July 2014 – New Century Dynamics Executive Search

July 28, 2014

Your Resume is Not Getting Traction: It Just Isn’t Interesting

How do you choose your leisure reading? When you read the newspaper, visit a website, or pick up a magazine what grabs you attention? Is it a compelling headline? An interesting picture, or some other graphic? Do you scan the article or do a deep-dive for total comprehension? How do you decide which route to take? I would imagine that time pressures hold sway.

Consider spending your day wading through a mountain of resumes, hoping to find a handful of candidates that match your specs? I recruit for a living and I find that thought oppressive. Would you like to sift through boring, poorly formatted resumes all day. Madness! It could drive one to drink! No one wants to read boring material. It is no different for a recruiter. To be productive we scan resumes and put them in piles. You want your resume to land in the right pile, the “I have got to call this guy” pile. If you want your resume to stand out, you must internalize that thought.

Rules for Crafting an Interesting Resume:

Provide a short Executive Summary at the beginning to set the stage.
Executive Summary – Executive Level, Industry Segment, Functional Discipline

Use paragraph format for Executive Summary, and Job Responsibilities.
Italics for job responsibilities will make the resume more interesting to read.
Use bullet-point format for Accomplishments and Skill Sets.
Use bold and underline functions to make headers stand out.
Give a brief description of each employer and the purpose of each position.

Your resume is your career story. Like any good story, it needs a plot, a theme and some drama. Use your executive summary to set the stage by positioning your career experience. Are you a turn-around expert, a business development guru, an M&A specialist or maybe you are all about IPOs. You get the point. The positioning statement is your theme. Regardless of your functional discipline there are only a handful of themes in business. As you think about your career, I am confident you will find a common thread, a theme that defines your experience. Now, reinforce your theme throughout the body of your resume.

Think like a marketing professional. These folks are tasked with creating interest by communicating the benefits of their brand. After all, isn’t your resume about communicating your message? Tell your story with impactful-language in an interesting format. The words you choose must stimulate an immediate emotional response. They must be powerful and precise, evoking a sense of energy and excitement. Eliminate trite buzz words! Buzz words are buzz killers!

The purpose of a resume is to present your job history, but the goal is to get an interview. Too many details too soon may well obscure your message. First establish interest on the part of the recruiter, then fill in the details. I am not recommending a one, or even a two page resume. My message is to eliminate space devoted to non-essential information. I advise my candidates to have a very detailed resume available when a recruiter is ready to dig deeper into their background. Even so, that document is not appropriate for first contact. Build your resume with points that matter.

When I consider the time I have spent in meetings, presenting to my team and superiors, or sitting through someone else’s presentation; I often wonder if management just wants to be entertained. Work can be enjoyable and should be. Why subject a recruiter to a boring resume? To stand out, make your resume interesting and entertaining.

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

July 23, 2014

Your Resume is Not Getting Traction: 1. It is Not Easy to Read

Are you invisible? Don’t laugh. If your resume is not generating interest, you may as well be invisible. If your resume is not read do you exist? If your resume is not read and its content appreciated, your job-search is dead in the water. And, when I say “read” I mean scanned. A recruiter will spend less than 30 seconds evaluating your resume. If your resume is not generating interest, it is a safe bet that it is not reader-friendly. You may be the ideal candidate for a particular job, yet fail to get into the queue just because you crafted a resume that recruiters don’t want to read. I can tell you from experience that there is a direct correlation between the quality of candidate’s resume and the amount of interest it generates.

To craft a resume that generates interest, start by putting yourself in the reader’s place. Think of your own reading habits, especially on a busy day when time is short. Do you like the thought of reading densely-packed pages of small-type-faced words? That is a turn-off, happily to be avoided. I am confident that you know exactly what I mean. To maximize my productivity, I want to receive the most information I can in the least amount of time. I will likely put aside a difficult-to-read resume, and move on. Unfortunately, that usually means that other candidates make it to the hiring manager.

Follow these rules to help craft a resume with impact.

Use header and footer function to retain continuity.
Use Table function to hold formatting for employers, job titles and dates.
PDF is the best format for integrity in transmission.
12 pt. type face size for the body of the resume, larger for headers, 14 to 16 pt.
Use spacing to break up jobs held and to transition from different formats.
White space is important! Use it liberally.
Use 1” margins
Use underlining to separate employers.

A resume is really more of a marketing tool than a detailed work history. Even if you are trying to convey your history, your goal is to engage the reader with every word, coaxing him into reading more. You are trying to tell a story, your story. If you cannot present your story in an interesting way, why make me suffer through a bad read? As a professional you have likely attended many PowerPoint presentations that use short sentences and bullet points. You know that these presentations are effective because they distil the key points in a way that is easy to grasp. The message literally jumps off the page! The sentences are short and the words have impact. Your resume should use these techniques too!

Most of my work is with C-level Executives so I don’t get too involved in Automated Tracking Systems, but I do have a resume data-base. When I search my data-base I use key words that match the client’s ideal candidate profile. This task is always more productive when candidates have taken advantage of their resume’s file properties menu. It is important to populate your resume with key-words, and don’t neglect the “file properties” feature.

Finally, always leave your audience wanting more. The important point of a resume is to get you into the game. If you provide the most important information in an interesting, easy to read manner you are more likely to get a phone call from a hiring manager. At that time you can begin providing more detail about your experience and accomplishments. I definitely recommend that you develop a highly detailed CV that recaps your complete career history and accomplishments. That document will serve as basis for your resume, bio, and key accomplishments. However, that is not a document to use for an introduction in a 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

July 20, 2014

Five Reasons Your Profession Is Hurting Your Career

Originally Posted by Richard Kirby of Executive Impact on May 6, 2014

When I graduated from college with a degree in electrical engineering, that was the only credential I could use to market myself to prospective employers. In an ideal world, employers would have gotten to know me and determined that I had potential to do many things, tested me to define my talents and motivations, and established an individualized development plan that would launched me onto a path to become “the best that I could be” in their organization. Unfortunately, the world was not ideal then and still is not.

I was stereotyped (branded) as an engineer and hired to do a job that engineers do. I succeeded, so I was given opportunities to make more money and get promotions by doing more engineering stuff. But, seven years out of college, I was a registered professional engineer who was burnt out on engineering … and decided I needed a change. I proactively moved into HR training and development (training engineers), then into marketing, then into sales.
The point of all this is that, had I been passive and let my employers lead me in my career, I would have gotten “stuck” in a sequence of engineering roles. I would have had far less autonomy, enjoyment and income.

So, I want to propose to you a pretty disruptive (but, for many, necessary) challenge to your status quo: Choosing a profession and sticking with it may be a bad strategy for your future happiness and income. Here are five reasons your current profession may be hurting your career…

1. You are in a profession that does not match “you”. With thousands of possible choices and the vast majority of people not having insightful guidance, it is highly likely you are not even close to being in one that is an excellent fit.

2. You are in a profession that has poor prospects for the future. Face it. Your entry level customer service job at the local bank branch is never going to get you very far.

3. Your profession doesn’t allow you to grow your career. Sitting in a call center answering customer complaints will isolate you from others who could help you in your career. It will also numb your mind.

4. You are in a profession that is associated with a depressed or dying industry. All of my corporate career was in the telecom industry and (other than mobile) that industry has been in trouble for over a decade, so becoming an expert could be career-limiting.
5. You are in a profession/industry that is not well respected. Even if you are the top producer in your state for Amway, I am still going to start itching if I have to sit and listen to your pitch about becoming one of your “down-lines.”

As mentioned in Chapter 3 of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!):
“A survey by The Conference Board indicated that employee job satisfaction dropped from 61% in 1987 to 45% in 2009. This has been an ongoing trend. I believe that two major factors contributing to job dissatisfaction are self-limiting beliefs and mismatches with current professions.”

It’s hard to correct counterproductive beliefs in a 600 word blog post, but getting you thinking about your choice of profession just might be within my power. I hope so, because the vast majority of people I meet are in a profession that is not a strong match.
Sometimes people who are unhappy in their work are in the wrong culture, working for the wrong type boss, or at the wrong level in the organization. For many, though, they are in the wrong profession. If you have some doubt, then I hope you will rethink your choice (if it was a choice at all) of profession and begin considering new options. Good luck and best wishes!

Richard Kirby is an executive career consultant, recruiting manager, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!).

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

July 13, 2014

Your Resume is Not Getting Traction: 5 Reasons Why

We all know the adage. “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” Whereas this might not be completely accurate, where your resume is concerned it most certainly is true. Your resume is likely your first opportunity to make an impact with a hiring manager. In too many cases a strong candidate with a weak resume loses out on a great opportunity. It does not have to be that way. Understanding how a resume is reviewed and used will give you the fundamental information to craft a product that will stand out. The following five issues are likely working against you.

It is Not Easy to Read.

Use header and footer function to retain continuity.
Use Table function to hold formatting for employers, job titles and dates.
PDF is the best format for integrity in transmission.
12 pt type face size for the body of the resume, larger for headers, 14 to 16 pt.
Use spacing to break up jobs held and to transition from different formats.
White space is important! Use it liberally.
Use underlining to separate employers.

It is Not Fun and Interesting Reading;

Provide a short Executive Summary at the beginning to set the stage.

Use paragraph format for Career Summary, and Job Responsibilities.
Italics for job responsibilities will make the resume more interesting to read.
Use bullet-point format for Accomplishments and Skill Sets.
Use bold and underline functions to make headers stand out.
Give a brief description of each employer and the purpose of each position.

It Does Not Reveal You to be a Savvy Professional:

Leave off Personal interests and “references available upon request.”
Use industry specific terminology.
Accomplishments should be predominant
Executive/Career summary must address your functional discipline, level of accomplishment; and industry/segment expertise.
Give a short, one line explanation for employer changes.
Your resume file name should put your last name first, then first name and date.
Use File/Properties menu option to list key words and other data.
Use appropriate key words in the body of the resume.
Avoid trite phrases and meaningless buzz-words.

It Does Not Focus Enough On Your Accomplishments:

Your Career Summary should position you based on your general contributions.
Your Skill Sets should provide more definition to your strengths
Your Employment Summary should bullet-point your most significant accomplishments.

It Is Not Easy to Contact You:

Cell phone and email addresses are key.
Home mailing address is unnecessary.

The most important point to understand is that your resume is not read as much as it is scanned. In many of my search assignments up to 50% of the resumes I receive do not fit the desired profile, but I still must review each and every one to make that determination. Hiring managers and their support staff must use their time wisely when sifting through a mountain of resumes. These folks sort your resume into two piles; “possible” and “forget-about-it” by quickly scanning to see if the resume reflects the ideal profile for the position in question. Even if their scan picks up some of the key attributes in question, a poorly formatted resume can end up in the “forget-about-it” pile.

To further drive home the point one would do well by reviewing point of sale marketing messages used by retailers. They use very short messages, sometimes as few as two or three words, that make a strong emotional connection with the shopper. You would be wise to think like a retailer when crafting your resume.

To Summarize, if you are to be considered a viable job candidate, your resume must be interesting, easy to read, and user-friendly for digital (i.e. email) transmission and retrieval. To be viewed as a savvy professional, pay attention to the details. Put your recipient’s needs first. The previous bullet points will set you apart from the rest of the pack.

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

July 6, 2014

Five Steps to employment for the over-50 Job-search: Why you need a career coach.

I landed my first job out of college by responding to a classified ad posted in the local newspaper. After that, I did not need to look for another job for 11 years. The next job I landed was through an executive recruiter and the one following that was through an ad placed in a trade magazine. My last job-search was conducted under direction of an outplacement firm which focused on the power of networking. Interestingly, my networking with an executive recruiter led to my final job in the corporate world. It was in that last situation, working with an outplacement counselor, where I had my first experience with a career coach. Although he was not familiar with my industry segment he was very good at helping me improve my networking skills, especially the quality of my communications. He kept me focused and motivated, resulting in a fairly short time between jobs. That was, wow, over 20 years ago. Email and the Internet were in their infancy. Snail mail and the telephone were still our primary modes of communication. It was still Prime Time for Baby-boomers.

Throughout my corporate career, interrupted by a few short-lived recessions, the economy was growing steadily, fueled by the demand created by baby-boomers and supported by deregulation and the Regan Era fiscal policies. Jobs were a lot easier to come by. It was easier to find a new situation. And then the world changed. The job market is a very different today. In many respects it is a lot more difficult. It is also much easier if you have the key. I left the corporate world in 1999 to begin my own executive search business.

One of the most upsetting situations I encounter in my work is talking with displaced Boomers who have had solid careers only to be derailed by a merger or a restructuring which cost them their job. They focused so much on their day to day responsibilities that they had not kept pace with the changing job market. To say that their job-search skills are rusty would be an understatement. Even worse, they have neglected their network. It is no longer effective and must be rebuilt. Their single-minded focus is to find another job, just like the last job. No other options are on the table. Many have the cushion of a severance package but few have outplacement benefits. They find it difficult to grasp the fact that the jobs they left are gone or have been filled by younger, lesser compensated employees. The absolute worst situation is to talk to someone who has burned through their severance and is working down their savings; true desperation. If you find yourself in this situation, you probably need professional help: an intervention. This is when a career coach can be very important.

When you hire a career coach you are entering into a personal relationship. A good coach will learn about your personality and how you approach a challenge, or adversity. She will use that understanding to help you craft a strategy and set goals to achieve your job search objectives. She will stay with you, offering encouragement and support as you execute your plan. A good coach will help you break through roadblocks, especially those you create for yourself. She knows the job market and can help you evaluate options for a meaningful next chapter. The bottom-line is that you need to feel comfortable with your coach as she may have a major impact on your career. For the relationship to work, both you and your coach need a connection, a bond.

It is a brave new world out there. We all need help from time to time. Your career is too important to neglect, so it is a wise move to engage a career coach to help you through you 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