Executives these days seem to pay less attention to good manners and etiquette when networking, and through the entire executive job search process . . . which makes these positive qualities even more powerful assets to those who demonstrate them. People with particularly good manners stand out above those who don’t bother, or never really learned how. 4 Mannerly Things You Should Do to Accelerate Your Job Search 1. Thank people for their help and support. Unless you have a super speedy job search, and land that great-fit job quickly, many people along the way will help you reach your job se ..read more

You’ve been through a few rounds of interviews at a company you really want to work for, and they’re about to make you an offer. Or, maybe you’re fortunate enough to be juggling offers from more than one company you want to work for. Next, and last, step is salary and compensation negotiations. Even the most confident, competent c-suite executives quake at the thought of navigating the critical salary negotiations talks. It’s complex, stressful and unnerving. And, if you’re entertaining more than one offer, comparisons can be difficult. If you’re currently unemployed or your job is visibly i ..read more

Avoid the typical blunders in executive recruiter emails too many executive job seekers make.   The major piece in your job search strategy should be networking your way into the companies and organizations you’re targeting, so that you can tap into the goldmine of hidden jobs there. You also want to get the attention of executive recruiters in your field, so they’ll keep you top-of-mind when a good-fit opportunity for you comes their way. But they’re busy people, sometimes overwhelmed by unsolicited emails from people they don’t know. They’re in the habit of deleting emails, or hitting ..read more

  So many times when I first speak with my clients who are in active executive job search mode, they feel compelled to discuss their shortcomings. It’s a shame they’re so quick to focus on what they consider to be their negative qualities. But they’re very concerned that they don’t have what it takes to land the kinds of jobs they want and, frankly, deserve. Here are just some of the things they worry about: They don’t have as many years of experience as required. They don’t have an MBA, or lack specific hard skills. They have little to no experience at the c-suite level, but aspire to ..read more

An Executive Recruiter’s Advice on Answering 15 Common Executive Job Interview Questions If you’re job-hunting and executive job interviews are looming, you’ve probably done some research on what kinds of questions you’ll be asked. If you have no idea what you may be asked, and expect to nail interviews with zero preparation, you may be in for some very uncomfortable and awkward conversations, combined with that sinking feeling afterwards that you didn’t come across well at all. You need to be prepared, as best you can, for anything they may ask you. If something comes at you from left field ..read more

  In 2009 I wrote an ebook on using LinkedIn for personal branding and executive job search. I did a minor update in 2010. Not too much had changed. But after all this time, a major revamp was needed. It is now called “Smart Personal Branding with LinkedIn – How to Use LinkedIn to Build Your Personal Brand and Land a New Job Faster!” As always, the ebook is FREE and you’ll also receive my popular weekly newsletter with job search tips and strategies. Just click on this link, sign up and you’ll get the ebook. (The link will take you to the Executive Career Brand site.) 8 Reaso ..read more

How to get people to spread the word about your unique value in the executive job market. You may feel that “Brand Evangelism” is a fussy term. It may even turn you off to the whole concept of personal branding. Don’t let it. We all benefit from, and need, the support of the people who surround us – friends, peers, managers, staff, employees, clients, mentors, mentees, etc. – to help promote us . . . especially when we’re job-hunting. Successful executive job search is all about targeted marketing – communicating your unique value to your target audience across various channels, online and of ..read more

I was noodling around on my LinkedIn Settings page when I noticed something at the top of the page. It said I’ve been a member since August 2007. Eleven years is a long time. My business is so different than it was then. I now rely heavily on social media to market and promote the services I offer. Looking back to 2007, my business was going through a massive revamp. My personal circumstances were such that I had to rev things up and grow the business very fast. That year, I finally set up a perfunctory website. Nothing much to look at, but at least it was there. Other than that first static ..read more

A robust online presence is great for your personal brand and executive job search, but not all publicity is good publicity. When it comes to online reputation management and landing an executive job, there is such a thing as bad PR. When you’re in job search mode, it’s time to put on a good face (online and in-person) so that the first, and each subsequent, impression of you is a positive one. Hiring managers and others at your target companies will check you out online, and they’ll see what you’ve put out there and judge you by it. Anything online associated with your name that reflects ba ..read more

Promote Your Personal Brand Promise with LinkedIn Hashtags Feeling inundated by those little cross-hatch figures or pound signs? No wonder. Hashtags are everywhere. It seems that anytime you see any kind of online communication – on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. – it’s loaded with those metadata tags. You even see them on TV commercials. Turns out there’s a good reason, and those who use hashtags are pretty savvy . . . when they use them wisely. LinkedIn is one of the last of the big social media platforms to join the hashtag party, although they briefly toyed with them in 201 ..read more