Exectuive-i Blog - Designed for the executive

Finding unique ways to stand out from the crowd and also to key decision makers in target organisations can be difficult. However after harking on about the importance of innovative jobseeking I came across this story on Alec Brownstein, a jobseeker with a media background who targeted top media executives by buying Google Adword advertising slots under their names.

It turns out that it was an extremely frugal and effective method to advertise his portfolio of work to key protagonists in his industry. Whilst I wouldn’t recommend this particular approach for a large proportion of jobseekers (certain industries and disciplines would be more appropriate than others), it highlights the effectiveness of an innovative approach in this extremely competitive market.

I cannot go on about this enough – setting yourself from the rest of the pack is the ultimate aim and this is the very definition of a targeted approach. If you can promote yourself in an effective fashion you’ll be seen as more likely to promote the hiring company effectively too. Employees are the face of an organisation and are the key constituent of the company culture.

Indeed, innovative approaches such as this demonstrate proactivity which is a great quality to exhibit to potential hirers, however you must ensure you identify the right decision maker(s) and approach them in an appropriate fashion. Alec’s approach was also extremely relevant to his market.

Have a productive week…

Good morning

I don’t want to get political here, but this hung parliament coalition negotiation malarky has got me thinking about the parallels with the recruitment negotiation process and how it is essential to be as faithful to your career aspirations as possible.

With KMPG and the REC releasing another report on the continuing growth in the private sector job market allied with sustained stability in the overall economy, the focus of companies’ HR departments now appears to be switching to the retention of staff.

For well over a year, executives have been focused on keeping their job, putting in the hours necessary to ensure they are seen as invaluable to their employer (the electorate). Now the market is strengthening, companies are focusing on rewarding employees for their loyalty and limiting the chances of having to replace key staff (or at least it should be even more of a priority).

The focus of companies is returning to retention and growth and as such, the more comfortable employees get, the more likely they are to stray. The percentage of jobseekers that are employed has increased dramatically over the last few months and being courted by other companies/ competitors can only be a positive thing for your career, whether you move on or not.

There clearly needs to be a calculation of the risk and you must maintain professionalism and a subtle approach, only being completely open once a written offer has been received from any prospective employer.

However, it is extremely important that you do not lose sight of the reasons you are in the executive jobs market in the first place -what were your initial drivers? A large percentage of employees who accept counter offers leave within 6 months, and those who join one organisation over the other, purely for monetary reasons inevitably will not satisfy their career ambitions.

One party can offer the world, but is it the right choice for you and is it necessarily the right choice for the employer…? No political parallels there I promise, however if structured correctly, this process can be used to accelerate your career ambitions whether at your current firm or at another firm… just ensure your motivations are right.

Have a productive week….