The Executive Career Strategies at ExecutiveAgent.com newsletter came out today. The lead article for this issue was written by yours truly and focuses on how to make connections with executive recruiters.

I give 10 of my best pointers on making connections, and in particular, building rapport, with executive search consultants. I hope you find it useful.

Executive Career Strategies: Positioning Yourself with Executive Recruiters

There are times in life where family and personal requirements outweigh career considerations. In your case, you made a decision to resign for the sake of your spouse’s career. For others it might be moving closer to aging parents or, stepping-off the high-pressure ladder for a while so that more time can be given to children, or a sick family member. Taking care of your own health issue is another high priority item.

When you want to step back on the career track, the question is how to deal wi…

Broadening your hiring process

Where do out-of-the-box candidates fit in your hiring policies and strategy? In this age of talent vs. skills and tight labor markets, the out-of-box candidate will increasingly be a fact of life. It takes some experience and courage to seriously look at out-of-the-box candidates. And, it takes a willingness to be flexible.

Here are five categories of out-of-the-box candidates

Heavy on skills, light on domain / industry expertise

If you can’t find someone from within y…

It depends. In some cases, you can write a general cover letter and use it more than once. However, effective customization leads to more job search success.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

It informs the employer of the kind of work you want to do, and how you are qualified for a specific position. It also provides that all-important context that a resume cannot achieve. Your resume should never travel alone.

If you look at this definition, you can see that describing how you are qualified …

Steven at The Asia Pacific Headhunter writes a worthwhile post on breaking through to the $100k+ level. The Asia Pacific Headhunter: How to Land a 100K Job: Part One

Here is a good question: Why shouldn’t they hire you? You are rightfully focused on developing a strong personal value proposition when you are in job search mode and have identified opportunities. If you want to strengthen your preparation, ask yourself why the company SHOULDN’T hire you.

• What are the gaps in experience, skills or knowledge?

• Is there a fit problem?

• Has your presentation been weak in some way?

• Is the competition likely strong?

Apply yourself to honestly answering these questions and…