Job Hunting? Dont Take Maybe for an Answer

Job Hunting?
Don’t Take Maybe for an Answer

I am incessantly astounded by the number of execs I speak with that will take the time to painstakingly develop a stellar résumé, submit it to the company of their dreams and rather than initiating an aggressive follow up call; they are typically insulted when nobody calls them back!

Your job search cannot endure without a daily measure of NO’s

If you are presently unemployed and your earning potential is $200k annually; it is costing you $769.00 in lost wages per work-day to conduct your search….Therefore, if you scrutinize your job search strictly from a business perspective, each day of unemployment is sinking your biz to the tune of $4,000.00 per week or $16,000.00 per month!

GOT NO’s?

The length of your job search is not determined by market conditions, salary requirements, geography preferences or restrictions and/or by your specific skill set! No; the time it takes to generate the perfect job offer is only determined by the number of “NO’s” you receive per day.

Before you proceed to understand what qualifies as a NO, let’s look at what a “NO” is not.

These MAYBES don’t count!

You apply to a company, receive a polite form letter or email saying “thanks we’ll let ya know!” They are saying “know”, not No!

You honor your follow up commitment as stated in your introductory letter by means of actually mustering the audacity to place a follow up call (a damn follow up email doesn’t count)…The admin says your contact is too busy right now; you plan on calling back and you usually don’t! This is another one for the maybe file! Remedy: Place 3-5 more follow up calls, ask for a YES or a NO and call me in the morning!

You submit the perfect resume for the perfect job which you are perfectly qualified for and to your absolute amazement; they don’t call you back... You scratch your head, let go of another precious hunk of your all so necessary self-confidence and return to the black hole (Web) in search of another place that will tell you MAYBE! And so on and so forth…

You amass the bravery to call an old friend presently employed at XYZ Company. He doesn’t call you back, or worse, he sees you at your kid’s soccer game and ducks into a nearby alleyway... If your dim voicemail said you were looking for a job and he doesn’t have one, he’ll hide because he has no job for you today…..Asking for industry advice or to converse with another thought leader on your level as a means of simple networking is the key; asking for a job is a one way ticket to the HR MAYBE machine…

You attend an amazing 5 hour interview with the company of your dreams. HR calls the next day and says “we will be in touch before next Friday.” Next Friday comes and goes and they don’t call… You assume the worst, wait two weeks and place a halfhearted call to HR leaving a halfhearted jail mail (voicemail)….Or worse, because you think you have this one in the bag, you do nothing and nothing happens and it was all for nothing and you are now another 4 weeks ( $16,000.00) deeper in lost wages!

The recruiter is frothing at the mouth on Monday and by Tuesday the FBI couldn’t find him;
you go away peacefully!

You sent your resume, you have left 5 VM’s and your call has not been returned… you go away peacefully!

Now, go back and make a list of all the companies that have shunned you with a big fat Maybe. smile, dial, and move those MAYBES to your NO file. The sooner you do, the sooner you will find the ever illusive YES!

Here is what you job search needs to look like:

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES

(notice you don’t see the word MAYBE anywhere?)

Getting A Job Created For You

Often this is an extension of actions taken by networking or contacting change driven organizations. Many of our top executives have had jobs created for them. In fact, the higher you go, the more likely the next job you accept will be one that is designed to fit your talents.


The higher you go, the more likely the next position If If not created just for you, then the position will have been a situation that is reshaped to fit your talents—in the course of your discussion with CEOs.


Keep in mind this simple thought: We all hire executives when we are persuaded that the benefits of having them on board will sufficiently outweigh the dollar cost.


This section will briefly discuss some guiding principles about our "create a job" approach. You can get offers, even when no current openings exist. You simply need to present yourself as a solution to a problem.


The most likely candidates who may be willing to create an executive job will include firms that are growing rapidly, bringing out new products, forming new divisions, acquiring other companies, or reorganizing. These are the firms that need good people, often from other industries. They are free to make decisive moves quickly.


As you might assume, your goal would be to communicate directly with the person you would most likely work for, or their boss. Entrepreneurs, of course, can create jobs, so can affluent individuals with large staffs and interests in many organizations.


The key factor to keep in mind is that you will need to be able to communicate a suitable benefit proposition.


This should be a concise and easily understood description of what you can do. You need to present the promise of tangible value on a scale large enough to warrant an investment in you. In your initial communication, you need to establish your credentials and mention results achieved in the past.


Achievements you cite don't have to be large, but they do have to be significant. Remember, if you have an exciting idea, it may help if you can show how someone else has already used it successfully.


Dealing with opportunities is a key job for many executives. Most don't have enough time, and they are predisposed to positive news from people who can help them. They will want to believe your message. You can get your message across by phone or letter. Just make sure your "benefit proposition" is clear and significant.


Identifying the company's needs and its vision is very important. Remember, your initial communication held out the promise of a significant benefit. What are your ideas? What makes you confident that they'll work? Do you really understand this company, its problems and its opportunities? Address these areas, but always remember to convey humility. Acknowledge that the other person has a better grasp of the problems facing the company than you could possibly have.


There are any number of phrases you might use. For example, you might say, "I hope you didn't find my letter too presumptuous. No doubt, you've already given a lot of consideration to these areas." Or, "I don't want to imply that I know your business better than you ..."


Comments like these set the stage for a cordial exchange of ideas. They can allow you to learn what the employer really wants, build rapport, and focus attention on the areas where you can help.


Your first goal is to find out how the employer views the problem. What do they see as the key challenges? What is their "hot button"? Where are their priorities? What attempts have been made in the past? How much progress has already been made?


By asking a few questions and listening carefully, you will find out what the employer really wants. Ask questions and make positive comments in response to the interviewer's remarks. Try to get the employer to share his innermost thoughts— his vision for the firm.


Only when they start to think about this and the achievements that they might realize, would they consider creating a job. If you are able to accomplish this in the first interview, that's enough. In your second interview, reinforce your value by drawing a clear picture of the benefits you can bring. Then, build enough enthusiasm to get an offer or be asked to speak with others.


Keep in mind that you will need to stir the employer's imagination. The employer should begin to anticipate specific benefits and relate them directly to your talents.


Your conversations should focus on the future, with the employer picturing a company already benefiting from your contributions. The decision to create a job is as much emotional as it is intellectual.


A dry recitation of proposed improvements won't be enough. You will have to convey enthusiasm and create a sense of excitement. Be ready to discuss general approaches you would take to reinforce the notion that you will succeed. Your best way to do this is to tell stories about your past achievements. If you build sufficient enthusiasm, the employer may conclude the meeting with a statement that they want to create a job for you.

Now go hire yourself an employer!

John

Is it Okay to Lie on Your Resume?

Have you Tried Benign Embellishment?

In my world, Benign Embellishment is a highly professional form of what some of us have come to understand as BS or for the sake of my professional identity; CP (Cow Poop).

We both know it’s never okay to lie. Even a little white lie (as my mom used to call it) will come back to bite you! However, when it comes to job hunting the very use of our resume and adherence to HR hiring protocols puts us at an immediate disadvantage. If the employer is unable to accurately interpret our successes, work history, gaps in work history, times, dates et cetera our résumé will most likely end up on the wrong side of the grass!

What is Benign Embellishment (BE)?

BE is an honest and forthright way of presenting your credentials to a potential employer in the very best and most comprehensible form. BE is your weapon in opposition to the actuality that we have all failed in our jobs from time to time. i.e., you are over 50 and in some cases over 40, or maybe too young, or have a gap in your work history, and/or any of the hundreds of screening mechanisms that will land your résumé in bucket 86.

Examples of Benign Embellishment (BE)

You run in a race with 5 people and you finish 5th. Did you finish dead last or in the top 5? Did you graduate college in 1969 or did you just happen to leave the graduation date off your resume? Did you open your first lemonade stand in 1950 or is it possible that nobody cares what you did prior to the moon walk. In light of graduation season, here’s a couple for your kids: Are you entry level with no experience or are you a recent college graduate who has spent the last 16 years of his/her life studying, learning and experiencing what your peers will do to bring your employer into the next generation? Is your cumulative grade point average under 3.0? If so, throw out the philosophy and/or thermo dynamics courses you flunked as a freshman, recalculate your GPA using just coursework from your major and state as follows: Cumulative Major Grade Point Average 3.2. Go now and get yourself some CP for that damn résumé.!

Should You Ask for The Job?

Rather than ask for the job, I suggest you demonstrate interest by asking how the interview process will proceed and how you might remain part of it. In other words, as a savvy employment candidate you should be intuitive enough to know if the interview went well. If so, ask for a follow up commitment.

Ask for a follow up date; if it feels right, put the date and time in your calendar right there and then. If corporate protocol dictates your deferral to HR; on your way out of the interview stop at HR and ask for a follow up commitment, time and date.

Let's not read too much in to this. An interview is simply a meeting between two pros with a common cause. Common is the key!

Therefore, use the same keen common sense that got you where you are today to get you where you want to be tomorrow!

If you are applying for a sales position; remember what Zig Ziglar used to say; telling aint selling asking is! For you engineers and IT folk, come out of the comfort zone just enough to ask for a follow up commitment. As you should already know, once you leave the first interview, they will soon forget you! Make sure they don't!

The Executive Jobs Guys: Nobodys Job is Safe!

The Executive Jobs Guys: Nobodys Job is Safe!

Dont be the Next Corporate P.O.W.? (Professional Out of Work)

The Wall Street Journal asks John for his view on Job Hopping and how to avoid becoming a POW

I certainly do not recommend "job-hopping"; absolutely a detriment to your paper credentials. I am also not recommending or suggesting that we as W-2 employees take on the ominous task of a self-employment venture. The entrepreneurial spirit is not something one acquires; rather, it is classically or genetically inbred.

However, what I am suggesting is that we the employee populace of America simply become more aware of our volatility...Most of us drudge onward even in the face of massive RIF’s somehow believing that it won’t happen to us. Even the young professionals I meet in my executive search business somehow believe that a large employer is a corporate safe haven for their jobs.

I am suggesting that we as W2 employees have all of our proverbial eggs in one basket. It is the only business scenario in our country that has no diversification or exit strategy; today you have income and tomorrow you don’t! My blog submission strongly suggests that we become more aware of the fact that every company in this country is a house-of-cards and we could be dealt a junk hand on any given Friday afternoon!

I strongly suggest we keep our resumes at the ready and at least once a quarter we evaluate our career situation, our industry, profession and the company we work for.

Put this on your calendar and stay abreast, become paranoid about the precariousness of your job. Learn how to market yourself, maintain or develop your interviewing skills, know your marketability factor. Whether we like it or not the employment population (employees) of the good old US of A are our own entities. There is no safety in numbers, just like any successful business, we must always be aware of losing our best customer and what we will do to acquire another one quickly!

20 Things You Need to Know About Your Resume

1. Anything you say on your resume, can and will be used against you in the HR department.
2. Resumes are an efficient method for employers to say no in 60 seconds or less.
3. You take this pile; I’ll take that pile and will just toss this pile!
4. There is no such thing as a right or wrong resume
5. If you ask for ten different opinions; that’s exactly what you’ll get
6. Your cover letter will not be read!
7. Every time you chaotically surrender your resume, you are giving the employer as many reasons as he needs not to talk to you
8. Everybody’s a resume expert; just ask your accountant
9. The world needs more damn books about how to use a resume and fewer writers
10. The length of your resume does not matter!
11. Scanner ready resumes...This is Major Bull!
12. Your name, phone number & email needs to be on every page; go have a look I bet it isn’t!
13. Nobody cares about what you did in 1980
14. Next time a potential employer asks you to email your resume, ask when you can bring one in person
15. When an employer asks for your resume; what they are really saying; “I don’t have time for you right now”!
16. Never give your resume to a friend
17. Never bring your resume to a networking meeting
18. Never put your resume on the Internet unless of course you are vying for the butcher, baker, candlestick maker position
19. The Resume was invented and designed as a screening mechanism
20. Multimillion dollar business deals are consummated, execuitves are joining forces and employers are uniting with key executive talent everyday without the use of a resume!

I am sure that the above will spur your comments; you will absolutely love my answers. Hopefully, if we ban together we can do away with this ridiculous document all together!

Best,
John Seraichyk

What Is Your Greatest Weakness”?

By John Seraichyk - Executive Jobs Guy - Industry Thought Leader

This query has been an enduring weapon in the hiring manager's arsenal, but most people still have trouble with the dilemma it poses: answer too frankly, and you'll torpedo your prospects. Bestow a canned answer and you'll seem phony, or worse, evasive.

We have all at one time or another been faced with the dreaded “weakness” question. Why shouldn't we dread this inquiry? The employer is virtually asking why he/she shouldn't hire you!

The Weakness Question Distilled

A savvy interviewer may even disguise the “weakness” question? He/she might pose the (weakness) question as:

• Tell me about a project that did not work out so well?

• Name three self limiting thoughts

• Tell me about a time in your career that you really goofed up?

• What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?

• What makes you angry?

• How have your weaknesses affected your job performance? 

• Yes, she/he may even ask: What is your greatest weakness?

As demonstrated above, the weakness question may come in many different forms. There is no steadfast answer(s) to the “weakness” question. Sure, you can describe a weakness that has nothing to do with job you are applying for; you could retort..um uh….chocolate. Please don’t say you are a perfectionist or that you work too hard! ): These answers will certainly put your integrity at risk.


How to Formulate an Answer for any weakness question

All interview answers are like all good stories, they must have a happy ending! It’s always a good idea to put your weaknesses in the past and talk about what you have done to correct them and then end with a positive outcome. When done properly, you will demonstrate integrity by not doing the circumlocution bit and you will end your answer with a powerful and factual outcome based on your ability to successfully convert the weakness to a strength!

There is no possible way to prepare and rehearse an individual answer for every potential weakness question. However, with a little practice, you can learn to formulate an answer for any question and never be stumped again!

Here’s how: Whenever you are asked a question and it is immediately obvious (you will feel it in the pit of your stomach) that the interviewer wants you to say something NEGATIVE about yourself; you must practice doing three things:

1. Repeat the question; this buys you time and allows you to quickly formulate a masterful response. 2. Start your answer with any event or incident that happened in the past (always put your weakness in the past). 3. Explain the weakness… do not get long winded or become circumlocutory; rather, explain a situation that started out bad, what you did to correct it and then end your answer with a positive factual outcome.

IE: When I was hired in to the Regional Sales Director job back in 2001, my predecessor had left the position 6 months prior. When I took over the department, sales were down, turnover was at an all time high; I realized for the first time in my career that one of my greatest weaknesses was my ability to turn-around a failing sales division….

My mentoring and management skills were not what I thought they were; however, upon working many 80-100 hour weeks retraining supervisory and sales staff, reorganizing and developing departmental protocol and sales training procedures; I was able to increase sales volume by 43% in the first fiscal year. (The same answer you might use if the interviewer asked you what your greatest accomplishment was.) Never forget the ABC’s of interviewing (Always Be Closing)!

The above answer formulation technique works well for 90% of all “weakness” questions. However, be on the lookout for what I call the NEG 2.5 question. This question is the interviewer’s ploy to discover a character or personality flaw that might affect your ability to work well with others or perform well in the job. Here is an example of a NEG 2.5 question: “If someone does not know you well or like you. What are five adjectives he or she might use to describe you?”

You could answer this question by talking about a person from your past who you did not get along with, but now you’re best friends or describe weaknesses that will not affect your ability to perform well in the job.

For example I might answer the question like this:

Well, my x-girlfriend would say:

1. Lazy --when it came to yard work; she would say --- lazy ---80 hour work
weeks and yard work don’t mix…
2. Bad --- golfer…I think she liked beating me though…so did my clients…I
closed some good deals on the course…
3. Sloppy – she was a neat freak….
4. Poor --- I think she wants to Mary a billionaire
5. Not Funny --- some of my xmas party jokes may have been at her expense

Today we are actually very good friends!

(if you are a man interviewing with a woman, please use common sense here.

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Age Discrimination - Are You A Dented Can?

By John Seraichyk

Are you in shape? Do you have a firm handshake? How’s your smile? How’s your energy level? If all of the above are in check, forget about your age! Companies do not discriminate against age; they discriminate against “Dented Cans”.

What Is a Dented Can?

Next time you go to Stop & Shop, remove a can of veggies from the shelf and drop it on the floor. Be sure to put a big old visible dent right in the center of that sucker. Come back two weeks later and I promise you that can will still be there; nobody wants a Dented Can!

Your time on earth has nothing to do with getting your next job. People are all about perception; nobody cares when you were born. In 2009 a 1957 Chevy in showroom-condition is worth 10 times its original value; however, if it’s an old rust bucket or a “Dented Can”, nobody wants it!


Ten things you must do to avoid the dented can syndrome

1. Remove anything you did more than 20 years ago from your resume or list it under an early work history heading (no dates)
2. Exercise, healthy diet, exercise, healthy diet. If you think you need to lose 20lbs; lose 30!
3. Remove facial hair(has anybody ever told you they weren’t hired because they didn’t have a beard)?, cut your finger nails, cut your hair, whiten your teeth and straighten your posture
4. Smile; even twenty something’s have wrinkles when they smile (smile)!
5. Arrive at every interview at least one hour early. Remain in your car as you subliminally acclimate to your surroundings; like an actor waiting back stage, see and feel the performance. Enter the building 20 minutes early; acclimatize to the inner environment, use the rest room, have a final look in the mirror to be sure your product is gleaming!
6. Make a list of your quantifiable success and executive accomplishments. Read it often, memorize it, recite it backwards and forwards..These accomplishments are your youthful inner self energy
7. Don’t dye you hair and for Pete’s sake, don’t wear a damn rug on your head!
8. Buy 5 new suits & see #9
9. Knee high socks same color as your pants, white shirt with cuffs that are exactly one half inch longer than jacket cuffs with your arms extended, don’t forget to button the little button between your cuff and elbow(every button must be buttoned), solid tie same color as suite (navy blue) or charcoal suite, be sure to mold your tie knot so it is crisp(silk or semi -silk ties good for this) , no rings (if you haven’t thrown the college ring away, do so now!), easy on the cologne(or none), black shoes when wearing navy or charcoal(perfectly polished)….Ladies, I think you Gals have it figured out! Sorry guys…
10. And as always; please stop sending your resume and do not under any circumstance, post it on the Internet! Sorry, I had to say it!

10 Things You Should Know About Using Your Resume

By John Seraichyk

How your resume is written and formatted is important, but many executives have no idea how to effectively use thier resume.. Below are 10 very important points for discussion:

1. Anything you say on your resume, can and will be used against you in the Human Resources department.
2. There is no such thing as a right or wrong resume
3. If you ask for ten different opinions; that’s exactly what you’ll get
4. Most effective way to be sure your cover letter will be read; send it without a resume!
5. Every time you chaotically surrender your resume, you are giving an employer as many reasons as they need not to talk to you
6. Dont get all hung up on the length of your resume; 1 page - 0-10 years exp., 2 pages 10-15 years exp. , 3 pages 15-20 years exp. More importantly, be sure it lands on the right desk and follow up...
7. Dont get hung up on Scanner-ready resumes ..... The OCR machine is in the HR department. What is your resume doing in the HR department?
8. Never give your resume to a friend
9. Never bring your resume to a networking meeting
10. Never post your resume on the Internet

I am sure that the above will spur your comments; I look forward to responding.

More about your resume http://professionaljobchange.com/resume_hurting_you.htm

Best,
John Seraichyk

A Tough Job Search Made Easy! - An Inspiring Success Story!

A Tough Job Search Made Easy! - An Inspiring Success Story!

By John Seraichyk

Mikes situation was a tough one. After spending more than thirty years in the same industry, at age 55, Mike retired from his former employer. While retirement was relaxing at the outset, two plus years later, Mike became extremely jaded.

Mikes major liability was the 29 month gap in his employment history. Additionally, Mikes entire career had been spent in the automotive sector; there certainly isn't much of a job market in that industry in 2009!

The Executive Search Strategy

Upon aggressively researching possible company targets in and around the preferred geography, we identified key decision makers inside and outside of our network and began targeted credential submissions. After being rejected by approx 55 companies, we continued with aggressive research and targeted submissions which led to an interview for an unadvertised position with the Bose Corporation. Shortly thereafter, we Identified a 3 billion dollar medical device manufacturing company right dead center in our preferred geography. Our research and insider network indicated that this company was acquiring a local manufacturer and seeking Executive VP level talent to head the Brockton MA location. Two weeks and three rounds of interviews later, mike tabled an offer on a Saturday afternoon coming directly from the CEO. Mike was fast tracked as this position was not advertised anywhere and thanks to Browning Associates the job never had to be. If you would like to speak with Mike or any of our successful executives, please contact me direct 401-825-7717 x1010.

Best,

John Seraichyk

What are you waiting for?

Nobodys Job is Safe!

By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates

Everybody on the face of the planet, who presently trades hours of his life for a paycheck, must adapt an entrepreneurial mind-set. That’s right! You must always be in “selling/reinventing yourself” mode! Just as a large corporation is always diversifying its product and market demographic, you too must always be projecting at least five years ahead of your contending peers. The “job stability” mind-set is lethal to your long-term career success.

The instant you land your next position, update your resume, and begin mindful transformation. If you want to remain successful and happy in your work, you must adapt my mantra; “If you are not in transition you are in denial”. You are a commodity and must continuously be cognizant of who may be in need of your product and how you will reinvent and constantly position and promote yourself for the future. This won’t happen overnight! Career Change/redirection is an instilled mindset that must be ever present if you expect to continue to successfully climb the “cliff face” of success.

W2-employees and 1099ers alike must realize that there is no corporate safe haven; job security is a legend of the past mostly publicized by the * 40/40 Club.

*40/40 Club…An employee who works for the same company for 40 hours a week for 40 years and retires with a $40 gold watch.

I am certainly not recommending "job-hopping"; absolutely a detriment to your paper credentials. I am also not recommending or suggesting that we as W-2 employees take on the ominous task of a self-employment venture. The entrepreneurial spirit is not something one acquires; rather, it is classically genetically inbred. However, what I am suggesting is that we the employee populace of America simply become more aware of our volatility...Most of us drudge onward even in the face of massive RIF’s somehow believing that it won’t happen to us. Even the young professionals I meet in my executive search business somehow believe that a large employer is a corporate safe haven for their jobs. I am suggesting that we as W2 employees have all of our proverbial eggs in one basket. It is the only business scenario in our country that has no diversification or exit strategy; today you have income and tomorrow you don’t! My blog submission strongly suggests that we become more aware of the fact that every company in this country is a house-of-cards and we could be dealt a junk hand on any given Friday afternoon! I strongly suggest we keep our resumes at the ready and at least once a quarter we evaluate our career situation, our industry, profession and the company we work for. Put this on your calendar and stay abreast, become paranoid about the precariousness of your job. Learn how to market yourself, maintain or develop your interviewing skills, know your marketability factor. Whether we like it or not the employment population (employees) of the good old US of A are our own entities. There is no safety in numbers, just like any successful business, we must always be aware of losing our best customer and what we will do to acquire another one quickly!

John Seraichyk
Browning Associates
www.professionaljobchange.com