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Ultimate
Resumes eNews
SEPTEMBER 2007
Clients
often ask me how they
should start their job searches. Many of my clients have never had to
look for a job because they are talented senior executives or senior
technical experts who have always been recruited from one job to the
next. One day something happens like a layoff, a failed start-up, or a
difference of opinion with the Board of Directors/VC/CEO and suddenly
these talented folks have to figure out how to navigate a job search.
Following are some of the tips I share with my top-tier clients.
1.
Use the internet to
research companies that have job openings.
There are many ways to search the internet to find out what companies
are hiring. If you know the name of companies in your field or the
geographic area in which you want to work you can just do a Google
search using company name in the search field. See what jobs are listed
on the site. Most senior executive jobs or senior technical jobs don’t
get listed on company websites because they are filled by recruiters or
through networking. So if you don’t find a job that fits your
background on the site don’t despair. You just want to
find out if the company is hiring at all (see tip #5). If a company
that you are interested in working for is hiring you can always write a
targeted letter accompanied by your resume and send it to a key
individual within the company (see tip #6 below).
You
can also, try going to
Monster.com, typing in your town or zip code and looking to see what
companies have jobs posted. It doesn’t matter what the jobs are because
all you want to know is what companies have the money to hire.
Then, open up another tab on your browser and start Google searching
companies in that you may not have heard of but sound interesting.
Maybe you will find a company you hadn't heard of before but for which
you think you would be a good fit. Send a resume and cover letter
to that company by finding the company contact information on their
website; don’t send your information through Monster.com because it may
get lost in the shuffle.
2.
Use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)
to
search for companies in a specific geographic area and to network with
folks who might be able to give you information about jobs that
interest you.
LinkedIn is built to facilitate networking so
when you do a search the list that comes up will be of names of people.
Individuals who use LinkedIn often write blurbs about their companies
on the site so you can find out a lot about interesting companies in
your geographic area from reading personal profiles. From there you
could Google search companies and apply to ones that look interesting.
Or you could make contact with individuals whom you find on LinkedIn
and talk to them about their employers.
3.
Find websites for
professional associations that relate to your field of interest or
expertise.
Many associations have job boards or networking events that are great
places to start a job search.
4.
Target job search
websites that have a narrow focus.
Savvy employers who utlize job boards use those with a narrower focus
than
the huge catch-all sites like Monster.com. The Ladders (www.theladders.com)
offers jobs that pay $100,000 or more. Six Figure Jobs
(www.6figurejobs.com) also lists jobs that pay in the 6-figure range. Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org)
has a job listing service for not-for-profit jobs and board
memberships. Ivy Exec
(www.ivyexec.com) is a website for individuals with graduate degrees
from top-tier schools. You can also do a Google Search to find job
posting boards or specialized websites for jobs in your area of
interest. Even if your salary
isn’t in the $100K range you can use The Ladders, for example, to find
out which companies are hiring in your area and then use that
information to conduct further research using corporate websites.
5.
Target companies that
interest you without regard to the jobs listed on their “careers” page.
Have you always wanted to work for the Federal Reserve? Or Kraft Foods?
Or for City Hall? Don’t worry about whether or not they have a job
opening when you apply. Many companies have been known to create jobs
for top talent. If you find a company that you think you would
like to work for, research the company, and any senior individuals in
the firm.
6.
Research company
culture and find out about the executive team before you send in a
resume or interview.
There are some great online resources to help you research companies,
corporate culture, and executives. ZoomInfo (www.zoominfo.com) is a
great
website for researching individuals. The site pulls articles, speaking
engagements, employment history, and educational background from people
on the web. It’s a great way to find out if the CEO of your dream
company wrote a book that you should read before your interview or that
you can reference in your cover letter. The Vault (www.thevault.com)
and WetFeet (www.wetfeet.com) offer company profiles and information
based upon interviews with former employees. Those sites are great
resources for finding out more information about a company before you
interview or accept a job.
7.
Apply directly to the
CEO.
If you are a either a senior level executive or a non-traditional
employee like a professional/executive female who is trying to return
to the workforce after raising a family you may need to be a little
more creative in your application process. Simply sending a resume and
cover letter to a human resources department may not be enough to get
you invited to the company for an interview. When you start a job
search you need to understand that HR professionals are extremely busy
and, often, not terribly creative when it comes to thinking about how
an individual with a non-traditional background might fit into an
existing job opening.
When
you find a company that
interests you I recommend that you write a targeted letter to the CEO
which
explains why the company interests you and what your value proposition
is. Stay away from generic statements like, “I have good people
skills”, or “I am looking for a job”. Replace generic and meaningless
statements with high powered statements that show that you have done
some research about the company and that you have given thought to how
your background could add value.
For
example, “I am interested in
working for Company X because of your record of environmental
responsibility. I have a degree in environmental policy and I believe
that my background at the EPA could enhance your already strong
governmental affairs team.” Fax or mail the cover letter and your
resume to the CEO. There are no guarantees that you will get a call but
I have found that if the CEO sends a resume to HR it gets more notice
and consideration than if it comes to HR by way of the internet.
8.
Use Venture Capital
websites to search for openings at start-ups.
If you are interested in working for a start-up which has already
gotten funding this is the best way I know of to find out about job
openings. The other nice thing about searching through VC websites is
that you can find out about their management philosophy which will
become very important to you should you go to work for a start-up in
which they invest. I believe there are a few thousand Venture firms in
the U.S. A few of the well known ones include: Austin Ventures
(www.austinventures.com ), Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer
(www.kpcb.com), Maveron, (www.maveron.com), and Oak Investment Partners
(www.oakinv.com).
9.
Research and
interview recruiters until you find one you want to represent you.
There are a lot of recruiters in the world and it is best if you can
find one or two that you trust to work with. Treat recruiters like
sports agents: they should be representing your best interests because
they stand to get paid a lot of money when you take a job with one of
their clients. Granted someone else will be paying them the fee but
since you and your hard-earned skills are they key to a recruiter’s
payday I think you need to do your homework and find a recruiter you’re
comfortable with. The time to network with recruiters is before you
need to search for a job. Retained search firms and boutique search
firms generally employ more talented and knowledgeable recruiters than
the multitude of “body shops” that advertise on Monster or Career
Builder. A few firms that I recommend to my clients are:
The
Repovich Reynolds Group
(www.trrg.com)
– boutique firm with a specialty in media, communications, PR, and
investor relations. TRRG has a national practice.
Whiterock
Partners
(www.whiterockpartners.com) – boutique firm with specialties in
engineering, venture capital, energy, software, IT/IS, and senior
executives. Whiterock has a national practice.
BroadPeak
Collaborative (www.broadpeak.us)
– boutique search practice within a professional services company.
Specialty is finance and accounting professionals and executives. The
firm also employs many female financial professionals who are
non-traditional employees. Most searches are in Chicago and the
surrounding areas.
Korn
Ferry (www.kornferry.com) – large
retained firm with worldwide offices. From my experience the recruiters
at KF are extremely well connected and seem to have a lot of integrity.
Pedley
Richard
(www.pedley-richard.com) –
boutique firm with a specialty in IT, software, hardware, and
manufacturing. Pedley Richard has a national practice but most of their
searches are in Texas.
HireStarter (www.hirestarter.com) – boutique
firm specializing in technology and servicing small to mid-sized
companies in Central Texas
TopGrading
Solutions
(www.topgradingsolutions.com)
is based in Florida, has a national practice, and specializes in
banking, payments, supply chain, and the prepaid industry
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