Executive Job Hunting Youll Need More Than a Resume

Executive Job Hunting Youll Need More Than a ResumeIf youre an executive planning your next career move, it might intrigue you to learn that youll be judged by more than just your resume during your job search.In other words, a full resume is not necessarily the best fit for each interviewer or contact.Surprised? Youll find that recruiters, company owners, Boards of Directors, and other hiring decision-makers often look at your experience through a series of interviews and investigations?which means that your executive resume is just one part of the process.leid only should you consider which audience is looking at your portfolio, but also the steps required (initial screening, in-depth interviews, panel reviews, Board interviews) in the hiring process, before assuming that your resume is the best fit for each situation.Here are 4 must-have documents for an executive portfolio designed to capture attention at all the right levels?along with recommendations for the timing of each component1 Executive Biography.A short, narrative-form document, the Biography often appeals to readers that are not engaged in the technical detail of a full resume.In addition to being shorter than a full resume, the bio can also be infused with more personality, and can therefore give the reader a different perspective on your leadership traits, beliefs, and principles.The best readers for an Executive Biography are usually networking contacts or Boards of Directors. This means that the bio will be most useful either early in your job search, or in the later stages of your executive interviews.As an example, youll probably encounter networking contacts who may be messengers, rather than hiring decision-makers. This group is easily overwhelmed by a full resume, and can be much more receptive to the single-page Executive Biography.Later, after youve passed initial stages of your executive interviews, your full resume will have been already examined by hiring authorities. This is the perfect time to bring your Executive Biography as a leave-behind document for an interview with the Board.2 LinkedIn Profile.While not technically a document created just for job hunting, your LinkedIn Profile is a critical?and often underutilized?piece of an executive portfolio.Most executives set up a Profile very quickly and then abandon it, becoming preoccupied with their work. In executive job hunting, however, this is a costly mistakeYour LinkedIn Profile may very well be the first piece of information encountered by a corporate recruiter or independent headhunter. Therefore, it must be polished, professional, and keyword-heavy (the latter of which aids others in finding you through LinkedIns internal search engine).While your full resume can be attached within LinkedIn, its best to have populated each of the sites main sections (Headline, Summary, Specialties, Experience, Education) with sufficient information to convey your executive brand and trigger a recruiters interest.3 titel Letter.Despite the myth that hiring authorities rarely read cover letters, some audiences (company owners, CEOs, and Presidents) might not even glance at your resume until theyve fully digested the contents of your letter.These groups are usually probing for specific leadership and communications abilities that they feel are more evident within the letter. Investors, in particular, like to read a very short, bottom-line value proposition letter, in lieu of a resume.In short, dont write off a cover letter as an important document in the hiring process, as you might find that it was this part of your portfolio that influenced an interviewing decision.4 Full Resume.Not a month goes by when a social media or recruiting expert poses the question, Is the resume dead?Not to worry the need for a resume wont go away soon. Youll absolutely be asked to send your resume to many contacts at different stages of your search.Of course , since your executive resume is technically the centerpiece of your presentation, it must therefore convince employers of your brand, value proposition, and leadership standing?no small featTo create such a powerful document, youll need to get up to speed on resume trends. Formats and presentation styles have changed considerably a full executive resume should encapsulate your strategic contributions, along with metrics, testimonials, success stories, and leadership competencies, all inside a masterpiece.Often, the best readers of a full resume will those that thrive on analytical detail (such as operations or technology executives that hire EVP and Director-level candidates).In summary, an executive portfolio is a must for serious job hunters ready to assume a leadership role. The days of distributing an executive resume without backup in the form of a Executive Biography, LinkedIn Profile, or Cover letter are goneYour job search will be smoother, faster, and more ef fective with a well-rounded, branded portfolio that appeals to the diverse audiences youll encounter.Guest deutsche post dhl by Laura Smith-Proulx is an award-winning Executive Resume Writer, former recruiter, and multicredentialed expert with a 98% success rate opening doors to prestigious jobs through personal branding. The Executive Director of An Expert Resume, she partners exclusively with CIO, CTO, COO, CEO, CFO, SVP, VP, and Director candidates.For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow GreatResume or visit our blog.

Put Soft Skills First and Other Career Advice We Dont (But Should) Hear Early In Our Careers

Put Soft Skills First and Other Career Advice We Dont (But Should) Hear Early In Our Careers As we hit different stages in our careers, the lessons we learn and the things we prioritize (or should prioritize) shift. The advice you can most benefit from hearing when youre starting out, then, compared to the advice you consider most valuable when your career path has had some time to develop, may differ.Whats important is that youre given the tools and resources needed to grow and feel supported, no matter what stage of career youre in. For Natalie Blake, director of global polymer platforms, and Erin Jungmann, an associate financial analyst, both women say this has been true of their experiences at Ecolab.When did you join Ecolab and why?Jungmann I started out at Ecolab in January 2018, just after graduating from college and interning the previous summer. I decided to join full-time because I knew that, being very early on in my career, I wanted to gain as much experience and learn fr om as many people as I possibly could. I knew from my internship experience that Ecolab provided the opportunity for both. I joined in the Finance Development Program, which is a three-year rotational program that provides its associates with three different roles, each for a one-year rotation period. Currently, I am in my second rotation and I can honestly say it was the best decision I have made so far in my career.Blake I originally joined the company in 1988 after getting my PhD in Chemical Engineering. I liked the idea of working on industrial water at Ecolab (Nalco at the time), improving customers operations and profitability while working on something important. I also liked the availability of other opportunities and took advantage of that, moving from roles in RDE to various positions in abverkauf, marketing, international assignments, Mergers Acquisitions, and more.What do you do in your current role? What impact are you getting to make?Blake I lead our Global Polymer Pl atforms team, which is looking at polymers and their use across the enterprise. Polymers are used for paper and mining processing, as well as treatment of fresh (incoming) water and wastewater across many of our geschftlicher umganges. My role encompasses day-to-day working with supply chain to ensure we have enough capacity to produce what is needed, to determining our long-term strategy and everything in between. This includes working with our global RDE and business teams on innovation the business teams on forecasting and market dynamics and with the regions.Our polymer business is sizeable globally for all our Water and Energy businesses. Through facilitating projects and teams, in 2018 I helped increase our global polymer manufacturing capacity significantly, resulting in increased global sales and 10% incremental new business. Our team has also provided the first full look across the business groups for polymer sales, which has allowed a better understanding of areas that nee d more support.Jungmann My current role is on the corporate planning analysis team, where I serve as a liaison between our region, division, and function finance teams and corporate executives for the upcoming 2020 plan cycle. The main scope of my work is consolidating, analyzing, and building the story around our financial metrics to help our C-Suite make key business decisions for 2020. My direct impact at Ecolab is centered around crafting and clarifying the financial story of our businesses. I am also lucky enough to be involved in the recruiting process for the Finance Development Program, helping out at career fairs and our informational sessions.Whats the best career advice youve ever been given?Jungmann Feedback is a gift listen intently, accept it with gratitude, and say thank you. Many times, people can act defensively when receiving feedback, particularly when it is unflattering. They may think people are malicious in their intent to give feedback, but it is actually th e opposite. The people that take the time to give you feedback are the people that see the potential you have and believe that you can do better. So, (1) always ask for feedback, (2) listen intently with an open mind to what they are saying, and (3) accept it with gratitude and say thank you, because feedback is a gift.Blake Thats a tough one, because I have gotten a lot of advice over my 31 years. One theme that has come through is that relationships and collaboration are key, and you need to make sure your soft skills are front and center. On top of that, you have to be authentic, understand and respect everyones position as you collaborate (even if you disagree with it), and make sure that your intent is very clear.What approach toward work do you expect to carry with you throughout your career, or that you wish you could share with yourself when you were starting out?Jungmann My personal goal or philosophy in every role that I take on is to find my breaking point of what I can a nd cannot handle. Whether that be taking on additional work, new work, or even things completely unrelated to my work, I always want to know what else there is to learn, to do, and to improve. If I can find and understand these things early on in every role, I can identify my boundaries and start pushing myself to strive to achieve my highest potential, personally and professionally.BlakeSoft skills are even more important than hard skills. You need to develop them (if you dont already have them) to ensure you can build the right relationships, network, and be a part of effective, collaborative teams, regardless of what role you play in the company. Hard skills are table stakes, just as achieving results is the bare minimum expected of us all. Soft skills are what allow you to influence people and decisions and make sure that the points youre trying to make are the points your audience gets and reacts to. No matter how technical or detailed you are in your position, realize that col laboration and connection is how the work gets done, especially as the workforce changes.The main takeaways?Everyone learns their own unique lessons through different career stages and experiences. Reflecting on what youve learned is important, and taking in key advice from others can also help you navigate the expected (and unexpected) twists and turns throughout your career. Whats the best career advice youve been given?--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Ecolab. Find a job there today