interviews.

While it’s good to touch upon past accomplishments during job interviews you must remember to balance it out with some forward thinking conversation. For instance, don’t forget to mention how your skills can help the company with their current issues. You also need to talk about how you can contribute to company goals both now and in the future.

 

You’re too expensive.

This isn’t to say that companies are trying to get experience for cheap. It just means they have a budget to work with and not every position needs the expense associated with bringing on an experienced person. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t buy a BMW, if a Toyota suffices for what you need. Sometimes the executive role a company needs to fill doesn’t require so much accumulated experience and therefore isn’t worth the cost. This isn’t ageism, it’s just finances. With all of this outlined, know that I do believe ageism exists in hiring and can be a valid issue in preventing an appropriately qualified, within-the-budget executive getting hired. However, often, I see ageism is not the reason and one of the above reasons is the root of the issue. When someone cites the ageism cause without looking at what they can change or other valid business concerns, all they are doing is destroying their own mindset to get positive results from the search.

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.

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Tags: Social Media, Job Search, Job Interviews, Resume Optimization, Career Strategies

3 Psychological Hacks to Give You an Upper Hand When Asking for a Raise

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Dec 30, 2014 @ 09:00 AM

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Chances are that you already know that psychology goes a long way in sales. You may have also heard how psychology helps when you’re networking. But did you know that you can also use psychology to better your chances of getting a raise?

A quick note here, knowing about psychology is not about manipulating the other person into get what you want. It’s about knowing how the mind works so that you can ease situations that can cause a lot of anxiety while getting others to collaborate with you.

Use our tips below to give yourself an upper hand when asking for a raise.

 

Using their own words to describe their problem.

In sales and marketing you’re taught to use a prospective client’s own words to remind them of why the need your product or service. You can use the same concept when asking for a raise.

For example, perhaps you know the company is looking to open up a new office overseas and have run into some issues like struggling to find employees. Perhaps your boss has even mentioned it during meetings.

When asking for a raise you can bring up the issue and then explain how you can fix the problem. The key here is to use their own words. So if your boss has mentioned, “Wow we’re really having a hard time finding qualified people to open up our new office in China” then you would use the exact wording when you bring it up.

The reason it’s so effective to use their own words is because it will create familiarity between the two people. The detail also triggers much more emotion than saying something general like “The company is having recruitment issues.”

Then you can provide examples of how you’ve already handled issues like this and can continue to do so, therefore making you a valuable asset to the company and worthy of a raise.

 

Mirror their body language.

In addition to using your boss’ own words, you can also mirror their body language.

The concept of mirroring is pretty simple: when asking for a raise use body language that is similar to the other person’s.

This creates a sense of familiarity, trust, and comfort because when someone behaves like us we tend to automatically assume that they are actually like us.

In other words, if you’re asking your boss for a raise while mirroring their body language, they will see themselves in you therefore making them more accepting of your request.

It creates empathy and takes your boss’ mind off of numbers, budgets and more logistical excuses they may have otherwise thrown your way.

 

Limit their options.

Limiting people’s choices is a well-known persuasion technique. Simply put, when making a proposition it’s very easy for someone’s mind to start creating a myriad of alternatives to said proposition.

Rather than letting their mind wander give them only two options: your proposition or something less desirable.

For example, either you get a raise or you take another offer you have on the table. Or, either you get a raise or they continue having major issues (such as the recruitment example).

This technique is obvious, but it works if you don’t overdo it and actually bring something valuable to the table.

 

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.

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Tags: Resume Optimization, Career Strategies

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