Thursday, February 28, 2013

Effectively Target Lower-level Jobs and/or Handle the "You're Overqualified" Objection

Q:  (Dennis asked) I have owned 2 businesses and managed a $7 million company. I don't want big responsibility and wonder if some positions I apply for are viewed in a negative light of "why is this guy aiming lower?"


A:  Marissa Marsala • As I understand it, you recently relocated. In some ways, I believe that provides an edge as you are starting anew. Try to use that as an advantage when you are asked the question above. Also, consider doing a pre-emptive strike in your cover letter and indicating why the role is perfect, and weaving in that at this juncture in your career, what is most important is ... (fill in the blank), and that you are therefore focusing on opportunities that provide X, Y, and Z.

Many job seekers are doing a lot of soul searching as a result of being out of work and taking a "Life's too short" to be doing something that I don't enjoy or want to do, attitude. Also, as a consequence if this difficult economy and resulting self-reflection, many are aiming for jobs in new fields or want lower level jobs with less responsibility due to quality of life reasons. If nothing else, I think that all of this re-evaluation is a silver lining and will make more people not look back later on in life. Then again, I tend to be a glass half full person.

I suggest you take stock of the things you've done (you can use my verb list on my home page to trigger ideas) and then create this "inventory." From there, put a star next to what you would LIKE to continue doing. Then go on to Indeed.com or simplyhired.com and click on ADVANCED to do an advanced search. Type a few of your favorite things in the "at least these words" bar, and see what emerges. That may provide some degree of clarity.

My sense is that if you find a few target jobs that you are excited about, you will arrive at interviews excited/passionate, and be able to convince folks that you are their candidate. If they ask you why you would aim for a lower job, you can indicate that it is purely a quality of life decision. You should also reinforce that with the fact that you have financially planned well and are in a position to now take on a job that you love vs. one that in part, you've taken in the past due to financial needs. What interviewer wouldn't be envious and wish they were in your shoes?

I think you should attend the next CommNexus meeting. See the link to turningpointsearch.net on my www.TheECC.com website on the "Local Networking Groups" page which has this group listed on their site. You can try commnexus.org. I think there are many start-up companies (EvoNexus) that can use your expertise, but you can come and go as you wish or arrange a part-time schedule. For instance, many start-ups use interim or part-time CFOs until they are financially stable. Many of the EvoNexus and CommNexus companies here in San Diego are located at 4225 Executive Square in the UTC area, while others are a few blocks away. (THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE AREA SHOULD RESEARCH SIMILAR START-UP "INCUBATORS" OR SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT EMERGING COMPANIES.)

Call Resources Global Professional and talk to them about interim exec or other assignments (They are nationwide, pay W-2 wages to seasoned execs and offer health and other benefits).

You might check is the Private Equity (PE) websites out there to see who has gotten funding. A good venture loop company is www.KPCB.com.

Also go onto the ReferenceUSA national database in the library and check for the non-profits within your zip code radius. Many will welcome as they cannot afford to pay the same rates as the public sector, and feel a huge win/win if they could get someone with your experience.

Check www.AARP which has a list of "mature friendly" companies seeking good talent, regardless of age and other issues that those of us over 40 and 50 may encounter.

Lastly, check the executive networking groups on my webpage (mentioned above). You can always opt for a scaled-down version of what you've done. You just need to confidently, succinctly and convincingly move past the objection question that you mentioned when asked. Collect your thoughts and come up with an answer. Then run it past some trusted colleagues to see how they think it sounds. Practice makes progress ... if not perfect! It will be worth your investment of time.                                                                            

Friday, February 15, 2013

How to Select the Most Highly Searched Keywords for Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile


Aside from using Wordle.com and similar sites, what can you to best ensure that you have the right keywords to attract recruiters and employers to your LinkedIn page and resume?

There are two ways that I know of to do this on LinkedIn: 

The first way is to simply go to the Skills & Expertise area (the section where people endorse you) and add a skill and note what suggestions pop up that may have higher appeal. 

The other is to go to the last tab across the top navigation ("More") and click on "Skills & Expertise."  After the page loads, type in some words that you are considering and watch the bar graph to the right populate!  Analyze whether it will help you to add that word or term and compare it against other words/terms that are suggested on the left side.  Pick the word/term that is being used the most to find folks with your skills.

Remember that aside from these tools, you can use Word Cloud technology (www.ToCloud.com and www.TagCrowd.com) in two ways:

1. Copy and paste 3-5 job postings into one word cloud window and see what the most frequently used words that employers are seeking and they will visually appear larger relative to other words that appear in those documents.  Then, copy and paste your resume in a second window and compare what words you are missing.

2. You can also analyze the keywords used in a SINGLE job posting and compare it to your resume to see if there is a 
match between your resume and the job to which you are applying. (For employers who use automated resume soring software, this exercise may help you to score high enough to remain in the "call back" pile.
You know what they say “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this applies to doing your homework to ensure that you are using all of the most marketable keywords you can  Comparing this beforehand may make all the difference between you getting a call to be interviewed or not. 

Happy keyword researching!

M2    


P.S.  For more LinkedIn and other tips to help you land a job more quickly, go to www.TheECC.com (Speaking/Other Events Page) and download the 50 LinkedIn & Other