Professional Documents
Culture Documents
W Ha17-2 PK
W Ha17-2 PK
By Louise Garver
and Christine Edick
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or
service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Neither THiNKaha,
(the parent company of Happy About) nor any of its imprints, can attest
to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not
be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
ii
Take the angst out of landing the interview with easy, understandable,
step-by-step instructions!
Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of 8 careers books, including
Resume Magic, and founder of TheAcademies.com for career
coach training.
If Christine Edick and Louise Garver wrote it, then I know its sage
advice! Ive known both of these career experts for 15+ years, and
have nothing but admiration for their knowledge and their contributions
to the careers industry. This book is another exceptional offering ...
valuable lessons in the intricacies of job search and how to position
yourself as THE winning candidate. A must-read for every job seeker
and a valuable resource for every career professional.
Wendy Enelow, CCM, MRW, JCTC, CPRW - Co-Founder & Executive
Director - Career Thought Leaders Consortium
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C o n t e n t s
Introduction
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Companies Are Changing Their
Hiring Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
New Job Market: Are You Prepared? . . . . . . . . 3
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Contents
The Fundamentals of a Winning Resume . . . . 37
Cover Letters for Different Audiences . . . . . 59
E-Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
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Introduction
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Introduction
Jill Grindle
Introduction
Chapter
Career Audit
Many people think
that if they keep
their job-search
options open,
they will land a job
sooner. Quite the
opposite is true:
With a target job
in mind, you are
far more likely to
prepare properly from resume
to company
research and land the job
of your dreams.
Debra OReilly
Are you ready for change? When was the last time
you took a serious look at your career direction?
Where are you now? Where do you want to be?
Not sure?
As a job seeker, you know that being proactive
is a must in this fast-moving world. And many job
seekers are just too wrapped up in the day-to-day
job activities to take a pulse reading of where they
are in their own career.
If you answer yes to these statements, you may
need a career direction evaluation:
1. Your job lacks challenge and excitement for
you.
2. You are feeling unappreciated.
3. Your promotional and/or development opportunities are limited.
4. You are no longer having fun.
5. Learning is replaced with routine.
6. You sense that your skills and talents are
being wasted.
7. You are suffering from stress or depression.
Individuals often take on the burden of having to
know all and be all and lose themselves in that
thinking. However, today, senior management
is stretched beyond their capabilities at times,
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Chapter
Develop a plan
that is multifaceted, creative,
and includes
both online and
offline networking
and resources.
Dont forget how
valuable your local
librarian(s) can be in
the search process.
Jill Grindle
Your career needs
a roadmap. Be sure
to establish your
goals, create steps
to achieve both
short- and long-term
objectives, and
develop metrics
to measure your
progress. Its so
much easier to
find your way to
your career goal
when your C-GPS
(Career-Goal
Positioning System)
is programmed
properly!
Debra OReilly
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To help you define, try this exercise. Create a spreadsheet or, on a piece
of paper, create three columns. Title them Job, Traits, and Skills.
Job
Fill in the positions
you are (or have
been) interested in
pursuing.
Traits
Skills
Picture a person in
this position and what
traits make him/her
successful. Fill these
in this column. Be
specific. Is he/she a
leader, team player,
creative, flexible,
self-motivated,
independent, etc.?
Once you have completed this chart, you can begin to evaluate where
you stand in relation to the positions you are considering. Can you
pinpoint two or three career paths that match your current talents and
skills? Is there a certain career path youd love to pursue but need
additional education or experience for? Use this collected information to
define a clear direction for your job search.
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all point to a rate of more than 60 percent of jobs being found through
networking. Just imagine Spiderman with his web spread across many
buildings, enabling him to maneuver in spaces that others dont have
access to. What does that mean to you? Networking can be your web to
people and organizations that your competition does not. If you want to
boost your chances, you need to be networking!
Research - In the old days, when the world was more aligned with the
Clark Kent/Superman scenario, companies did not expect a candidate
to come into an interview fully knowledgeable about the company. Part
of the interview process was filling the candidate in on the operations,
products, staff, etc. Today, candidates are expected to have done
their research and to walk into an interview equipped with information
about the organization, the mission statement, products, competition,
and executive team. Yes, it takes time; but if you are truly interested in
acquiring a position with a potential organization, it is definitely worth
your time to present yourself as an informed candidate.
Prioritize - Since job search can be equated to a full-time job, a candidate
needs to prioritize, especially if he is currently employed. This can be
challengingto put yourself first when you have obligations to your job,
family, friends, and various other responsibilities of life. Aquaman comes
to mind here; one of his superpowers is that he can breathe underwater.
It may seem at times that you are barely keeping your head above water
when in the midst of a job search. Making priorities fit your needs is of
utmost importance. Schedule dedicated time each week/each day to
devote to your job search campaignwhether it is checking online job
boards, networking, sending out resumes, or researching companies.
Fill the oxygen tank and dive into the depths of organizing your plan and
next steps.
These are just a few strategies to get you started. Remember that some
superheroes have partners to help them accomplish their super feats
such as Batman and Robin or the Fantastic Four. Consider who your
partner might be to help you navigate through this career transition.
Passion - Do something you love, and you will never work a day in your
life. Confucius
Do you look at your passion as an asset or hobby? You can turn your
passion into a career. Of course you have to be realistic and look at all
the factors that contribute to success and failure when changing career
focus to a new job.
Research the viability of the industry or business you want to transition
into. Part of that research could be volunteering on a board of directors
to get an inside view of business challenges and successes, or joining
associations or social groups to network with others in the industry. You
can learn a lot by asking informational interview questions in the course
Chapter 2: Preparing for Job Search
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is looking for job seekers who think out of the box and discover what
opportunities might be the next best move.
Like any other major life change, reevaluate career options. Dont go
back to the same job for the wrong reason. It is not a life-sustaining
move, and often people find themselves unhappy and leave the job
quickly.
Company Culture - The Internet has made easy work of finding
potential candidates through social networking sites like LinkedIn and
Facebook. Membership sites have thrived in the last ten years, providing
job seekers with job search information and recruiters with a database
of well-defined and targeted candidates. And are you aware that most
job seekers today are Googled before being contacted for a prescreen
or interview? How much time and effort do you put into checking out a
prospective company before applying to an organization or considering
accepting an offer on a potential position?
If you are a manager or executive, you already know that a large
percentage of success when hiring new employees is how well they fit
into the company culture. But how does a prospective employee learn
what he needs to know to determine if he is a good fit with any one
organization?
1. If the company is local, drive to their offices and do a little surveillance.
Observe the people going to work. Do they appear happy? Are
they conversing with fellow employees? What about at the end of
the dayis the parking lot still full at 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.? Do you
notice people leaving the offices looking worn-out or frustrated? By
checking the people coming and going in the morning and leaving
work in the evening, you can gain some insights.
2. Teams and teamwork are important points when considering a
company culture. How does the organization get things done?
Are there several levels of hierarchy to get a decision made? Are
teams already in place? And if so, how would you fit with the other
team members? Would stepping into a position of leadership create
resentment with an existing team? If given an opportunity during
the interview stage, request a meeting with the team you would
be leading or part of to get a sense of the member dynamics and
current functionality.
3. Who do you know who knows the company you are considering as
your next employer? Tap into your network and ask questions from
people outside the organization to find out what they know. These
contacts could be customers or suppliers to the company or even
ex-employees. Their experiences will create different perspectives,
which can be helpful when looking at the potential company from all
sides.
Chapter 2: Preparing for Job Search
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Chapter
So what is your
brand? At its core,
your brand is your
unique promise
of value that you
give to everyone
you meet, work for,
and with whom you
have any sort of
relationship.
Kim Schneiderman
Because stories
are much more
memorable than
isolated facts, use
an overarching
storyline to explain
your career, and
individual stories to
communicate your
accomplishments.
Being memorable
is good!
Jean Cummings
Define Professional
Brand and Value to
Employers
Deliver your elevator speech in a few minutes.
The listenerwhether a recruiter, hiring manager,
or interviewerwill appreciate that you know
yourself well enough to articulate it succinctly.
Prepare several short branding statements
that relay critical information, such as your key
skills and a quick rundown of your most recent
employment successes.
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Leadership Style:
1. How do you motivate others?
2. How do you mentor and train others?
Marketing Style:
1. How do you determine marketing strategies?
2. What marketing tools have you developed or used?
A good stand-alone brand statement is quite versatile. Creating a
professional brand will increase your market value.
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Highlight three areas of competency
that show your value and differentiate you
from the competition. Choose strengths that can easily be coupled
with proof of performance of how you have helped organizations make
money, save money, save time, maintain the business, or grow the
business.
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Just like the resume , the marketing profile must include proof of
success. Pair a strength with a specific example to illustrate that you
are accomplished at what you do. Quantify accomplishments using
numbers, percentages, and dollars whenever possible.
Make the match between your experience and the skills needed for
a particular job function or industry.
Bring the conversation full circle by relating your qualifications back to
the needs of the employer or the needs of a particular industry. By doing
so, you prove relevancy and demonstrate why your skills are a good fit
for a certain type of position.
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Google Alerts
You should also set up Google Alerts for your name so that you can be
alerted when new information is posted online about you.
http://www.google.com/alerts
Use your name as the search query and determine what information you
want searched (Everything, News, Blogs, Video, Discussions, Book),
how often you want to receive e-mail alerts, how broad you want the
results to be (Everything, Only the best results), and where you want
the alerts sent.
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Use quotation marks to make your search more specific. You will get a
preview of the search results in a box on the right-hand side of the page,
which will help you further refine your search query.
For example, using quotation marks results in these sample search
results:
Removing the quotation marks makes it more likely that you will receive
results that are irrelevant.
You can modify these alerts at any time, so start with broad results and
you can refine them over time.
Me on the Web
Me on the Web is Googles way of helping people manage their online
brands. Using Me on the Web, you can create a profile to put your best
foot forward, set up alerts to help you figure out when people are talking
about you, and attempt to remove negative items related to your online
presence.
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One of the main features of Me on the Web is the ability to alert you when
something changes with the results that come up when you search your
name. Click Set up search alerts for your data under Me on the Web in
your Google Dashboard to create your alerts.
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A new screen will pop up where you can choose what you want to be
alerted for. Typically, Google will alert you whenever the results for your
name or e-mail address change.
You can also set up custom alerts. For your job search, you can set up
alerts whenever a company you want to work for is mentioned. Just click
Add alert and add in as many custom alerts as you want.
Me on the Web helps inform you when youre mentioned online with
Google Alerts and helps you choose what information is displayed to the
public with Google Profile.
Twitter Monitoring
You can also set up an application called IFTTT (If This Then That) to
send you an e-mail whenever you are mentioned on Twitter.
Sign up for a free account at http://ifttt.com/ and use recipe number
19739 (http://ifttt.com/recipes/19739). Replace MyCompany with
your name, and you will receive instant e-mail notifications every time
someone mentions your name on Twitter.
You can also use a free service like TOPSY to create alerts and monitor
your online presence.
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You can also subscribe to online services to monitor and manage your
online reputation.
Reputation.com
You can sign up for a free reputation snapshot. You will likely see some
of the same results as youve found through your earlier search efforts.
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Although your Google search results may have returned thousands (or
hundreds of thousands) of results, its what is in the first three to five
pages of results that is most important.
There are two steps to managing your online presence: (1) removal and/
or correction of incorrect or inappropriate information, and (2) posting
new content that will move the unfavorable information lower in your
search results.
One of the strongest ways to create positive online content is through
social media. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn often appear prominently
in Google search results.
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When you click on the Manage Past Post Visibility link, it will open a
new box asking you to confirm that you want to change all of your past
status updates to Friends Only visibility. If you click Limit Old Posts, it
will automatically reset all your previous posts to a more private setting.
If you choose not to change the visibility of all your old posts, you can
change the visibility of individual posts by clicking on each post. (This
can be quite time-consuming if you have a lot of posts.)
Chapter 3: Define Professional Brand and Value to Employers
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Another important step is to see how the public views your profile. You
can check this with Facebooks View As . . . option under Edit Profile.
http://www.facebook.com/editprofile.php
Finally, be aware that when you comment on other peoples posts, the
information may be more public than you were aware.
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Finally, select the reason you want it removed and hit the Request
button. Make sure you choose the right reason for your situation.
http://www.peoplesmart.com/
http://www.whitepages.com/
http://www.addresses.com/
http://www.411.com/
http://www.emailfinder.com/
http://www.intelius.com/
http://www.freephonetracer.com/
http://www.mylife.com/
http://www.phonedetective.com/
http://www.phonebook.com/
http://www.archives.com/
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Chapter
Career Marketing
Documents: The Tools
That Open Doors
What Hiring Managers
and Recruiters Look for in
Resumes and Cover Letters
There has also been a lot of spin about how long
or short a resume should be. From my perspective
as a recruiter, a resume should be as long as
necessary. For example, a candidate with five
years of experience should not require a threepage resume. Or a candidate with eighteen years
of experience should not be reduced to a onepage resume. Length of resume depends entirely
on each individual situation. There is no formula or
rule etched in stone. If a recruiter is working with
a PhD candidate, then a resume may be three,
four, or five pages or even longer. So be it. If its
relevant, promote it. If youre pontificating, dont.
Tim Dermady, President,
ExecutiveFit Recruitment
If youve been fretting over age-old questions such
as resume length and other issues related to what
hiring professionals actually look for in resumes
and cover letters, then wonder no more. A survey
of more than 2,500 randomly selected members
of the Society for Human Resource Management
as well as Fortune 500 companies known for
favorable work environments responded to
pertinent questions that affect job seekers.
These companies represented a cross section
of diverse industries and ranged from fewer than
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points for the quick skim resumes receive. Boldface type emphasizes
titles and key strengths. There should be plenty of white space between
bulleted statements and sections.
Styles
There are three types of resume styles commonly used. The overall tone
and style need to match your personality, your industry, and your culture.
Chronological/Traditional Traditional-style resumes have been around
a long time. Typically, this style of resume starts with Contact Information,
then Experience, Education, and miscellaneous other sections such as
Honors and Awards, Publications, Associations, Community Activities, etc.
In the Experience section, the listings are presented in reverse chronological
order and show company, position title, dates worked, a summary of
responsibilities, and then a bulleted area that highlights accomplishments.
Name
E-mail: client@comcast.net
555.555.5555
555 Washington Avenue x City, State zip code
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9
9
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Driver of innovative programs that provide a competitive edge and establish company as a full-service market leader.
Proactive, creative problem solver who develops solutions that save time, cut costs and ensure consistent product quality.
Empowering leader who recruits, develops, coaches, motivates and inspires sales teams to top performance.
Innovative in developing and implementing win-win solutions to maximize account expansion, retention and satisfaction.
2000 to 2010
Impact: Reinvigorated the regional sales organization, growing sales from $18.5M to $45M, doubling account base to
482 and increasing market share 15%. Built, coached and managed sales team of 10 recognized as the top-performing team
nationwide. Established new performance benchmark and trained sales force on implementing sales-building customer inventory
rationalization programs.
Revitalized and restored profitability of 2 underperforming territories by coaching and developing territory reps.
Penetrated 2 new markets and secured a lucrative market niche in abrasive products. Staffed, opened and managed the 2
branch locations in New Jerseyone of which alone produced $12M+ over 3 years.
Initiated and advanced the skills of sales force to effectively promote and sell increasingly technical product lines in
response to changing market demands.
Increased profit margins and dollar volume through product mix diversification and expansion. Created product
catalogs and marketing literature.
Ensured that the company maintained its competitive edge in the marketplace by initiating value-add programs to meet
customer needs.
Led highly profitable product introduction with a 40% profit margin that produced $100K annually in new business.
1990 to 2000
Impact: Turned around stagnant sales territory and customer perception by cultivating exceptional relationships
through solutions-based selling and delivering value-added service. Recognized as a peak performer company-wide who
consistently ranked #1 in sales and #1 in profits.
Positioned and established company as a full-service supplier to drive sales revenues by translating customer needs to
product solutions.
More than doubled territory sales from $700K to $11.5M during tenure and grew account base from 80 to 125 through
new market penetration. Landed and managed 3 of companys 6 largest accounts and grew remaining 3.
Captured a lucrative account and drove annual sales from $100K in the first year to $5M in 3 yearsoutperforming
the competition without any price-cutting.
Mentored new and existing territory reps on customer relationship management, solutions-selling strategies, advanced
product knowledge and customer programs.
Education
B.S. in Business ManagementUniversity, City, State
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______________________________________________________________________________________________
Expertise
Turnkey operations and financial leadership that saves time and money for startups. Provide cost-efficient administrative,
operational and financial services, enabling management to focus on product and market development. Guide succession planning
as well as sourcing and vetting of high caliber executive candidates as the enterprise grows.
Deep-dive, on-site operational reviews on behalf of institutional investors and fund managers. Orchestrate uncommonly thorough
due diligence of all risk, operations and human capital areas with recommendations for improvement and reinvestment. Diagnose
and implement solutions to issues that would prevent further funding for growing companies and alternative asset management
funds.
Wind-down management. Enable PE and VC firms to discharge their responsibilities to limited partners while maintaining optimal
cash flow throughout the wind-down and liquidation process by consolidating and outsourcing mid- and back-office services,
ensuring seamless and transparent support while substantially reducing costs.
Representative Results
Architected and implemented operations for an international VC fund. Successful in creating a lean global investment
framework on 5 continents on an aggressive timeline.
Established scale-able operations and finance infrastructure/systems that supported unfettered growth for an early stage, VCbacked energy startup. Crafted grant proposals that won 38% of total funding for the company.
Turned around a struggling eCommerce start up, rebuilt senior management team, and negotiated cash sale of company in the
midst of dotcom crash.
Turned around a graduate school from near financial demise to $2.9M operating surplus in 15 months.
Kept share price of an investment banking firm from falling dangerously, retaining buy-hold recommendations from analysts
during a financial and PR crisis.
Career Track
Chief Operating Partner * GMA Capital (well-established VC fund manager), Seattle, WA
COO / CFO * Manning & Company (global financial services firm), Seattle, WA
CFO / Investing Partner * Western Financial (VC Fund), Bellevue, WA
CFO * Sanford Media, Inc. * (VC-backed internet startup), Bellevue, WA
EVP / CFO * Washington Power Corp (VC-backed energy startup), Seattle, WA
Turnaround Consultant * Washington Institute of Integral Studies (university), Seattle, WA
Vice President * Bankers Fund, New York, NY
Assistant Vive President * Charles Schwab, New York, NY
Manager * Deloitte & Touche, Dallas, TX; Dublin, IRE; New York, NY
2005-2013
2002-2006
2000-2002
1999-2000
1997-1999
1996-1997
1989-1996
1987-1989
1982-1987
Education
Graduate Studies, Finance and Business Administration Notre Dame, North Bend, IN
Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting & Finance Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
1995-1996
1981
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(555) 503-9768
jjones@gmail.com
C H IE F E XE C U TI VE O F F IC E R
C H IE F M A R K E T IN G O F F IC E R
Change agent driving unprecedented industry-leading revenue and market share results for
technology products and services in the U.S. and internationally through astute P&L management, incisive problem
solving, innovative marketing and product development, and adept people/team leadership.
Career history of revitalizing failing business units, resolving
critical business challenges, and delivering breakthrough results in
executive marketing, sales and divisional roles for a $2 billion global
technology leader. Built and lead a highly respected, 120-member team
that innovated several industry "firsts" frequently adopted by competitors.
Consummate leader and coach known for finding and developing
exceptional talent and creating motivating work environments where
people grow and thrive. Top-rated in company for succession planning
hired and mentored 8 of the organization's top 10 performers.
Persuasive negotiator who secured benchmark partnership agreements
with industry leaders such as Apple, Inc., Google and Cisco Systems.
Core Strengths:
Strategic Planning & Execution
P&L Performance Improvement
Global Brand & Marketing Management
Sales & Marketing Management
Talent Acquisition, Development & Management
Strategic Product Development
Corporate Restructuring & Reengineering
International Distributor Development
Vendor & Agency Management
C ARE E R A C HIE VE M E N T S
AUSTIN TECH SYSTEMS, Austin, TX 1996 to Present
Global leader in the manufacture of sophisticated printing technology and delivery of digital and service solutions for the Print
Media industry. Headquartered in Germany with production and development sites in 7 countries and 275 sales and service
units in 150+ countries; 18,000 employees; $2.5 billion/year in revenues.
Snapshot: Promoted rapidly to senior marketing executive for the U.S. headquarters and a $550 million
division of products, services and consumables. Distinguished record of delivering pivotal business-building
results while leading organization through successful restructurings, acquisitions, divisional start-ups and
growth strategies. Hold multiple concurrent roles: CME, SVP-Product Management, SVP-Consumable Sales.
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Reorganized field sales and service organization and North America headquarters. Delivered $55 million in cost savings
and improved morale despite 30% headcount reduction. Market share exceeded 50%.
Outperformed all competitors in social media results, including integrated online/print with QR-code advertising
programs, YouTube channels, Facebook subscribers, SEO, Twitter accounts and followers.
Invented the Magalog, a combination magazine and product catalog which effectively decreased direct mail
expenditures 85% while increasing participation levels to over 35,000 subscribers.
Delivered 35% reduction in overall advertising, marketing and trade show event costs without negative impact and
reduced expenditures by more than $12 million. New PR strategy yielded annual audience reach/impressions of 33
million, 500+ articles, and the industrys highest favorability rating at 66%+.
Led team that set the industry standard for ROI tools utilization to create quantifiable success metrics for advertising,
PR, event-based programs, and internet search and advertising activities.
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E D UC A TIO N
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, International Law University of Texas at Austin
Business Administration and Marketing Georgetown University
International Executive Development Program Austin Tech
Board member of numerous leading industry associations and frequent invited speaker (see addendum)
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R E S UM E A D D E N D UM
Industry Leadership / Board Memberships:
Chair, Board of Directors: Smith University Majors Institute of Packaging & Graphic Design (2010Present)
Advisory Board Member: Cal Poly University (2006Present)
Chair, Supplier Advisory Board: Printing Industries of America (2009Present)
Executive Board Member: Printing Industries of America (2008Present)
Executive Board Member: Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (2006Present)
Treasurer: Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (20082009)
Board Member/Treasurer: Graphic Arts Show Company (20082009)
Board Member: Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (20052006)
Presentations:
Keynote: The Call, Click, & Print -- Marketing Concepts International Print Week San Jose University (2010, 2011)
Guest Lecturer: Integrated Marketing Strategies MBA School of Business, University of Austin (2010)
Guest Lecturer: International Brand Management MBA School of Business, Stanislaw University (2008, 2009)
Keynote: The Business of Marketing to Millennials Mexico Bureau of International Tourism and Trade (2008)
Keynote Panel: Value of Print in the New Marketing Mix Chicago Print Production Association (2005)
Executive Instructor: Executive Time Management - Franklin Covey (1996 2009)
Awards:
Clemson University Award Corporate Appreciation Award (2011)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2010)
Clemson University Award Corporate Appreciation Award (2009)
Induction into the Soderstrom Society (2009)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2009)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2008)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2007)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2005)
PREMIER Print Award Speedmaster Book (2006)
PREMIER Print Award Passion For Print (2005)
Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology Award (2005)
CINE Golden Eagle Extraordinary Performance in Video and Filmmaking (2004)
TELLY Award Premier Performance in Video and Filmmaking (2003)
Resume Sections
Profile/Summary Consider a headline
that tells readers instantly who you are.
For instance: VICE PRESIDENT: Sales
and Marketing. The summary should
clearly communicate who you are and
what you have accomplished in your
career. It helps to clearly set you in the
mind of the reader so that they are thinking
of you in that context as they read the rest
of the resume. This area is a good place
to showcase the keywords that relate to
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After a brief summary of job scope and duties, a bulleted section should
follow that highlights your achievements. Do not mingle job scope/duties
with accomplishments. This is confusing to the reader and diminishes the
impact of your accomplishments. These bullets are the most important part
of the resume because they contain your specific and unique achievements.
The content in a bullet should show result, action, and challenge if possible.
Front loading the bullet with the result will help the reader grab the essence
of the bullet at a glance. How you achieved the result is important as well
and can be stated after the result because, ultimately, the reader will want
to know how you did it. Of course, the challenge is a contributing factor to
the whole picture because, in itself, the challenge can be overwhelming
circumstances that give more weight to the results.
Education
This section should include your college degrees, certifications, licenses,
or anything that contributes to your ongoing professional development.
Additional Sections
Professional and Community Activities List your roles in leadership, on
committees, or general contributions to the organizations.
Honors and Awards List professional recognitions you received
that include honors, awards, and recognitions. A few of these can be
highlighted in the career profile area and details stated in this section.
Technology Qualifications In most resumes today, a brief listing of
technology expertise is listed in the career profile; however, if your
industry is technology, there may need to be a lengthier section to list
additional technology knowledge.
Chapter 4: Career Marketing Documents: The Tools That Open Doors
43
Turnkey operations and financial leadership that saves time and money for startups. Provide
cost-efficient administrative, operational and financial services, enabling management to focus
on product and market development. Guide succession planning as well as sourcing and vetting
of high caliber executive candidates as the enterprise grows.
Deep-dive, on-site operational reviews on behalf of institutional investors and fund
managers. Orchestrate uncommonly thorough due diligence of all risk, operations and human
capital areas with recommendations for improvement and reinvestment. Diagnose and
implement solutions to issues that would prevent further funding for growing companies and
alternative asset management funds.
Wind-down management. Enable PE and VC firms to discharge their responsibilities to limited
partners while maintaining optimal cash flow throughout the wind-down and liquidation
process by consolidating and outsourcing mid- and back-office services, ensuring seamless and
transparent support while substantially reducing costs.
Representative Results
Our memories are short. Can you remember all the details of the project
you worked on last week? How about last month? What about a year ago?
One of the best ways to prepare for a time when you will need to share
your accomplishments is to collect details of your achievements as you
go alongand theres no better time than
Your accomplishments
now to start!
should prove out what you
Accomplishments demonstrate your skills
have written in your profile,
and experience. Its one thing to claim you
or executive summary or
can do something; its another to prove
qualifications section, and do youve done it.
so with as much quantifiable
In sports, we keep score. It helps us
data as possible.
evaluate our progress compared to others.
Jill Grindle
But in your career, its sometimes harder to
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Debra OReilly
Quantifying your accomplishments also helps you stand out from others
who do the work you dowhether youre using the information for a
raise or promotion request or when seeking a new job opportunity. But
accomplishments go beyond the basic job duties and responsibilities.
There is also value in simply collecting and reflecting on your personal
and professional accomplishments. If you dont toot your own horn, who
will?
45
46
WIN Interviews
Approached
Appropriated
Approved
Arbitrated
Argued
Arranged
Articulated
Ascertained
Assembled
Assessed
Assigned
Assisted
Assumed
Attained
Attended
Attracted
Audited
Augmented
Authenticated
Authored
Authorized
Automated
Averted
Avoided
Awarded
Balanced
Bargained
Began
Believed
Bestowed
Bettered
Bid
Blended
Booked
Boosted
Bought
Brainstormed
Bred
Briefed
Broadened
Brought
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Calibrated
Campaigned
Capitalized
Captured
Carried out
Carved
Cataloged
Catapulted
Categorized
Caused
Celebrated
Centralized
Certified
Chaired
Challenged
Championed
Changed
Channeled
Charged
Charted
Checked
Choreographed
Chose
Circulated
Clarified
Classified
Cleared
Closed
Coached
Co-Authored
Collaborated
Collated
Collected
Combined
Commanded
Commercialized
Commissioned
Committed
Commoditized
Communicated
Compared
Compelled
Competed
Compiled
Completed
Composed
47
Computed
Computerized
Conceived
Conceptualized
Concluded
Condensed
Conducted
Conferred
Confirmed
Connected
Conserved
Considered
Consistently/
Consistently found
Consolidated
Constructed
Consulted
Contacted
Contained
Continued
Contracted
Contrasted
Contributed/
Contributed to
Controlled
Convened
Converted
Conveyed
Convinced
Cooperated
Coordinated
Corrected
Correlated
Corresponded
Corroborated
Counseled
Counteracted
Crafted
Created
Critiqued
Crystallized
Cultivated
Curtailed
Customized
Cut
Dealt
Debugged
48
Decentralized
Decided
Deciphered
Declared
Decreased
Dedicated
Deferred
Defined
Defrayed
Delegated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Deployed
Depreciated
Derived
Described
Designated
Designed
Detailed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Devised
Devoted
Diagnosed
Diagrammed
Differentiated
Diminished
Directed
Disbursed
Discerned
Disclosed
Discovered
Dispatched
Dispensed
Displayed
Dissected
Disseminated
Dissolved
Distinguished
Distributed
Diversified
Diverted
Divested
Divided
Divulged
Documented
Dominated
Doubled
Downsized
Drafted
Drew/Drew up
Drove
Earned
Economized
Edited
Educated
Effected
Elaborated
Elected
Elevated
Elicited
Eliminated
Emphasized
Employed
Empowered
Enabled
Enacted
Encouraged
Endeavored
Endorsed
Endured
Energized
Enforced
Engaged
Engineered
Enhanced
Enlarged
Enlisted
Enlivened
Enriched
Enrolled
Ensured
Entered
Entertained
Enticed
Entrenched
Equalized
Equipped
Eradicated
Escorted
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
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Examined
Exceeded
Excelled
Exchanged
Executed
Exempted
Exercised
Exhibited
Expanded
Expedited
Experienced
Experimented
Expertise in
Explained
Exploded
Explored
Exported
Expressed
Extended
Extracted
Extricated
Fabricated
Facilitated
Factored
Fashioned
Featured
Fielded
Field-Tested
Filed
Filled
Filtered
Finalized
Financed
Finished
Fixed
Flew
Focused
Followed
Forecast/Forecasted
Forged
Formalized
Formed
Formulated
Fortified
Forwarded
Fostered
Fought
Found
Found and corrected
Founded
Framed
Fulfilled
Functioned as
Funded
Furnished
Furthered
Gained
Gathered
Gauged
Geared
Generated
Governed
Graduated
Granted
Greeted
Grew
Grossed
Grouped
Guided
Halted
Handled
Harmonized
Harvested
Hastened
Headed
Heightened
Held
Helped
Hired
Honed
Honored
Hosted
Hurried
Hypothesized
Identified
Illustrated
Imagined
Implemented
Imported
Improved
Improvised
Incorporated
Increased
Indexed
Induced
Influenced
Informed
Infused
Initiated
Innovated
Inquired
Inspected
Inspired
Installed
Instilled
Instituted
Instructed
Instrumental in
Insured
Integrated
Intensified
Interacted
Interpreted
Intervened
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Inventoried
Invested
Investigated
Invited/Invited to
Involved
Isolated
Issued
Itemized
Joined
Jointly acquired
Judged
Justified
Kept
Labeled
Launched
Learned
Lectured
Led
Lessened
Leveraged
Liaison between
Licensed
Lifted
Lightened
49
Liquidated
Listed
Listened
Litigated
Lobbied
Localized
Located
Logged
Lowered
Maintained
Managed
Mandated
Maneuvered
Manipulated
Manufactured
Mapped
Marked
Marketed
Mastered
Masterminded
Matched
Maximized
Measured
Mediated
Mended
Mentored
Merchandised
Merged
Met
Minimized
Mobilized
Modeled
Moderated
Modernized
Modified
Molded
Monetized
Monitored
Motivated
Mounted
Moved
Multiplied
Named
Narrated
Narrowed
Navigated
Negotiated
50
Netted
Networked
Nominated
Normalized
Notified
Obliterated
Observed
Obtained
Offered
Officiated
Opened
Operated
Operationalized
Optimized
Orchestrated
Ordered
Organized
Oriented
Originated
Outdid
Outlined
Outsourced
Overcame
Overhauled
Oversaw
Paced
Packaged
Packed
Paid
Painted
Parlayed
Participated
Partnered
Passed
Patented
Patrolled
Patterned
Perceived
Perfected
Performed
Permitted
Persuaded
Photographed
Piloted
Pinpointed
Pioneered
Placed
Planned
Planted
Played
Pointed out
Positioned
Posted
Practiced
Predicted
Prepared
Prescribed
Presented
Preserved
Presided
Prevented
Priced
Printed
Prioritized
Probed
Processed
Proclaimed
Procured
Produced
Professionalized
Proficient in
Profiled
Programmed
Progressed
Projected
Promoted
Promulgated
Proofread
Propelled
Proposed
Prosecuted
Prospected
Protected
Proved
Provided
Publicized
Published
Purchased
Pursued
Quadrupled
Qualified
Quantified
Queried
Questioned
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Quoted
Raised
Ran
Ranked
Rated
Ratified
Reached
Read
Realigned
Realized
Rearranged
Reasoned
Rebuilt
Recaptured
Received
Recognized/
Recognized need for
Recommended
Reconciled
Reconstructed
Recorded
Recovered
Recruited/
Recruited by
Rectified
Recycled
Redesigned
Redirected
Reduced
Reengineered
Reestablished
Reevaluated
Referred
Refinanced
Refined
Reformed
Regained
Registered
Regulated
Rehabilitated
Reimbursed
Reinforced
Reinvigorated
Rejuvenated
Related
Remained
Remedied
Remodeled
Rendered
Renegotiated
Renewed
Renovated
Reorganized
Repaired
Replaced
Replicated
Reported
Repositioned
Represented
Reproduced
Requested
Required
Requisitioned
Rescued
Researched
Reserved
Reshaped
Resolved
Responded
Restored
Restructured
Resupplied
Retained
Retooled
Retrieved
Returned
Reused
Revamped
Revealed
Reversed
Reviewed
Revised
Revitalized
Revived
Revolutionized
Rotated
Routed
Safeguarded
Salvaged
Sampled
Satisfied
Saved
Scanned
Scheduled
Scouted
Screened
Scrutinized
Sculpted
Searched
Secured
Selected
Sent
Separated
Sequenced
Served
Serviced
Set strategy
Set up
Settled
Sewed
Shaped
Shared
Shepherded
Shipped
Shortened
Shot
Showed
Shrank
Signaled
Signed
Simplified
Simulated
Sketched
Slashed
Sold
Solicited
Solidified
Solved
Sorted
Sourced
Sparked
Spearheaded
Specialized
Specified
Speculated
Speeded
Spent
Spoke
Sponsored
Spread
Stabilized
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Staffed
Staged
Standardized
Started
Steered
Sterilized
Stimulated
Strategized
Streamlined
Strengthened
Stressed
Stretched
Structured
Studied
Submitted
Substantiated
Substituted
Succeeded
Successfully
Suggested
Summarized
Superseded
Supervised
Supplemented
Supplied
Supported
Surpassed
Surveyed
Sustained
Synchronized
Synergized
Synthesized
Systemized
Tabulated
Tackled
Tailored
Tallied
Tapped
Targeted
Taught
Tended
Terminated
Tested
Thwarted
Tightened
Topped
Totaled
Toured
Traced
Tracked
Traded
Trafficked
Trained
Transacted
Transcribed
Transferred
Transformed
Transitioned
Translated
Transmitted
Transported
Traveled
Treated
Trimmed
Tripled
Troubleshot
Trusted
Tuned
Turned around
Tutored
Typed
Uncovered
Underlined
Undertook
Underwrote
Unified
United
Unraveled
Updated
Upgraded
Upheld
Urged
Used
Utilized
Vacated
Validated
Verbalized
Verified
Videotaped
Viewed
Vitalized
Volunteered
Waged
Weighed
Widened
Withdrew
Withstood
Won
Worked
Worked closely with
Wove
Wrote
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Only
Largest/Smallest
First/Last
Longest/Shortest
Best/Worst
Highest/Lowest
Most/Least
Busiest
New Clients
Information Technology
Cost Containment
Publications
Team Leadership
Product Launch
Presentations
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57
Recognition Accomplishments:
Did you receive any honors this year? (awards, recognition)
Did you earn any certifications or licenses?
Which of your contributions received the most recognition?
Have you received any notes, e-mails, or kudos from customers? From
your boss?
Communication Accomplishments:
Have you done any public speaking or made any presentations?
(Whom did you speak to? On what topic? How many people were in
attendance?)
Have you written any articles, white papers, or other documents?
Leadership Accomplishments:
Have you taken on any leadership roleseither within your job or in
your volunteer work?
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Next, specifically address all the requirements to illustrate how you will
meet the employers needs as the head or contributing member of the
finance or treasury organization.
Most cover letters miss the mark because the job seeker focuses on
general factswhich could apply to anyone with a similar background in
finance, accounting, or treasuryrather than zeroing in the employers
needs. They fail to demonstrate how the organization can benefit from
that background.
To develop a cover letter that grabs attention and targets an employers
needs, ask yourself:
1. What finance and other expertise do I offer that is key to this position
and the employer?
2. What are my relevant projects or success stories that I can present
in my finance career?
3. What is special about me that differentiates my qualifications from
other finance professionals?
Such questions will help you focus your cover letter and answer the
questions that every employer will want to know about you: What can
you do for me? Why should I interview you?
Start by identifying your skills, abilities, and experience. For example:
1. Eighteen years of experience in corporate finance and treasury
management, both domestic and international operations.
2. Extensive knowledge of accounting or treasury systems.
3. Skills in financial analysis and reporting, banking relations,
budgeting, etc.
Now describe the benefits you can offer an employer based on your
skills, abilities, and experience. For instance:
1. My experience in corporate finance and treasury operations is
valuable because I can build a financial infrastructure or lead an
effective treasury organization and staff the department with skilled
people.
2. My extensive knowledge of accounting and treasury systems is
important because I can spearhead the implementation of these
systems to save company money and improve accuracy.
3. My skills in financial analysis and reporting are critical because I can
provide management with accurate, on-time information to make
business decisions.
61
Next, you will want to identify and jot down several specific examples of
how you applied your skills and knowledge to benefit your recent or prior
organizations. For instance:
When I joined company X, it lacked a solid financial infrastructure
and had an antiquated accounting system. Financial reports were not
produced on a timely basis. I established the financial infrastructure,
hired the right talent, improved data integrity, and provided on-time
reporting in just a few months.
Our company acquired another organization, and I provided the
leadership to seamlessly integrate the newly acquired treasury
department within our company. This included system design and
implementation, reengineering, human resources and process
integration. In this effort, I streamlined staff and saved our company
$250K in annual bank fees.
My responsibility is to review and analyze monthly statements to
ensure that accurate charges are applied to our customers for cash
management services. I created a spreadsheet to effectively manage
the cash management income. As a result, I reduced redundancy
in merchant service chargebacks and, at the same time, increased
operational efficiency.
Then choose three of your best examples that relate to your target
employers needwithout duplicating those listed on your resumeand
craft results-oriented statements that illustrate your success stories and
promise a benefit.
Close your letters with an expression of interest (or a statement about
your knowledge of the company and why you want to join it), a reiteration
of the valuable contributions you can make and a call to action. An
example would be: I am excited about this opportunity as it matches
your need for a senior-level manager to provide strategic planning and
leadership to the finance organization and my track record of success in
this area. I would be pleased to discuss my expertise firsthand. Or you
can choose to end your letter with a promise to contact the company.
However, if you do so, make sure you plan to follow through.
If you apply the structure outlined here, you will create letters that
resonate with employers, showcase your offered value, and differentiate
you from the competition.
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Imagine poking your head in a CEOs door, and he or she looks up from
the desk and asks:
1. What do you want?
2. What good are you . . . exactly?
3. What makes you so special?
4. Whats in it for me?
5. Why should you get the big bucks?
6. Why should I waste my time talking to you?
7. In fact, why should I care that you even exist?
A value proposition letter lets you answer these questions. This
compelling letter is going directly to the person who will hire you and
should appeal to him based on a specific industry problem in which you
have expertise. This can position yourself as a solution to the problem.
Your answer should be clear, concise, and compelling and phrased in
dollars ($) or percent (%). They want to know what you accomplish,
not what you do. The more you can highlight what youve done with
milestone measurements, the more it counts.
Statistics that support sending a value proposition letter without a
resume:
1. Value proposition letters without a resume averaged six times more
responses than letters with a resume.
2. For letters that specifically referred decision makers to online
resumes or profiles for resume information (thinking thats what
decision-makers wanted), only 13 percent looked at the resume.
3. Decision makers consistently report that the letter would have never
reached their desk if a resume was attached.
Chapter 4: Career Marketing Documents: The Tools That Open Doors
63
MITCHELL TUKNIK
726 Hazel Drive | Bridgeport, CT 06601 | (706) 673-3353 | mtuknik63@gmail.com
Date
Mr./Ms. Recruiter
Title
Search Firm Name
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr./Ms. Recruiter:
If you are conducting a search for a client company that needs a CEO, COO or Sr. VP with verifiable
achievements in leading successful business model transformation, orchestrating turnaround or taking
a company to its next level of growth, my qualifications may interest you.
A retail/consumer service industry trendsetter with experience in large, publicly traded corporations
and small to medium-sized private companies, I have delivered significant value in operational
efficiency, business innovation and expansion, value creation for customers, and profitability in every
executive role (CEO/COO/Sr. VP) with major brands.
For example:
As COO at First Step Learning, I reversed 15% decline in YOY comps and improved sales
conversion 12% ($18 million top-line benefit) for the $780 million Morgan Stanley private
equity company with 1,500 early education and child care locations.
Previously as CEO at Windsor Furniture, I spearheaded the rapid turnaround/restructure
plan and a first-in-industry sales channel for the nation's largest independent furniture
retailer. Results led to a 15% reduction in SG&A, 10% increase in conversion rates and
+430 bps in gross margins.
Earlier as Senior Vice President of Operations, I helped Frys generate more than $5
billion by identifying new revenue opportunities, creating a multi-channel business model
differentiating the company from key competitors, strengthening merchandising execution and
improving employee productivity.
Now I am exploring new opportunities to strengthen and grow another multi-unit retailer or service
business. My compensation package has been in the mid six-figure range. I am available to travel
and/or relocate throughout North America. I would welcome a conversation if my experience fits one
of your search assignments.
Sincerely,
Mitchell Tuknik
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Of course you can also send your resume with a value proposition letter
and be successful in gaining the attention of the person who will be
hiring you.
The overall goal is to gain the interest of an employer so they will call
you. There is the three-point strategy and the five-point strategy.
Three-Point Strategy:
1. Focus: What are the business issues that are most important to
address? Example: Sales conversion rate? Lead generation? Length
of sales cycle?
2. Drive: Show a change from status quo. Example: Reduced costs,
increased sales, etc.
3. Metrics: Extremely important to decision makers and has big impact
on their evaluation of an issue.
Samples of value propositions courtesy of Mark Hovind:
Chief Financial Officer: I help construction companies increase margins
by negotiating contracts with large homebuilders. The companies Ive
already helped have increased gross margins from 32 percent to 40
percent in just six months.
Supply Chain Consultant: I help manufacturing companies move
production to China by negotiating supply chains in Mandarin and
English. My average client in the last two years increased earnings by
22 percent within 6 months.
These statements deliver big results and are written in such a way that
any reader can grasp the value in seconds. And even if you dont have
metrics, you can make an educated guess on the impact of your value
to a former company.
Five-Point Strategy:
1. Lead with an engaging question.
2. Present yourself as a solution (ROI).
3. One to two validating points (prove your value).
4. Why hire me branding statement.
5. Call to action.
The value proposition letter is short, less than 150 words. Avoid
overused phrases that will cement you into a hole with every other job
seeker. Your goal is to set yourself apart from your competition; show
this through clear statements, tangible results, and the unique way you
highlight your value.
Chapter 4: Career Marketing Documents: The Tools That Open Doors
65
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S U S A N L A N E
5 9 9
V I S T A
T E R R A C E
M I L W A U K E E ,
W I
5 3 2 0 2
S U S A N . L A N E @ G M A I L . C O M
4 1 4 - 2 6 8 - 3 3 5 4
Date
Name
Title
Company
name
Address
City,
State
Zip
Dear
Does
your
company
need
a
senior-level
merchandising
and
marketing
executive
who
can
turn
around
underperforming
sales
and/or
spur
growth?
I
have
done
just
that,
throughout
my
career,
at
both
retail
and
CPG
organizations.
Here
is
a
sampling
of
the
results
I
delivered:
As
the
General
Manager
for
a
$2
billion
business
unit,
I
led
a
previously
struggling
organization
to
become
the
fastest
growing
business
unit
in
the
company.
As
CEO
of
a
stagnant
$250
million
e-commerce
subsidiary,
I
drove
52%
revenue
growth
in
my
first
year,
and
achieved
profitability
for
the
first
time
in
the
fledgling
retailer's
history.
In
a
senior-level
merchandising
leadership
role
with
a
CPG
company,
I
built
a
sound
merchandising
organization,
helped
to
build
a
long-term
company
brand
strategy,
created
and
launched
new
products
to
successfully
resurrect
the
struggling
brand.
Following
my
companys
recent
merger,
I
am
exploring
new
opportunities
as
a
merchandising,
marketing
and
strategy
executive
for
a
large
organization,
or
as
CEO
of
a
smaller
company/business
unit.
I
would
welcome
a
conversation
to
determine
a
mutual
fit.
Sincerely,
Susan
Lane
67
E-Letter
An e-letter is a fresher,
easier-to-read version that
is much more acceptable
in todays digital job
search.
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69
Chapter
Converting Your
Documents into Plain
Text For Online Uses
(Plain Text, Rtf, Pdf)
How and When to Use Your
ASCII/Text RESUME
You only need to use your electronic resume (also
called text only/ASCII/online/electronic) format if
you are:
1. sending it within your e-mail message (if you
send it inside your e-mail message, it is included
right after your letter/message to the recipient);
2. posting it on a website online;
3. completing an online application; or
4. submitting it online to an employers website,
or if an employer requests a text only resume
sent via e-mail.
Otherwise, you can attach the original formatyour
Microsoft Word resume (the visually appealing one
with the graphics, bolds, italics, bullets, etc.). If youre
not sure what format someone wants, send both the
ASCII pasted inside your e-mail message box with
the MS Word resume attached to the message.
Again, use your electronic resume whenever
anyone requests that you send a TEXT ONLY or
ASCII FORMAT of your resume. You will also use
your electronic resume when you visit a website
with a position that you want to apply to and you
see the statement DO NOT SEND ANY FILE
ATTACHMENTS.
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71
5. You can insert your cover letter just before the resume inside the text
area of your e-mail message (your cover letter will then be followed
by your resume).
6. Click on Send.
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she really wants to talk to. So if you focus your goal on ensuring you are
the best fit for the types of positions you are seeking, the things that will
make you findable in applicant tracking systems will already be in your
resume and cover letterbecause they are important qualifications for
the type of position you are seeking.
When there are a large number of applicants for a position, the ATS
allows the hiring manager to screen out low-ranking resumes, saving
valuable time. In this instance, the applicant tracking system works
a bit like your e-mail Spam filter. It separates out resumes it doesnt
feel would be relevant for the position being filled. Like a Spam filter, it
recognizes content that might not be important.
The appeal of an ATS for those doing the hiring is clear. Looking for a
candidate with specific skills? Type them into a database and receive a
targeted list of candidates with exactly those skills.
Unfortunately, the reality hasnt quite panned out that way. These
applicant tracking systems are limited by the information they acquire
from job seekers resumes. If the resumes arent structured in a way that
fits the applicant tracking system, they can enter a black hole. Success
on the hiring side of things depends on querying the system with the
right keywords, specifications, and requirements to draw out resumes
that are the best fit for the position.
However, even if an applicant can do the job, if the resume doesnt work
well with the ATS, the recruiter or hiring manager wont find him or her.
One advantage for job seekers applying through an applicant tracking
system is that some systems automatically notify candidates whose
resumes dont meet the position requirements as identified by the ATS
software. Receiving a response to a manual resume submission is rare
due to the volume of applications many employers receiveso notification
by the ATS that the application has been rejected allows the candidate
to pursue other opportunities to be considered for the role (i.e., using
networking contacts), to tweak the resume, or to simply move on.
There are no clear statistics about the number of companies using
applicant tracking systems; however, its clear that those numbers will
continue to grow as the softwares cost comes down. You also might
not be aware of which companies are using an ATS when you submit
your resume; however, applicant tracking systems are currently being
used primarily in midsize and larger companies. Research indicates that
almost all Fortune 500 companies use ATS software.
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You can also use Googles Keyword Tool to find keywords to make your
resume more effective with applicant tracking systems.
1. Go to www.googlekeywordtool.com/
2. Click on the link for Google Keyword Tool.
4. For example, Jane Jobseeker might use the phrase attract event
sponsors.
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5. The Google Keyword Tool will return a list of results that are similar
to that word or phrase. Look for additional keyword ideas.
If your resume has keywords naturally woven throughout it, the process
of preparing it for submission to an applicant tracking system is quite
simplesimply ensure the resulting document is cleanly formatted for
compliance with the ATS.
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Date
Position
Description
The date should always appear to the right of the company name
for optimum reading by the applicant tracking system. Dates can be
included in almost any standard formatfor example: November 2012,
11/2012, or Nov. 2012.
Work experience sections should also include the skills used in the role
(including computer software and hardware, if relevant).
One nice thing about applicant tracking systems is that they are not
sensitive to the length of the resume, so two or more pages are fine.
However, they are sensitive to formatting issues.
Formatting a Resume for ATS Compliance:
1. Open the file in Microsoft Word. Under the File menu, choose Save
As. Rename the file (recommended format: LastNameJobTitle.txt)
and save as Text Only (.txt) format.
2. Close the Microsoft Word window. Open the .txt file in Microsoft
Word.
3. Fix any obvious formatting issues.
4. List your contact information at the top of the document, with each
piece of information on a new line. Label the phone number with
Phone: and e-mail address with E-mail:.
5. Create section headings (if they did not previously exist in the
resume). These can include Summary, Work Experience, and
Education. Use one heading per section (do not combine Education
and Training, for example) and include an extra return (an extra line)
between sections.
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ATS Checklist
The resume:
is saved in an approved formatas a .doc, .docx, or .txt
(PDF, RTF, and JPG formats are not ATS-friendly);
does not use fancy templates, borders, or shading;
is in a single-column format (no tables, multiple columns, or text
boxes);
uses simply formatted text of a reasonable size (10 point size or
above);
includes standard fonts (Arial, Georgia, Tahoma, Trebuchet,
and Verdana are all safe choices);
does not contain complex formatting (condensed or expanded
text)that is, dont use extra spaces between letters because
the ATS cant read it;
includes a few clearly defined sections: Summary, Work
Experience, and Education;
does not contain images or graphicsor, if they do appear, they
do not affect the single-column formatting (be warned, however,
that the simple inclusion of any graphics may be enough to
choke some applicant tracking systems);
does not include any information in the header or footer of the
document (if saved in Microsoft Word format);
has been thoroughly edited and spell-checked and there are no
errors (the ATS will not recognize misspelled words);
does not include any special characters or accented words;
contains proper capitalization and punctuation (both of these
can affect how information is parsed and assigned within the
ATS database;
uses the full, spelled-out version of a term in addition to abbreviations
and acronyms [e.g., Certified Public Accountant (CPA)];
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incorporates relevant, targeted keywords and phrases for
the type of position being sought (include specificse.g.,
Photoshop instead of image-editing software); and
has been customized for the position being sought (one-sizefits-all does not work with applicant tracking systems)
Other Dos and Donts for Applicant Tracking Systems:
When applying for a specific position, do use that job title on the
resume.
Do include the descriptor Phone: and E-mail: in front of the phone
number and e-mail address so the ATS can identify this information.
When listing dates for employment or education, do put the dates to
the right of the information.
Do consider including section headers in ALL CAPS to make it easy
for the applicant tracking system to categorize the information.
If you are working towards a degree or certification that is a
requirement for the position, do include it on the resumebut make
sure you include a phrase such as Pursuing (name of credential) or
Degree anticipated (date).
Do check your e-mail after applying for a position online. Some applicant
tracking systems acknowledge submissions, but because these are
automated responses, it may be diverted to your Spam folder.
Do be mindful of special characters and accents you use on your
resume. Some words and phrases can be misinterpreted by an
applicant tracking systemfor example, accented words. The word
resume itself is not ATS-friendly. The ATS does not recognize the
accented letters. Instead, it reads it as r?sum?.
Do not list your credentials (MBA, CPA, etc.) next to your name.
Include that information on a separate line.
Do not include skills you dont possess on the resume as an attempt
to trick the applicant tracking system into selecting you. (Remember,
the resume will eventually be reviewed by a human.)
Do not mix different font styles and sizes in your resume.
Do not submit multiple resumes to the same company. Applicant
tracking systems have a memoryall those previous submissions
remain in the system. You can apply to multiple related positions, but
make sure the resume information is consistent (the number of years
in a particular job, for example) because the hiring manager will have
access to the other versions too.
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Chapter
Companies are
increasingly relying
on social networks,
such as LinkedIn
and other online
social networks,
to evaluate the
suitability of any
candidate.
Other Marketing
Documents: Leadership
Addenda, Bios, Visibility,
LinkedIn
Online Resume
For the past ten years, the importance of a job
seeker having an online presence has grown
exponentially. There are many reasons why
having a paper resume only just wont cut it in
todays multimedia world. Just one year ago, over
30 percent of employers were using Facebook
and LinkedIn as resources to find potential
employees. The percentages have changed in
just a year to over 50 percent. It could be a costly
mistake if you dont have an online resume.
1. Dont be tempted to just copy your paper
resume into an online resume. One key
benefit to having an online resume is that
it should contain keywords. Keywords are
how people find you online. Using certain
keywords in headers, URLs, and links can
get you ranking online. Recruiters and hiring
managers also use LinkedIn as a resource
and keyword search candidates on a regular
basis. Do you know what keywords are best?
The most effective keywords would relate to
your position and industry.
2. The world is moving so fast today, most people
dont have time to read resumes; they scan
them first. The same is true of online resumes,
and even more significant is a format that
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allows people to scan the screen and get value and content quickly.
Formatting Tips:
a. Bullet point key accomplishments. (Front-loaded with results
first, action second. No lengthy paragraphsthe reader will not
read it at first glance.)
b.
Keep a good proportion of white space. Dont clutter with
distracting formatting or overly compact spacing.
c. Create sections in your resume with clear headings. This allows
the reader to skim to the most important sections first.
d. Leverage the advantage of being able to use hyperlinks, images,
and video. Use caution not to clutter page while keeping it
visually appealing.
3. Accurate online identity is essential during a job search. If your
paper resume shows that you have a masters degree, but your
LinkedIn profile shows only a bachelors degree, the hiring manager
may question truth vs. fact. Conflicting information can hurt your
chances and create a negative impression.
Controlling all the information that is out on the Internet is practically
impossible. Keep a close eye on your online identity. You want to avoid
an issue where a person with the same name (whose reputation is less
than stellar) gets mixed up with your profile. It can and has happened,
so be alert.
The valid point here is that companies are increasingly relying on
social networks such as LinkedIn and other online social networks as
well as video profiles, surveys, and even online challenges to evaluate
the suitability of any candidate. Make it easy for recruiters and hiring
managers to find you by having a keyword-driven online resume and
LinkedIn profile, and that your job search tools include more than just a
regular resume.
Websites like http://www.intrvue.com, and http://www.careerfolios.com
are excellent resources for job seekers to create web resumes. The
multimedia venues offer web resumes for an individual to upload resume
content, graphics, references, and more.
LEADERSHIP ADDENDA Highlights critical leadership initiatives and
career-defining successes.
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WAYNE FRENCH
Identified incremental growth opportunity and delivered the "Frys for Business" division
Frys was dominant in the consumer electronics space, but growth percentage had started to trail off in spite
of market share gains. Frys senior executive team was challenged to find new customers and value
propositions to create organic growth. As Senior Vice President, I led a team, which identified new value
propositions that addressed the unmet technology needs of the small business customer.
Solution:
Leveraged existing enterprise structure and capabilities combined with new, complimentary
business models:
Created two new channels of sales (call center and on-site consulting) to target small
businesses.
Established sales strategies, support capabilities, operating model, budgets and P&L,
performance measures and scorecards, and talent management to successfully launch and
operate these new channels.
Opened a call center as a direct-sale model (similar to HP) with telephone consultants
that had access to a much wider assortment of business products than was typically
available in stores.
Impact:
Originated a $2.5 billion business model focused on the needs of small business customers
delivered through the multi-channel offering of retail, call center and on-site consulting.
Individual sales often amounted to over $250,000 and were extremely profitable.
Analysis:
I lead innovation and continuously seek business growth opportunities. I helped Frys
identify a new revenue stream outside of the "Big Box" channel through on-site consulting
and call center models. All channels in this multi-channel business model (stores, call
center, on-site consultants) worked together to more effectively serve customer needs,
making Frys offering unique and providing a distinct competitive advantage.
Impact:
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Eliminated $125 million of non-customer facing labor from stores and improved sales
conversion rates 12%.
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Created capability for dramatic new store expansion and increased profitability
Frys had been growing at the rate of 10 to 15 stores per year with most new stores losing money in the first
year because of challenges with the store opening process. As Vice President of Operations, I restructured
the store opening process and created excellence of execution to support companys domestic and Canadian
growth strategy for both standard prototype and new, smaller concept stores.
Solution:
Impact:
Company opened 75 new stores per year (up from 10) with each new store attaining
profitability in the first year.
Analysis:
New stores added $1.75 billion of new revenue and incremental earnings.
Opening process was known internally as core strength of the organization and externally
as best-of-class.
I drive operational and service excellence, as well as leverage current capabilities and
innovation to make growth happen. This effort provided the capacity to meet and exceed
our companys domestic and international retail expansion goals.
Initiated profitable new revenue opportunities from customer traffic and credit
penetration
Frys was not tapping additional value by capturing, growing and retaining customers. As Vice President of
Operations, I spearheaded innovative, profitable new revenue opportunities that sparked an industry-wide
trend through Gift Card expansion and increased credit penetration.
Solution:
Gift cards were sold at the registers, accounted for approximately $305 million point of
sales, and translated to $660 at redemption. Devised plan to grow Frys gift card sales to $1.2
billion at point of sale and more than $1.5 billion at redemption (providing 7% of incremental
company growth):
Impact:
Results were enormous! Gift card sales more than doubled to $675 million in the first year with
nearly $0 extra cost. Revenues of $1.5 billion at redemption were cited as the reason company
exceeded its earnings forecast that year.
Sales continued to grow to $875 million the following year ($1.9 billion at redemption).
Success of the Frys gift card program sparked the entire industry and was copied by major
players such as Lowes and Target.
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In addition, the company transacted only ~10% of its business (well below other retailers) on the
private label credit card. However, an opportunity existed to double the penetration.
Developed training to sell the card benefits, performance targets and score cards.
Created in-store merchandising to promote the programs benefits
Worked with Credit Executive Steering team to map out a strategy to drive penetration.
Impact:
Credit penetration surged from 10% to 18% of sales in approximately 16 months. Membership
grew in the millions with a $22 million reduction in transaction costs. The programs enabled the
company to take a giant step in developing customer acquisition, retention and insight.
Analysis:
Impact:
Bedroom and bedding sales increased 18% and extended Wilmingtons lead as the #1 bedding
retailer by far in Illinois:
Analysis:
Despite the economic climate, I provide vision and effective leadership to turnaround
organizations. Our company was now positioned to retain #1 share in its marketplace and
to grow into other markets, which would allow company to double in size with no outside
investment.
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(215) 609-4450
white.da5@verizon.net
E X E C U T I VE B I O
Change agent driving unprecedented industry-leading revenue and market share results
for technology products and services in the U.S. and internationally through astute
P&L management, incisive problem solving, innovative marketing and product development,
and adept people/team leadership.
Donald Whites distinguished career encompasses revitalizing failing business units, resolving critical
business challenges, innovating several industry firsts, and delivering breakthrough results in executive
marketing, sales, and divisional roles for the past 12 years at Davis Enterprises, $1.6 billion global
technology leader in the manufacture of printing technology.
Promoted rapidly to senior marketing executive roles for the U.S. Davis Enterprises headquarters and a
$350 million divisions of products, services and consumables, he holds three concurrent roles as Chief
Marketing Executive, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Senior Vice President of
Consumable Sales. He also serves as Executive Board member.
He currently leads a 125-person team in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and directs global marketing and
product lifecycle management for the companys 9 product lines and 475 products. He restructured the
Product Management organization, driving tactics and partnerships that solidified the Companys
reputation as the technology-dominant market leader in hardware, software consumables and services.
He has spearheaded the launch of 28 hardware, software and service productsas well as opened the
industrys largest demonstration facilityand streamlined time-to-market of new product launches by
31%. Five of the products have earned the Printing Industries of Americas InterTECH Technology
Awardthe industrys most prestigious honor for major industry impact.
The printing technology industry has changed dramatically during the past 15 years, and James has been
on the cutting-edge of the changes that have driven the companys success. He has delivered pivotal
business-building results while leading the organization through successful restructurings, acquisitions,
divisional start-ups and growth strategies.
For example, he was instrumental in returning the company to market dominance after the 2004 and
2010 recessions, with 58% of market share and the industrys highest favorability rating at 65%. Donald
restructured the field sales and service organization and Davie Enterprises North American headquarters,
including delivering $54 million in cost savings and improving morale. These accomplishments are even
more significant in light of the simultaneous 32% reduction-in-force. In addition, he invented the
Magalog, a combination magazine and product catalog, which decreased direct mail, costs by 88%
while increasing participation levels to over 30,500 subscribers.
His career with Davis Enterprises began in 1996 as Divisional Vice President, International Sales, where
he rapidly established himself as a key leader in the company by more than doubling international sales
in only three years and opening 186 distributorships in 75+ countries.
Promoted to Corporate Vice President, Direct Marketing and Sales in 1998, Donald created the National
Development Sales Organization and the Companys first direct marketing call center, which generated
$50+ million in equipment sales over a three-year period. Subsequently he rose to Vice President and
Senior Vice President of Marketing (2002 to 2007), during which he reorganized the Marketing
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department and elevated the Companys image as the industrys leading solution supplier while improving
marketing cost structure and efficiency, saving millions of dollars annually.
Donald also pioneered the Companys Consumables business line from inception to a $52 million a year
division. He built the divisions sales organization and opened a national call center that has produced
$155 million in product, accessories and service sales since its inception in 2004. He also established an
online store that has surpassed $165 million in sales with over 50,000 customers.
Donald is a consummate leader and coach, known for developing people to achieve peak performance
and creating work environments that foster high employee engagement as well as superior productivity.
For example, Donald hired and mentored seven of the organizations top 10 sales performers. His
negotiation skills are top-notch, having secured benchmark partnership agreements with industry leaders
such as Print Shop International, Staples Printing, and KMS.
Donald has extensive experience in industry and board leadership, where his industry knowledge and
expertise are highly sought. He serves as an Executive Board Member of the Printing Industries of
America and chairs the Board of Directors for University of Pennsylvanias Institute of Packaging &
Graphic Design. He has delivered keynote speeches for the Mexico Bureau of International Tourism and
Trade and the Michigan Print Production Association, served as an Executive Instructor for Franklin
Covey, and lectured at the University of Austin and UCLA. During his career, Donald has earned several
awards, including TELLY Award, Premier Print and CINE Golden Eagle.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from University of Notre Dame and is a graduate of
the prestigious International Executive Development Program for Davis Enterprises.
LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn has become
the first point of contact
many recruiters have with
prospects.
Jean Cummings
This profile is the go-to
place for interested hiring
managers and recruiters
who want to learn more
about a candidate whose
resume they have read.
LinkedIn is the perfect
place to express more of
your unique value, not
simply to duplicate what is
already known.
Debra OReilly
and compelling.
The purpose of this section is to help you develop a LinkedIn profile that
will lead to job opportunities, contacts from prospective employers and
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recruiters, and increased visibility online. All of these will help in your job
search.
One of the most effective ways to establish a presence online (so that
you are found when someone Googles you) is with a LinkedIn profile.
You want an online profile that you control, that you can take with you
(independent of any employer), and that demonstrates what kind of
job candidate you are (and what you do). Best of all, LinkedIns basic
features are free.
Your LinkedIn profile is a marketing piecenot a biography or a resume.
Its not designed to outline your entire professional history. Instead, it
provides enough information to get people to connect with youand/or
make a contact with you. Because its a marketing piece, you need to
come up with a headline that will instantly attract the attention of your
reader. You have approximately twenty seconds to catch the attention of
a visitor to your profile. Consequently, you must find a way to stand out
in a crowd. If your profile is like every other profile on LinkedIn, you wont
stand out, and you wont be found as easily.
One of LinkedIns most robust
features is the ability to connect
to decision makers and hiring
authorities through the side
door that is, leveraging
introductions to the people
who know the right people. Job
seekers should build a flexible
library of communications for
specific LI scenarios, ranging
from I see you are connected
with xxx and would very much
appreciate an introduction
to I see we share a common
interest in xxx and would love
to learn more about how you
got involved in this association.
Personalizing and warming up
those introductions is key to
cementing a connection, but its
easier when a job seeker doesnt
have to reinvent the wheel each
time he or she reaches out.
Jan Melnik
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A well-written headline will also help you to structure the rest of the
information you include in your LinkedIn profile. If the information
doesnt support the headline, consider whether it should be included at
all. Remember, focus is important.
Note: LinkedIns default for your headline is your job title and company.
If you dont change it, this is what LinkedIn will show on your profile.
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Now its time to narrow down your keywords and pick a top ten that you
will use in your LinkedIn headline and profile.
The keywords that you select for your profile must fit two criteria:
1. They must speak to your onlynessthat is, what you want to be
known for.
2. They must align with what employers valuethat is, what they want.
Focusing on these areas enables you to get the most out of your online
efforts while differentiating you from other job candidates with the same
job title. You need to express clearly: I am this. Someone who is
reading your LinkedIn profile should be able to recognize you in it. If
what you wrote could apply to anyone with your job description, revise
what youve written.
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2. What You Do. This strategy focuses on job functions instead of job
titles. The advantage to this headline strategy is that job functions
often make excellent keywords. The possible problem is if you
simply string together a bunch of job functions without creating a
story to explain who you are (along with what you do), so make sure
you add some context to your keywords/job functions.
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This strategy can also incorporate key projects and/or the names
of key clients or important employers, especially if any of those have
high name recognition value. You may also wish to include a specific
industry or geographic area to your job functionfocused headline.
Here is an example that uses job function and targets the kinds of clients
this consultant serves:
3. The Big Benefit. Its important to identify the primary benefit you
have to offer a prospective employer. Target what author Susan
Britton Whitcomb says are Employer Buying Motivators in her book
Resume Magic. The twelve specific needs a company has include
the companys desire to: make money, save money, save time,
make work easier, solve a specific problem, be more competitive,
build relationships or an image, expand their business, attract new
customers, and/or retain existing customers.
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How can you be a problem solver for your next employer? Think about
the job you want and what your next boss would want in an employee in
that role. Make that the focus of your headline.
This can be expressed in several different ways:
1. (Job Title) That Gets (Results)
2. (Adjective) (Job Title) with a Track Record of Success in (Results)
For example:
Be specific! Adding numbers and other specific wording can make your
LinkedIn headline much more powerful. Here is the same strategy, but
this one quantifies the scope and scale of the benefit to the employer:
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This strategy also works if you can make a claim that is defensible (if the
statement is arguably true). Put the claim in quotes so it appears as if
it was published somewhere.
If you are having trouble writing your LinkedIn headline, write a very
rough draft. It doesnt matter if its not good, or if you have to leave some
blanks. Having a framework will make it easier for you to complete later.
Go ahead and finish writing the rest of your LinkedIn profile and then
come back to it. Oftentimes, the headline will become much clearer at
that point. (Just remember to review your LinkedIn profile to make sure
all the information youve included supports the focus of the content, as
directed by the headline and summary.)
You can also look on LinkedIn for inspiration. Check out the headlines
and summaries of people youre connected with, or do a search for
others in your field. Just remember not to copy their information; instead,
use it as inspiration.
On the Edit Profile page, click the Edit button next to your name.
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You will be taken to a Basic Information page where you can type your
headline into a text box labeled Professional Headline.
Theres one more thing you should consider on the Basic Information
page. Remember, LinkedIn will display your name, headline, and
location on its search results page. You can adjust what information
LinkedIn shows in the results using the Location & Industry section. Be
sure to click Save Changes before leaving the page.
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103
closed, for example), or that you are available immediately. Give the
reader information on how to contact you. (Note: LinkedIns Terms
of Service prohibit you from providing your e-mail address directly
in this section. Instead, direct them to connect with you on LinkedIn,
or use one of your links to provide a method for direct contact.) You
can also use the Personal Information section to provide a phone
number.
Using these strategies, you can develop a LinkedIn headline and
summary that will lead to job opportunities, contacts from prospective
employers and recruiters, and increased visibility online for your job
search.
LinkedIn Strategies
Typos. This may seem silly to some, but this is a real turnoff to viewers
of LinkedIn profiles. LinkedIn does not have an automatic spell-checker,
and simple errors in company
It is critical to have a nice headshot names, job descriptions, etc., can
for your photo and detrimental to not sabotage you. I recommend writing
have a photo of yourself. It should
up content in a Word processing
be professional looking without
program
and
spell-checking
artifice, and make the reader of your it before transferring it over to
LinkedIn.
profile want to meet you!
Jill Grindle
In addition to your profile, LinkedIn
yields a lot of information about
your interests and areas of
expertise. Are you active on
groups? Whom do you follow?
Does your activity on LinkedIn fit
your professional brand? Create
a cohesive branding image. Use
LinkedIn not only to build your
brand, but also to expand your
network and research capabilities.
Have you identified an ideal
employer? Learn about the
company and mine for contacts
through the corporations LinkedIn
page or Groups.
Debra OReilly
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105
Chapter
Your Professional
References
At some point in the hiring process, a recruiter,
hiring manager, or human resources manager will
be asking for references. Dont be misled by the
Internet thinking that people will find everything
they need to know about you online and not ask
for references. This is still an important part of
checking out any job seeker. Recruiters expect to
hear raving comments from a reference. Only use
someone you can rely on to sing your praises.
Establishing a strong and credible set of references
can make the difference in obtaining a job offer or
not. This critical step in the employment process
is often regarded as something that you, the
candidate, take for granted or cannot control. This
should not be the case.
Reference checks are normally made toward the
end of the interviewing process, either just before or
just after a selection decision has been made by the
hiring organization. Most companies make phone,
rather than letter, inquiries. This allows them to better
judge the responses by the tone of the person giving
the reference. This discussion centers around the
verification of the information and feelings obtained
in the interview process; references provide a
witness to your accomplishments and personal
attributes. Generally speaking, references involve a
discussion of:
Relationship to Candidate
Accomplishments
Strengths
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Weaknesses
Personal Traits/Interpersonal Skills
Reasons for Leaving
360-Degree References
To help the hiring manager get an overall perspective of who you are
and what you can do, include a boss, a colleague, and a person you
managed in your list of references. Also, be prepared for recruiters to
ask for additional references who are not on your list. Yes, many times
a recruiter will ask your references, Who else do you know who worked
with John? Consider the next level of references who are connected
to the people you have on your list to make sure they are prepared
and willing to be interviewed by a hiring manager. You may need to
recommend to your references, If you are asked for someone who
can verify my strengths in XX, Bill Smith is willing to speak to a hiring
manager about that.
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Develop your list of references and carry it with you at all times. In most
cases, you will be asked to provide references after mutual interest has
been established, and sometimes even before you are called for an
interview, so be prepared.
Reference Questions
To assist you in understanding the types of questions that are asked in
a reference-checking situation, here is a prepared list for you to review.
You should determine which of these questions are appropriate for your
situation, and ensure that you have covered them adequately with your
former employers and associates.
What were the candidates responsibilities? Salary? Dates?
What was your relationship to him/her? How Long?
How would you rate the candidates quality and quantity of work?
How would you compare his/her performance with similar peers?
How would you describe the candidates attitude?
How were his/her relationships with his/her staff?
How well did he/she work with others? Why?
How well did he/she work under pressure? Example?
What was the most effective way to motivate the candidate?
How did you feel about his/her management practices and style?
How would you describe the candidates success in training,
developing, and motivating subordinates?
What do former subordinates say about the candidate?
What could he/she have done to produce even better results?
In your opinion, what does he/she need to do for continued professional
growth and development?
What were the circumstances under which he/she left your employ?
What do you think is the ideal position for him/her? Why?
Is there anything else you could add which would give me a more
complete picture of this candidate? Personal/family problems?
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Sent
Date
Here is a sample of what a typical completed reference sheet may look like.
Reference Sample
References
Ms. John Jones
National Compliance
Practice Leader
The X Company
1920 North Street,
NW, Suite 400
Washington DC 20036
202-222-2222
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Ms. Margaret
Mendoza
Employer
Contributions Manager
Atlas Funds
754 Minnesota
Avenue, Suite 522
Kansas City, Kansas
66101
913-222-2222
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Online References
Recommendations can
also provide search
engine optimization (SEO)
resultsthey will help
you get foundboth on
LinkedIn as well as on
search engines.
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LinkedIn, and on the right-hand side of the page, youll see a box for
(Name) Recommends. You can see excerpts of their recommendations,
or click the link for See All Recommendations.
Recommendations can also provide search engine optimization (SEO)
resultsmeaning, they will help you get foundboth on LinkedIn as
well as on search engines. Use industry-specific terminology in your
recommendations. Keywords included in LinkedIn recommendations also
receive emphasis in search engine resultsespecially searches within
LinkedIn. When conducting a keyword search, all the keywords in a profile
are indexed, and profiles with a high match of relevant keywords come up
higher in the results listings. Although LinkedIns specific algorithms are
secret, some experts suggest that keywords in recommendations receive
double the rankings of keywords provided in the profile itself.
How many recommendations you have on your profile depends on how
many contacts you have. A good guideline is one to two recommendations
for every fifty connections. Ideally, these will be a variety of individuals
not just supervisors, but coworkers, people you supervise, and clients/
customers. Choose quality over quantity.
Recommendations should be built up over time. Because
recommendations have a date attached to them, dont try to solicit
all of your recommendations at once. Dont write and send your
recommendations all at once either. Recommendations are date
stamped, so the reader will be able to see when they were added to
your page. Its best if they are added gradually, over time.
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Choose the qualities you want to emphasize in the person you are
recommending. You may choose to use what author and speaker Lisa
B. Marshall calls the rule of threes. Simply stated, concepts or ideas
presented in groups of three are more interesting, more enjoyable, and
more memorable.
In general, you will want to showcase transferable skills, because these
will be the most relevant for your contacts when they are using LinkedIn
for a job search or business development.
The top ten skills employers are looking for in employees are:
1. Communication Skills (verbal and written)
2. Integrity and Honesty
3. Teamwork Skills (works well with others)
4. Interpersonal Skills (relates well to others)
5. Motivation/Initiative
6. Strong Work Ethic
7. Analytical Skills
8. Flexibility and Adaptability
9. Computer Skills
10. Organizational Skills
These are the types of attributes you can focus on in your recommendation.
Use the following formula for a LinkedIn recommendation to write a great
recommendation.
Here is a simple formula for a LinkedIn recommendation:
1. Start with how you know the person (one sentence). Give
context for the relationship beyond just the job title and organization/
company/school, although that can be a good way to start your
recommendation. (Ive known Amy for ten years, ever since I joined
XYZ Company. She was my lead project manager when I was an
analyst.)
2. Be specific about why you are recommending the individual
(one sentence). What qualities make him or her most valuable?
Emphasize what the person did that set him or her apart. What is his
work style? Does she have a defining characteristic? To be effective,
recommendations should focus on specific qualifications.
3. Tell a story (three to five sentences). Back up your recommendation
with a specific example. Your recommendation should demonstrate
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that you know the person well, so tell a story that only you could tell.
And provide social proof in the storygive scope and scale for the
accomplishments. Dont just say the individual youre recommending
led the teamsay he led a five-person team or a twenty-twoperson
team. Supporting evidencenumbers, percentages, and dollar
figureslends detail and credibility to your story.
4. End with a call to action (one sentence). Finish with the statement
I recommend (name) and the reason why you would recommend
him or her.
In the first sentence, you describe how you know the individual and give
context about why you are qualified to recommend him or her.
(Name) and I have worked together . . .
Ive known (name) for (how long) . . .
For the second bullet point, you can set up the description of his or her
qualities by providing an overview sentence. Here are some examples:
Able to delegate . . .
Able to implement . . .
Able to plan . . .
Able to train . . .
Consistent record of . . .
Customer-centered leader . . .
Effective in _________
Experienced professional in the _____ industry
Held key role in ________________
Highly organized and effective . . .
High-tech achiever recognized for . . .
Proficient in managing multiple priorities and projects . . .
Recognized and appreciated by . . .
Served as a liaison between _________
Strong project manager with . . .
Subject matter expert in _____
Team player with . . .
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Accomplished
Accurate
Ace
Achievementoriented
Action-driven
Active
Adaptable
Adept
Adventurous
Aggressive
Ambitious
Analytical
Articulate
Assertive
Authentic
Authoritative
Award-winning
Bilingual
Bold
Bright
Budget-driven
Calm
Capable
Caring
Charming
Cheerful
Collaborative
Colorful
Committed
Communicative Communityoriented
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Competitive
Computersavvy
Confident
Congenial
Connected
Conscientious
Conservative
Convincing
Cooperative
Courageous
Creative
Credible
Culturally
sensitive
Curious
Customerfocused
Customeroriented
Daring
Deadlineoriented
Decisive
Dependable
Detail-minded
Detail-oriented
Determined
Devoted
Diligent
Diplomatic
Directed
Discreet
Dramatic
Driven
Dynamic
Eager
Earnest
Easygoing
Effective
Efficient
Eloquent
Employeefocused
Empowered
Encouraging
Energetic
Enterprising
Entertaining
Enthusiastic
Entrepreneurial
Ethical
Exceptional
Experienced
Expert
Expressive
Extroverted
Fair
Flexible
Forceful
Formal
Forwardthinking
Friendly
Fun-loving
Funny
Future-oriented
Generous
Genuine
Gifted
Global
Goal-oriented
Happy-go-lucky Hardworking
Healthconscious
Healthy
Helpful
Heroic
High-energy
High-impact
High-potential
Honest
Humorous
Imaginative
Impressive
Incomparable
Independent
Industrious
Influential
Ingenious
Innovative
Insightful
Inspiring
Intelligent
Intense
Intuitive
Inventive
Judicious
Kind
Knowledgeable
Likable
Logical
Loyal
Market-driven
Masterful
Mature
Methodical
Meticulous
Modern
Moral
Motivated
Multilingual
Multitalented
Notable
Noteworthy
Objective
Observant
Open-minded
Optimistic
Orderly
Original
Organized
Outgoing
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Outstanding
Passionate
Patient
People-oriented
Perceptive
Perfectionist
Performancedriven
Persevering
Persistent
Personable
Persuasive
Philanthropic
Pioneering
Poised
Polished
Popular
Positive
Practical
Pragmatic
Precise
Principled
Proactive
Problem solver
Productive
Professional
Proficient
Progressive
Prolific
Prominent
Prompt
Proven
Prudent
Punctual
Quality-driven
Quick-thinking
Quirky
Reactive
Refined
Reliable
Reputable
Resilient
Resourceful
Respected
Responsible
Results-driven
Resultsoriented
Rigorous
Risk-taking
Safetyconscious
Savvy
Seasoned
Selfaccountable
Self-confident
Self-directed
Self-driven
Self-managing
Self-motivated
Self-starting
Sensible
Sensitive
Serviceoriented
Sharp
Sincere
Skilled
Skillful
Sophisticated
Spirited
Spiritual
Steady
Strategic
Strong
Successful
Supportive
Tactful
Talented
Task-driven
Team-oriented
Team player
Technical
Tenacious
Thorough
Tolerant
Top performer
Top-performing
Top-producing
Tough
Tough-minded
Traditional
Trained
Trendsetting
Troubleshooter
Trusted
Trustworthy
Undaunted
Understanding
Unrelenting
Upbeat
Valiant
Valuable
Vaunted
Versatile
Veteran
Visionary
Vital
Warm
Well-organized
Well-versed
Willing
Winning
Wise
Witty
Worldly
Youthful
Zealous
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Make sure the recommendation you write is clearly about the person
youre recommending. That sounds like common sense, but many
recommendations are too vague or too generalthey could be about
anyone, not this specific individual. To be effective, the recommendation
you write should not be applicable to anyone else.
Recommendations that you write should be:
1. Genuine
2. Specific
3. Descriptive (with detailed characteristics)
4. Powerful (including specific achievements, when possible)
5. Memorable
6. Honest/Truthful (credibility is important; avoid puffery or exaggeration)
Length is an important consideration when writing LinkedIn
recommendations. Keep your recommendations under two hundred
words whenever possible. Some of the most effective LinkedIn
recommendations are only fifty to one hundred words.
You may find it useful to look at other recommendations before writing
yours. You can do a search on LinkedIn for others with that job title, and
check out the recommendations on their profiles.
You can use LinkedIns Advanced People Search function to conduct a
search. At the top right-hand side of the page, click the Advanced link
next to the People search box.
You can enter in keywords or job titles to find profiles related to the type
of recommendation you are writing.
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You can then browse the listings that come up as matches and check
out the recommendations on those profiles.
Consider drafting your recommendation in Microsoft Word or a text
editor. Because LinkedIn does not have a built-in spell-check function,
this will help ensure your text does not contain spelling errors. You can
also check your grammar in Microsoft Word, and use the Word Count
feature to determine the length of your recommendation.
Now youre ready to actually create the recommendation in LinkedIn.
This will take you to a separate screen where you can manage the
recommendations youve received and make a recommendation.
You will also see tabs on this page where you can view your Sent
Recommendations and Request Recommendations.
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4. Student (he was at the school when you were there, either as a
fellow student or as a teacher)
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Youll be asked how you know the person and can select the job or
school you were at during that time.
Paste in the recommendation text you created in the first section of this
report.
In some instances (mainly when selecting Service Provider as the
way to recommend the individual), you may be asked to select Top
Attributes of the person youre recommending. LinkedIn will supply
some suggested qualities for you to choose from. When you are given
this option on the Recommendation page, you must choose three (no
more, no less!)but because it autofills the attributes, they may not be
as relevant as the ones you would choose yourself.
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When you are finished, click on the View/Edit link at the bottom of
the Create your recommendation pagethis link allows you to include
a personal message with the notification e-mail. Let the person youre
recommending know this is a rough draft, and encourage suggestions
for improvement.
The person you recommend will get your e-mail, notifying him or her that
youve made a recommendation.
If you dont receive a reply from the individual youve recommended
within a week, follow up and make sure he received it.
Keep in mind that you can change (or remove) recommendations youve
given.
Under the Profile menu, choose Recommendations.
This will take you to a page where you can see the recommendations youve
written. You can also edit recommendations from this page and choose who
can see the recommendations youve written. (Options for Display on my
profile to: include Everyone, Connections only, and No one.)
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You can click on the blue Withdraw this recommendation link to remove
the recommendation. You will be asked to confirm this change:
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You will be taken to a page that says Ask the people who know you best
to endorse you on LinkedIn.
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Under Create your message, you will want to customize your request.
Replace the existing text with a personalized message. Although LinkedIn
gives you the option of sending bulk recommendation requests, dont
do it. Each request should be personalized to the individual you are
asking for a recommendation.
When asking for a recommendation, ask for one related to a specific
project. For example:
Could you provide me with a recommendation based on our work
together on (X Project)?
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When you click on the link at the bottom of the e-mail, you will be taken
to the same message in your LinkedIn account (you may need to sign
in to your LinkedIn account, if you are not already). It will ask you if
you want to Show this recommendation on my profile or Hide this
recommendation on my profile. Choose one option and then click
Accept Recommendation.
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At the top of the page, it will show you any recommendations youve
received that have not yet been added to your profile. The second
section is Manage recommendations youve received.
In the section below that heading, youll see a list of your current positions
and any recommendations youve received, associated with each job
position youve listed in your profile.
If you click on the Manage link, you will see the recommendations
youve received for that position. You can click the checkbox above the
word show, and it will change that recommendation to hidden on your
profile. When you click Save Changes at the bottom of the page, it will
remove that recommendation from being visible on your profile.
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quite successful for many job seekers. So think a little out of the box,
and take a few of the great things that people are saying about you in
your recommendations, and put them in different areas of your LinkedIn
profile.
Most people say their main fault is a lack of discipline. On deeper
thought, I believe that is not the case. The basic problem is that
their priorities have not become deeply planted in their hearts and
minds.
Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
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Chapter
Conclusion
Conclusion
135
List of Contributors
Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of eight careers
books, including Resume Magic, and founder of
TheAcademies.com for career coach training.
Jean Cummings, M.A.T., CPRW, CPBS, CEIP; A
Resume For Today
Ken Diamond, President, Digital Action Executive
Search, Founder, & CEO of WinTheView.com
Wendy Enelow, CCM, MRW, JCTC, CPRW - CoFounder & Executive Director; Career Thought
Leaders Consortium
Jill Grindle, CPRW; Pinnacle Resumes, LLC
Meg Guiseppi, Personal Branding and Executive
Job Search Strategist and CEO of Executive
Career Brand
Mark Hovind; JobBait, Inc.
Jill Konrath, Author, Speaker, Strategist
Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP,
CCM; Executive Resume Writer / Career
Consultant / Author / Speaker; Your Best
Impression
Jan Melnik, M.A., MRW, CCM, CPRW; Absolute
Advantage
Debra OReilly, CPRW, CJSS, JCTC, CEIP;
ResumeWriter.com
Michael Robinson, Ph.D., Master Club Manager;
Robinson Club Consultants
Kim Schneiderman, CLTMC, NCRW, CEIC; City
Career Services
Bridget Weide Brooks; Resume Writers Digest
Jeannine Wirth, PE, CCMC; Rivers Quest Consulting
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AC uh ta hp ot er rs
137