Developing your Job Search Strategy: Specialists are the Rage

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


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


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


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


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

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

Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com

Track Your Metrics For an Effective Job Search:

For the past 6 years, I have been working very closely with a number of Private Equity Groups, (PEG).  Many of my assignments for these clients have been for Chief Financial Officers.  In every case they want a CFO who can help the business by establishing a set of relevant performance indicators which can be tracked and monitored on a routine basis.  They know that by tracking the right metrics and keeping the management team focused on that data improves the likelihood of achieving their goals.  I am confident that while employed, your supervisor required you to make periodic reports on certain metrics.  If it works while on the job, it will surely work to help you land that next job.

Doubtless, we all agree on the importance of Planning.  We all know the planning cycle.  Set your Goals and Objectives; formulate strategies; develop tactics; track your results; reassess; make adjustments.     How will you know where you stand if you don’t have a scorecard?  Will you know if your plan is on track, or even if it is viable?  What adjustments should you make?  Are you comfortable making important decisions about your career without important data?  Probably not!

So, as you are developing your job search plan for 2015 consider the key metrics, performance indicators, that you believe are vital to success.  

Your prime objective is to land a new job.  Key to landing that new job is to gain the interest of hiring managers who will invite you to interview.  The metrics you will want to track are the activities you complete that move you closer to the goal, getting that interview.   Some jobs are posted, so it would make sense to track resumes sent to posted jobs.  As we all know, however, up to 80% of people land their new jobs via networking.  If that is the case, as I believe it to be, then you will want to develop a set of metrics that track you networking efforts.  Those efforts include phones calls, information interviews completed,  networking meetings attended, and follow up with your network.  Since social media is an important platform for job search you may well develop metrics to track your efforts on LinkedIn.  Contributions to Interest Group discussions and additions to your list of connections may be appropriate.

I have also recommended that you start a blog, if you have not already, with a goal of posting once a week.  This is a great strategy to promote yourself  at LinkedIn or Google+ Groups.  Additionally there are a vast array of Professional Associations and Groups who encourage members to post to their websites.  Everyone is looking for relevant content! 

You should also set goals for personal and professional development.   A diet or exercise metric may be appropriate.

Tracking a handful of key metrics related to your search activities will keep you on track.  Keep it simple.  Pick six to eight of the activities prioritized by those you deem most important.   If you need more than a 3 by 5 index card to track your metrics you probably have too many.

The best of plans are useless without accountability.   There can be no accountability without measurement.   So, if you want to ensure the success of your job search plans, identify the key metrics to track and do so regularly.

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

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

Jump Start Your Job Search in 2015: Reflect - Recharge - Regroup

The New Year is upon us.  This is the season to take a break; enjoy time with friends and family, and prepare for the New Year.  One can easily lose themselves in the hustle and bustle of shopping and celebrating.  It is also a time to assess our progress for the year; to express our gratitude to family, friends, and clients; and to make resolutions for the New Year.   So, why wouldn’t you want to align your job search with the cultural expectations of the season?  You may be new to the job market, or you may have been in search for many months.  Whatever your situation, this is a great time to reflect, recharge, and regroup.

Reflect

Evaluate your Job Search Strategy for its relevance.  Is your target Job/Industry Sector still viable?  What about Plan B and Plan C?  Are your plans still viable?  This is a good time to validate your job search strategy.  What activities were most helpful?  Which were not?  Who has been helpful to you?  Have you been spending your time wisely?  Make a point to do more of those activities that seem to be getting you closer to your goals, and less of those that aren’t.

Re-charge

Take a break, enjoy the season.  Don’t quit all job search activities, but dial it back a bit to have time to gain perspective.  Managers don’t stop their recruiting during the holiday season, but they do slow down their activity.  Likewise you should change your priorities a bit.  Make time for friends and family.  Re-charge your batteries so to speak.

I know many people, employed and unemployed, who use this season to reach out to people who have had an impact on their lives.  Sending Greeting Cards is an obvious way to say thank you to people who have been important to you.  If you want to really make an impact try a phone call or a face to face meeting.  I have been a bystander to one such call when I was doing a market tour with a subordinate.  I can honestly say that the impact on my subordinate was profound!   Reach out to your network to thank them for their support and to update them as to you plans.

Regroup

Ensure that your resume and cover letter is still relevant and pithy.  Make sure that your Internet presence is current.  Are you a participating member in relevant Industry/Career Interest Groups?  Is your LinkedIn profile complete?  Have you checked your Face Book account to ensure that it is aligned with your goals?  God forbid that your Face Book account is counter-productive.  You should consider starting a blog, even if it is just a chronicle of your job search.  Set new goals and objectives for the completion of daily, weekly, and monthly activities.  Have a system to track activities and measure progress toward your goals.

 In summary, use the waning weeks of 2014 to reflect on your efforts;  recharge your emotional account;  and regroup by developing a revised plan for 2015.  Express your gratitude to those who have been helpful, especially friends and family.  Take stock of your efforts of 2014.  Do more of those activities that took you closer to your goals, and less of those that did not.  Develop revisions to your plan to include a system to track your efforts and your effectiveness.  Align your job search to the traditions of the season to ensure a successful job search.

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

Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

Exercise During Job Search to Cope with Stress

MANAGE JOB SEARCH STRESS:

Get Some Exercise

On May 18 2014, year I posted an article about the importance of improving your image to enhance your job search prospects.   Most of that post was focused on diet but it did speak to the importance of exercise to help slim down.   


Your confidence and self-worth is likely impacted by your view of your image.  If your self-confidence is negatively affected by your image, you will not perform well at interviews or at networking.  Your image is important, but, your mental state is being evaluated as well, to be sure.   One affects the other.  If you cannot work through the stress of job search, it will be evident to anyone you meet.   Exercise, however, is an excellent way to moderate stress, especially important during job search.   A body engaged in some form of exercise will relieve the mind of worries that lead to stress.
While doing some research for this post I found a few highly relevant articles.  So, instead of pontificating on the subject I have linked to articles listed below, which I know you will enjoy.


Workouts for Less Stress:  Get ripped and relaxed.  By Scott Quill, march 04, 2013:  Published on Men’s Health (http://menshealth.com
In this article Scott Quill recaps work by Steve Edwards, Ph. D., professor of sports psychology at Oklahoma State University.  Edwards spoke to six distinct exercise personalities and then matches exercise routines to fit each personality type.


Stress Management – Ways to Relieve Stress
http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-relieving-stress
“According to Matthew Stults-Kolemainen, Ph.D., a kinesiologist at the Yale Stress Center says that exercise attacks stress in two ways; Exercise promotes production of neurohormones like norepinephrine that are associated with improved cognitive function, elevated mood and learning.  And that can improve thinking dulled by stressful events – some research even shows how exercise can make you smarter.”


Benefits of exercise:  reduces stress, anxiety, and helps fight depression, from Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefits-of-exercisereduces-stress-anxiety-and-helps-fight-depression
“Regular aerobic exercise can bring remarkable changes not just to your body, your metabolism, and your heart, but also to your spirits, reports the February 2011 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.  Aerobic exercise is the key for your head, just as it is for your heart.  It has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress.  Exercise reduces the levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.  It also stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.  “Harvard Men’s Health Watch notes that you should exercise nearly every day.  That doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym.  But it does mean at least 30 minutes of moderate activity. “


Stress Management
“Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever.  Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries.”
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469
“Physical activity pumps up the production of brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, endorphins.  Sometimes called a runner’s high.  Focus on a single task like exercise or mental activity results in energy and optimism, helping you remain calm and clear.”
“Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety.  Exercise also can improve your sleep.”


9 Exercises for Stress Relief
Kate Hanley, Published December 03, 2014
www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/t/top_9_stress-reducing_workouts_for_women.aspx
 “Chronic tension can be the culprit behind both long-term conditions (depression, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure) and everyday health woes (headaches, back pain, insomnia, upset stomach, anxiety, anger). “


Summary
While you are between jobs, working on your image will help you manage stress.  Practice your favorite routines until they become habits.   Intense, rigorous exercise like jogging or cycling is awesome, but it is not your only option.  Low impact activities like Yoga, Tai Chi, and dancing can be beneficial.  Breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation routines are useful too.  Skill-based sports like golfing and tennis are great options, if you are already familiar with those sports.  Don’t underestimate the value of mundane activities such as housecleaning or gardening.  

   
Do something for yourself.  An appropriate physical activity will help you look and feel better.  Achieving exercise goals will improve your image and self-confidence while helping you manage the stress level.  Set goals and find a partner to keep you company.  Focus on the task at hand while exercising.  Don’t let your mind wander.  Especially avoid negative thoughts.  It will also burn off a lot of the stress that comes from the ups and downs of job-search.


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


 Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com