Looking for a job can be an arduous process; even the most experienced executives can feel frustrated. Understanding the underlying reasons for slow progress can help you jump-start your results. Below are actionable strategies that address the top five drivers of long searches, so you can start landing more interviews and offers.
Landing the job you want quickly requires more than just a well-crafted resume and a compelling LinkedIn profile; you need an effective job search strategy. A key part of this job search strategy involves making lots of the right connections. To be sure you’re playing this numbers game to win, monitor these five KPIs. You’ll learn how to refine your strategy to improve results and
When the job market or pace of work slows—whether during the summer months or the holiday season—seize this opportunity to propel your career forward; engage in essential decision-making, strategic planning, and relationship-building. Or focus on creating your job search “marketing materials” including your resume and LinkedIn profile. By making the most of these slower times, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when things pick up. Here’s how to leverage these moments for maximum benefit.
Great LinkedIn profiles and resumes have a lot in common, including highly targeted, keyword-rich and concise content, accomplishment-oriented bullets and a powerful summary section. Because of these similarities, copying your resume content right into your LinkedIn profile is often a good idea. Yet in some situations you’ll want to take a different approach to your profile.
If you’re concerned about how a resume gap will be perceived by employers, here’s some good news: you can usually reduce or eliminate the harm it can cause your job search. Plus, in many cases, the gap will not be viewed as a big deal to begin with. How much of a problem the gap poses depends on:
If you’re a candidate for C-suite, Partner, or Board roles, you’ll be asked for a bio as part of the process. For some roles reporting to the C-suite, you may need a bio as well. Employers evaluating your candidacy want to see how your career story will look to prospective investors, clients, and employees when shared publicly. For more junior roles, a bio is usually not worth prioritizing, except when your story is especially unusual or compelling.
To create a resonant bio,
Informational meetings with network contacts can either be time wasters or unlock doors to great job opportunities; it all depends on your approach. First, be sure to meet with the right people: those who can refer you, hire you, or provide valuable advice. Then, carefully manage and script the meetings to serve your goal, which is to get another career-advancing meeting or interview. Use the steps below to tightly manage your meeting agenda.
For those over 50 and gainfully employed, this study says you have a 56% chance that you’ll be let go before you’re ready to retire, risking substantial income loss. The study supports my own observations via client work that there is no real job security, only “career security.” In a sense employees are really all consultants.
But not to worry! Here’s a list of things you can do to both minimize the risk of an unwanted departure and set yourself up for a quick, positive transition if necessary.
Many jobseekers are too quick to write-off opportunities if they experience radio silence after an interview. A typical example: “My last interview was three weeks ago and I haven’t heard anything, I guess they’re not interested” (this jobseeker actually ended up receiving an offer). You can both avoid having to guess their intentions and improve your odds of landing an offer by taking the following steps.
Planning a Career Pivot? Become the Perfect Candidate
by Robert Hellmann • Career Change, Getting Interviews, Interviewing, Job-Search Strategy
If you’re using your job search to land a more senior position or shift gears into a new industry or role, you may face a disadvantage; you will be competing with candidates already established in similar positions, so you won’t appear to be the perfect candidate.
The key to overcoming this perception lies in three crucial strategies: first, sound like an insider in your chosen