What Do Employers Want? 5 Smart Strategies for Executive Job
Seekers
Two executives with similar career experience start their job
search. It takes the first one only 3 months to identify and
secure an excellent new position. The second executive, 8 months
later, is still anxiously looking, having turned down over a
dozen unsuitable offers. What is the difference? Can you make
your candidacy more attractive to employers? Yes, by applying
the following five market-tested strategies:
1. KNOW YOUR U.S.P.
Your U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition) will largely determine
whether an employer will choose you over similarly competent
candidates. Understanding and assertively promoting your
distinctive advantages will tip the scales in your favor. When
employers are convinced that your executive value is superior to
what is offered in a general market, you win. Recommendation:
Ask yourself - what unique benefits do I offer that others do
not? Then, make these benefits the angle of your search.
2. PERSONALIZE YOUR APPROACH
Posting your information on the Internet and sending your resume
cold to recruiters and employers may sometimes work, but the
results are typically mediocre. An interactive,
connection-focused job hunt is always more successful than
hit-and-miss attempts. This usually involves arranging lunch
meetings with former peers and business contacts, personally
contacting centers of influence, and generally being 'out
there', getting yourself known. Logically, employers prefer a
warm initial approach to any unwanted solicitation.
Recommendation: Don't follow the masses when looking for a new
job. Establish meaningful personal contacts instead of passively
waiting for employers to find you.
3. MAKE THE BEST IMPRESSION
Many claim to be able to prepare a resume, but very few can do
it well. If you plan to get a higher paying job, it pays to
start with a first-class document. Contrary to the popular
belief, a well-written resume is not about your accomplishments
or a better format. A genuinely persuasive resume reads like a
strategic proposal. It promotes your advantages, demonstrating
why you are indeed a better contender. When you prepare a
resume, don't use ineffective templates. Command attention with
a presentation that conveys this message - "I am a distinctive,
high-potential leader". Recommendation: Keep in mind that the
content of your resume impacts the quality of interviews you can
expect.
4. REDUCE EMPLOYER RISK
Recruitment mistakes are costly and employers want to be
reasonably confident that a newly hired executive will work out.
Aim to clearly understand employer's specific goals and suggest
a mutually agreeable progress monitoring system. Recommendation:
Remember that employers are cautious when they hire. Make it
easy for them to bring you on board by asking good questions and
indicating that your intent is to know their expectations in
advance. Doing this protects you from affiliating yourself with
a wrong company and helps your new employer see you as a less
risky investment.
5. ASK FOR THE JOB
As a former executive recruiter, I can't tell you how many times
executives had stellar interviews and didn't get an offer
because they didn't ask for it. Indicating your interest in a
position you want is not a sign of weakness. Some executives
think that playing hard to get is the way to go. It isn't.
Recommendation: By confidently articulating your interest in a
specific opportunity you want, you will save yourself a lot of
time and come ahead of other candidates.
Copyright (c) http://www.ABCExecutiveResumes.com This article
may be downloaded and distributed providing the copyright notice
is displayed. All rights reserved.