Our purpose is to provide practical tools to make a good first impression when you launch your job search.
Before official launch, set the stage. Before the director instructs the camera operator to begin filming, the stage must be appropriately set. Setting the stage includes positioning the actors, observing their costumes, examining the layout of the furniture, testing out the lighting, and more.
Setting the stage for your job campaign involves theme, objective, and resume design. In another blog post, we will discuss creating your LinkedIn profile.
Theme
A job search theme is different than a job title. “I am a Chief Financial Officer” may be a statement that has value to you. It may not be valuable to a hiring authority.
“I am a Chief Financial Officer Who Knows How to Reduce Costs While Keeping the Team Focused on a Better Future” might be an appropriate theme for hiring authorities during the COVID-19 Crisis. “I am a Chief Financial Officer Who Knows How to Grow a Company so It Can Go Public” might also be an appropriate them for another stage in the business cycle.
Focus your theme on hiring-authority needs in the current business cycle.
“I am a Vice President of Sales and I know how to build teams that are aggressive in pursuit of top-line growth” is a clear theme. But Is it appropriate during the COVID-19 crisis? “I am a sales leader who knows how to get my team to enhance relationships with customers and prospects that will turn into sales once this COVID-19 crisis is over” might be more appropriate.
Brand-building takes time and repetition. Once you have a theme, stick to it until the market changes.
Not Sure About Your Theme?
We recommend that you listen to the voice of the marketplace.
This is an exercise we do with our executive outplacement job candidates:
Go to any online job board. Indeed.com or LinkedIn.com are our favorite sites. Look for titles that fit your goals, disregarding location but keeping industry and size in mind. What words and phrases seem to appear repeatedly? This exercise helps you gain a sense of the voice of the market at this moment.
Many job candidates assume that their job campaigns are all about them. This is a mistake. Job candidates are sellers in a market where buyers rule. Your theme should be about how you can be of value to the hiring authority. For example, you may be a general counsel who knows how to take private companies public. Is that a critical need for the hiring authority at this time?
Objective
During this COVID-19 crisis, we recommend our job candidates avoid using the word “job” as an objective. This market may not have jobs for you.
Using the word “job” as an objective gets the other person talking about her company downsizing, restructuring, and having hiring freezes. The conversation becomes depressing for both parties.
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Using the word “opportunity” instead gives you flexibility for income generation:
During the Great Recession of 2008-2010, many of our job candidates got their best opportunities as consultants. These consulting gigs were often turned into full-time jobs once the economy started growing.
An example of an appropriate COVID crisis theme might be, “I’m a corporate attorney seeking opportunities to reduce your legal costs.”
Resume Design
There is only one way to measure the effectiveness of your resume: Does it help you get interviews? Talk with your outplacement consultant or talk with colleagues about what design format works for people your age and in your industry during this COVID-19 crisis.
Do not assume an update of your last resume is a good idea. That resume may have worked six years ago. Six years ago, you were younger and more junior. Six years ago, the market for your services was stronger.
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Contacting Recruiters
Other than outplacement consultants, people who can advise you about resume formats are recruiters. Contact recruiters who work with candidates at your level and in your industry and ask them to send disguised samples of resumes they find effective in this market.
You want to establish a personal relationship. Avoid email. Call the person on the phone and leave a voice mail message. If you have hired recruiters in the past, engage this recruiter in a conversation about the recruiter's work and how the recruiter sees the market as we come out of the COVID-19 crisis.
If you do not know any recruiters, consider these options:
1. Look at the database of professional associations you belong to.
2. Go to the online alumni database of your alma mater.
3. Go on LinkedIn and look for recruiters who are second-degree links to you.
Good recruiters will welcome your call. They know that the COVID-19 crisis will come to an end and the economy will allow hiring to begin. Good recruiters want to expand their talent networks while laying the foundation for future sales growth.
While you have the recruiter on the phone, ask the recruiter what the recruiter thinks is in demand during this COVID-19 crisis. Use the recruiter’s observation as another data point in listening to the voice of the marketplace.
Keeping Your Mind Focused
We have discussed resume design, articulating your objectives for the search, and articulating a campaign theme that appeals to the needs of decision-makers.
During this COVID-19 crisis, it is natural to be experiencing high levels of fear around cash flow and career. These fears are real, but fear must not contaminate your employment campaign. Use your outplacement consultant or psychotherapist or a trusted friend to help you remain focused.
At a time like this, spouses may not be the best advisers if your cash flow impacts them.
