The number of qualified executive candidates searching for new positions creates a highly competitive job market. Employers are more selective with their executive hires today than ever before.
How can you present yourself to be more hireable and beat your competition? The following four strategies are key.
1: Stand out with your resume.
The old-fashioned resume format is dead. Be creative with format and content. For example, highlight your skills and experience with graphs, breakout boxes, and/or color. Focus the content on your achievements and value—with context. Facts and figures alone won’t tell your story or allow your personality to be reflected. If the resume grabs the reader’s attention in six plus seconds, you have a good chance they will read the entire resume.
2: Market yourself as the “must have” executive candidate.
Creating a picture in the mind of the recruiter or hiring manager that you are the perfect candidate for the position is essential. How do you do this? One way is to customize your resume for each position you apply for. This may sound daunting, but each executive job can often be very different in requirements and qualifications. One job opportunity may require highlighting specific accomplishments and skills for that position, while another set of accomplishments and skills might need to be showcased for another position. Ultimately, you want to help the reader envision how your experience makes you the best candidate.
3: Make social media work for you.
Recruiters and hiring managers check executive candidates online as one of the first things they do. Google yourself to check if you have any digital dirt showing up online. Also check if there are other people with your name showing up—do they have negative reputations that may affect you? Have a presence on social media sites such as LinkedIn first and foremost. Make sure your LinkedIn profile complements your resume and is not an exact word-for-word match. Even joining a few groups and commenting once in a while will help raise your social media presence.
4: Demonstrate your executive qualities.
Whether in an interview or written into your resume, LinkedIn profile, or other career documentation, make sure the recruiters or hiring managers understand your value and strength as an executive. Putting all the job seeking strategies aside, this is one of the most important factors to get across to a potential employer.
Employers want executives who know how to gain knowledge, convert that knowledge into effective actions, and ensure the team accepts accountability for success. They look for executives who…
1. Ask/look for what needs to be done
2. Question if this is right for the company
3. Develop action plans
4. Take responsibility for decisions
5. Communicate responsibly
6. Focus on opportunities rather than problems
7. Run productive meetings
8. Think and say “we” rather than “I”
9. Demonstrate high EQ (Emotional Intelligence: qualities of assertiveness, empathy, problem solving, self-awareness and happiness)
The executive job market has changed over the years. That’s a fact. Ensure that you make it to the “must-call” list by implementing these tips to communicate your value and hireability.