|
Sector Slump Means Looking for Greener Pastures
We all know the job market has been tough in the past few years, but
some segments are suffering more than others. In a recent
blog post by Lindsay
Olson of Paradigm Staffing
she notes that the hardest hit sectors according to a new report from
Bullhorn are wholesale (down
40%), IT (down 31%), and entertainment (down 28%). There are a number
of factors at work here, including the European debt crisis, a lack
of confidence in Wall Street, slow recovery, and more. However, as Lindsay
notes:
The major issue in unemployment is the long-term unemployment which
accounts for 43
percent of the unemployed. These are people who have been out of
work for at least six months and are still job seeking. Long-term unemployment
means they are losing skills to keep them current with the market demands
– creating a gap between the candidates’ qualifications and those the
employer seeks.
Employers are seeing a flood of resumes for any given posting, many
of whom are not qualified for the job they’re applying for. This is
taking more time and energy than hiring has in the past.
It’s a lose/lose situation for both job hunters and employers, and
it doesn’t seem to be getting any better any time soon.
What’s an executive job seeker to do? Get creative! If your niche market
is in a slump, look elsewhere. Determine where your skills will have
the most value and peddle them into new arenas that are hiring.
Or better yet, rather than looking for a job, try looking for work.
As Randy Block noted this week
in our Ask
the Coach call, senior executives can overcome age discrimination
by looking for assignments rather than employment. Find a company that
needs your services and offer your expertise as a consultant. That way
you find work, the company gets the resources they need without risk,
and you can open up new doors. If your current market area is flat,
this strategy is a great way to build credentials in a new market that
is growing.
Whatever you do, keep trying! NETSHARE has resources to help you stay
focused and open new doors. And your network can help you rethink your
strategy and identify new markets where you can promote your personal
brand. If you aren’t getting traction in the areas you have been looking,
start looking elsewhere and expand your vision. Your skills are transferrable
if you know how to package them and market them.
Wishing you continued success in your career,
Kathy
Katherine E. Simmons
President &
CEO
P.S. If you are an active, paying NETSHARE member who
has not joined a strategy call with me before, just drop an email to
netshare@netshare.com and we will
be happy to add you to the invitation list.
Member Stories
James reminds us "don't hesitate to leverage people you know and
capitalize on relationships that have been developed".
Hi Kathy....thank you for the note. I received a note from Annette
DiSano...and feel free to pass on to her as well.
I first want to thank Netshare....your website has been a great resource.
I had been with my employer for 7 years. A few months ago (primarily
due to specific market changes and conditions) I thought it would
be a good idea to take a more 'pro-active' approach in evaluating
opportunities outside of my company. Through internet research I came
across the netshare site. I was impressed with the site and decided
to join.
Per your request, below are responses to your questions.
- What sort of position did you land and how did you originally hear
about it? Vice President National Accounts. I came across this position
from a job posting in Netshare. I initially put in my 'job search'
criteria and happened to notice the position in one of the periodic
emails that I received.
- How long did your search take? I would say my search started the
day I joined Netshare. I can't recall the exact date I joined Netshare
but I believe I have been a member for 5-6 months.
- How long between first contact with the recruiter or company and
the time you got the offer? I believe it was approximately two months
from the initial contact with the recruiter and then the final offer
from the employer.
- What other services or vehicles did you use in your search? Networking
with friends, colleagues and professional contacts. Also Monster.com
and Netshare.com. Candidly I was not necessarily that aggressive at
looking for a new job...sort of beginning to explore.
- Did you need to relocate? No, no relocation required.
- What is the best advice you would give to execs still looking? The
best advise I could give is to network with friends, colleagues and
professional contacts. Don't hesitate to leverage people you know
and capitalize on relationships that have been developed.
- Was there anything that surprised you about your search? I was very
fortunate that this opportunity was available and I feel it is a good
match of my skill set/experience...and the needs of the employer.
I was a little surprised by the short length of time it took between
my initial submission and the actual job offer. I think this is function
of sort of 'right place...right time'.....but I also feel Netshare
was a big impact. In a nutshell, Netshare is a great resource to match
up employment 'supply and demand' needs.
Thank you....please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any
questions or if I can be of any assistance.
James B.
LinkedIn For Executives
By Jason Alba
Jason is the Founder/CEO of JibberJobber.com. He is also the author
of I’m On LinkedIn-Now What??? Jason will be the featured
presenter on this month’s Experts Connection. His topic”
LinkedIn for Executives: Beyond the Basics, 2012 Edition will be presented
on Tuesday, November 15, 2011.
experts-connection.com
LinkedIn has had some exciting announcements lately. They surpassed
the 100 million signup mark…and they went public. They have opened
international offices, expanded dramatically overseas, and made some
significant changes to their system. They have successfully held their
ground against Google+.
You know job seekers, recruiters and headhunters use LinkedIn as
a job search tool. Do you know how businesses and executives use LinkedIn?
How can you use LinkedIn to find relevant contacts, create more business,
find the right partners, communicate with your target audience, and
reinforce your personal executive and company brand?
LinkedIn is an excellent environment to do each of these things.
With over 120 million signups, and one million Groups, it’s unlikely
that you won’t find someone who is relevant to your business or career.
There are decision-makers that need to learn more about your business
and you have the tools to brand yourself and your company in front
of your ideal contact.
How do you do that? Here are five things to focus on:
Solidify your LinkedIn Profile. It always starts
here, since this is where people will end up when they want to learn
more about you. No matter how they find out about you, whether it’s
an email they get, or they find your comment on a LinkedIn Group,
or even outside of LinkedIn, they will go to LinkedIn to see who you
are and what your professional past includes. Make sure your Profile
is strong, and has the right messaging and branding. There are tools,
such as the SlideShare application, and tactics, such as formulas
to make a stronger impression in your LinkedIn Summary, to help make
your Profile exceptional.
Get your messages in the email inbox of your contacts.
One of the most powerful features in LinkedIn is LinkedIn Answers.
Why? Because after you post your question, you have the ability to
send your question to the email inbox of your contacts. This is profoundly
powerful! Think about it - whether or not your contacts have logged
into LinkedIn in the last year, it doesn’t matter, because they have
checked their email in the last 24 hours! Get your question, which
has your branding and perhaps an update on current projects, in their
email inbox so you can keep in front of them. This will help you nurture
relationships, solidify your brand, and could evolve into new business
or opportunities.
Use Group Discussions to reach targeted audiences.
Group Discussions have a lot in common with LinkedIn Answers. One
major difference is that your discussion, or comment on a discussion,
goes to a usually-targeted, self-identified opt-in audience, instead
of people who’s only commonality is being your first degree contact.
I suggest you search for up to 48 Groups, with specific membership
interests, to join, and participate in the discussions. This is a
powerful branding and networking tactic that will help you get significantly
more value out of LinkedIn than your competition is getting.
Find the right contacts. Combining the power of
the Advanced People Search with searching through Group members, you
have enough work to keep you busy for years. As I work to network
into my target companies I lean on LinkedIn regularly to find the
right contact, learn about them and their team, find outside resources
(their Twitter activity, blogs, About Us pages, etc.), and otherwise
prepare to make that initial contact. I get the idea that the concept
of “search” has become so familiar that we overlook one of the most
potent features in LinkedIn. Afterall, it really is just a big database,
isn’t it?
Communicate with your network. Too often we connect
with someone on LinkedIn, and then never reach out to them or hear
from them. Establishing a connection seems to be an ending point in
the relationship when it should really be a beginning. There are various
tools you can use to communicate with your immediate network (first
degree contacts) and your extended network (2nd and 3rd degree contacts).
Make sure you use them, and continually nurture relationships.
LinkedIn is a great tool if you actually use it. If your strategy
is “I’ll build my Profile and hope others come,” you are using LinkedIn
as well as you’ve used that power tool that’s in your garage… still
in the box.
Ask The Coach: Getting
a Stake In The Private Equity Game
by Nicola James
Every week, NETSHARE
hosts Ask the
Coach, a phone-in coaching session for active NETSHARE members with
leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from a recent
session with Nicola James,
Managing Partner of Thomas Brooke
International.
Private Equity firms have always had an allure for many executives.
The challenge is how to get on their radar? This week’s career coach,
Nicola James, has a lot of experience working with private equity firms
and was able to provide some meaningful responses to NETSHARE member
questions.
The first caller noted that he had worked with private equity firms
in the past at a senior level. How should he re-engage with the private
equity market? Nicola replied that his previous experience would give
him some standing with those who have hiring authority.
Nicola reminded the callers that there are two different levels of
hiring within a private equity firm. If they are hiring at the C-level,
then that is usually done by the portfolio company, by the partners.
In this case they usually look to their own personal networks for hiring
candidates. This gives you an advantage since you can identify those
partners and build your connections through your own networks. Determine
their outside interests. Find different ways to approach them and get
to know them. That way, when they start looking to fill a new position,
you will be there. The challenge with working with partners, however,
is they often tend to be disorganized and don’t have a formal process
for managing their contacts, so you have to maintain regular contact
to put yourself in the right place at the right time for the right opportunity.
Below the C-level, recruiting is usually handled by the Vice President
of Recruiting. These guys are professionals, with better contacts and
better contact management systems than you typically find at the partner
level. The way the vice president will keep track of their candidates
is better organized so being “top of mind” is less important, but they
also don’t maintain that same personal connection. They tend to work
from resumes and information in their database and they may or may not
understand the real parameters of the job.
In either case, you need to have the right market connections of the
“investment backed” background to make sure you can get traction in
the job search. You also will have to be more flexible about compensation.
Private equity opportunities usually don’t have the same salaries and
you need to be prepared to take less compensation on the front end and
look for an equity payout later.
If you have background in a specific market, then it’s best to search
our private equity firms that work in those areas conducting searches
for professionals with your background. You will need to determine where
the gaps are in their knowledge base and demonstrate how you can fill
the void. Show your value. If you can’t demonstrate your market value,
then demonstrate what specialization you have that matches the company’s
need- working with start-ups, working with underperforming companies,
etc.
You need to help the private equity company connect the dots to show
them why you are a great candidate. If you don’t connect the dots for
them, they won’t do it themselves or they will do it wrong.
About Nicola James:
Nicola James, Managing Director of Thomas
Brooke International, has over fifteen years experience in senior
level executive search working with public and private companies from
$10M to $10B
Insecure Bosses Poison
Careers and Organizations
By Ramon Greenwood
Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who is
insecure. Unfortunately, it is a near certainty that most people will
encounter one or more such persons along the career path.
Employers are also adversely impacted by the actions of an insecure
boss because he or she will eventually create an insecure organization,
one riddled with anxiety and indecision. People will spend more time
looking over their shoulders than looking ahead. Good defenses become
more important than effective offenses.
Seven Traits Of An Insecure Boss
You will know your boss is suffering from an insecurity complex when
he or she is engaging in behavior highlighted by these seven such
traits:
1. The boss insists on absolute control over everything in the department.
He won't delegate any meaningful authority. He employs an iron hand.
He doesn't trust anyone. He has few allies. Those allies he does enlist
are formed into a tight little clique strongly obligated to his authority
and dependent on it. They live an uncertain life on a short leash.
2. The boss constantly interferes in the work of his staff. Second
guesses are the order of the day.
3. He constantly defends his position. Every question or hint of
criticism is treated as a challenge to his worth and authority. He
doubts he has the respect of his associates. Those who exhibit a mind
of their own are under constant attack.
4. The insecure boss is most often an absolute perfectionist. He
will climb the wall when you make a mistake. But look out. When he
fouls up, he will blame it on someone else. He has to be right every
time.
5. He will resist making decisions. This means endless studies and
return trips to the drawing boards.
6. He will frequently remind you who is boss.
7. He finds it next to impossible to laugh at himself, but he is
quick to laugh at others.
Seven Actions You Can Take To Deal With An Insecure Boss
There are no certain quick fixes, but there are seven steps that
will help mitigate the situation and advance your own interests. Believe
it or not, insecure bosses can provide opportunities.
1. Be certain you are not contributing to your superior's low self-esteem.
Do everything you can to reassure him of your respect for his position
and your commitment to helping him do his job.
2. Shore him up at every opportunity. Exert an extra effort to help
him where is feels most insecure.
3.When you have to challenge him, and surely you will from time to
time, be certain to do it in a positive way. Don’t question his authority.
Never challenge or criticize the boss in the presence of others.
4. Never go around your insecure boss to deal directly with his boss
without explicit approval. Make sure he realizes that you clearly
understand the hierarchical relationships. You don't want to become
an endangered species because you are seen as questioning his judgement
and appealing to higher authorities.
5. Never fail to let him share the rewards of your good work. Stay
one step behind him when the limelight shines.
6. Try to identify his good points; acknowledge them in public and
in private. Remember, your boss may be a pain in the neck to work
with, but surely he must have some redeeming features worthy of compliments.
7.Think of your own insecurities and what helps you deal with them.
Apply what you learn from this analysis to dealing with your insecure
boss.
To get more common sense advice to protect and advance your career
during tough times, sign up at www.CommonSenseAtWork.com for a free
subscription to Ramon Greenwood's widely read e-newsletter and participate
in his blog. He coaches from a successful career as Senior VP at American
Express, author of career-related books, and a senior executive/consultant
in Fortune 500 companies.
Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net
Welcome New Members
We would like to introduce some of NETSHARE's
newest members. In the interest of promoting networking, we have included
their email address (with their permission). Feel free to contact them
directly.
Roy Brown; Cincinnati, OH – Roy is a senior management
executive with extensive experience in the media industry. Most recently
he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Brown Publishing
Company. In addition to his role with Brown Publishing, Roy was Managing
Director and part owner of CRJ Investments, LLC, leasing several properties
in Ohio. A member of the Ohio Bar, he has acted as a litigator in various
commercial, HR and other matters as an Attorney for Vory, Sater, Seymour
and Pease. Roy holds a JD from Ohio State University, an M.A. in International
Relations and a B.A. in English and Economics from University of Virginia.
rbrown@brownpublishing.com
Joseph Czarnecki; Highland, MI – Joe is a senior manufacturing
executive with global experience in the automotive, Defense, electronics,
fluid technology and semi-Conductor industries. His most recent position
was Vice President Manufacturing for Tenneco Automotive, having held
multiple roles of increasing scope and responsibility for the company
over an eleven year period. Prior to joining Tenneco, Joe was Vice President
Operations for Tecumseh Metal Products. Earlier in his career he held
operations and engineering roles with ITT Corporation, Ford Motor Corporation,
Mazda Corporation and General Motors Corporation. He received his Bachelor
of Business Administration from Northwood University. joeczarnecki@msn.com
Mark E. Dorn; Topsfield, MA – Mark is a senior management
executive with experience in multiple industries including technology,
data services, e-learning, energy and real estate. For the past 10 years
he held President, CEO and Interim CEO roles with emerging and high
growth business ventures as well as C-level consulting assignments.
Prior roles include Senior Vice President for Policy Management Systems
Corporation; President/COO for Dorn Technology Group; Vice President,
Tellinghast/Towers Perrin; Founder & Operating Principal, Softec,
Inc. and Division Vice President of Comtec, Inc. Mark earned his BSBA
from Michigan State University. markdorn@markdorn.com
W. Pat Fewell; Surrey, England – Pat is a senior operations
executive with experience in manufactured products including hydraulic
and electromechanical components, internal combustion engines, automotive
parts and accessories, Naval weapons systems and large capacity forklifts.
He serves as the Managing Director of Moss Europe, Ltd. Prior to his
current role, Pat was Global Sourcing Manager for Moss Motors, Ltd.,
having held manufacturing roles with the company. Earlier in his career,
he was Production Control Manager for Wiggins Lift Company. He is currently
pursuing his BSBA with a focus on Organizational Development. 4patfewell@gmail.com
Harold C. Fletcher; San Jose, CA – Harold is a senior
management executive with global entrepreneurial and enterprise experience
across multiple industry segments. Most recently he served as an interim
COO establishing company’s reporting and financial processes, securing
supply-chain channels, resolving logistics issues, developing media
strategies and setting pricing policies. Prior roles include President/CEO
for Prism Worldwide, Inc.; President/CEO of Formula Ventures and President
of Fletcher Associates, a start-up manufacturing representative business
specializing in sporting goods and toys. Harold began his career in
sales. hcf@alnomaza.com
William Fox; Chesapeake, VA – Bill is an operations
executive with extensive experience in finance, program management,
enterprise logistics and human resources. He is currently the Executive
Officer for Coast Guard Community Services Command, leading six functional
directors and 800 employees in nationwide delivery of the CG Exchange
System retail network. Prior commands include: Executive Officer for
Coast Guard Integrated Support Command San Pedro; Director of Administration
for Joint Interagency Task Force West; and Operations Officer for Coast
Guard Vessel Traffic Service, San Francisco. Bill earned his MBA (Finance
concentration) from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School
of Business and his Bachelors in Business Administration from Wichita
State University, Barton School of Business. foxmail64@gmail.com
Ron Gardner; Roanoke, TX – Ron is a senior management
executive with extensive experience in mid-stream energy. He is currently
the CEO of Ron Gardner, Inc., a manufacturer of high-end furniture.
Prior roles include: Executive Vice President, Business Development,
Southern Natural Gas; President and Chief Operating Officer, Colorado
Interstate Gas. Ron earned his B.A. in Economics from West Texas A&M
University. rongardnerntx@aol.com
Debra C. Hoyt; Smyrna, GA – Debra is a senior human
resources executive with experience across multiple industries. Most
recently she served as Chief People Officer for Chamberlin Edmonds,
a healthcare services provider. Prior roles include: Chief People Officer
for American Healthcare Services; Vice President, Human Capital and
Organizational Effectiveness, Cox Business Services for Cox Communications;
in addition to business and HR roles at First Union National Bank, Phillip
Crosby Associates and R.J.R. Nabisco. Debra is an honors graduate from
Georgia State University with a degree in Business Administration, concentration
in Finance. debrahoyt@bellsouth.net
Carol L. Lopez; San Francisco, CA – Carol is a finance
and operations management executive with experience across multiple
industries. She is currently the Vice President of Operations and Administration
for Entelos, Inc., having joined the company as Controller and Vice
President of Finance. Prior roles include: Vice President of Finance
for Citadon, Inc.; Director Corporate Accounting for McKesson Corporation;
Controller, Viafone, Inc. and Controller, Boats.com. Other companies
include Advent Software, Inc. and Applied Materials, Inc. Carol started
her career with KPMG Peat Marwick. She holds a BSBA with an emphasis
in accounting from California Polytechnic University. c_lopez100@hotmail.com
Sean G. McPartland; Oradell, NJ – Sean is a sales training
and management development executive with experience across multiple
industries. He is currently the Head of Corporate Sales Training and
Management Development for MZT International, an HR consulting firm.
Prior roles include: Head of Corporate Sales Training and MD for DealerTrack,
a automotive software company; Head of Corporate and Sales Training,
CIBC World Markets; Vice President, National Sales Training and Development,
Citicorp Investment Services and Divisional Vice President, National
Sales and Product Training for PaineWebber. Sean earned an MBA from
St. Peter’s College with a 4.0 GPA, following a B.S. in Marketing from
Mercy College. sgmmcp@gmail.com
E. Ulysses Miller; Stone Mountain, GA – Eric is a finance
executive with experience in both non-profit and for profit environments.
He is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the Robert W. Woodruff
Library of the Atlanta University Center, Inc., directing all facets
of finance, facilities management and security services organizations,
managing a staff of 25 and a budget over $11M. Prior to assuming his
current role, Eric served as Controller for ResCare of Georgia, Inc.
and Assistant Controller for Peoples Pest Control, Inc. Earlier in his
career he served in the U.S. Navy for four years, where he administered
a $43M charity fund, generating cash-flow statements, preparing operation
budgets and overseeing fund disbursement. Eric received his MBA in Finance
from Georgia State University following a B.S. in Finance from North
Carolina A&T State University. emiller@auctr.edu
C. Scott Minor; Plymouth Meeting, PA – Scott is a senior
sales and operations executive with high-tech industry expertise and
international experience. He is the Vice President of Solutions &
Service of InfoLogix, a global service provider of mobility solutions
to healthcare and commercial clients. Prior roles include Executive
Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Prime; CEO/President of
SpeechAdvantage (spin off of GMAC); VP of Business Development, Alliances,
Technology & Channels for Astea International and Director of Sales
& Marketing for Ernst & Young LLP. Scott received his Bachelor’s
of Science in Marketing & Finance from Drexel University. csminor@earthlink.net
R. Wayne Scott; Warwick, Bermuda – Wayne is a senior
executive with multifunctional experience in financial services, healthcare
and telecommunications in companies ranging from start-up to well established
organizations. As the Managing Director of TellerSafe Ltd., he provides
financial, business and IT consulting for various clients. In addition
to his consulting role, Wayne serves as an Adjunct Professor in Finance
for Enicott College. Prior roles include: Chief Executive Officer, CCS
Group Limited and Chief Technology Officer, Logic Communications. Wayne
holds an MA in Finance/Management from Webster University and a Bachelor
of Science degree from Atlantic Union College in addition to continuing
executive education studies at Wharton School of Business, University
of Pennsylvania.
wscott@gmail.com
|