Acing Your Executive Job Interview

ExecutivesOver the years, countless executives have said to me that all they need to do is get the interview and they’ll land the job. Really? If everyone feels this way, including your competition, how can it be true?

I’ve worked with hundreds of very capable and competent executives over the years who excel at improving profits and stakeholder value, enhancing operating efficiencies, reducing costs, launching successful start-ups, orchestrating turnarounds, and myriad of other complex competencies, but for many, they’re just not that great at communicating that information.

Just because you’ve excelled in your executive role does not necessarily translate into being a stellar communicator. Case in point, who can forget BP CEO, Tony Hayward’s famous words regarding the 2010 Gulf oil spill, “There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do. You know, I’d like my life back.” A PR nightmare, he took a beating in the media for those words at a critical time for his company.

That’s just one very public example that illustrates even C-suite executives can use some coaching to brush up on their communication skills. interviewing, whether it’s with the media or for a job is a skill in and of itself. When it’s for a job, interviewing involves effectively communicating your strengths while avoiding highlighting any weaknesses and like most skills, it’s something that improves with practice.

I frequently work with clients who epitomize the saying “you don’t know what you don’t know.” What I mean is, frequently clients don’t realize that how they’re answering a question is not furthering their own cause until they’re role playing with me and I point out how their answer plays and a better way to frame it.

The bottom line is if you want to ace that job interview, put some time and effort into your preparation. Do some role playing with a seasoned coach who can help polish the diamond in the rough that may be your rusty interviewing techniques.

~Linda

 

Do Cover Letters Make a Difference In Your Job Search?

EnvelopeTime and time again my clients ask me if a cover letter is really necessary and if anyone really reads them. I’ve surveyed HR professionals, recruiters and hiring managers and the answer is a resounding YES! Of course, the cover letter has to be good, a bad cover letter can land you at the back of the pack.

What makes a good cover letter? First and foremost, it needs to be tailored to the position you’re seeking. A form letter or template that doesn’t address qualifications required in the specific position will not get you the interview. The recipient wants to see that you’re interested enough in the position to make an effort to craft a letter specifically for them.

Perhaps changing the way you think about cover letters will help when you’re writing them. In today’s competitive market, approach your resume and cover letters like marketing tools. While the resume must contain certain information like your career history, you have freedom in your cover letter to highlight whatever you think will be appealing to your audience.

Treat the cover letter as your personal brochure or advertising. When you see an ad, they’re not telling you everything there is to know about a product, the advertisers are just focusing on the aspects of the product that will get your attention and get you to buy it. So too, should your cover letter.

This means, in addition to being targeted to your audience, your cover letter should market and highlight the best aspects of your skills, abilities and experience, focusing on your personal brand and how you can make a difference for the company you’re targeting. The cover letter is a chance for you to make a strong sales pitch that can separate you from other candidates who don’t want to take the time or make the effort.

~Linda

How Executive Networking is Different

Handshake

Networking is now and has always been THE most effective job search strategy. But it certainly has changed with the advent of new technologies. That said, it is also true that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

For all job seekers, whether you’re fresh out of college or direct from the board room, networking is an important tool that has been highly impacted by websites like LinkedIn and Facebook. When it comes to networking for a job, LinkedIn is your better bet. But both of these online resources help you expand your network exponentially.

Even with these new technologies, the important thing to remember and the thought that prompted the above proverb is that while you can vastly expand your network online, to really be successful and develop quality relationships with people who will help you, you have to take the discussion “off line.”

This means a blend of old and new school. New school is using these online networking tools to build your network, old school is actually picking up the phone or sending an email and suggesting a face-to-face meeting. Your connections are more likely to want to help you if you’ve met in person, established a rapport and are building a relationship.

Often times clients will tell me they’re on LinkedIn but nothing is happening. That’s because you have to make it happen. To be a successful job seeker you have to do more than post your profile and add connections, you have to step away from the computer and actually meet with people.

This brings me to your message when you’re suggesting a meeting and requires a different approach depending on whether you’re an executive or someone in the beginning stages of their career.

When you’re first starting out, your message can be about exploring different industries or different occupations and wanting to tap into your connection’s knowledge base. When you’re an executive, you’re bringing a lot of experience to the table and should be thinking about the person with whom you’re interested in networking and “what’s in it for them.”

A lot of executives I work with are initially reluctant to network because they tell me they don’t want to appear like they’re begging for a job. I frequently have to coach them through this reluctance which requires a sea change in their thought process.

The thing to remember when you’re an executive networking is that you bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Your networking meeting is a peer to peer meeting that can be mutually beneficial. The bottom line is, rather than asking for a favor, you may actually be doing the person with whom you’re networking a favor (but don’t let that go to your head).

~Linda