Maintaining a presence outside of the interview

Follow-up phone calls certainly aren’t out of the place, in particular if you have made it to the short-list, and if you have other opportunities that you are trying to manage. Here are some factors to consider:

Timing

It is always a good idea to understand where possible, where you are in the timing of a recruitment process. Candidates that get in early, often have to wait longer. Sometimes, you need to be patient (while of course continuing to searc…

This is a common challenge. Contracting is extremely common in some industries, and not so much in others, so certainly part of the positive and negative reaction will be industry-based. However, there is a lot you can do to influence how the contracting experience is received.

The first thing is to make sure that it is crystal clear to the scanning eye that these were contracts. You don’t want the reader to think that you have been jumping around in your jobs. I will cover how below.

Second, you …

Okay, maybe it isn’t really magic. But it does make an unfocused resume really impressive.

The Problem

The average resume’s professional experience section isn’t very focused. Certainly, you want to write about the organization you worked for, what your role was and what you accomplished. The question is, when you do this, does the result really demonstrate what you can do? If you answered “no,” read on.

The Solution

It is actually very simple in concept. Where possible, describe the jobs you have h…

Crafting the best interview

A common practice in interviewing for senior roles is to require candidates to make a presentation, with the hiring organization issuing instructions on time limit and subject. While this may seem like a daunting experience, it can actually be good for your candidacy, if you prepare. Presenting puts you in the driver’s seat and allows you to demonstrate sides of you that may not be as evident in a traditional interview situation. The presentation may also precede a bus…

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

One area that most resumes could use some work on is the traditional objective statement at the top of the first page.

The most common problems are:

• The objective isn’t specific and targeted enough to be appealing.

• The objective is too soft and generic. Stating that you want a “challenging and rewarding job that will utilize your skills” will do nothing for your candidacy.

• The objective is written as a statement of what you want vs. what you offer. Generally, employers aren’t as interested in what y…