Posts Tagged ‘executive jobs’

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Barack to the future

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Last week I read an interesting article that was inspired by a recent government commissioned report.

“The Shape of Things to Come” report tackles the issue of the evolving job market and how technological advances would all but put an end to the concept of a job for life (in the main).

Now this is not exactly ground breaking news (the internet economy is said to have created 1.2 million jobs directly in the US alone) however it highlights how the growing rate of technological advances has a significant impact on the shape of the job market.

This underlines the need to continually upskill – an attractive employee is one who keeps abreast of advancements (technical and procedural) in their market, both from a commercial and vocational perspective.

It also highlights the need to make sure this is reflected in your job search. If you’re updating your CV, make sure it demonstrates that you are ahead of  the game and always looking for improvement.

If you are going into a new market, research it thoroughly and identify both opportunities and issues – this will not only ensure you are well prepared but also highlight synergies and benefits that you can bring to the table to positively drive change within the company of interest.

Being able to demonstrate a tangible track record of change and identify opportunities to impact on a prospective employers bottom line will increase your kudos significantly.

It will also demonstrate that you are able to embrace change in a commercial world that is evolving at an increasing rate, and will be ready to take new opportunities that come your way.

I hope you have a productive week…

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Happy New Year!

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Last week saw an indifferent start to the year. For some companies, the cold weather has put recruitment on ice – mandates being delayed until conditions reach relative normality and the travel chaos recedes.

However, in the main, I found a lot of recruiters were working from home and getting the ball rolling on various requirements from their PC.

The internet has changed the way we network and jobseekers have to adapt and use it to their advantage. Interviews can now be conducted on video conference calls via VOIP providers such as Skype, which is becoming increasingly reliable and easy to use, and Vonage which seems to have extremely competitive call rates.

I must stress that it’s always best to meet contacts in person if you can, however if all else fails this can serve to open up your and, if your contact has a busy diary, their availability and exhibits some initiative ahead of the rest.

This leads me onto a question raised last week during one of my consults: “Do you think I should include a photo in my CV?”

I used to be against including a photo however the increased popularity of online networking has altered my view, slightly, my view is now fairly indifferent.

Of course, it could prejudice your application and by that I mean that people can react to photos in different ways, however they are much more commonplace these days and are becoming the norm on networking profiles.

If you are unsure whether to include your photo then excluding it won’t do anything to hinder your suitability to a job however if you do decide to include it then I think a small, subtly placed professional photo can only serve to add some personality to what can be a dry document.

Just try to avoid passport photo or police station guidelines!

I hope you have a productive week…

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Mingle all the way…

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

December is historically one of the slower months to search for jobs – new assignments are often held until January, budgets are stretched and the thoughts of pastures new put off until after the ‘cold turkey’.

However, in my experience December can be an extremely effective time to reflect on your approach to the jobsearch and open up new avenues.

A surprising amount of recruiters and executive search consultants work over the festive period and many have more time to take your calls. This is a great opportunity to add some personality to your search and drop in to see your key contacts. The personal touch will always help your cause no matter how far technology advances.

Requirements don’t just disappear either, recruiters just factor in the holidays and latent demand – with the increased popularity, cost effectiveness and targeted nature of job boards, more and more recruitment is conducted throughout December. When I worked in executive search, this was a great period to start research to be ready to hit the ground running in January.

It’s also a time for you to get organised and perfect the tools you have at your disposal. Make sure your CV is in order, give it a fresh lick of paint ready for our silly season… January.

Use this period to gain any advantage you can to stay ahead in this competitive market. In my experience this is the best time to build your contact base, develop your strategy and maximise the effectiveness of your digital footprint.

Have a productive week…

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Get a handle on your digital footprint

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

I was talking to an experienced Marketing Director last week and suggested that she should make sure her LinkedIn profile was up-to-date and that she had some top-level references on there.

To my surprise, she said that she had chosen not to use networking sites anymore. I asked why and she offered some interesting thought-provoking views. Whilst on the one hand it’s a useful tool to build your contact base, she said that a lot of profiles and contacts were self serving and contrived.

Why wouldn’t your contacts be self serving? Isn’t that the point? Well not entirely… contacts should be nurtured and respected and built up over time. She had noticed, whilst recruiting for her own team, that she had seen a lot of endorsements to and from contacts that were completely far fetched.

This has led to an “I’ll scratch your back if…” culture in endorsement giving! Of course I’d like to think that not all endorsements are fictitious or truth-stretching however this emphasises the need to make sure your references are from trusted, respected and reputable peers… and if you can get some C-level references from clients then all the better.

In other words, if you are going to use networking sites, make sure you don’t dilute the effectiveness of your good endorsements with fluffy ones.

The same care and attention should be put into all of your digital footprints, as you would your CV. Don’t overcrowd and fill your profile or CV with non-descript information that could hide key experience or achievements that make you unique.

Caroline wanted to have full control over her digital footprint and limit any preconceived ideas or prejudices before the process has even begun.

If you’re not going to use online networks such as this, make sure you don’t have a half-baked profile on there, this could send out the wrong message. And if you are then make sure you have an up-to-date, clear and concise profile that has effective endorsements. The positives will outweigh the negatives, if you ensure the content is targeted… call it quality control!

Have a productive week…

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