Those young in their career or those seeking to change their career path are often given very bad advice.

Do what you love and the money will follow.

Follow your bliss.

Follow your passions when looking for a job.

If you do what you love it will never seem like work.

If you don’t love your work, find something else.

THEY CALL IT WORK FOR A REASON.

Photography and writing are my passions. If I dedicated mindshare and time to pursuing either, I am certain I could make some sort of progress and earn a few bucks. Instead, I take pride in my work as an Executive Coach. I have trained for and know how to do it, some say well. My work provides an income, loads of satisfaction and the wherewithal to write and photograph.

My photo buddy Ralph’s passion is traveling on his BMW bike with the wind in his nose and bugs in his teeth. He talks about it, thinks about it, shares his experiences and looks forward to the next outing.

His profession is that of senior executive who corals technologies and herds them into start-up businesses. He is good enough at what he does that he has done if for over two decades and is respected by the local business community as a shaker and mover. He takes pride in his accomplishments and often thinks about the difference he has made in other’s lives as he careens around corners on his BMW.

Craig is an accomplished classical musician. He works for a Fortune 500 company during the day and rehearses and performs at night and on week ends/holidays. If he pursued his music, exclusively, he could not, would not, enjoy the perks of the life he treasures. If he followed his passion, he’d be broke, unhappy and ill-prepared for sending kids to college or his own retirement. His solution encompasses a job he does very well which provides the income for the lifestyle he enjoys as well as an outlet for his passion; music.

And last, Hartley is a guitar-playing singer with a band, club dates and a new CD. He is also one of the top software development managers in Silicon Valley. He takes both seriously and gets recognition and accolades for both. He is a very happy man. He also knows he could never do either one, exclusively.

IF YOU CAN’T BE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH.

The facts are, few of us have the extreme talent or financial freedom to focus exclusively on our passions. I am reminded of Meyer who is passionate about his job and does it so well prospective employers beg him to work for them. Meyer is also passionate about photography which provides him the artistic satisfaction he requires in life, but little to no income. He is quite fine with that arrangement. He found his calling providing the best customer experience he can divine and is considered a thought leader in that niche.

Meyer and Craig’s first priority is a lifestyle that includes choices, financial stability and participation in the mainstream of life. Not all readers of this blog have either the talent or connections to follow their passion, live their bliss. But every one does have the capability to create a career that allows the freedom to enjoy their passions.

In my view it is far more important to find satisfaction with a job well done, a job that provides an income to support family, fun and passions, than to pursue the myth that money and pursuit of passion are linked. Do you believe for one moment that Jay Leno’s passion is performing comedy? No, his passion is vintage cars. But long ago he realized, one begets the other.

Or take the impressively sturdy Betty White. Is she enjoying the second wind in her career? Of course. She has done her job well and is garnering the fruits of those efforts. She is proud of the recognition and her life’s work, but her true passion is humane treatment of animals. A passion she has been able support for a lifetime because of her celebrity.

I think you get the picture. I do not ignore or denigrate those who have a bone fide calling and the talent to back it up. I refer only to those who believe the mythology offered by parachute designers and bliss road map generation. Their advice is popular because we all want to believe there is a way to make work, well, less like work.

My advice is to discover and hone what you do well that the employment world needs. Find the pain and cure it. One of my most successful clients builds collaborative relationships extremely well. People just like him. He has learned how to use that to solve overwhelming issues within and between companies. He is professionally and personally satisfied, has an income to support and nurture his young family and the freedom to mentor technology professionals on how to build successful entrepreneurial companies: His real passion.

And like so many others who are successful, he is clear on what is important to him. He would not choose to be a banker or a real estate tycoon. He knows technology is where his heart is. To that extent, he follows his bliss.

Awareness of the industry best-fit for you is important to find a job in which you will excel. Are you an REI sort of employee or does the world of aviation appeal? Do you want to support the medical world or is the travel industry more your cuppa? Take the 10,000’ view of what is of interest to you first.

Or, as some have chosen to do, select the role you want to play, a role that plays to your strengths. Meyer, for example, discovered his penchant for customer satisfaction while sitting a help desk. He built his career with progressively more responsible positions as he honed his craft. He didn’t just walk into the position as Director of Customer Satisfaction. Building a career takes time and planning.

The angst from those casting about to find their passion/bliss seems to over ride attention to what do I do well? What do I enjoy getting recognition for, sharing and growing? Certainly, an effort to combine the two is worth consideration. But to make it the focus of your life’s work may be misguided. Instead, hone your business and technology skills. Focus on building your professional network. Look to professional organizations, mentoring options and media contributions for your satisfaction.

I suspect if you interviewed those recognized as leaders in their profession, they would indeed say they love what they do. But they love what they do because of the satisfaction from a job well done. Not necessarily because it is a passion. Look for happiness and bliss in your personal life. You have more control over it and fewer variables to challenge it.

BASICS FOR SIX-FIGURE INCOME CANDIDATES

Most readers of this book earn significant income in salary, bonus, and stock. Landing $100,000+ jobs can often take six months or more. The amount of time is less important than what occurs in that time. To be effective, focus on your networking activities: Your objective is to rise above the competition with recognized expertise, outstanding messaging, and industry presence. Your objective is not to get your resume to rise to the top of the stack, it is to not be on the stack at all.

Review the basics and you will know how to strenthen your job search, get immediate results. Be critical and perhaps ask a colleague to evaluate your efforts.

• Have you written an executive summary that addresses the exact needs of the prospective employer based on your research or knowledge of the job descriptions?
• Do your emails ask for only one thing with a specific call to action or request?
• Do you use news feeds and alerts as a resource to find leads and connections?
• Does your world-class elevator pitch generate questions and requests for your business card?
• Is your LinkedIn profile a marketing piece or just a repetition of your resume?
• Do you wear a well-fitted suit to all networking events and interviews?
• Are you using digital job search resources effectively?

When you are unemployed and are in job search mode commit to spending your time actively pursuing your next career move. A proper job search typically requires a minimum of five hours a day in networking, researching, meeting and planning. If you are currently employed and looking to make a career move, organization is the strongest asset you can use.

Warning: Promotion – To optimize your time and efforts, create a job search budget that includes a proven Job Search  or Executive Coach. This is especially true if you are over 50, haven’t really conducted an executive-level job search or intend to change geography. A good Coach can make the difference between a salary and prolonged unemployment, so consider the value of earning even one more month’s salary. Choose a Coach who can teach you to develop a network that delivers the leads and introductions you need and who knows from experience how to guide you through the interview cycle.

Job search today is a shell game. You must uncover jobs by networking because employers are fragile; they need to know the people they hire are part of their community in order to hedge their bets. So amp up your networking techniques.

For example:

1. Go to industry conferences.
2. Pay the tariff to attend trade shows.
3. Continue participation at your golf pro club.
4. Volunteer.
5. Blog on topics on which you are an expert.
6. Answer questions about strategic topics on other people’s blogs.
7. Connect with others looking for jobs in your market niche’. Share leads, encourage one another and stay focused.
8. Learn to use LinkedIn Groups to locate the companies and people most likely to help.
9. Learn proper messaging to get what you need from every email or phone call. Know your elevator pitch.
10. Talk to people who have a job like the one you want; ask them to refer people who contact them about jobs in which they are not interested.
11. Become an expected face at networking events, don’t just go occasionally.

Many executives and technology leaders formerly in six-figure jobs cling to what they have always done and don’t receive job offers after months trying. Their credentials are excellent, they present themselves well. Why then have these outstanding candidates not found a new job? In times of stress or crisis, people often resort to tried and true solutions. And for today’s employment market those solutions couldn’t be more wrong.

Executives visit a very different landscape from those more junior in their careers and most advice is aimed at the individual contributor and less senior candidate. Most every other candidate is doing exactly what you are doing. How then, can you distinguish yourself from the crowd?

Forget the website submissions and unsolicited emails. Target three companies and get to the ‘C’ level executives with a message they can’t refuse. Easier than it sounds. For example: Use LinkedIn to see who you know is willing and able to introduce you. Even second level connections are often willing to help. Ask what you might do for them in return and send a thank-you note.

You ask for generic support hoping someone will figure out what you need: This is so common I have heard every argument about why it is done. And not one reason is valid.

People respond best to a specific request. “I wonder if you can introduce me to Annie Johnson and two other people who do what she does?” works better than, “Can you introduce me to people with job openings.”  Or, “Frank, As you know, I increased sales revenues by 60% in the first year with ABC Co. Can you introduce me to two people who may know of companies in need of that sort of performance?”

You blanket the earth with your resume in hopes one will land on the right desk and actually be read: Referred candidates will always trump random spewing of your resume by either you or a recruiter who has no relationship to the company. A requested resume is the goal and the key to not being in the stack in the first place. You’d be surprised how seldom resumes are read without an introduction from someone the reader respects.

You don’t look the part. So many candidates feel they must look like a hiring company’s current employees that they miss an opportunity to assert their professionalism. Put on your suit or suit dress and keep your jacket on. It fits [get to know a good tailor], is fresh and your shoes are polished and clean. Will you get razzed for wearing a suit? Yup. Will people know you as a person who is respectful of their interview time? Yup. Don’t use the excuse that no one in the company dresses in a suit; they aren’t applying for a job. And this means technology execs, too. White teeth, clean fingernails and a good hair cut make a good first impression. And if you are over 50, don’t make the deal killer mistake of trying to dress like a 30 something. That just draws attention to your age. Suit up and show your best executive level demeanor.

You do get an interview but use much of your time bemoaning the fact that it is hard to find a job. It’s a tough job market. So, toughen up. Be optimistic and upbeat. It is your self-confidence and positive attitude that will win you the next round of interviews. Leave all the suffering at the door. If you are asked how your search is going say something positive such as, “I am truly delighted with all the new contacts I am making and their eagerness to help.”

You are reluctant to ask for help. Get over it. Fact: People want to help. Even your former administrative assistant may know of job openings or people you should meet. All you have to do is frame the right ‘ask’ appropriate for that person. Compose your ask after determining what outcome you require. Outcomes always have a deliverable. “I just want to find out who she knows” is not an objective. “I want to get names of three people who work at xxx company” is.

You honestly believe all the time spent on job boards will result in a job. Unless you are an individual contributor, job boards don’t work. Less than 1 percent of senior jobs are filled through job boards, so stop wasting your time. Most executive jobs are filled through networking.

You curtail spending and neglect to attend conferences, trade shows and seminars. Where are hiring authorities during the work week? In front of customers, at conferences and seminars. That’s where you need to be. Many companies assume these events are the proper venue to scout out senior candidates and book interview rooms in anticipation of meeting candidates. Can’t afford to go? Offer to ‘sit the booth’ for a company for free if they pay your expenses.

You use social networking sites improperly. If your profile begins, “15 years experience…” you shot yourself in the foot. Use that precious real estate to broadcast your accomplishments, not how old you are.

Get your job search on track. 

Maximize your job search time by creating a daily to-do list that is reasonable and includes objectives/outcomes for every action including phone calls and emails.

• Create a go/no-go list so you don’t waste time as you pursue inappropriate opportunities. Don’t talk yourself into pursing the wrong job just because you have a connection.
• Find the job description for your ideal job and customize your resume to reflect what the employer needs to see, not what you want them to know. For each priority listed, include an outcome of yours that proves you have the goods.
• Create the right answer to the hardest question: “Tell me about yourself.” This answer is about how your credentials map to the job, not why you went to college.
• Acknowledge your challenges and create work-arounds that include reality.
• Lead with what you do have that is stunning and that the employer listed as a priority, not what you lack.
• Accept the fact that while 19 year’s experience will help you be successful, future employers care most about what you have done in the last five years. Use the most recent experiences as your examples and resume bullets because technology and the playing field have changed significantly. And if they haven’t, the interviewer still believes your recent experience is the only relevant experience.
• Ask for and accept advice only from people who have hired or been part of hiring people who do what you do. Ignore web sites and other media advice unless you can ascertain the credibility of the source. Vet all advice and don’t assume that just because other people do it one way, that it is the most advantageous process for you, the six figure executive.

In closing, I caution those over 50 not to believe or accept the media hype about ageism. Look around, there are many people over 50, 60 and even 70, gainfully employed. There is much you can do to avoid any whiff of concern about your age by leading with your accomplishments and how they map to the employer’s needs. Focus on outcomes and any concern about age is diminished.

COPYRIGHT: March 2012. No part of this document may be copied, quoted or printed without express permission from the author.

A prospective coaching client told me he was reluctant to join GLBT groups on LinkedIn because he didn’t want people to know he is gay. I nearly reached through the phone to hit him upside the head with a 2 x 4. 

Excellent networking for job search requires smart utilization of LinkedIn groups. While I am in favor of removing all group logos from profiles, it is because they litter the profile, not because they disclose interests or sexual orientation. He was depriving himself of excellent real-world support in his job search. Mostly, he was hurting himself by assuming something about him needed to be hidden.

I reminded him that if someone would not consider him for a job because he is gay he didn’t want to work for them in the first place. So he lost nothing and gained a lot by selecting to participate in the gay groups on LinkedIn. He saw my point and I hope he was embarrassed.

While it is critical to lead with your accomplishments and skills, it is just as critical to be yourself. Don’t hide. Not today. Not ever again. It’s not going to get better until the LGBT community stops apologizing for itself, stops casting themselves in the light by which they are seen by haters.

And while I am not gay, I certainly know how important it is to refuse to accept how others see me. Early in my career, as a woman technology professional, I fought to maintain my confidence and self esteem in the presence of sexism. As a Jewish woman, I have fought against the implied and often overt anti-Semitism that creeps into every day life. I believe I was angry with the prospect because his apologetic demeanor gives haters power.   I insisted he be out and proud. And to act as though his sexual orientation has nothing to do with his ability to do his job because if he acts that way, it forces others to treat him that way. Do click on the link. It makes my point much better than I can. Please, feel free to comment on this post, but not until you see the link.

Successful executive job search starts with your objective. Are you looking for that next big job? Is that the focus of your job search and your networking? Or have you taken the time to learn how to build your career over the long-haul?

What’s the difference? Most successful executives have rarely conducted a real job search. They have been invited to interview, been recruited or groomed and promoted. When time comes to conduct a real job search, they are defenseless in the competitive arena of executive job search. They jump at the first big title offered with no concern about the affect the new job might have on their career.

Example: One client of record took a very high paying technology job in the Mid West. The title was impressive, the money, excellent. He was isolated from any technology network that would advance his career and because the company rejected his plans to use the latest technologies, he set his career back five years.

How do executives make these career limiting mistakes? Since many successful executives have never had to acquire excellent job search skills, they rely on standard myths or worse, highly touted advice from those who have never hired executives and whose suggestions are really geared to those young in their careers.

Once an executive reaches the late thirties or early forties, the idea dawns that career planning is the only route to that ultimate goal, whatever that may be. And again, they are defenseless because no one has tutored or mentored them in career management.

So let’s do that now. It all begins with your objective. What outcome do you want? Do you want to break away from Corporate America and work for an upstart? Or perhaps you see yourself as a CTO in charge of all the products and technologies for a growing or grown company. Is a seat at the table in a large corporation on your radar? Where you want to end up long-term determines what your career plan needs to include today.

Step two is create a go/no-go list based on your objective. For instance, if your mid- or long- term goal is to run a small company, then your go/no-go list for the upcoming job would include but not be limited to:

1. Company is a recognized leader in their field.
2. Company has commitment to mentoring.
3. An immediate manager is someone from whom you can learn.
4. Company status is one that is seen in a positive light by investors and the market.
5. Company is located geographically where you can maintain and build your network.

Here’s what you need to know to make that fact work for you in your executive job search.

Let’s set the stage. The person reading your resume is a hiring authority or refers candidates to hiring authorities. They want to spend time with only the best candidates and a triage based on a resume is their perceived best first step. Here’s how it works.

Past employers and titles are instant clues to hiring authorities – It is assumed since certain companies only hire the best, you are a cut above. Further, the sphere of influence in larger companies includes more staff and larger responsibilities across departments. Previous employers become your best references just by virtue of being named on your resume. If you worked for that employer more than four years, your resume goes to the top of the stack.

• If the list of employers does not include recognized companies, or companies too small to register, the resume is considered second tier.
• Sure, titles and accomplishments may prove otherwise, but the expectation has been set and the candidate has  much to prove. If you have spent less than three years at the majority of your employers, your resume goes to the bottom of the stack.
• Resume one is from a Vice President of Product Development from a no-name or less than 200 person company. That individual is considered for Director or Senior Manager positions.
• Resume two is from a Director at Amazon or Google or PayPal. Depending on the size of the hiring company, that candidate will be considered for Vice President or Business Unit Manager.
• Resume three is from a Director at Microsoft who worked there less than 18 months. That resume may go to the bottom of the stack depending on the reader’s opinion about Microsoft (or any name brand company).

Rapid fire resume reading is the non-name brand candidate’s worst enemy. If choices or life conspired to keep you out of Microsoft or Adobe, how can you land that top tier job? The answer is simple, but it is not easy, nor is it quick. It is about career planning, not job hunting.

The Best Resume – Let’s start with what you can control. Load your resume with exactly the outcomes the new employer has specified on their job description. This means a new resume for each job. Only include outcomes, metrics and results. No generalizations about the quality of your work are appropriate. Often the sheer weight of your success will overcome the name brand issue.

Personal Branding - Get known for your specialty. If you are, for instance, a SaaS guru who has released 10 products into the Cloud, make your presence known on blogs and articles and LI groups as someone who has accomplished that feat and who mentors others to do the same. This isn’t a one shot approach, it is a career-long activity. Eventually, some people become thought leaders in their specialty from the humble beginnings of LinkedIn groups.

Keep your blog on target - If you want to be known as the supreme  Project Manager, don’t include diet tips and travel logs on your blog.

Referrals - The single best way to land a job is through a referral. Cultivate your network to reflect people who do what you do or who hire people like you and keep in touch with them. When opportunities are presented to them in which they are not interested, they can refer you. You have but to ask. There are so many ways to get referrals, whole books have been written on the topic. It is the single best way to improve your career choices. Learn how to network and how to articulate your needs and what you can do in return.

Network to the top -    Successful Executive job search and career development require a strong network. Acquiring and maintaining your network is a career long activity. Facts are facts. The best jobs are filled by executives who are already known to the hiring authority. Sure, when you have a job you are too busy to network, attend conferences or trade shows, much less local networking events. And yet, when it is time for you to land a new job, you regret not spending that time.

Justify attending events - Not only are you locating prospective candidates for future openings in your own department, you are representing your company for greater visibility. No matter what your job title, both of these are important to your employer. And they are essential to your brand.

Career planning - For those younger in their career with the choice of large or small company I advise the following:

1. Join a small company to establish your skills. Don’t make your first job with a name brand company. Make your mistakes and learn in a smaller venue.

2. Name brand companies tend to interview ten to twenty people for each position. Put your best foot forward and learn what they need and how your credentials map to those needs before you contact them. You are building your pedigree. Protect it.

3. If you move to a large, name brand company, do so only if you can stay for a minimum of three, preferably four, years and do your best work. You are creating your reference pool which you will leverage for the next decade. Anything less and it is a black mark that you didn’t last regardless of the perfectly good reasons you left. Remember, perception is reality. “I was recruited away” is never a good answer to any job related question.

Once you are talking to the hiring folks, prepare to answer the question, “Why did you leave [insert name brand company name here]?” My advice is to answer with what you are going towards, not away from.

Advice to all candidates. Always answer questions with examples and outcomes. Hiring authorities  ignore your own opinions about your work such as hard worker, team builder or successful track record. They look for numbers and other metrics to prove your accomplishments.

Other resume hazards. 

Leave off dates of education and the reader assumes you are over 50 and hope to hide your age. Therefore, they will pay special attention to your age. Put dates on the resume and no undue attention is drawn.

Leave off first industry jobs and the suspicion grows. Use an inclusive and the issue goes away. i.e. Earlier experiences as a xxx. 1978-1998.

Some companies consider leaving off first employment as a lie and may fire immediately. If performance is an issue, companies frequently revisit the resume in detail for lies and a basis for firing rather than go the more complicated performance route.

Focus on Your Golf game (or go skiing). Join the most prestigious country club you can afford and spend time there. Consider the expense of membership an investment in your career. Bring your significant other, be part of the community. Participate in planning and organizing for hosted competitions. No need to debate the stereotypes of executives and golf. Just accept that many highly placed notables play golf. There is instant rapport and kinship among members and as long as folks know what you do when you don’t play golf, they will remember you the next time a position opens. Don’t solicit job leads. You will quickly become persona non grata at the clubhouse.

Do meet people at the nineteenth hole and encourage conversations. Don’t over indulge. Remember, you are conducting a “pre-interview.” Come prepared with interesting topics beyond, “How about those Seahawks.” Listen well, ask appropriate questions and leave them laughing. Keep business cards available but don’t push them. If you meet someone you like and want to know better, follow up in a week or so for lunch.

Do good works. Volunteerism is so important to corporate America that each year many companies furlough chosen executives to work full time on behalf of various charities. Red Cross, United Way, American Cancer Society to name a few have a corporate presence and encourage senior executives to participate in outreach. Google 200 largest charities to discover who best suits your geographic needs and temperament.

Get involved. Get known for something outside your profession and people from your profession will take notice. Attending that photography club or classic car event just may be the best way to meet the CEO of your target company.

Think Charity. It is easier to get known to Board Members or “C” level executives when the purpose is to discuss giving. Remember, you are building a Rolodex for the future, so don’t lose focus on the charitable mission.

Cultural events lure execs. Every city with cultural venues needs locals to support their fund raising activities. Many of the Museum and Symphony organizations are run by wealthy volunteers; volunteers with spouses and connections who can help in your quest. Don’t be shy about encouraging your significant other to join you as you spend quality time working the upcoming auction or black and white ball. The camaraderie built pursuing a shared mission often results in long term associations. Wrestle some free time from your schedule to work with a children’s organization or sports team. Not only will you enjoy it, you may find kindred spirits who can introduce you to their network. All outreach is good outreach.

Live in a nice neighborhood? Kids go to a private school? Participate in the home owner’s association and school committees. Even if the execs you want to meet don’t go to meetings, their spouses probably do.

On-line networking is still networking. Tap into the book review section of Amazon and other book vendors. Read and comment on the business books appropriate to your specialty. You may be surprised to see whom else is reading/commenting. Now you have something in common and a reason to connect. And don’t get me started on all the ways LinkedIn can be used to get connected to senior executives. That’s a whole book in itself.

Few comments from prospective employers are so demoralizing to candidates as, “We like you but you are overqualified for this job.” Most people interpret this as, “You are too old.”  

Overqualified is the easiest answer to give a candidate when an employer passes on hiring an over 45 year old candidate. It is rarely the real reason; it is the politically correct reason and the safest way to get the candidate to go away. Employers who pass on a candidate don’t want to ‘handle’ the questions and emotions that result from refusal; they want to move on to the next candidate. Same goes for recruiters.

There is never a guarantee, even if you have the right qualifications, that an offer will be presented. Don’t leap to the conclusion you didn’t get an offer because you are perceived as overqualified or too old.

Often the reason seasoned professionals are passed over has nothing to do with qualifications.

If you are invited to interview chances are the employer already knows you exceed their requirements. They saw something of value in your resume and invited you to interview so you could prove why they should hire you. That is what interviews are for. If they pass on you it is because you failed to prove them right.

Before you start writing your flame mail to me that you don’t get a chance to interview, to be tested, because the resume you sent in didn’t generate a response…and you assume it is because the employer sees you as over qualified, I remind you, few executives get the interviews they want by random resume submission. It is the poorest job search technique you can use.

Then there are those who genuinely believe they are or are perceived to be overqualified. The current employees are all younger and it looks like there is a bias. Most companies screen for fit. But fit usually means enthusiasm and energy level; not age. The bias towards younger employees tends to be because younger employees demonstrate an eagerness to succeed and participate.

Do a reality check. Do you come across as weary? Is your posture or tone of voice communicating high interest in the job and company? There are many intangibles that give employers the key to your fit for their team.

Let’s focus on techniques to overcome the ‘overqualified’ or ‘too old’ ageism labels:

ONE: They really want someone younger, cheaper – No employer is going to state that aloud. What every hiring manager wants is a successful hire within their budget. The better able you are to define their needs before you interview, the higher the likelihood of an offer. Interview with their needs in mind and focus on outcomes they need, not your superhero skills.

TWO: The employer fears I will leave for a better opportunity – Employers face turn-over from all sections of the company. Your leaving is no more probable than anyone else’s IF you have discerned you can be successful in that position. Talk about what you will contribute, not what you have done before in excess.  Focus on the job they have open, not all the other tasks you can accomplish. Talk in terms of what you can deliver, give examples.

THREE: They think I will be bored – If you communicate enthusiasm for the market niche and the challenges of that particular job, this goes away. Once you discern their top priority, address that with a sense of creative adventure. Be well prepared on their market and the challenges. If you ask good questions about their plans for the future, such as follow on products or market positioning, you demonstrate a keen interest.

FOUR: They think I will be unhappy – Why would they? If you keep the focus on how you can expand what you do and learn a new approach, employers won’t think of you as a misfit. Let them know what you find desirable about their work environment or market niche. Be specific. Don’t use generalities like, “I’m excited about what you do.” Say, instead, “This opportunity appeals to me because xxx.” And make the xxx about them, not you.

FIVE: I think I need to change my resume to remove my more senior experience – Do you know this is a firing offense? If you are not entirely honest, hide or misrepresent, you can be fired on the spot. Plus, these are lies you will have to maintain. Better to be honest and help the employer see that though you have had more senior responsibilities, there are still things you can learn and contribute that are unique. And this means including months and years of previous employment and date of college graduation.

SIX: The manager sees me as competition – Convey how you can make the manager look good. Ask what their priorities are, what their metrics for judging success in the role are and speak only to those. Mention your job is to make them look good and ask what being part of the team would mean. Be sure you are not conveying superiority or a condescending manner. Give examples without stating, “This is how I made my last manager look good.” Talk about the team success.

Not sure how you are coming across? Invite a younger, trusted friend to interview you using a video recorder for later review. Dissect every part of the interview including attire, tone of voice and body language.

It is my experience that candidates often create their own issues by being patronizing, impatient, and dismissive or even conciliatory or apologetic. Be very critical of your interview style. Be self confident but not arrogant.

As an example: Never, ever say, “Oh, that’s easy, I solved that problem,” or similar responses that dismiss the importance and difficulty the interviewer tries to convey. For more information on how to convey your experience without sounding like you invented work, read, “You have an ugly baby” in “Job Search Debugged.”

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Read previous articles on age on this thread.  For general career advice for executives and technology professionals, use the links on the right side of this page.

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Read the employers point of view on why they are reluctant to hire older workers and Age getting in the way of landing a job?

Listen to a podcast for tips and ideas on how to manage your job search to avoid the pitfalls of ageism.

Rita Ashley is a career and job search coach for executives. In the last two years 98% of my clients achieved their goals within six months. Is it your turn? Contact me directly to discuss a customized solution.

Your brand [Elevator Pitch] is the promise you make to a prospective employer.  Shivonne Byrne, Microsoft Branding Executive.

Do people respond to it with questions about your work, your success or processes? Do they want to learn more? Do they invite you to talk about your credentials? Do they offer to introduce you to others? Do they show interest so you can invite them to meet at a future date? Do they ask for your business card?

Simply stated, the Elevator Pitch is a powerful tool to gain the attention of a person who will offer leads, an opportunity and introductions to people who can provide them.  The whole idea of the elevator pitch is to communicate very quickly why they want to learn more.

The tactic you use is to relate what you do to what they do. Understand your client. If, for example, you are talking to a financial person and you are an IT professional, you probably don’t want to stress the latest technologies you implemented in record time. You do want to stress how what you did affected the bottom line or the impact your work had on the stock or upcoming IPO.

Critical to this conversation is your own understanding of what you do.

• What makes you unique and why anyone would care?
• Your pitch must be clear, succinct and interesting.

Your pitch becomes the basis for your resume and all your outreach.  It is the fulcrum of all your communications and the trigger that creates conversations, generates interviews and signals to contacts why they want to help you.

This is your opportunity to convey your passion for what you do and the importance of the outcomes. Need more reasons to create a great Elevator pitch?  Think about all those social networking events where you just didn’t know how to start a conversation, or worse, stammered when someone asked, “what do you do?”  Your elevator pitch at the ready, you can respond with confidence.

An article worth reading: Good Advice for an Elevator Pitch.  For a tutorial on elevator pitches download Elevator Pitch Essentials from Chris O’leary.  His guide is free and endorsed by Guy Kawasaki.  Of course, I would be remiss if I did not suggest you should purchase my book, Job Search Debugged, to get the full range of elevator pitch uses.

OK, that’s the theory of the Elevator pitch, here’s reality. In all my years in recruiting and coaching I’ve rarely found anyone who has their pitch down cold. It is difficult to see our own image. Often, the pitch is lukewarm and the words just stumble out because the job seeker isn’t comfortable with it. Or worse, it sounds canned and doesn’t change with the audience.

Tip:  Say your elevator pitch to a twelve year old.  If they can tell you what you do, you have a good pitch.  If not, keep working until yours is clear and simple.  Crafting your pitch isn’t the time to show you are the smartest person in the room; it is the time to say my accomplishments are important and map to your needs.

Time management is the demon that destroys a carefully executed job search. One client of recent memory spent seven hours a day at the computer sending emails, requests for introductions and participating in various LinkedIn groups. After three months he had only made five new connections that referred him to opportunities. And not one of the opportunities was right for him. He was demoralized. The demon was elated.

As his coach, I have to ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?” He is doing all the things recommended in my book, “Job Search Debugged.” Yet he hits the wall every day. After careful analysis and much defensive protestation on his part, here’s what I discovered.

1. He spent too much time in front of his computer.
2. He did not form a habit of telephone or skype outreach.
3. He followed up with his ‘ask’ only once. If the target did not respond, he moved on.
4. He repeated the same messages and research almost daily
5. He did not follow his industry blogs and newsletters for ideas and names.
6. He had not targeted five companies of special interest but rather depended on others to suggest companies.

1. First things first. We analyzed each message, each outreach and each conversation for clues about why he was not connecting with the people he needed to reach. What he was doing seemed spot on but it wasn’t getting him the results he needed. So we changed his message from a generic ‘ask’ to a more specific ask.

Old: Would you introduce me to two people who may know where there are opportunities for a global sales executive whose track record includes growing new business to 450% in four years?

New: Would you introduce me to two people who know companies not yet expanded into Dubai and or BRITs? I pioneer new geographies and bring fast revenue results because my network of distributors is in place.

2. Join new LI groups. This time with a focus on the geographies he wanted to grow instead of executive or sales groups. He can learn about people in companies and situations he’d not be able to know about otherwise. Cast your net to the people rather than the companies and you are more likely to get the information and introductions you need.

3. Follow the newsletters and blogs of industry leaders and pundits. A real time saver so you are not reinventing the wheel is find the people who know what you need to know and connect to their network. Find publications/blogs and notice whom they quote or who participates. The comments section is a gold mine for expanding your search to exactly the right people. Sure, it makes sense for you to comment but following up with others is where you find active participants in your field. Find them on LI and connect to see their connections, then ask for introductions as indicated. Also notice what groups they belong to. Join.

While I can make a long list of other activities to change or incorporate, let’s admit the time management demon thrives on thrashing.

4. Direct steps to tame the demon:

Make a list every day of three major accomplishments you hope to achieve. Then make a sub-list of activities to get there. Check them off as you do them.

Take a break. Counter intuitive, but when you stress out and don’t take time to refresh yourself, you are not productive.

Set time limits. Dedicate blocks of time for specific activities. Once the time allotment is up, change activities. This gives you goals, a fresh attitude and minimizes burn out.

Make it fresh. If one message isn’t working, change the focus.

Make as much face to face (telephone/skype) contact as possible. It revitalizes you and is more effective generating an outcome.

Change it up. Work down the organizations you hope to penetrate instead of up. Everyone wants to help, they just need to know what help looks like.

Define your ask as specifically as possible but don’t make it so difficult there is no answer. For example: Global Sales Exec positions is generic whereas Sales Exec for Brazil or China is not. But not Global Sales Exec for small, privately owned company located in the U.S. You don’t want your connections to work too hard to figure out who you need to know.

Focus. On-line research is distracting, frustrating and rarely direct. Set a limit on how much time you dedicate to your random searches. For example, 15 minutes of research after you have completed a few phone calls. Or 20 minutes after lunch. Don’t let on-line research seduce you into believing you are engaged in productive job search activities. It may lead to it, but it is not in itself productive. Talking to people is productive.

Notice. Take inventory of what brought the results you intended. Do more of that.

5. Set realistic expectations. As with any sales situation (yes, you are selling a product, yourself as an employee), it takes about ten asks to get one yes. And while your sense of urgency is apparent, those whom you ask for support do not share it. Be reasonable about how long it will take for someone to get back to you as promised.

6. Biggest tip. The key to keeping your morale up is not assuming the worst. There is no way to know or intuit why someone did not do what you wanted them to do so stop trying. Notice who does respond and value that. Don’t torture yourself with who didn’t.

If they don’t respond or respond with a non-productive answer, do not despair. Keep them informed of your progress and send them links to things of interest, but don’t keep asking for a response to your original need. You asked for support because they are part of your network and there are too many reasons, most unknown by you, why they did not respond as needed or in a timely manner. Don’t try to guess and don’t punish yourself by assuming rejection. Preserve your network even when they don’t deliver because this is not the last job search you will ever do.

Now, stop reading job search advice and get back on the phone.

I published this blog last year and it resonated with a lot of senior executives who, in their private moments, admit to feelings of being an impostor. Yesterday, I mounted my first photography exhibit and when it was finished, I was overwhelmed with feelings of self doubt. What made me think I had any right to pass myself off as a photographer? In dealing with these feelings, I confronted my own ‘impostor.’

I managed to shut her up by reminding myself that there are always people who are more recognized as experts but that my own efforts generate delight and pleasure irrespective of the efforts of much better photographers. Turning off my own internal critic was hard, but in the end, I did it and am now proud of the exhibit and my photo site.

Every time that critic tried to intervene in my appreciation for my own accomplishments, I shut her up with, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating. You mounted the exhibition at the REQUEST of someone who thought they can make some money selling your work. Now, STFU.” Had to do it about six times before I was honored with silence and pride in my accomplishment. Hope you can benefit from the guidance below and get to the same place of calm.

“The Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.” Wikipedia

Is your success just luck? Do you feel if people really knew, they’d know you are really a fraud and it is just a matter of time before they are found out?

Are you proving to yourself you are worthless and a victim by avoiding the proper steps towards finding a new job?

Or worse, do you overcompensate for your feelings of inferiority and take every opportunity to tell people you are a thought leader of grand stature and remind them of your accomplishments? Are you sabotaging your job search efforts to prove to yourself you are not who you appear to be?

Think hard on these: Do you accept poor treatment from your Board? When your team criticizes you do you immediately accept their attacks as true? Do you detect dismissive attitudes from your direct reports? Are you reluctant to be pro-active? And how comfortable are you negotiating your compensation? Do you give in too soon when you are collaborating to the detriment of your team? Can you ask for a promotion?

Do you have Imposter Syndrome? Take this test.
Dr. Valerie Young, Author of How To Feel As Bright and Capable As Everyone Seems to Think You Are uses a test to help people identify their tendency towards feeling like a fraud:

1. Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you’re not as bright and capable as they think you are?
2. Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of nagging self-doubt?
3. Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a “fluke,” “no big deal” or the fact that people just “like” you?
4. Do you hate making a mistake, being less-than-fully prepared or not doing things perfectly?
5. Do you tend to feel crushed by even constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence of your “ineptness?”
6. When you do succeed, do you think, “phew, I fooled ‘em this time but I may not be so lucky next time.”
7. Do you believe that other people (students, colleagues, competitors) are smarter and more capable than you are?
8. Do you live in fear of being found out, discovered, unmasked?

A tendency towards imposter syndrome is exacerbated for some people by looking for a job. The stress of the unknown in a job search and all the rejection are hard for anyone, but for those with self-esteem issues (another characterization of the impostor syndrome), job search provokes damaging behaviors.

Dr. Young points out, “I would say to executives who are women or people of color seeking jobs in organizations where they would either the first or one of the few executives who are not male or pale, that it is especially understandable that they would experience feelings of fraudulence… being in the spotlight and having to often represent one’s entire group adds an additional burden to “prove” one’s competence in ways others do not.”

You have so little control over events and outcomes it adds to the feeling of worthlessness. There is nothing like the terrifying affects of powerlessness to make a person feel like a fraud. Those feelings are often circumstantial and do not have to be career limiting.

Examples:

Some people react to these feelings with a need for perfectionism or self-aggrandizement. No one else can see the solutions they do and they are quick to say, “I wouldn’t have done it that way.”

When asked about interviews or job opportunities they enumerate all the ways the employer approaches their project wrong and make their own views the focus of their job search. Their never-ending stream of judgmental comments makes them unattractive and unemployable.

Nathaniel Branden, author of How to Raise Your Self Esteem writes, “…The true nature of self esteem is that it is not competitive or comparative. Genuine self-esteem is not expressed as self-glorification at the expense of others, or by the quest to make oneself superior to others or to diminish others so as to elevate oneself. Arrogance, boastfulness, and the overestimation of our abilities reflect inadequate self-esteem rather than, as some people imagine, too much self-esteem.”

Those convinced they are impostors are reluctant to change their methods of job search and often feel most jobs are beneath them so they don’t pursue likely prospects and often focus on jobs above their skill or experience level.

The impostor often feels they are so different from others, that the rules and processes others follow to land a job simply don’t apply; that they just need to ‘be themselves’ and they will get job offers. Of course, when the offers fail to materialize, it is because, in their view, the hiring authorities are not smart enough to ‘get it.’ And secretly, they believe it is proof of they are frauds which makes accepting the reality of their own accomplishments even harder.

They trivialize their accomplishments or worse, simply refuse to own them. These people complain, I can’t brag in an interview, that’s unnatural to me. And yet, the description of their accomplishments in terms of the employer’s needs is precisely the data required to land a job. Self defeating–but again, they prove themselves right.

Another aspect of the fraud syndrome is what I refer to as, “Magical Thinking.” Candidates believe their credentials are so strong and compelling, none of the traditional and proven job search techniques apply. They waste time on job boards and send resumes out randomly. They believe their blog and ‘name’ are sufficient to attract the perfect job. They maintain their comprehensive experience is so stunning that their phone will should be ringing with offers. The fact is, they have never hired anyone who used that technique nor have they ever heard of any executive who has. But they remain committed to failure-guaranteed activities. Their belief they are in fact a fraud and a failure is proven again.

Is this you? Technology professionals often manifest the syndrome by conducting interviews that stress what they lack, whether asked or not. Believing they are talking in the spirit of honesty and not wanting to misrepresent themselves, they mention skills they don’t have instead of focusing on what they do have that qualifies them for the job.

The self-fulfilling prophesy: Researchers have found the imposter syndrome often results in desire to avoid situations where people felt vulnerable. They believe the motivation is to avoid doing poorly, looking weak, being compared or judged. It is especially handicapping to feel you won’t live up to others’ expectations. Thus, they don’t engage in activities others have proven to work in a job search, such as networking, attending conferences and other personal branding activities.

They avoid or delay any activity that prompts comparison. Instead, they invent new approaches they are convinced are creative and ‘out of the box’ when in fact, they simply don’t work. They go to a mall to hand out their resume or they use LinkedIn to broadcast their frustration or worse, send out thousands of unsolicited resumes. Often, they are suckered into paying for dubious services, in fact whole industries have arisen to prey on people who feel helpless or fraudulent.

Taylor Lindstrom of MenWithPens, opines, “You may be afraid of success, but it isn’t because you don’t want it for yourself. It’s because you’re afraid other people don’t want it for you. And you know what? Screw ‘em. Your success belongs to you. And it’s nothing to be afraid of.” And I believe she is right. Many of my clients mention their parents never believed in them or encouraged them. They spend their lives hunched under the yoke of proving to themselves and their invisible parents that they are worthy, that they are not worthless. But, unfortunately, no accomplishment silences the voices and sadly, these people remain encumbered by ancient history.

Take Heart: Researchers discovered true imposters are unable to ask for help. By definition, if you are reading this, you are seeking help and therefore, you are not an impostor, or at least hope to recover from the syndrome.

To become more aware of impostor thinking, Dr. Young, suggests, “Look for stereotyping and self-defeating attitudes that can be reflected in speech, such as women prefacing sentences with disclaimers like “This may not be right, but…” and discounting accomplishments with “Anyone could have done it” or “It wasn’t much.” I’d add to that list, “I was just part of the team,” and “I was only a co-inventor.”

Evelyn Kalinosky of Forbes Women mentions these warning signs:

• dismissive attitude when praised
• feeling that peers with the same responsibilities are more mature [successful]
• reluctance to accept new responsibilities or challenges for fear of failure [or making them highly conditional]
• unnatural reaction to constructive criticism [even when asked for]
• worrying that others will begin to realize their shortcomings [which they enumerate often]

Your job search suffers. A classic self-esteem/impostor self-defeating job search trick is the refusal to reach out to people who can help, or worse, to denigrate their wisdom or process. While at turns the individual hides their light under a barrel and then engages in self aggrandizing comments, they spurn the help from the very connections most likely to help saying, that won’t work for me.

Another common career-limiting behavior of those who believe they are impostors is the constant barrage of commentary, mostly unbidden, about how others do things wrong. Each time such a judgement is articulated, it says, “I am smarter, better and more creative than the dufus who did, said or invented that,” and it broadcasts the speaker’s low self esteem which often results in the listener walking away. Proof again; impostor.

Actions to counter feelings of being a fraud or impostor

1. List examples and outcomes of accomplishments from your resume. Focus on the deliverable, the outcome.
2. Don’t compare yourself with those younger and/or more accomplished than yourself.
3. Take a full accounting of the you who has achieved the success you have today and define accomplishments out loud and on paper.
4. Keep a list at hand of 3-5 significant tasks you excelled at and reread it every time you have to pick up the phone or otherwise interact with job leads.
5. Brag to a loved-one about each day’s accomplishments, no matter how tiny.
6. Create a daily to-do list of reasonable and achievable tasks.
7. Remind yourself you are more than your career. Focus on those who love you.
8. Stop complaining. You don’t need to hear all that negative chatter.
9. Engage in your hobby to offset frustration and negative feelings.
10. Forgive yourself for not being perfect.
11. Forgive others as well. Be aware of every judgmental word you use and stop using them.
12. Remove ‘deserve’ and ‘should’ from your vocabulary. Both are damaging and judgmental.

Need to kick start your recovery? Take baby steps. Accept your accomplishment for delivering on time. For finishing that paragraph. Acknowledge even the smallest glory. Take notes about every one of your accomplishments and read them frequently.

In my view, a real boost to ones self esteem is derived from setting realistic expectations. The first step towards that is forgiving yourself for those times when you don’t get it right. Not one baseball Hall-of-famer ever batted 1000. Yet there they are, in the Hall of fame. A few missed balls did not mean they are impostors and neither are you.

After reading the seventh professionally crafted resume that sucked it is time for me to hollar-back. When I see candidates being victimized by job search parasites I am enraged. Stop selling your services as a resume writer if you have never hired anyone. Don’t put up your shingle if you haven’t been in a professional role supporting those who do. Just because you can write or use a layout template doesn’t qualify you for the arcane art of resume writing.

You have no idea how resumes are read. You have no right to handicap candidates with your advice to include the number of years they have been employed in the opening section and even less right to encourage them to fill that same space with their own opinions of their dedication, skill and creativity.

When you sell a resume filled with cliches’ like “hands on” and “proven leader” or “broad range” you guarantee that resume with be filed in the digital circular file.

A resume writer charged $1000 for a technology executive’s resume that began thus,

Exceptionally creative and effective management executive with 11+ years of industry experience. Possesses a distinctive blend of hands-on technical, project management, and communications experience. Offers a broad range of skills that spans many industries and products. Fully fluent and proficient in software development languages, technologies, methodologies and tools. A proven leader with a strength for identifying talent, building and motivating creative teams that work cooperatively to achieve goals. Excellent interpersonal skills and a sincere passion for applying technology to current business problems.

You read the above and you say, “What’s wrong with that? It looks normal.” Well, you are right it does look normal. It looks just like every other resume that goes nowhere.

Here’s what’s wrong:

1. Exceptionally creative and effective management executive – The candidate’s opinion of their work has no place on a resume. Good that they have that confidence but it is not data. Instead of opinions, use examples or outcomes that prove the point. Effective management style is proven with low turnover and ease of hiring/building a team, for example.
2. 11+ Years of industry experience – No one cares how many years a candidate has done something. They do care about the success and outcomes. List those instead of vague opinions. Also, never use + or etc. If it is more, say what it is.
3. Offers a broad range of skills that spans many industries and products - Broad range is cliche, vague and an opinion. Give an example that shows those skills such as “Created the product road map, hired the team and managed the timeline for [name of product] which was released two weeks ahead of schedule.”
4. Fully fluent and proficient in software development languages, technologies, methodologies and tools – Watch your language. “Fully fluent?” You are either fluent or you are not. Unless the candidate has written code for a released or product in use, this information is misleading. Instead include the languages and products.
5. Same thing goes for sincere passion… Bad writing and tells the reader nothing. Show how that passion resulted in a product or accomplishment.
6. Excellent interpersonal skills – Interpersonal skill success is given credibility with data about how cooperation or collaboration solved critical problems.

Candidates, don’t lose hope. There are some excellent professionals who can help you with your resume. And asking for help is a good thing. After all, you have conducted a job search so rarely in your career, you can’t expect to be an expert. Here’s how to find the right person to help you craft an effective resume.

First, ignore all hype, marketing and website testimonials. Some people are very good at marketing. Doesn’t mean they can write the resume you need.

Here’s what to look for:

• If you sign up with a company, find out who the actual writer will be. The person who woos you is often not the person who does the work.
• Ask to see recent examples of resumes written for people with your similar job title or career area. Does it immediately tell the reader why they want to hire them? Do you know what job they are after in the first sentences?
• Discover if the writer has hired or supported those who hire IN YOUR NICHE. A technology professional needs a very different resume from a banker. The terminology, emphasis and key accomplishments are different.
• How long has the writer been crafting resumes? It takes years of experience to learn the gotchas and how to work around certain issues such as a gap in employment, age issues or out of industry work.
• Check references. Ask to talk to the last three people for whom they created resumes. You want recent and not cherry-picked clients.
• Determine if you have editing and redo options. Some resume writers only allow a limited number of edits or redos. Your resume is too important to have this limitation.

One of the best ways to find the right support is ask people you trust who they would recommend and why. Interview those writers. In the end, if they do create a resume and you have paid for it, there is no reason on earth you have to use it if you feel it is inadequate. It is your career and your resume is your formal marketing document. Make it work.

PS: The best solution is learn to craft your own resume. You need a new one for each prospective employer so learn the rules and you can plug and play.

Telephone interviews for executive job seekers are daunting, filled with land mines and, the results, difficult to interpret. Make it simple with a clear objective and understanding the interviewer’s objective.

When your objective is clear, it informs you of the content for the phone screen. Since a face to face is an obvious objective, let’s examine your real need. Busy senior executives find their time their most valuable asset. Therefore, determining if the opportunity is a decent fit to merit further exploration, read ‘time,’ requires answers tailored to your go/no-go list for your career move and some indication you can be successful in that role.

Ignore your instincts: Don’t jump right in with your interrogations. If you do, you may rule yourself out for that face to face. When you understand the objectives of the interviewer, your own agenda will be easier to achieve. Assuming you are talking to the hiring authority [rather than an in-house/independent recruiter], their objective is time and cost saving, meaning, they want to assess as soon as possible, “What can you do that we need?” Until you satisfied the interviewer’s objective, yours is moot.

The interviewer will tell you about the job and their idea of the right candidate. Instead of asking questions immediately, acknowledge what they said. First, answer all their questions with examples that include outcomes. Be brief or they won’t remember. Then pepper the conversations with appropriate questions. These are examples, not an exhaustive list.

“If I understand correctly, you are looking for someone to take your products to that next level and expand the customer base.”

• What are you currently doing to achieve that goal?
• How is that working?
• What would you like to see change?
• What outcome would you like to see to know it is successful? (Or, How will you measure success?)
• Do you have a time frame and budget in mind?
• Who are the other stakeholders?
• What obstacles have you encountered achieving that goal?

“Your biggest challenge is finding someone who will fit with your team and work collaboratively.” [Most employers include this in any job description. How they assess this in a phone or even face to face is beyond me, but they always mention it.] This is an example of how to answer questions with an outcome.

• When you say work collaboratively, do you mean across departments or within? At [name of current or last employer here with an outcome resulting from your collaborative efforts] I released 6 new products every quarter, somewhat of a record for the company. I credit that success because I included all the stakeholders from the beginning. Is that the sort of collaboration you mean? Or do you have other examples?

“XXX Prides themselves for xxx.”

• I am especially interested to learn how decisions are made at the executive level.
• Your company has a reputation for xxx. How was that achieved?
• Is there budget for continuing that branding? [Company name]
• Turn over for our industry is very low. Can you share with me how you accomplish that?
• How do you see the [Job title] continuing that record? What are the obstacles?
• Will you share with me what the previous employee accomplished that pleased you?
• Will you share with me what the previous employee could have done better? [This is the money shot. You want to know their real expectations and this is where it is revealed.]

Notice the mix of questions. Some are about the company which gets the employer taking about the positive aspects of the job and company, and others are about what you need to know. The more the employer talks about the positives, the more they see you as a positive person. Plus, you need that information for your close.

Now for the real meat.

• What are you doing, what do you hope to accomplish, that can’t be accomplished with the current setup?
• What keeps you up at night? What is the competition [insert name of competition] doing that alarms you, pleases you?
• Is there something in particular about my background that indicates to you I will be successful with xxxx?

The employer will ask what you are looking for and you will tell him about deliverables ONLY. If you want to include your career goals, make them about the outcomes, not the descriptions. [This is vital for most interviews]

I want a face to face close: I am certainly interested to learn more. I hear a lot that suggests my experience maps to your needs [example here] and I like [include something specific] what you say about how decisions are made. Shall we get together next week?

I don’t want a face to face close: Thank you for your candor about xxx’s needs. I am more than happy to introduce you to folks who might be a good match. My own career goals include (say something not apparent for this role or why it is a no-go, like geography, reporting structure or other innocuous but true reason). I hope to leverage my success [insert pitch best accomplishment here] increasing revenues for a world-wide company by 450% in two years [include the deal killer, for instance, global, or in San Francisco or as an EVP etc.]. Would you introduce me to two people who may know employers in need of my skill set?  The keys to this close are never say no, offer support, ask for leads. This is a terrific network expanding experience. Make it work.

Holiday offer: Purchase one book, get the other one free. Once you purchase the book, contact me with your email address and it will be my pleasure to send you the other book.

It is most often the case that the job for which you are interviewing is not a perfect fit or worse, doesn’t have a clear path to your mid-term goals. It is human nature to want to get on track immediately, but in an interview for executive jobs, that is the most wrong thing you can do.

You want the job, it is a good fit if only you can get them to tweak it just a bit. All you have to do is let the interviewer know what you want so they don’t start talking about a job you don’t want. You feel you need to correct their approach immediately so you can tell them what you want. Don’t Do It.

Interview Speak:

• The executive interviewing you needs to tell you what they want, first. Let them talk, ask few questions and don’t let your body language betray your impatience.
• Say something to acknowledge what he/she wants to do/go before you launch into what you can provide for him. Explain what you can accomplish and give examples of having done so in the past. This is data, not opinions.
• Do NOT talk about what you need or want, but what you can do for the company over the next few months/years.
• Then, include the actions of that new role you want. For example:  ”Are you hoping to take the products international?” If yes, talk about how you can expedite this process and talk about your experience doing so. This approach puts this into a form the interviewer can relate to rather than a demand from a prospective employee. It becomes a discussion of their goals.
• When you state what you can do in terms of accomplishments and not opinions your comments and desires are remembered.
• If the interviewer starts out asking what you are looking for, talk in terms of actions, not job description. I want to take a product line and xxx and xxx. At XYZ I did this and grew biz xxxx. In the mid term, I can build the infrastructure, (now list the additional responsibilities you are after).
• Don’t justify any of this with how long you have worked. Just let the accomplishments speak for themselves and know when to stop talking.
• Ask, “Is this the direction you see this role going,” and shut up. Better, ask “Are these the goals you have for this product?” and “Is this the sort of success you are hoping to see from this role?”

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep this and any conversation in any interview about the company/department needs, not yours. Be patient, listen well then you will have a chance to make your needs known… in terms of their needs. This approach requires a lot of practice to get it right. Once you do, it becomes a good habit for any negotiation.

I don’t agree. In fact, I am adamant that such thinking is the murderer of innovation. I think you work as smart as you can and don’t confine yourself to competing, reacting. Find your own path and don’t be ‘controlled’ by making your moves reactively. Nothing new would ever happen if everyone only worked to overcome the competition. Look what happened to the U.S. auto industry. Not one innovative product. Just what exists, a bit better. And if you have, instead, something new, that edge, that twist, you ARE the competition.

The trick isn’t knowing your competition, it is knowing your CUSTOMER. The MiniVan would never have been created if all Dodge did was react to the competition. They took a huge risk building something completely different. And they created a whole niche.

When job search clients accept my advice to ignore the competition because it doesn’t change their own credentials or best foot forward, they are liberated to do a much better, more pro active, interview or job search in terms of themselves and that particular employer. For example, if the competition has years creating strategic alliances and you don’t, what good does knowing that do? If you have targeted the priorities of the employer with your own best credentials, that is enough. You certainly can’t go back in time and get the specific experience but you can win because your background fits in another area. So, why cause all the self doubt? Why weaken your confidence. Your approach doesn’t change because it doesn’t need to.

Is it to be believed that Steve Jobs thinks about the competition when he invents yet another remarkable product? Innovation comes from some other place than reacting to competition.

One reason I don’t do competition is because I am the final arbiter of my work. When someone says it is good, only I know if it really is. And better, when it is terrific, I don’t need someone to tell me. I know. The trick is to acknowledge it, leverage it and be fearless. That’s where new ideas and a fresh approach originate.

Want to know more about Rita Ashley? Check out my about.me profile.

When I was a recruiter, a service I provided for over 18 years, most of my placements were made with referred candidates, candidates who, in turn, referred others because they were impressed with my service. Rarely did a randomly acquired resume result in a placement. I learned over the years this was standard for most of the busy recruiters who helped the quality companies with staffing. We all relied heavily on our network, referrals and of course, actual recruiting based on those referrals. Few of us ever took resumes that arrived on our desk, unbidden, as high priority prospects.

Why is this? Because our time is short. Most recruiters have more than one opening they are chartered to fill (regardless of the way they are paid, most recruiters juggle about 6-10 openings at a time). We rely on our long established network to provide names and even commentary on prospective candidates. Why? Because that works.

So, how do you get the attention of the good recruiters when they mostly don’t take uninvited guests?  I said three things you can do, but there is really only one. Referrals!

1. Talk to people who do the job you do and ask for an intro to their favorite recruiters.
2. Talk to people who do what you do and request they offer your name when they are courted by a good recruiter for a job in which they have no interest.
3. Ask the HR department of a company who hires folks like you what recruiter they use. Ask permission to use that individual’s name or ask for an introduction.
4. Go to social networking events. Recruiters hang out there. Don’t expect to be approached. You still need to be introduced, but spot the recruiters, see who they are talking with and ask that person for an intro.
5. Volunteer. Recruiters are volunteer-a-holics. That is only one way they expand their network into typically unapproachable territories.

Watch this space for more ways to attract the really good recruiters. They are NOT making on-line cattle calls and they are not found on the job boards. The really good ones focus on referrals from their network because the quality of candidates is simply better. Why? Because they are pre-screened by that recruiter’s network. And because it works.

Next blog will be on how the good recruiters use digital tools to locate prospective candidates. Subscribe to be notified.

When you interview, but they pass yet have good words, ask the most senior person with whom you spoke to introduce you to their favorite recruiter. Introduce, not provided contact info.