Colleen May 4, 2019

How to Handle a Counteroffer at the Executive Level

It’s natural to feel anxiety when moving onto a new executive position. During your job search, concerns like integrating into a new team and mastering new policies seemed like minor hurdles, but now that the offer is on the table, the concerns you brushed off along the way loom large.

Cue the counteroffer. The board wants you to stay. The executive team would be lost without you. And those salary, benefits, and career progression concerns you’ve brought up time and again suddenly have imminent solutions. There’s no denying that an executive counteroffer is an attractive prospect, one that appears to mitigate the risk of moving onto something new. But before shaking on that magic fix to your C-level career woes, consider these dangers of accepting a job counteroffer.

5 Risks in Accepting a Counteroffer

1. Burning Bridges

If you’re far enough in the recruitment process to turn in your resignation, you’ve already begun building a relationship with your new employers. Rescinding your acceptance of their offer is a surefire way to guarantee that they—and any firm they have a strong relationship with —won’t hire you in the future.

2. Undermining Your Career

Mistrust will sour any career, but it’s particularly deadly among the ranks of leadership. Once you announce your departure, you’ve clued your supervisors into the fact that you’ve submitted your resume, interviewed with other companies, and made a deal to move on. Even if you decide to stay, prepare for coworkers to second-guess your loyalties (and decisions about time-off requests, your ability to lead, and how long they should wait before searching for your replacement).

3. Career Stagnation

If your boss doesn’t start searching for your replacement as soon as you sign the dotted line (trust us, it happens), announcing your departure will still negatively impact your career track. Even if you stay, you’re likely to find yourself spinning your wheels, overlooked for promotions and prestigious projects.

4. History Repeating Itself

Most counteroffers appear to fix the problems that led an employee to accept another job, but remember that appearances are deceiving. What made you search for another job? Issues like work-life balance, unresponsive supervisors, or dissatisfaction with your day-to-day career may improve temporarily, but these types of problems won’t be fixed by promises and a pay raise.

5. Wasted Effort

You’ve spent months polishing your executive resume, putting out feelers for C-suite opportunities, and meeting with recruiters on the down low. A counteroffer may be flattering, but succumbing to that rush of recognition undersells your talents and, frankly, wastes your time. Take pride in the diligence, talent, and interpersonal skills that earned you an offer at a new firm.

Just because you’ve decided to move on doesn’t mean you should burn bridges before you go. Make a graceful exit, turn down any executive counteroffers tactfully, and move forward with confidence.

Want to be in the position to reject an executive counteroffer? Executive Resumes Atlanta has the insight and experience it takes to make your career documents stand out against among a group of highly qualified candidates. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Colleen January 31, 2019

3 Ways for Executives to Boost Credibility on LinkedIn

For the savvy executive, LinkedIn can be the foundation of a thriving personal brand. It helps professionals across industries and verticals to influence consumers, establish professional relationships, and gain name recognition in their fields. But with 8.2 million C-level executives on LinkedIn, simply showing up is not enough. Leverage these strategies to stand out from the competition and create a vibrant, authoritative executive profile on LinkedIn.

3 LinkedIn Best Practices for Executives

Develop a Consistent Brand

Studies show that profiles with photos get 21x more views and 36x more messages than unbranded profiles. To optimize your executive brand on LinkedIn, focus your efforts on creating a profile that’s authentic, engaging, and consistent across all platforms.

Profile Picture

Choose an image with clean lines, fresh colors, and a minimum of background noise.

Background Picture

Background images set the tone for your profile, allowing you to simply and effectively convey a message about your executive brand.

Headline

Don’t fall back on the default headline of your current job title. Instead, customize your profile to communicate not only where your career is, but also where it’s going.

Summary

Your LinkedIn summary is a condensed version of your executive resume. Utilize keywords to show up in searches for your ideal career.

Search Smarter, Build a Better Network

Instead of making more connections, focus your efforts on making the right connections. Use LinkedIn’s targeted search tool to find trends in your industry, top leaders in your field, and better job openings.

Search “Content”

Refine your LinkedIn search to find useful, timely content within your industry. By researching pertinent keywords, you can keep your finger on the pulse of your vertical, giving you an edge over the competition.

Search “Jobs”

Once you’ve siphoned the most relevant keywords from your content searches, it’s time to put them to good use. Instead of searching for job titles, do a “job” search using industry keywords and pertinent skills. You’ll limit your competition while elevating your job opportunities.

Search “People”

The “people” search tool on LinkedIn helps you network more effectively by finding hiring managers, learning more about the employees at specific companies, and leveraging your existing network to get warm introductions to influential leaders.

Become a Visible Expert in Your Industry

Every week, LinkedIn feeds get 9 billion content impressions. 45% of those views come from C-level decision-makers. And yet, only .2% of LinkedIn users have published an article on the platform. Creating original content is one of the most effective ways to build credibility, expand your network, and place yourself at the center of the conversation for relevant topics in your industry. To increase engagement on your LinkedIn content, write longer articles, publish lists and how-tos, and add multiple images to each post.

When it comes to building an executive presence on LinkedIn, you need a strong foundation. Does your profile need a professional touch? Executive Resumes Atlanta has years of experience tailoring LinkedIn profiles to help executives elevate their careers. Contact us today for a professional assessment of your LinkedIn profile.

Colleen January 17, 2019

Departing with Grace: How Executives Should Manage Their Exit Strategies

It finally happened. Your carefully crafted elevator pitch, career documents, and interviewing techniques paid off and you’ve accepted a leadership position at a new company.

Don’t drop your guard just yet. You may be ready for the next stage in your career, but when you’re an integral part of the executive team, all eyes will be on your exit. A careless exit strategy could torpedo your credibility, negatively impacting your new role and burning bridges you may need down the road.

So how can you make a more graceful exit from a C-level position?

Must-Dos for Executive Exit Strategies

A quick or careless exit can undermine years of exemplary leadership, giving you a reputation for slapdash work or self-centeredness. Keep your professional reputation intact with these tips for a better executive exit.

Retain Your Perspective

They say that hindsight is 20/20, but your current role isn’t in the rearview just yet. Keep a healthy perspective regarding both yourself and your coworkers. Hold yourself accountable for mistakes you’ve made, consider the merits of your time as a leader, and don’t forget the people that helped you along the way. A careful contemplation of your time in this role will help you move forward with confidence and provide helpful insights as the company moves forward without you.

Honor Your Commitments

No exit strategy is perfect, but don’t let excitement over your new role or frustration with your old one derail your last days as a leader. Your departure will affect many of the people you’re leaving behind; wrap up as many loose ends as possible to ensure a smooth transition.

Finish up as many projects as feasible
Reach out to the executive board about ideal traits for your successor
Provide resources for your replacement
Prepare your staff for the transition
Support the executive team in onboarding a new leader

Come alongside the remaining leadership team to ensure a smooth transition, communicating clearly about your timeline and current capacity. Otherwise, you’ll wind up scrambling to train your replacement a week before your departure.

Lead Until the Last

Your staff depends on you as a leader, advocate, and professional resource. Don’t throw them to the wolves just because you’re moving onto greener pastures. Thank your team for their hard work, commitment to the company, and support for your leadership. Help smooth the transition for those who will be directly affected by your departure. Recognize that, in some scenarios, the departure of an executive will mean internal restructuring. Reassure your staff that they can depend on you to advocate for them, whether they need support in your remaining time as their leader or as a connection down the road.

Haven’t landed your dream job yet? We can help. Our executive resume writers have decades of experience in transforming C-level work histories into dynamic resumes. Call today for a free consultation.

Colleen September 21, 2018

Yes, Execs Should Utilize Job Boards – Here’s Why

By the time most people reach the executive job search level, they’ve long since dismissed job boards as irrelevant. The higher you climb the corporate ladder, the less useful traditional job search means become. Professional networks, headhunters, and a thriving digital footprint have replaced cold calls and emails as the best tools for finding fresh career opportunities. In fact, only 10% of C-suite jobs are found through career boards.

So why are we talking about them?

3 Benefits of Job Boards in an Executive Job Search

Get insider info. Many companies don’t list executive positions on job boards — or if they do, it’s often a show of compliance while they perform internal interviews to fill the role. Don’t let that dishearten you. Even if a job listing doesn’t get your foot in the door, it’s a good opportunity to study the terminology, skill sets, and experiences other companies may be looking for. That knowledge gives you an edge — maybe enough of an edge to land you a similar executive role.
Know who you’re dealing with. Job boards might not lead you to your next big career move, but if you’re already on the right trajectory, they can provide invaluable insights. Job boards aren’t simply a collection of job listings; they aggregate reviews from past and current employees, salary projections, and a reasonable forecast for company growth. Before leveraging your network to get an in at a company you’d love to work for, do your research to make sure their culture, goals, and expectations align with yours.
Land a position tailored to you. It may not be feasible for a big-name corporation to find their next CEO on LinkedIn, but execs with highly-focused goals might have more luck. If you have a wealth of leadership experience in a niche role, search industry-specific job boards for opportunities you wouldn’t find on more general listings sites. Not only will you have less competition, but your qualifications will be in higher demand by companies looking to hire an industry pro. If you find a promising listing, don’t just drop an application into the inbox of whoever posted the ad. Take the extra time to research the hiring manager on LinkedIn and reach out with a warmer, more personal introduction. It might be the difference that clinches a first meeting.

In today’s digital job search climate, it’s more important than ever to make a great first impression. The wordsmiths at Executive Resumes Atlanta lend decades of expertise to C-level professionals, crafting career documents that make an extraordinary first impression. Call today for a free resume and career strategy consultation.

Colleen August 31, 2018

The Hidden Benefits of Hiring an Executive Resume Writer

An executive resume writer is a major asset to execs searching for a new career, providing clear benefits throughout their job search. A certified master resume writer (CMRW) knows how to tweak your personal brand to land you an interview, whether that means nixing buzzwords to make your resume more dynamic or choosing appropriate verbiage to transform an unorthodox career history into an asset instead of a liability. But there are other, less obvious benefits to hiring a professional writer to update your executive resume.

3 Hidden Benefits of Hiring an Executive Resume Writer

Define your career trajectory. Many professionals realize that they’re unsatisfied at work, but have no clear path to finding career fulfillment. Our resume writers ask thought-provoking questions to help shape your professional documents and define your ideal career path — a crucial step in attaining your professional goals.
Determine your core messaging. Just as big brands have to determine the most marketable aspect of their products or services, an executive must determine their most marketable quality to promote their personal brand. Honing in on your marketable skills with a professional executive resume writer will help you identify the core messaging that will win you networking opportunities, job interviews and, eventually, a new job.
Practice for interviews. Resume writing services include consultations and informational interviews which function like job interviews. Prior to your consultation, you should dig up qualitative data about past initiatives, including specific metrics to highlight your successes. Discussing the facts of your career wins with us, we’ll help you better articulate them in actual interviews.

Learn what a CMRW can do for your resume. Contact Executive Resumes Atlanta for a free consultation.

Colleen August 17, 2018

How to Get Your Resume Read

The days of “pounding the pavement” to secure a new job are long past, and yet many executives still make the mistake of sending unsolicited—and often poorly researched—emails in the hopes of landing a job interview. For many hiring managers, this is the #1 way to end up on the hiring blacklist. Not only is it a major time-waste for them, it promotes the underlying assumption that your time is more important than theirs. Instead of sending half a dozen resume-drops to every company that catches your eye, put in the work to make a positive impression.

How to Get Noticed By a Company

Adapt to the times. In today’s executive job search market, networking is the key to success. Sending your resume unprompted will only serve to shuffle it to the bottom of the stack. If there’s a company you’d love to work for, a personal approach will help you make an impression. Scour your network for someone who can give you a warm introduction, whether it’s a quick introduction at a conference or an email intro from a mutual acquaintance. If all else fails, warm up your “cold call” email with an anecdote about why you admire not only the company, but also the recipient for their impact on your industry.
Do your research. Effective research goes beyond skimming a company’s mission statement or addressing your query to the right manager. Before applying for an executive position, make sure the job fits your career goals, your personal needs, and your ideal company culture. Furthermore, any executive who expects HR to invest in their resume should extend the same courtesy by researching recent company developments, successful business strategies, and how their skills and experiences will benefit the company. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time for both parties.
Tailor your resume. Having multiple executive resumes becomes more beneficial the higher you climb the corporate ladder. A high-level hiring manager won’t waste their time with an exec whose resume contains irrelevant work experience. Focus your resume on a specific job, not a vague career goal.

Want a resume that stands out from the stack? Contact Executive Resumes Atlanta for a free executive career consultation.

Colleen July 31, 2018

Do I Need More Than One Resume?

There’s one question we hear over and over: “Do I need multiple resumes?” The more specialized your skills, the more pertinent the question becomes. Creating two or more resumes gives even an entry-level professional an edge in the job search, but it’s even more important for executives making at least six figures. Networking in the digital age may be night and day from the way it was 50 years ago, but how to clinch a new career hasn’t changed a bit. An impactful, tailored resume is the best weapon in an executive’s arsenal for scoring that first interview. Why does having more than one executive resume make you more likely to get the job?

3 Benefits of Having Multiple Executive Resumes

Streamline your skills. The best way to stand out is to fit in. A resume should highlight the skills and experiences that fit a specific position and leave the rest of your work history on the cutting room floor. By tailoring each resume, you can focus the hiring manager’s attention on the details that matter most. Ditch the clutter and keep HR’s eye on the prize: a new exec that’s just right for hire.
Stop and smell the success. If you have years of C-level experience under your belt, the old one-page resume rule doesn’t necessarily apply. Take advantage of the additional space to delve deeper into the qualities that make you a stand out candidate. Just remember to clarify, not add clutter.
Prove it. Hard facts are more compelling than soft skills. Creating multiple resumes gives you the laser focus needed to back up your most impressive achievements for each role. Numbers don’t lie, and with a tailored resume, they don’t equivocate either.

You’ve spent years honing the skills necessary to land your next job. So have we. Get an executive resume tailored to land your ideal career. Contact Colleen for a free consultation at Executive Resumes Atlanta.

Colleen July 25, 2018

How Busy Execs Can Engage on LinkedIn

A well-rounded LinkedIn account is crucial to personal branding in the digital age. But it’s not all about getting recommendations and preventing your boss from catching wind of your job search. LinkedIn has outpaced its original purpose of “online networking tool”, helping execs put their best foot forward before first contact even occurs. Not only does an active account make you an attractive prospect to executive recruiters, it helps you be found; the more you refine your brand on LinkedIn, the happier their algorithms will be, and they’ll show their appreciation by putting more eyes on your professional profile.

3 Ways to Advance Your Brand on LinkedIn

Be present. You can’t succeed if you don’t show up. If you’re not active online, recruiters will question your commitment to your career. Elevating your personal brand on LinkedIn can be as simple as sharing an interesting article—with a quick commentary to highlight your proficiencies and encourage engagement—or as advanced as writing regular blogs on topical issues in your field. Just don’t forget about LinkedIn’s roots! Network within your industry by engaging with posts made by other execs.
Be dependable. Every executive can empathize with a busy schedule, but long periods of inactivity on LinkedIn followed by bursts of updates are a sure way to undermine your credibility. Sporadic posting makes potential job candidates seem flaky and unfocused or, at the very least, desperate for a career change. If you find yourself relegating LinkedIn updates to the backburner, add it to your weekly calendar. Consistency is key, and as few as fifteen minutes a week can show recruiters that you’re serious about your professional brand — and your career.
Be real. Not every post needs to be a scholarly essay tailored to turn heads and influence recruiters. One of the most impactful ways to engage with followers on LinkedIn is to drop the professional facade. Talk about what matters to you, even if it’s not work-related. Many of the most successful execs on LinkedIn have made a name for themselves by giving followers a glimpse behind the curtain, proving themselves to be highly motivated in every aspect of their lives.

LinkedIn has transformed the world of professional advancement forever. Is a lackluster profile hindering your executive job search? Call Colleen at Executive Resumes Atlanta for a complimentary assessment of your LinkedIn profile.

Colleen June 29, 2018

4 Executive Skills That Lead to Success in the C-Suite

Successful executives are constantly developing their professional brand, business expertise, and leadership capabilities, but which skills stand out most in the executive job search? These four executive skills are the cornerstone of a successful career in the C-suite.

Leadership

Technical competencies may get your foot in the door, but nowadays, companies give preference to candidates who can identify internal talent, unify a team, and inspire subordinates to strive for a higher ideal in their professional lives. Dependability, focus, and the ability to relate to others give executives an edge when honing people management skills.

Business Acumen

A forward-thinking exec will work diligently to gain mastery of the foundations of business such as operations, sales, finance, and marketing. She will know how each element develops the company’s overarching goals and foresee how minute changes to one or all will support enterprise-wide growth.

Strategic Foresight

Natural curiosity helps executives thrive, but even those who have lost the inquisitiveness of their youth can develop the strategic thinking skills necessary to have a successful C-level career. Strategic foresight allows executives to see how small details integrate into the whole, giving that company’s leaders reliable insight into the path they must take to reach their goals.

Relationship Building

Despite the continued integration of automated technology into previously human-centric fields, business is still, at its core, about people. A good leader has mastered networking and uses interpersonal skills to generate goodwill both inside and outside of their company. Good interpersonal skills make you a more inspiring leader, a better coworker, and a better negotiator when developing business partnerships.

An effective resume goes beyond compelling terminology and a professional presentation of work experience. Our executive resumes help C-level professionals push their careers to new heights by skillfully showcasing both their tangible and intangible business skills. Are you considering an executive career change? Contact Colleen for a free consultation.

Colleen June 19, 2018

4 Tips for Assessing Company Culture

Company culture has long since been acknowledged as an integral part of workplace performance. A recent study found that company culture is the #2 reason executives seek alternative employment opportunities. A thriving company culture can launch executives’ careers to new heights while a static or mismatched culture makes a poor foundation for both individual and company-wide goals. Company culture is built intentionally over many years, but acquisition by a venture capital or private equity firm can rock the foundations of even the strongest company culture. How can you assess a company’s culture to make sure it will help, not hinder your executive performance?

4 Steps to Finding the Right Company Culture

Whether you’re feeling out a job offer or navigating a merger, assessing a company’s culture is crucial to the success of your career. Finding a culture that fits with your personal brand and goals will help you be a better leader and more confident in working towards your professional goals. Here’s how to get started:

Do your research. Read a company’s public information such as press releases, news reports, and thought leadership pieces to learn what’s important to them and how they’re accomplishing their goals. Don’t forget to read reviews on Glassdoor and Google to see what people think of the company both internally and externally.
Learn about the leadership team. Scope out the company’s website for an introduction to the company’s core leadership, but don’t stop there. Look them up on LinkedIn and see what else you can learn about their job history, credentials, and leadership styles.
Do the groundwork. A job may check all of your boxes, but if it’s located in an impersonal building with little natural light, you may want to rethink accepting the position. Location says a lot about a company and can be a good indicator of whether it’s managed to strike the balance between high-performance and workplace community.
Trust your gut. Once you reach the interview stage, you can learn a lot about how a company operates based on the behavior of the people you interact with. What’s their tone? Their body language? How do they talk about their company and its goals? Pay close attention to find a company that’s culture syncs with your own.

Don’t learn too late that your dream career is a dud. Call Colleen at Executive Resumes Atlanta to help you craft an executive resume that attracts the right companies — and the right cultures.