“There are always opportunities for people who have creative ideas about cutting cost or increasing revenue”
At least that’s what the head of global CEO search at Russell Reynolds told the WSJ in a recent interview. Great advice to keep in mind when you’re putting together a resume.  Information on revenue should rank high on the list of bullet point accomplishments.  In an  interview highlight revenue results for  your current and past employers as well as any ideas you have for your potential new employer.

Dear Bev: Should I wear a tie and suit or blue jeans with my shirt out? What’s up with business dress codes for guys?

By Beverly Weinstein

If you attended the recent MediaPost Outfront Conference hoping for an answer to this question, you probably left more confused.

Joe Abruzzese, president of media sales and marketing at Discovery Networks, always considered one of advertising best-dressed execs, didn’t disappoint. He was garbed in an elegant dark suit, perfect tie and coordinating pocket square. Sitting next to him was Jon Nesvig, president of Fox Broadcasting Company, looking dapper in an open collared shirt, slacks and a sport coat. And so it went .

One agency exec made his fashion statement in a pair of blue jeans. The closing speaker was Al Gore, dressed in a traditional suit and tie, but his company’s CEO, Mark Rosenthal, opted for the open-collared look.

So what’s appropriate and what’s not?

It would be a mistake to think that anything goes, especially if you’re talking about your first meeting with a potential employer. Even though they may show up in jeans, it’s a bad idea for you to do the same and risk making the wrong first impression. At the same time, a traditional suit and tie may send the wrong signal.

A senior level digital executive, who had early professional roots in the magazine business, met with an old friend from the print side eager for advice on how to break into digital. The print guy showed up in a conservative suit and tie. The exec’s comment: “This guy just doesn’t get it. He looks like he’s living in some other era.”

Don’t make a mistake and assume all digital dress code is more casual. One of my clients at a digital start-up described his ideal job candidate as someone who wore a suit and tie to see clients. “I think it lets our customers know we’re serious, we’re professional and we’re grown-ups,” he said.

A former TV exec working in a downtown digital portal announced in no uncertain terms, “If someone shows up in jeans to an interview, they’re automatically out.”

So how do you decide? The key to knowing how to dress is knowing your audience. Do some research on the company and the company’s culture. Google the executive you’re meeting with and look at press photos, try the company Web site, and check out their LinkedIn and Facebook photos. Are they wearing ties in these shots? If so, wear one when you meet them.

What do you do if you find them in a variety of looks? My advice is to stay on the safe side. At the very least, carry the tie in your jacket pocket.

Read the column on MediaPost.

Dear Bev: Are There Job Search “Best Practices?”

By Beverly Weinstein

Absolutely! I talked to a senior level ad agency executive recently who conducted a five-month job search with great success. In my opinion, his search was pitch perfect and worth noting.

What to Look For in a Contact List…(Hint: It’s Not Just Contacts)

Step one in this successful CEO’s search was developing a list of contacts under the broad heading of “anyone that could be helpful” in finding him a job. He also understood that not every contact would be a direct route to his end goal. His conversations always had a purpose, and he stressed the importance of being specific about what he was looking for. It might have been as simple as someone’s opinion on marketplace trends or as specific as help getting in front of someone that was looking for a candidate with his skills. He met with more than 100 people.

Searching as a Full-Time Job

“It’s important to keep your search going each week like it’s your job,” he advised. “It’s hard to dip in and out of search. I did take the opportunity to visit family and take a vacation, but you have to stay at it. You can’t treat it like a part-time event. That’s a dangerous mind-set because you can wake up one day, and it’s been a year that you’ve been out of work.”

Find a Good Coach

Outplacement, which included a personal coach, was part of this executive’s exit package from his previous post. He credits his coach with being instrumental in the success of his search, not only in helping him prepare for interviews, but also in helping him refine his job criteria and make a choice that would best serve his career development.

“I worked with my coach to prepare for interviews, gave him the feedback I received from interviewers, and then he helped assess and refine the way I presented myself,” he said. “On another level, the coach was someone I could turn to if I was feeling down or needed some help to lift my spirits.” He was lucky that his former employer footed the bill for a coach, but didn’t hesitate to say that it was so valuable that it was something he would have paid for himself.

Interview Tips

“When I started interviewing I was way too casual. I relied too much on my past history,” he admitted. “I later realized the importance of going into an interview and being able to provide two or three points where you can add immediate value to an organization.”

In addition to researching the company he was interviewing with online, he tried to have a preparatory conversation with someone from the company so he didn’t walk into the interview cold. “I found most people are willing to take your call and answer a few questions.”

Say More Than Just “Thank You”

After many interviews, this successful job seeker’s feeling was that a “thank you” note without meaningful content was a waste. “Take time to compose something that reflects back on the interview conversation and includes some simple points about how you can add immediate value to the company. A few strong paragraphs will suffice,” he said. He also though follow-up notes should be sent within 48 hours of the interview.

Visibility

He made a point of remaining active in the business community during his period of unemployment. “Stay visible within your industry,” he advised. “Go to conferences, even if you pay out of your own pocket.”  He found value in making a point of scheduling meals and meetings in places where he was most likely to run into people in the business. “If people don’t see you or hear from you, you’re not going to be top of mind,” he warned.

Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate

This executive’s aggressive job search got him back in the saddle in five months, but he puts emphasis on finding the right job for you and not just a quick fix to unemployment, even if it takes more time. “I was more focused on the job I wanted, rather than a salary benchmark,” he said. “If you’re really looking at the right job, then the salary should be in the right range that’s appropriate with your contribution level and the kind of company you want to join.”

And just because you’re unemployed, he said, doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate. “Being unemployed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back to the company and says, I appreciate the offer, but points one and two still don’t fit for me, and these are the reasons why.”

Read the column on Media Post.

Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh, recently told the New York Times that when interviewing job candidates for his customer friendly digital shoe retailer he and his staff want candidates to have an element of weirdness in order to fit into the company culture.

“One of our values is, “Create fun and a little weirdness.” So one of our interview questions is, literally, on a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you? If you’re a 1, you’re probably a little bit too strait-laced for us. If you’re a 10, you might be too psychotic for us.

It’s not so much the number; it’s more seeing how candidates react to a question. Because our whole belief is that everyone is a little weird somehow, so it’s really more just a fun way of saying that we really recognize and celebrate each person’s individuality, and we want their true personalities to shine in the workplace environment, whether it’s with co-workers or when talking with customers,” Hsieh told NYT.

I think aside from showing your individuality, what Hsieh hopes to accomplish with these types of questions is getting candidates to loosen up. While most job seekers are worried about looking pristine and perfect for an interview, it seems some employers just want the real you, even if the real you is kinda weird. Of course, you should still look polished and come prepared, but remember to express your true self in an interview, not who you think the employer wants you to be.

Good advice from someone who seems to be a pretty cool boss.

Happy New Year to all! After a restful holiday hiatus, we return to our regular programming of career and media related advice, news, and commentary…

Unfortunately we’ve been hearing that this holiday season brought more than good tidings and mirth. For many it also brought the unwanted gift of unemployment. (WSJ) A great way to put a damper on the holidays, but don’t let it ruin the new year! While everyone has had big hopes for 2010 to be a better year for media and a better year for employment in general, the end of the fiscal calendar always leaves companies trimming and reorganizing for a new year. You’re not alone and don’t lose hope, because with the new year comes, of course, resolutions!

There are the typical resolutions we all make…read more, exercise regularly, take up a new hobby, maybe lose a few pounds. We’re all concerned with bettering ourselves for a brighter future. So why not look at your job search as an extension of yourself? After all finding that new job is all about a new future. If you resolve to go for a run every day to take better care of your body, why not resolve to take better care of those job search tools too and put your best foot forward both literally and figuratively?

Phyllis Korkki at The New York Times had this same spirit of renewal in mind when she wrote a guide to re-energizing your job search. Here are some highlights and tips:

Your Resume: Korkki says, “When was the last time you took a word-by-word, letter-by-letter look at your résumé? Make sure it’s completely up to date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking. (After all, your situation might have changed since you started looking.) Now is also the time to create alternate versions, to reflect different types of positions.”

You may also want to look into hiring a resume writer if the document needs a lot of attention and you haven’t created one in years.

Your References: “If you have not talked to your references lately, call or e-mail them. Make sure they are still in the same jobs, and tell them you’re still looking. This helps expand your network, because references may know of job openings. It’s also a good time to consider whether to add or remove some people as references,” she wrote.

Digital Presence: And we can’t stress this one enough! “Check and update your LinkedIn profile and make sure that it’s consistent with the information in your résumé and any other online presence you have… Hiring managers look at LinkedIn, and any discrepancies could be red flags..Review your contacts on LinkedIn and reach out to new ones. Check whether anyone new can write a recommendation for you on the site. And, while you’re at it, Google yourself and check Facebook or other social networks to make sure that nothing embarrassing shows up.”

These are just a few ways to get serious about your future. Stay tuned for more advice in the coming posts!

Read the rest of Korkki’s tips at the New York Times.

By Beverly Weinstein

The first interview is a little bit like a first date. You want to give just enough information to keep someone interested, but not so much that the next night you’ll be eating dinner alone.

Some candidates have launched into well-produced and neatly bound PowerPoint presentations that are all about who they are before the interviewer has a chance to offer them a glass of water, much less give them an overview of the job.

What’s the rush? You want to be able to tailor your comments and emphasize your experience in a manner that’s as relevant as possible. If you talk before you listen, that’s virtually impossible. What you do say can be much more damaging than what you don’t.

Too Much Too Soon

“It’s an ill-conceived idea to just start with a presentation on yourself before you know what’s expected,” said Gary Schuman of CDL Consulting, a management and leadership consulting firm.  “You have to understand what the buyer’s (aka the interviewer) needs are. Understand what the product is about before you present something.”

Show and Tell

This isn’t to suggest that you shouldn’t come armed with examples of your work, so you’re ready if it’s relevant to the discussion with the interviewer. Whether you’re working in a job like promotion or design, or you’re a finance person that has developed a new reporting tool, visuals can make an impact. However, be careful not to leave anything behind that would be considered proprietary.

Presenting With Technology

I’ve been interviewing candidates recently for a promotion job. Several have created Web sites with samples of their work. It’s easy to pull up a link on my computer. In addition, I’ve noticed that with the growing popularity of netbooks, candidates simply power up and share their work that way.

Read the Column on Media Post.

By Beverly Weinstein

If you’re a qualified candidate, but frustrated by a lack of interviews, the root of the problem may come down to word choice in your application or resume.  I asked the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association (CTHRA), which represents more than 1,600 HR professionals, for some insight and advice.

Bev: Why do so many companies require candidates to apply online instead of submitting resumes via e-mail, fax or snail mail?

CTHRA: Online recruiting has dramatically streamlined the hiring process. When you upload an application or resume, it’s automatically entered into a sophisticated, centralized database called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The ATS is the initial step in the consideration process. It narrows down the number of resumes by identifying those who meet the basic requirements for the position, based on skills, training, degrees, job titles and experience. Once the qualified candidates are identified by the ATS, a person or a team reviews the qualified applications the old-fashioned way. More and more companies are using an ATS because it improves efficiency, ensures compliance and provides a fair process for all candidates who indicate an interest in a specific position.

Bev: We’ve heard many applicants wish for the return of an initial review conducted by a human set of eyes. Why are they frustrated by the online process?

CTHRA: It all comes down to understanding how the technology works. Key words play a critical role in the ATS review process. If your resume does not include the key words that match the skills and expertise specified for the job, the ATS does not recognize you as a qualified candidate.  However, if your resume does include the key words being sought, the ATS will retrieve your resume as a match and will place your resume in front of a recruiter or hiring manager for consideration.

Bev: There are certain words that appear in resume writing books and on career Web sites and blogs as being key words to make certain accomplishments pop out. As HR professionals, you must read countless resumes. So is there truth to the power of these words?

CTHRA: Given the economy, employers typically receive an abundance of applications for each posted position. As a result, they simply don’t have the time to read every line of every resume to separate the qualified candidates from those lacking the basic job requirements. Instead, they scan the resumes in search of key words.

Bev: What are some of the top key words and why?

CTHRA: There is not a cookie-cutter answer to this question as the most appropriate key words vary by industry and by position.  However, a candidate can carefully review the job description to identify the key words the company has used to describe the job requirements. If the candidate truly embodies those characteristics, she should incorporate those same words or similar phrases into her resume.

Bev: Are there any keywords that are so overused and unoriginal you recommend avoiding them?

CTHRA:  It’s true that some words are simply too broad to be useful. Think of it in terms of a Google search. The phrase “IT jobs” yields 252 million results. If you instead search “social media architect” your results are more targeted. The same principle applies to resume keyword usage. The best advice is to combine the core word with applicable key words to be as specific as possible. For example, the phrase “online technical producer” is much more meaningful than simply “producer.”

Bev: Does it matter where the key words are placed in the resume?

CTHRA: When it comes to an ATS review, the answer is no. The software will scan the resume in its entirety. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the ATS is only the initial step in the process some of the time. The goal is to get your resume in front of a human set of eyeballs, either through a referral, networking or making the initial cut through the ATS. Once your resume is in the hands of a person, you have about 15 seconds to convince the reader of your qualifications. To accomplish this goal, structure your resume in a manner that makes it easy to read, feature the most important key words at the top of your resume, use bold type to make them pop off the page and quantify your achievements in terms of dollars saved, revenue generated, increases in productivity, etc.

Bev: HR recruiters are now looking at Linked In profiles. How important are key words in those profiles?

CTHRA: Some employers use social media sites to identify potential candidates, others use them to screen applicants and some do both. When culling potential candidates, the recruiter searches the site’s profiles by inputting key words into its search engine. Only profiles containing those words will be included in the results.

Bev: What weight do key words have in regard to leveraging a cover letter?

CTHRA: Given most companies’ use of online applications and an ATS system, cover letters are not as prevalent as they once were. However, if a candidate is in a position to correspond directly to the hiring manager or the company’s online application allows the uploading of a cover, it’s ideal to use key words on a cover letter to entice the reader to review your resume.  Candidates need to remember it is a letter, and should read like one. Avoid bulleted list of words and a blanket repetition of the phrases used in the resume. The best cover letters feature well-crafted sentences that strongly position the candidate.

Bev: What else is important?

CHTRA: Key words are not the end all. Your qualifications, the structure of a good resume, doing well on a phone screen, and ultimately doing your homework are what matter most.

About the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association (CTHRA)

CTHRA is the premier human capital resource for the industry and a growing nonprofit organization with 1,600 members spanning more than 100 companies.  CTHRA provides industry-specific benchmarks, information and resources, as well as networking and educational opportunities. Its groundbreaking initiatives include annual compensation and human capital metrics surveys and its symposium series.  For more information, visit www.cthra.com

Read the column on MediaPost.

By Beverly Weinstein

You’ve got your pitch down, your best interview clothes on, and you’re pretty sure you’re the perfect fit for the job. Only problem is, after 45 minutes you haven’t had a chance to tell the interviewer why because he/she is still talking.

More than a few candidates have left interviews frustrated. They heard plenty about the job and found out about the interviewer’s background, but there was scant time left to tell their own story.

What do you do in that situation?

“It’s a little like one of the martial arts,” explained Gary Schuman, a noted leadership coach, who has also done interview coaching for senior executives. “You go with the force, rather than against the force.” In other words, you work on ways of gently intervening in the conversation without being obnoxious.

Schuman, who has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, suggests looking for opportunities to break the monologue. For example, ask the interviewer a question about something they just said. “It gets you into the conversation and breaks the one-way flow,” he said. “If you get them off their story, there’s a better chance to move conversation your way.”

Keep looking for opportunities to capitalize on what they are talking about and bring it back to something that you’ve done. Asking questions is another way of showing you’re interested, and that you’re listening, Schuman added.

The biggest mistake is being too polite and letting the person talk uninterrupted. You have to find some way to present your skills. If not, you may not have a second chance.

One last word of advice: “If the person doesn’t let you talk, it may tell you something about how they operate and might just be a cautionary note.”

This is part of an ongoing series of how you can meet the interview challenge.

This tricky question was posed to AskTheHeadHunter.com‘s Nick Corcodilos who,  like me, answers job seekers’ questions from a recruiter’s point of view.

The woman who wrote in to Corcodilos said her husband had started a new job 2 weeks ago and wasn’t sure if it was ethical to speak with someone about another opportunity or if he should mention that he just started his job 2 weeks ago in the discussion with the hiring manager. It was a job he had applied to but hadn’t heard back from. And now here he is, fresh at his new position and he finally hears back from a job he wanted more. So what should he do?

Corcodilos advised not to divulge anything he didn’t have to in the interview, saying while some might think going on an interview only 2 weeks into a job is an unethical thing to do, simply exploring a better opportunity is not unethical.

I would agree and tend to advise candidates to always learn about new opportunities, at the very least, to stay abreast of what is going on in your industry, to keep in the know about new start ups and new positions, network and meet hiring managers at other companies, and start to think about what may lie on the horizon.

Corcodilos goes on to say that unless the company offers the man in question a job, he isn’t being asked to make any ethical decisions, he’s simply becoming educated.

If and when the new job is offered, however, is where the situation gets sticky. Explaining to a relatively new employer that you’re leaving after such a short tenure, might tarnish your reputation. But Corcodilos says, if you don’t intend on doing this again for awhile, the gains in taking the better opportunity might outweigh the damage to your reputation, that you will eventually recover from.

An interesting and astute point Corcodilos made was that while some might find jumping ship two weeks in to be a pretty unfair thing for an employee to do, it’s just as ethical a concern as downsizing is for an employer.

If the opportunity is a better one in more ways than one (meaning not just salary, but in experience and opportunity for growth), then I say it is certainly worth your time to explore. As Corcodilos said in his column, it’s business, not a tea party. So, while I certainly don’t endorse the idea of up and leaving a post so soon and as a recruiter, I work to find my clients reliable candidates who will stick it out for the long run, exploring and learning about new opportunities is definitely not a crime.

By Beverly Weinstein

Of course you should always be truthful. The issue isn’t honesty, it’s more about delivery. Words and positioning are everything. So my advice is to think about how you tell the truth. I never encourage a lie, but once something has been said, it’s become part of what is used to form an opinion of a candidate.

It’s fairly common for someone to blurt out their feelings about why they left a job or why a job didn’t work out. Mostly this is preceded or followed by a statement that goes something like this, “I would never say this on an interview, but I wanted to tell you the truth.”

Recently I asked a candidate why they left one job for another one. “I was really bored working on the same business,” was the answer I got.  Ouch! What if they had said, “I wasn’t feeling challenged,” or “I was looking for a new challenge.” I made the suggestion that they might consider positioning it that way in the future. But, as far as I was concerned, it was something that had already gone into forming my opinion of the person.

The candidates I talk to are almost always in the business of selling and marketing. They spend hours tweaking power points, refining speeches and searching for the right words or the best positioning. They rehearse their pitches before going to see the client, they give speeches while looking at themselves in the mirror. I wonder, why not use the same care when it comes to talking about themselves?

How about if you’ve been fired or “agreed to disagree?” Try to explain it in a single sentence. Use two sentences if you really feel the need. Any more and you start saying things you shouldn’t. Candidates have shared excruciating detail on failed strategies, poor management, and unreasonable goals. Not theirs, but those of the boss they bumped heads with who has fired them. The more information I have, the more questions it raises about the candidate.

What do you say when it comes to money? This is an area where I believe there’s a tendency to “fib,” especially for more junior candidates. Here’s a tale to keep in mind. A few years back, a candidate told me their base salary. It didn’t square with their level of experience or with the norm for their employer. They didn’t get the job either, because my client didn’t think they were worth the salary in comparison to other candidates. Not too long after that I had an occasion to talk to the candidate’s boss. I asked what the salary range was of people working for them. My “fibber” had added $20,000. Fast forward three years and they are in the job market again and knocking at my door. No need for me to confront them, but I’m always going to question their integrity going forward. It’s just much better to say something like, “I would need at least (fill in the blanks) to make a change.” Or if it’s too early to talk about salary,  “I really want to understand if it’s the right opportunity first.” In this case, better to plead the fifth, than to tell a lie.
Read the column on Media Post.