BroadPeak Executive Forum

What You Don't Know about Headhunters: 10 Tips

Understanding what makes recruiters tick is a vital but often overlooked component of the job hunt. With a recession looming, it may be more crucial than ever.

David McCann
CFO.com | US

January 21, 2008

At long last, you have made the tough decision: it's time for a new job. Or maybe someone else decided that for you. Whatever the motivation — new owner, new boss, company going bankrupt, getting fired after a restatement — the first thing to do is find some executive recruiters. Right?

At this point, you might as well. But it would have been smarter to forge relationships with recruiters when you weren't in such a hurry to move — that way, a recruiter could have contacted you as positions became available. Not only is that how they prefer to work, it's a far surer path to making a change than pushing the panic button and expecting something to happen overnight.

Understanding what makes recruiters tick is a vital but often overlooked component of the job hunt. Here's what you need to know:

   • The right recruiter. There are two kinds of recruiting firms: contingency and retained. The contingency firms get paid only when a candidate they found gets hired by a client. "There are some good ones, but many of them just throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks," says Lorraine Hack, a partner in the financial-officer practice at Heidrick & Struggles, a retained firm. "If you don't want your résumé to be all over the place like the daily news, you might not want to go that route." Companies hire firms like Hack's on retainer to identify candidates, thoroughly learn about them, and present a short list to be interviewed. But the lower the salary allocated for a slot, the less likely retained recruiters are to take on that search, so recruiters paid via contingency fees are frequently used to fill lower-level positions.

   • E-greetings. To make initial contact with a recruiter, send an E-mail. "Some candidates think paper résumés stand out, but E-mail is interactive — I can just hit 'reply' to get back to you," says Hack. And her opinion about cold calls: "Very poor." Some recruiters, like Chuck Eldridge, managing director of the financial-officers practice at Korn/Ferry International, don't mind a phone call or even a brief visit to get acquainted — to a point. "I can't do that with every finance person in the country," he says. Which brings us to the next point.

   • It's a rat race. Working on about 10 searches at a time, a recruiter might make five calls to prospective candidates per week on each search, according to Hack. That's 50 calls. Each client wants weekly telephone updates on the search progress, which eats up several hours. Candidates who pass initial muster must be interviewed, followed by a written report to the client; this process takes a couple of hours a pop, and sometimes a whole day, if the recruiter must travel to do the interview. That's not to mention their own intracompany meetings or the small matter of finding new business.

Why should you care? "If you call a recruiter and they don't call back, it isn't necessarily because they have a bad feeling about you — it's that they're overwhelmed," says I.H. "Chip" Clothier, managing partner of HFC Executive Search. "There's an assumption that if you call someone they're going to call you back, but it physically can't work that way." Also note that while you may be out of a job, calling recruiters every week for an update is not productive and likely will just annoy them.

   • Poor returns. On the other hand, recruiters take a dim view of you not returning their calls. Aside from providing all information about your accomplishments and employment history, the single most important thing to do when making a career change is to return phone calls, according to Eldridge. "It's simple, but the number of people who don't return calls is unfortunately very high," he says.

   • It's a cold world. Cold-calling not only can be an annoyance to recruiters, as indicated previously, it's also not likely to land you a job in the short term because headhunters generally do very specific searches. The vast majority of positions they fill are the result of their own proactive searches. Even if you get through to the recruiter and ask what searches are in progress, finding a match is a longshot. "Our clients usually have precise requirements for what they want," says Eldridge. "A lot of times people will try to 'bend' their résumé to fit the situation, but I have to tell them I can't — the client was very clear."

   • Heavy hitters. Don't make the mistake of assuming that a recruiter is a lightweight go-between that you cursorily pass by on your way to the real interview. Retained recruiting firms play an enormous role in helping determine who gets hired. If you don't ace your interview with the recruiter, you will never get to see the actual employer. And do not assume you can b.s. the recruiter because he or she knows little about finance. Hack, for instance, is a former CFO, and Eldridge had a long career at a Big Four accounting firm.

   • Back-scratching. Among the best ways to build a relationship with recruiters is to help them succeed. If one calls you about a job that is not right for you, make every effort to refer him or her to someone else who might be more appropriate. "I don't forget that, and I try to pay those little dividends back," says Clothier.

   • A wide net. Don't limit your efforts to network with recruiters to E-mails and phone calls. "Getting to know recruiters through other means is smart," says Clothier. There are professional conferences, finance-industry events, and networking organizations such as the Financial Executives Networking Group, where you can rub elbows with recruiters. "Those are great opportunities for getting to know somebody face-to-face in a 10-minute conversation that can be followed up on later," he adds.

   • On the record. Most major recruiting firms offer Websites where you can enter your profile and a résumé into a database that all of the firm's search professionals can tap. The information can be updated at any time; if you are moving to Denver, say, make a note of it in your online profile, which typically will trigger E-mail alerts to the firm's finance recruiters.

   • The ship is already sinking. And, yes, do not wait until you are in trouble or transition to start calling recruiters. "It is extremely unfortunate that so many people don't network or do it too late," says Eldridge.

How Do You Know When to Quit Your Job?

Last night, I was talking to my friend Whitney about her frustrations with her job. Whitney works for a small privately owned company where she is the top-ranking finance person. I think her title is CFO but I am not certain. She started at the company a couple of years ago when she had just graduated from college and because she is extremely competent and hardworking she has assumed progressively more responsibility the longer she has been employed by the company. She is one of those people (every company has one) who is the go-to person for everything. She "gets it" and never lets the ball drop no matter what she has to do to fix the problem. She knows how everything works and she always thinks about the big picture even when she is working on the most mundane of details.

The problem is that Whitney works too hard in relation to her compensation and rewards program. She worked all day on new years eve and half a day on new years day just to get caught up because they are understaffed. And she is grossly underpaid for what she does. If your employer doesn't value your contributions enough to staff properly or pay you fairly then why kill yourself for the job? I told her that she is just too young to be this stressed out over a job. She seems to like the job when the owner is pleasant to her but he isn't always easy to get along with and at those times it just isn't worth the effort to her. Should she quit?

Here are my thoughts on how to tell when its time to cut your losses and get out of a  difficult job:

1. If you are young, have few financial commitments, and you are underpaid and overworked you should think about looking for another job. You can get some great experience at a small company but if you aren't paid fairly for the work you do (Whitney needs a new car but can't afford one on her salary) and if there is no possibility for advancement you should start looking for new jobs. Consider larger companies where you can earn more money and learn new skills that you can leverage later on.

2. If you are being sexually harassed or if you work for an abusive boss you should look for a new job. If you don't find another job before the environment becomes more than you can handle, hire a good attorney to help you negotiate your exit. I would add that if you work for a manager who is abusive to you (not necessarily textbook "harassing")on a regular basis you should look for another job. I have read management books that preach flexibility and honing your ability to adapt to any manager and, on some level I agree. But there are some mean people in the world and if you work for one you should get out before it affects your self esteem, your health, or your advancement options.

3. If you work for a company or in an industry that is in decline it's probably time to find a new job. You don't want to be the last man/woman standing when they start laying off because you won't have the the same appeal to a new employer at that point. Pay attention to the writing on the wall and if it looks like layoffs or office closings are going to happen you should get out before the sh-t hits the fan.

4. If you are approached by a recruiter about a great job with another company it's time to go on an interview. Forget loyalty, look out for your own career and meet with the recruiter about the job. For one thing, you can't turn down a job you haven't been offered. So at the very least find out more information about the potential job. I have talked to a lot of folks over the years who say things like, "I can't leave my job because my boss has been so good to me and they really need me." Really? It's great to be loyal but understand that these days any employer will lay off any employee if business needs change. Look out for yourself because when push comes to shove your employer will most certainly put its needs before yours.

5. If your employer doesn't share your values or offer benefits that you desire you should seek an employer that does. Tuition reimbursement is a great example of this. Some employers don't offer any tuition reimbursement (perhaps a sign that they don't value higher education) while others have very generous programs. Many people (myself included) have sought out employers who are willing to pay for all or a large part of a graduate degree. For most people past the age of 25, going to graduate school full time means taking a hit in pay that you may or may not recoup later. Any assistance you can get from your employer that allows you to attend graduate school part time is a very valuable benefit.

6. If your office is a hostile or negative work environment you should get out for your own good. I worked for a company once where everyone was tense all the time because of the high pressure and culture of distrust and disrespect. I lasted a year and it took a toll on my health. You have to live with the body you were born with for your entire life so I don't think it makes a lot of sense to let a job affect your health.

7. If you want to change careers or jobs and you can't do that at your current employer you should find a new job. Are you working for a bank but you really want to join the Peace Corps? Then apply for a job with the Peace Corps...don't stick around a job you don't like. Don't be afraid to change careers or try for your dream job.

Lots of people take whatever job they can find right out of college. Then they get promoted, then they move to another department and do a great job so they are recruited by a competitor. They make more money along the way and then they wake up at age 45 and say, "How did I get here? This isn't the life I envisioned." Be strategic about your career and at least once a year take some time to evaluate the career path you are on. Don't be afraid to change directions if you aren't headed in the right direction for you.

A job isn't a marriage - you can leave whenever you want. Don't be afraid to look for a new job if your current one isn't working out for you for whatever reason. A great time to start to look for a job is at the first of the year because many employers are hiring at that time (now). So what are you waiting for? Update your resume, call BroadPeak, and start that job search!

Originally posted at http://ultimate-resumes.blogspot.com/

Be True to Yourself

Sometimes solving problems or dealing with conflicts requires that we flex different “muscles” than the ones we normally use for performing our job, maintaining relationships, or resolving conflicts. Every once in awhile we are faced with confounding situations which require us to adapt ourselves even more creatively. After years of observing others, making my own mistakes, and occasionally doing things the right way I have come to the conclusion that in any difficult situation the key to overcoming challenges is to do whatever you need to do but to be true to yourself in the process.

What I mean is that if you behave in a way that is unnatural to you, others will notice this and you may not get the results or response you desire. Once I worked for a C-level executive who was, without question, the biggest jerk I have ever met. As an every day practice he bullied and demeaned his employees (no matter how senior), took credit for the work of others, refused to reward employees for good work, obviously played favorites, and generally behaved like jerk in every way. He was a jerk to the core – when he was trying to be nice or make jokes he came across as crass, obnoxious, and unkind. Even his jokes were awkward at best and mean spirited at worst. However, for whatever reason, his behavior seemed to work for him. He had advanced through corporate America and had been hired by a venture firm to run a successful start-up so someone must have thought his behavior was acceptable. But if, for example, I had tried to emulate him, I know that I wouldn’t have reaped the rewards that he did because I couldn’t pull it off successfully. Also I wouldn’t have felt very good about myself.

On the other hand, I once worked for an executive (her name was Barbara) who was one of the most reflective thinkers and best listeners I have ever met. Barbara was a great coach and manager who was skilled at absorbing information, considering various options, and regurgitating great ideas which others could adapt and implement. I tried so hard to be like her but I couldn’t quite pull it off. I hope I absorbed some of Barbara’s good qualities when I worked for her but at the end of the day my strength is in implementation rather than reflecting upon a menu of ideas and bouncing them to others to make them come alive.

Being true to yourself doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to improve your skills or learn new “tricks”. You should! Self reflection and continuous education is a must for all of us. You can and should adapt your skills and behavior to situations but you shouldn’t stray from your core values or personality traits or you won’t be true to yourself.

I had an employee once (we will call her J) who was the kindest, sweetest, and least confrontational person I have ever met. I really admired her ability to see the good in others even when they were being manipulative, negative, or just plain incompetent. Sometimes I ran interference for her so that she could get her job done when the occasional goofball decided to play politics, not do a job, or made her life difficult. I was very good at cutting through red tape so that all of my employees could get their jobs done. When necessary I utilized whatever tools I had to create an environment in which my employees could be successful whether that involved using politics, calling someone’s boss, or just plain making demands.

J and I had many conversations about assertiveness and I always told her that she could be assertive but that she could do it in her own sweet way – she didn’t have to try to act like me because that might not come naturally to her. In fact, if she had attempted to do some of the things I did it would have been completely counter to her personality and she wouldn’t have gotten the results she desired. J is now a manager of people herself and she has come up with some really great management techniques that reflect her values and personality but yield the results she needs to run her department effectively.

Be true to yourself even in tough situations and you will find that things often work to your advantage.

Originally posted to http://ultimate-resumes.blogspot.com/

Finding A Great Job

Clients often ask me how they should start their job searches. Many of my clients have never had to look for a job because they are talented senior executives or senior technical experts who have always been recruited from one job to the next. One day something happens like a layoff, a failed start-up, or a difference of opinion with the Board of Directors/VC/CEO and suddenly these talented folks have to figure out how to navigate a job search. Following are some of the tips I share with my top-tier clients.

1. Use the internet to research companies that have job openings.
There are many ways to search the internet to find out what companies are hiring. If you know the name of companies in your field or the geographic area in which you want to work you can just do a Google search using company name in the search field. See what jobs are listed on the site. Most senior executive jobs or senior technical jobs don't get listed on company websites because they are filled by recruiters or through networking. So if you don't find a job that fits your background on the site don't despair. You just want to find out if the company is hiring at all (see tip #5). If a company that you are interested in working for is hiring you can always write a targeted letter accompanied by your resume and send it to a key individual within the company (see tip #6 below).

You can also try going to Monster.com, type in your town or zip code, and look to see what companies have jobs posted. It doesn't matter what the jobs are because all you want to know is what companies have the money to hire. Then, open up another tab on your browser and start Google searching companies in that you may not have heard of but sound interesting. Maybe you will find a company you hadn’t heard of before but for which you think you would be a good fit. Send a resume and cover letter to that company by finding the company contact information on their website; don't send your information through Monster.com because it may get lost in the shuffle.

2. Use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) to search for companies in a specific geographic area and to network with folks who might be able to give you information about jobs that interest you.
LinkedIn is built to facilitate networking so when you do a search the list that comes up will be of names of people. Individuals who use LinkedIn often write blurbs about their companies on the site so you can find out a lot about interesting companies in your geographic area from reading personal profiles. From there you could Google search companies and apply to ones that look interesting. Or you could make contact with individuals whom you find on LinkedIn and talk to them about their employers.

3. Find websites for professional associations that relate to your field of interest or expertise.
Many associations have job boards or networking events that are great places to start a job search.

4. Target job search websites that have a narrow focus.
Savvy employers who utilize job boards use those with a narrower focus than the huge catch-all sites like Monster.com. The Ladders (www.theladders.com) offers jobs that pay $100,000 or more. Six Figure Jobs (www.6figurejobs.com) also lists jobs that pay in the 6-figure range. Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org) has a job listing service for not-for-profit jobs and board memberships. Ivy Exec (www.ivyexec.com) is a website for individuals with graduate degrees from top-tier schools. You can also do a Google Search to find job posting boards or specialized websites for jobs in your area of interest. Even if your salary isn't in the $100K range you can use The Ladders, for example, to find out which companies are hiring in your area and then use that information to conduct further research using corporate websites.

5. Target companies that interest you without regard to the jobs listed on their "careers" page.
Have you always wanted to work for the Federal Reserve? Or Kraft Foods? Or for City Hall? Don't worry about whether or not they have a job opening when you apply. Many companies have been known to create jobs for top talent. If you find a company that you think you would like to work for, research the company and any senior individuals in the firm.

6. Research company culture and find out about the executive team before you send in a resume or interview.
There are some great online resources to help you research companies, corporate culture, and executives. ZoomInfo (www.zoominfo.com) is a great website for researching individuals. The site pulls articles, speaking engagements, employment history, and educational background from people on the web. It's a great way to find out if the CEO of your dream company wrote a book that you should read before your interview or that you can reference in your cover letter. The Vault (www.thevault.com) and WetFeet (www.wetfeet.com) offer company profiles and information based upon interviews with former employees. Those sites are great resources for finding out more information about a company before you interview or accept a job.

7. Apply directly to the CEO.
If you are a either a senior level executive or a non-traditional employee like a professional/executive female who is trying to return to the workforce after raising a family you may need to be a little more creative in your application process. Simply sending a resume and cover letter to a human resources department may not be enough to get you invited to the company for an interview. When you start a job search you need to understand that HR professionals are extremely busy and, often, not terribly creative when it comes to thinking about how an individual with a non-traditional background might fit into an existing job opening.

When you find a company that interests you I recommend that you write a targeted letter to the CEO which explains why the company interests you and what your value proposition is. Stay away from generic statements like, "I have good people skills", or "I am looking for a job". Replace generic and meaningless statements with high powered statements that show that you have done some research about the company and that you have given thought to how your background could add value.

For example, "I am interested in working for Company X because of your record of environmental responsibility. I have a degree in environmental policy and I believe that my background at the EPA could enhance your already strong governmental affairs team." Fax or mail the cover letter and your resume to the CEO. There are no guarantees that you will get a call but I have found that if the CEO sends a resume to HR it gets more notice and consideration than if it comes to HR by way of the internet.

8. Use Venture Capital websites to search for openings at start-ups.
If you are interested in working for a start-up which has already gotten funding this is the best way I know of to find out about job openings. The other nice thing about searching through VC websites is that you can find out about their management philosophy which will become very important to you should you go to work for a start-up in which they invest. I believe there are a few thousand Venture firms in the
U.S.  A few of the well known Venture firms include: Austin Ventures (www.austinventures.com ), Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer (www.kpcb.com), Maveron, (www.maveron.com), and Oak Investment Partners (www.oakinv.com).

9. Research and interview recruiters until you find one you want to represent you.
There are a lot of recruiters in the world and it is best if you can find one or two that you trust to work with. Treat recruiters like sports agents: they should be representing your best interests because they stand to get paid a lot of money when you take a job with one of their clients. Granted someone else will be paying them the fee but since you and your hard-earned skills are they key to a recruiter's payday I think you need to do your homework and find a recruiter you're comfortable with. The time to network with recruiters is before you need to search for a job. Retained search firms and boutique search firms generally employ more talented and knowledgeable recruiters than the multitude of "body shops" that advertise on Monster or Career Builder. 

This is one of the ways that BroadPeak distinguishes itself from the competition...all of our candidates are treated like partners in the search, not like commodities.  If you are ready to start your job search contact Tom Hrinowich or Denise Martorano at BroadPeak and let us help you find the job of your dreams!

 

Live Life With Passion Like Anthony Bourdain

I hope that you had a lovely Labor Day weekend, I certainly did. My brother came down from Dallas for a visit for the first few days of the weekend. On Monday, Labor Day, after my brother went home and my husband had gone to the outlet mall to avail himself of the holiday sales I spent the day watching the Travel Channel.

Specifically I watched the Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations" marathon. I had seen a few Anthony Bourdain shows in the past but had never watched as many as I did on Monday. I was really engrossed in the show because of Bourdain's passion for travel and his absolute fearlessness. Bourdain's enthusiasm and wit sucked me in to watching several hours of his adventures in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, and Ghana. It occurred to me that we can all learn something about the value of being passionate about our jobs from Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain is sarcastic, funny, outspoken, and knowledgeable about food and travel. He loves trying new foods, some of which I wouldn't try for a million dollars. Bourdain is a celebrity chef who ran his own restaurant for 28 years before taking his current job with the Travel Channel. So, when it comes to food he really knows his stuff and isn't afraid to try any dish anywhere in the world. In other words, he has the perfect job (for him).

Are you fearless when it comes to your profession? Are you in the perfect job for you? I hope you are. I hope that when you see opportunities you take them. I hope that you try new things and walk fearlessly and happily into new experiences. If, however, you don't feel passionate or fearless about your career then maybe you can learn from Anthony Bourdain.

In particular, I appreciate his confidence in his opinions and his outspokenness when it comes to sharing them.  He wrote a blog post about the Food Network and its varied hosts/personalities that is one of the funniest things I have ever read. I admire him for being absolutely confident about his point of view and fearless about sharing it.

Check out Anthony Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel sometime and see if you don't come away from the show with a boost in inspiration. He inspired me to get started on some projects that I have been procrastinating on starting because they are a little daunting. If Bourdain can eat a seal's eye or a sheep's bladder I figure I can muster up the courage/energy/inspiration to start some high impact projects that I have been putting off!

Originally posted on the Ultimate Resumes blog

The Importance of Finding a Mentor

2007 Fall rush at the University of Texas is over and all of the sororities and fraternities have given bids to their pledges. There are a lot of excited young men and women at UT right now! But with that excitement comes a little nervousness on the part of the new members. They are wondering what to expect and following are just a few of the concerns they may have:

What are the rules?
What happens if I break a rule?
Will I get along with my pledge sisters/brothers?
Will I impress my new sorority sisters/fraternity brothers?
What if I have trouble making my grades?
Will I be elected to an officer role at some point?
What are the unwritten rules or expectations that I haven't figured out yet?

To prepare each new member (called "pledges") for sisterhood and to help her transition smoothly into the group sororities (fraternities too, but this article just describes the sorority pledge process) assign every pledge a "Pledge Mom". Pledge Moms are mentors, friends, and a support system as college freshmen transition into college and into sorority life.

Pledge Moms sometimes request assignment to a particular girl with whom they connected during the rush process. Other times, the sorority matches active members with pledges based upon common interests/backgrounds. In any case, by the end of the pledge's first week as a new member she has attended pledge orientation and has started to spend time with her Pledge Mom.

It might interest you to know that sororities have a very low attrition rate. Why? Largely because of the required mentoring that Pledge Moms offer. Certainly sororities can be fun to join but there are a lot of rules and high expectations regarding academic performance and personal conduct. So, it might be easy for some girls to say, "Hey, I would rather be a free agent so I can do what I want when I want and not have to worry about getting a certain GPA." But that seldom happens because sororities do such a great job of integrating new members into the fold and making them feel like family.

Keeping members is good business because each member pays dues and if members drop out it reduces the amount of money on hand to pay for the house, to sponsor programs, and to pay the "House Mother" who is paid to live in the house as a chaperon.

What can corporate America learn from the sorority pledging system?

The natural concerns that new sorority (or fraternity) members have are similar to concerns that new employees often have. Understanding and accepting that those concerns are normal for new employees is the first step. The second step is to come up with a plan to ensure that new employees can integrate comfortably into their new work environment. Partnering new employees with veterans helps newbies to feel welcome and part of the team. New employees need someone to turn to who can candidly fill them in on the informal and unwritten rules that are present and important in all organizations.

Smart employers offer new employees a mentor. On the other hand when employers don't offer a formal mentoring program, the smart employees seek out mentors to help them navigate the company, make decisions about their careers, and to understand the politics unique to their employer. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to find some wonderful mentors who have helped me by listening, offering advice, and, occasionally, interceding on my behalf. Finding a mentor who can offer good advice and who has some political clout is especially desirable in a large corporate environment.

There is a large well known employer in Austin that is advertising for a Manager of Winning Culture and Inclusion. As I read the job description it occurred to me that a really good mentoring program might help this company. Maybe they have one already but it doesn't seem that difficult to make all employees feel included if they are partnered with a good mentor. If sororities can mentor so effectively why can't corporate America?

It's very expensive to recruit, hire, and train new employees so it makes sense to hire wisely and partner each new employee with a mentor. Mentors can extend the amount of time an employee stays with a company and can reduce the amount of time it takes for a new employee to become productive. In other words mentor programs are cost effective. Once again, the Greek system is implementing a program that corporate America would do well to emulate on a larger scale than is currently in evidence.

Find a mentor and you will find the road to success is a little less bumpy.

This post was originally published by Liz Handlin at the Ultimate Resumes Blog

Interview Tips E-book Now Available for Free!

I recently published an e-book which outlines some useful tips for ensuring a great job interview experience. The booklet covers topics that include:

Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing
Tips for Selling Yourself
Feature, Advantage, Benefit Selling
List of Common Questions Interviewers Often Ask
Step by Step Instructions for Closing the Interview
Tips for Writing a Thank You Note That Sells
Sample Thank You Note

I have decided not to try to sell this book because there are so many free sources for interview tips on the web that I am not sure there would even be a market for the book. So, this booklet is free to anyone who would like some help preparing for a job interview!

This booklet compiles all the information you need to prepare for a job interview in one place. These interview tips are targeted to folks interviewing for jobs that range from entry level through middle management roles. This book isn't written for senior executives although some of the tips could be useful for senior level individuals.

To obtain a copy follow this link to the BroadPeak's Candidate Resource Center. Click on Interview Tips e-book and you will be able to download the e-book in pdf format. I hope that you find this information helpful.

Tips For Writing A Great Cover Letter

Many candidates ask about writing cover letters. Should they send one to a potential employer along with a resume? Should they have a generic cover letter to send to any employer at any time? What information should be included in a cover letter?

First of all, as a job seeker you have to think of every contact with a potential employer as an opportunity to sell yourself. So, if you send a generic cover letter that says something like, "I want this job because it is a great opportunity..." you aren't selling yourself and you aren't telling the potential employer something they don't already know. In other words, a generic cover letter is basically a useless document and I never recommend that my clients write one.

So, when is a cover letter necessary? If you are applying for a job through a corporate website and the site has a space for you to include a cover letter you should take advantage of the opportunity and write one. On the other hand, if you are working with a recruiter you generally don't need to write a cover letter unless the employer they are representing requests one. If a friend recommends you for a job with his/her employer it's a good idea to write a cover letter that clearly articulates your reasons for applying - you don't want the potential employer to think you are only interested in the job because your friend works there too.

When writing a cover letter you have the opportunity to do several things with one document. A good cover letter will tell a potential employer the following things about you:

1. Why do you want to work for this particular company?
2. What special skills, qualifications, passion do you have to offer the company?
3. You can showcase your ability to research a company and to clearly articulate your value proposition.
4. You get to showcase your writing skills

I give my clients the following advice about writing a cover letter:

1. Research the company, its management team, and its products extensively. Use internet sites like LinkedIn, Google, The Vault, and Zoominfo to find out all about the company and what makes it uniquely interesting to you.

2. Clearly articulate ways that you, the candidate, could add value to their unique organization. Steer clear of generic statements and focus on specific skills and interests you have that dovetail with their business needs.

3. To demonstrate how your skills can enhance a potential employer's business, use specific examples drawn from your resume. Don't reiterate what is on your resume verbatim but, instead, expand upon some of your notable accomplishments that are relevant to this particular employer.

4. If you have a top tier education (Ivy League or top regional school) add a sentence near the beginning of the resume that mentions it.

5. Keep the cover letter between 1-2 pages in length (600 - 1000 words).

6. PROOFREAD. The worst thing you can do is send in a cover letter with a spelling or grammatical error because then you have given the employer a perfect excuse to reject you. A cover letter can be your best friend in a job search or, if you leave typos in the document, it can be your worst enemy.

Don't Forget to Have Fun

Sometimes we all work too hard or get too caught up in what is going on at the office. It's natural because I think that for most professionals, our jobs are important to us and we want to excel at in our career of choice. There is nothing wrong with working hard but it's important to keep your job in perspective. This is especially true for entrepreneurs who usually have to work long hours to make their businesses successful.

I find that it's easy for me to spend hours and hours in my office working on resumes for clients, writing articles, working on marketing programs for BroadPeak, or networking. The work never ends and I can always think of something that I should be doing to expand or improve my business. I have been working really hard at completely breaking away from work for chunks of time to spend time with my husband. It's so important to remember that our loved ones are more important than our business and to make sure that we take the time to enjoy our relationships rather than letting ourselves get sucked into the never ending cycle of work, ideas, and more work.

Last week, my husband took a few vacation days and I rearranged my workload so that I could take a day off to spend with him. We drove to San Antonio to go to Sea World (we had always wanted to see the Shamu Show which was pretty impressive) and had a great time. We didn't talk about work at all...instead we just laughed and had fun together. By the time I turned on my computer the next day I was totally recharged and reconnected with my husband. The time I spent having fun helped me to rest, relax, and to be more productive when I returned to work.

It is so easy to think that if we aren't at our desks we aren't being productive. And believe me, when you are an entrepreneur there is always a feeling of panic when you aren't working because if you don't work you don't make money. I find that when I take a little time off work to focus on what is really important in my life (family) that I return to work with a renewed focus and energy that makes me a little more efficient and effective at what I do.

So, don't forget to have fun with your loved ones...that is really what life is all about and you may find that your work improves when you take time off to enjoy life a bit.

Happy 4th of July!

The Art of Exiting Gracefully

You may have heard that Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel is stepping down from his post at the helm of the publicly traded search engine/email provider. Yahoo! has made it clear that his decision is voluntary and that he won't be given a severance package because he is sticking around in a non-executive role as Chairman of the Board of the company. What is interesting to me is the classy way that which both Yahoo and Semel are handling communication of this situation. I think we can all learn something from it.

Understand that Terry Semel, as leader of Yahoo!, has presided over a 30% drop in stock price during the last 18 months. Stockholders are not happy with his performance and they want him out. And for his part I would imagine that Mr. Semel is not too happy with the fact that his performance is seen as less than stellar. You don't become CEO of a publicly traded company if you aren't used to being considered a star in your field - to be told otherwise is probably a blow to Mr. Semel's ego. But, with all of that as background, both the company and the ousted executive realize the value of his graceful exit from his position.

If you read this blog or my Ultimate Resumes blog with any frequency you may have read some of my commentary on the Julie Roehm vs Wal Mart situation and the public mudslinging that has ensued. I think that, at this point, between the lawsuits, countersuits, and salacious allegations, both Wal Mart and Ms. Roehm have damaged their reputations. Will another corporation hire Julie Roehm? It will certainly be interesting to find out. Will Wal Mart have a more difficult time hiring talented executives from around the U.S. and convincing them to move to remote Bentonville, Arkansas after they publicly skewered their former SVP of Marketing? I would bet that they will. In other words, by not maneuvering her graceful exit, Ms. Roehm and Wal Mart both suffer financially and reputationally.

Both Terry Semel and Julie Roehm worked hard and built track records of achievement that enabled them to land high profile roles in their respective fields of expertise. Yahoo! investors were unhappy with Mr. Semel's performance and wanted him to step down from his role while in Ms. Roehm's case Wal Mart's senior management team felt she should leave the company. Both situations were probably stressful and difficult for the two executives who were being told that their performance was lacking. It's hard to be a told that you are a star one day and an under performer the next.

The key to exiting the situation with your pride and future employment options intact is to forget about getting even or making a public statement or making sure that the public knows "who is right and who is wrong. Of course the same statement is true for employers...take the high road instead of maligning a former employee. No good will come from public negativity and it costs the company and its shareholders money.

Learn from Terry Semel...a graceful exit from a job is more profitable and less stressful for all concerned. And remember that thanks to the Internet any public statements, lawsuits, or stories in which you are quoted or mentioned will be around forever.