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"Here, at whatever hour you come, you will find Light, help and human kindness." ___ Albert Schweitzer |
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EXECUTIVE CAREER MARKETING: YOUR NEXT STEP?
David Richter
You have been searching for your next job or new career. You rewrote your resume, created a cover letter, posted both to job sites, attended a couple of career fairs, contacted some recruiters, and sent your information in response to some ads you saw in the classifieds. You’ve contacted some people you know to start networking. You also went on two first interviews, neither of which developed into anything further. You have been searching for roughly two months, and as you take stock of your situation, you are realizing that you are no further ahead than when you began your search. You have come to a defining point in your search process. You are beginning to lose confidence in yourself. You are starting to doubt that your efforts will lead you anywhere. You are at that point where you truly are not sure what else you can do that can produce success. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are in good company; very few people find jobs quickly. The national average for finding your next position is about six months, according to US Department of Labor statistics. It could take as little as four to six weeks, or as long as ten to twelve months, or longer. Several factors determine your time to placement:
As an example, a thirty-five year-old employed Bookkeeper with an Associates degree earning $34,000 is seeking a lateral move. This Bookkeeper has a decent resume, interviews fairly well and has done some networking. Approximate time to placement: four to six weeks. A fifty-six year-old downsized Controller who was earning $85,000 is seeking a CFO slot and looking for $125,000. This person has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, but is not a CPA and does not have an MBA. This person has a resume that needs some help, does not communicate as effectively as others in the same category, and has done some networking. Approximate time to placement: ten to twelve months. You may want to use these two examples to interpolate your average time to placement. If your search is taking longer, you’ll want to reassess your approach and make some needed changes. What are some steps you can take? What about doing more of the same – will that work? Doubtful. Many job seekers conduct their search efforts by using the same tactics over and over, not achieving the success they desire. One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same things repeatedly, expecting different results. If you want different results, you must do different things. It’s that simple. So what else can you do to achieve better results? A Career Marketing specialist would tell you to seek professional help. They would tell you that they can help you reduce the length of time to placement by using their professional services. They would help you write a professional resume and cover letter, show you the different job sites and how to post your resume there, and give you a listing of recruiters. They would then teach you how to network, and coach you on the different ways to have successful interviews. They would also show you how to do your own research on companies and industries. They would teach you the fine art of salary negotiations and guide you toward accepting the best negotiated offer. Sound good? So is this the type of professional help you need? The answer lies in the following: Do these services achieve stated results (reduce your time to placement, help you find your job or career of choice, help you receive a better compensation package), and at what price? Most Executive Career Marketing and Management specialists cater to executives with an earnings capacity of $75,000 and higher, and their promotional efforts imply that they do most of the work for you. All you basically need to do is show up for the interviews and accept one of the many resulting offers that will come flying in. This is not what takes place. When you sign up as a client and begin the process, you quickly realize that you are doing most of the work. That would be okay since that was what you were doing in the first place, only now you are paying for it. Many of these firms are under investigation for misleading their clients. That is not to say that all Career Marketing firms mislead or limit the extent of their support. Some are doing good work for their clients. The point here is buyer beware. Can you achieve reduced time to placement in your chosen field and receive a better compensation package? The Career Marketing firms that are truly there to support and guide you can help you achieve some of these goals. But results are inconsistent. As with anything else, so much depends upon you, your goals, your attitude, and other factors. Only you can determine if this approach is right for you. So what is the price tag? Executive Career Marketing and Management firms provide their professional support at fees ranging from $4,000 to $15,000. The kicker is that these firms demand payment upfront. This is the reason they choose clients with an earnings capacity of $75,000 and higher. For most people, the fee is unaffordable. There is another strategy you can take. One that will amount to a fraction of the cost of the services offered through Career Marketing specialists. The strategy is simple and straightforward. It is participating in this site. Read the free articles, and the responses to frequently asked questions. Use our free tools and resources. Become a subscriber to our free “Job Search Resource” newsletter. For essential and substantial support, purchase my book, Winning The Resume Game – Insider Secrets To Creating Powerful Resumes. In this book, you will discover how to write a resume that will get you interviews. Through the bonuses offered, you will also learn how to write captivating cover letters; you will discover which career sites are the best to use for maximum results using minimal effort; you will be taught how to successfully use recruiters as a strategy putting you steps ahead of your competition; and after applying my unique principles to your resume, you may submit your revised resume for a free review and constructive suggestions. Take the steps now to jump-start your job search process. If you want to win, do those things that will move you toward victory. These are the ways for you to get on top of your game and achieve success. I encourage you to explore what this site has to offer; you will profit from your efforts. About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Copyright © 2003-2007 TopDog Group All rights reserved. |
CAREER COACHING