The job market is looking up…so don’t miss out. This weekend we are publishing the largest hotlist of open job opportunities we’ve ever seen at STRe. To get a copy send an email to hotlist@stresolutions.com.

It’s important to evaluate your career goals to determine if you are on the right track. Many careers were put on hold, or even detoured during the recession. Now is the time to assess your current career track to determine if your career needs an adjustment. Here’s an article from Kathy Ullrich, another executive recruiter, with some career tips to refresh your job search.

11 Smart Career Tips for 2011
By Kathy Ullrich
Andy Warhol said, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.”
As a passionate executive recruiter, I couldn’t agree more, particularly when it comes to professionals being good in managing their careers. Here are 11 smart, specific career tips:

1. Look out for #1. Take responsibility for your own career development. Many large organizations have scaled back on training and development—a common outcome of the economic downturn—and small companies can rarely provide significant support. Simply put, your career rests in one set of hands: yours.

2. Be strategic. Have a long-term career strategy or, at the very least, a sense for where you’re headed. Ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” or “Where do I see myself in five to ten years?” Seek people in similar roles and ask for their advice.

3. Work in step with your company’s goals. Connect the dots from your role to your company’s vision and key objectives. How does your work align with the organization’s goals? What can you do to maximize your contributions?

4. Be customer-centric. Whether your customers are internal or external, know their wants and needs, and be fervent about meeting them. Bring the voice of the customer into your day-to-day work and let it enhance your decisions and deliverables.

5. Collaborate. Working with and through others is requisite to innovating, creating, and producing business results. Adopt a mindset for teaming and collaborating, and put it into daily practice.

6. Hone your communication skills. Communication skills can make or break careers. Pick one area that needs your attention—considering skills such as listening, presenting, influencing, persuading, or distilling messages—and commit to improvement. Take a class, practice with a trusted friend or colleague, or join a group such as Toastmasters.

7. Cross over functionally. Many successful executives have risen through the ranks by taking cross-functional roles, such as moving from finance to sales or from marketing to IT. Follow their lead and you can grow your skills, your network, and your political capital.

8. Expand your experience. Volunteer for special projects or assignments that are outside your everyday role. Discuss your goals with your boss, an HR representative, or a senior leader, and ask for help in finding opportunities to broaden your experience base.

9. Find a guide. Mentors can serve as influential role models and provide important guidance for your career. Reach out to a potential mentor within your company or industry and see if he or she would be open to mentoring you for a specific purpose and timeframe.

10. Network—now. The best time to increase your network is today. Starting now, get involved in groups such as professional associations, charitable organizations, or even sports leagues. Step into leadership roles and make your expertise known.

11. Specialize. Today, companies look for specialists, not generalists. Develop a personal brand, distinguish your skills and strengths, and determine how to best market yourself.

After the tragic events that are unfolding in Japan, it is a stark reminder that it’s very important to be prepared for whatever comes your way, both personally and professionally. So let’s extend this thought to recruiting and looking for a job.

At STRe, we tell all our candidates that the most likely source of a new job is through their networks. So be prepared to work this resource. And being prepared means having more than just a resume available. You need a robust network (ideally connections through LinkedIn) and marketing materials that make it easy for your network to help you.

Just sending a resume to someone in your network isn’t good enough. Make it effortless for them to forward your resume or profile on by creating an executive summary, or a two page introduction. It’s easy to create a two paragraph introductory email for people in your network tp help you. The first paragraph should describe you and your experience (at a high level), and the second should describe what you are looking for in your next position.

And don’t wait until you need a new job, or decide you want to start a job search. Being in touch with the job market should be an ongoing part of your career planning.

Winners and Losers: Wow, I’m sure it was a great day for Google employees when they heard about their 10% raises and the holiday bonus (and a great day for consumer spending!). And a great day for recruiters, because it confirmed that there still is a war for talent going on. I’m guessing it wasn’t such a good day for start-up CEO’s, with limited budgets, or CFO’s who were trying to hold their budgeted pay raises to 2-3% (still above the rate of inflation!).
It will be interesting to measure the longer term impact of Google’s pay to stay policy. When I googled “reasons for employee turnover”, the first result is an article entitled “Seven Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs”. None of them are pay related (ok, the article was written in 2005 when we had equity in our homes…maybe it’s not relevant? How did it come up as #1 in the search then?). The second Google search result “Reference for Business” discusses higher pay as one of the most obvious contributors to turnover, but then it quotes a survey where more than half of the respondents didn’t even list pay in the top 3 reasons they believed people quit their jobs. And the third result from Business Owners TookKit, “Understanding and Remedying Employee Turnover” lists Unequal or substandard wage structures. When 2 or more employees perform similar work and have similar responsibilities, differences in pay rate can drive employees to quit for higher pay. Maybe Google should have done a search before they made an across the board increase in pay.
While it’s great to have more money in your paycheck—no complaints here—it’s important that people feel useful, can contribute to the company’s success, and work for a manager where there is mutual respect. So if you’re looking to make a job change, focus on the people, the market opportunity and career path. And if the new position offers all of those benefits, negotiate a fair compensation package and you’ll be well positioned for a rewarding and satisfying new role! Good luck!

I’ve read a few articles lately about the Lebron James media circus and it made me think about how he could have handled the situation better…and how all of us should be reminded that no matter what happens along our career path we need to be professional in our transitions. I know, sometimes you want to just to tell your boss everything that is wrong with your job, the company, and them! Especially if someone else is offering you that elusive promotion, higher salary, (and Lebron proved it’s now always about the money, at least not in the short term) or a better work environment. But in the midst of your excitement, remember to give notice and leave your job in a professional and respectful way.
Why? What difference does it make? It’s a cliché, but you never know when your paths will cross again, and you don’t want to burn bridges, and it really is a small valley. Unfortunately, I’ve heard several stories lately about candidates not giving proper notice (at least 2 weeks) or accepting a job offer and then rescinding it at the last minute.
Most hiring managers understand that there are times when an opportunity comes along that is “too good to pass up”. So while you boss might initially be upset when you give notice, if you leave on good terms, finishing your open projects, leaving solid documentation for your replacement it will go a long way to maintaining your relationship. If you’re working with a recruiter, use that person as an advisor and intermediary. A good recruiter can help smooth over even the most difficult of situations. In the end it all comes down to communications and expectations. It always pays to maintain open communications and to over deliver, even when you’re movin on!

We all learned Friday that job growth is not where we want it to be yet…at least not in the private sector. So there are still lots of people interviewing, trying to “get on the right bus”. I saw a blog called “Don’t Wait by the Phone” and it got me thinking, and commenting, so let’s go!
1. Write the thank you note. Write a note as soon as possible. What’s important is to write a note that stands out, and is engaging. I’ve seen (and received) too many notes that look like they came from a Microsoft word template. Make yours stand out by showing you understand what the priorities of the job are. Include a comment that integrates your skills and experience with what they’re looking for in the ideal candidate. [Hint: Always ask, what the key priorities of the job are, or what they are looking for in the ideal candidate.]
2. Self-assess the interview. While it’s fresh in your mind, evaluate your interview performance. No, I don’t mean “beat yourself up”, but I’ve found there’s always a thing or two that I think of and could have done differently. When I was interviewing for CFO jobs, my interview skills always improved as I interviewed more. I’d think of more examples of experiences that would highlight my skills, or questions I’d want to ask so I could evaluate the opportunity better.
3. Follow up with the person who scheduled the interview. Whether it’s a recruiter, a friend/networking contact, or HR, reach out and thank them for the opportunity to interview. Give them your assessment of how the interview went, your interest, and if appropriate, ask them about next steps.
4. Keep looking for/scheduling more interviews. No matter how well the interview went, keep looking for more opportunities. The goal is to have choices and options and not to put all your eggs in one basket. And I find candidates interview better when they fell confident about their “interview pipeline”. These are tough times, but don’t let the interviewers know it. Be cool and confident.

Remember, nobody bats 1,000. Set the right expectations for yourself. Do your best, learn from the interviews, and keep looking for that right opportunity. A positive attitude goes a long, long way.

I’ve gotten more questions recently from candidates wondering what the job market is like. Some say they’ve seen an increase in activity, others have been out of work for more than a year and are considering expanding their search to areas outside of Silicon Valley. As usual, there’s not a simple straightforward answer.

Let’s start with the good news. Intel, Google and AMD all had good earnings reports this week. And companies like Cisco, HP, and Intel have announced hiring plans. Most third party recruiters I’ve talked to are getting more job orders to work on, which means internal staffing teams need help finding talent. These are all signs of the hiring trend moving up and to the right.

The bad news is that the unemployment rate still remains high and there are a lot of very talented people who are still out of work. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that drilled down into the details behind the unemployment rate provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate includes all types of workers, at all levels with different levels of education and was 9.7% in March 2010. If we just focus on management, professional and related types of workers the unemployment rate in March was 4.7%. And the unemployment rate in March for people with college degrees was 4.9%. This data is for the entire U.S. and I don’t have it broken down for Silicon Valley, but I have to believe the trend is consistent. The unemployment rate for professionals and managers is probably significantly lower than the 12.6% that was just reported in California.

So if you’ve been out of work for a while and are feeling frustrated and hopeless, it’s not as bad as it seems. I will continue to give the same advice. If you’re not working, and haven’t been working for over six months, go out and contract, or volunteer, and update your resume and LinkedIn profile. It will make a difference. And keep your network informed of your activities. I know you may feel like your communications may not be getting results, but there is more activity, more jobs, so your network will be able to help with leads now more than ever!

I was just reading a blog for candidates entitled “Why finding a recruiter/headhunter should not be your first move”. I wondered what he was saying about my industry, so I read on. You can read the blog by clicking here.

While I agree that calling a recruiter probably shouldn’t be your first move, it should be near the top of the job hunting to do list. BUT, even before you consider placing a call, make sure you know who you’re calling and whether they will be helpful. How do you find that out? Call other candidates you know and ask for referrals.

While Lavie is correct in saying recruiters are paid by the employer and we are not in business to help candidates find jobs, a good recruiter will spend time with candidates who are referred to them by candidates/clients in their network. These are the recruiting partners you need to find. At STRe, we know we can’t place all the candidates who come through our doors, even if they are qualified for an open job order we’re working on. But we do know we can usually provide some bit of advice or guidance to most candidates–and that’s what we strive to do. Not only does it feel good to help out, especially in this market, frankly it makes good business sense. Candidates often become clients and if they have a good experience with STRe they will often tell others. We frequently have new clients tell us they heard about us from a candidate who had a good experience with us. And clients want their potential candidates for a job to be treated well by the recruiter that represents them and their company.

The article goes on to say that if a recruiter is not working in your field, it’s probably not a good person to work with. I agree. You need someone who can understand your qualifications and even highlight the skills and experience you have, but may have inadvertently omitted on your resume.

And lastly, unfortunately I have to disagree with the advice to apply for a position directly and Lavie says “because when you use a recruiter you add an extra layer to the screening process.” That’s the whole point! If you work with a recruiter who knows your field, interviews you in person, checks your references, this adds value to the hiring manager and you. At STRe, we use a presentation spreadsheet in addition to the resume for our Select Contingent Searches. This highlights the candidate’s skills and experiences as compared to the hiring manager’s key criteria. It improves the likelihood of the candidate getting hired and reduces the amount of time that hiring managers spend assessing and evaluating the candidates we present.

As a former CFO I understand the need for companies to lower their cost of hire. Unfortunately I have seen firsthand too many examples where well qualified candidates have submitted their resume for a position, never hear anything back from the company, and then can’t be represented by a recruiter because they’re already in the database. And sadly, even in this high tech age, it happens all too often. Candidates need to learn which companies have a good screening process of resumes from their website and which don’t. Because the reality is, you’re a finance professional, not a marketing guru. And sometimes your resume isn’t going to be an obvious fit through the “key word” parsing and you could get left behind.

Bottom Line: Take charge of your job search, work all angles, find trusted partners and you’ll be successful in any environment.

I like to think I don’t complain much, but when I am trying to find A-players for a client……and then the client goes silent and doesn’t communicate, it tests my patience. It’s not just about me…it’s about the perception it creates about the client’s company and employment brand. I think hiring managers sometimes forget that the hiring process puts them under a microscope. They’re not only hiring talent, they are representing their employment brand. The candidate’s first impression of the company is most often through the hiring manager. And it’s a lasting impression, whether they are hired or not. That’s why it’s so important to create a great first impression…on both sides.
Let me give you an example of a recent engagement we worked on. The hiring manager sent out an email to a number of recruiters. It was a juicy job order and we had some great candidates we were working with, so we sent a few resumes over. Eleven days passed, no word. The candidates were wondering what was happening. We told them we didn’t know, we didn’t have any word from the hiring manager. More follow up with the client. A week later I talked to the client and discussed the candidates. We agreed there was interest in moving forward some of the candidates. The client wanted to talk to one of the candidates directly. We let the candidate know. The candidate was waiting for the call, no time was set. A week went by and the client didn’t call. The candidate called us, any updates? We try to “cover” for the client. Another six days pass until the client calls the candidate and schedules an in person interview.
So what’s my point? Hiring managers are working with a recruiter, and may not think it matters if they have an active dialogue, keep them up to date. The reality is that we are representatives of the company in the candidate’s eyes. And while we will do everything we can to give a good impression for our clients, there comes a time when if the client isn’t straight with us, doesn’t have open communications, the candidate knows it.

It’s all about setting the right expectations. Remember that age old golden rule? Think about how you’d feel if you were candidate. If you let that guide your actions, your employment brand will be Stellar!

Don’t know about you, but I’m glad to see us welcome in a new decade, change is good, and most people are ready for some positive momentum. I’ve been reading a lot about the positive economic indicators in the job market–if positive thinking can create jobs, there’s enough of it around to make it happen! Here’s a link to an article in the WSJ “Uptick in Executive Jobs Seen for 2010”, read it for yourself.
I’ve talked about the signs of improvement in the market in earlier posts, so let’s talk about what it means for candidates and clients. There are still too many candidates that are out of work despite their best efforts at networking, applying to company websites, and working with recruiters. If you’re one of them still on the sidelines, now is a good time to refresh your resume. I’m not talking a total overhaul, that’s probably not necessary. Reread the first page. Make sure you’re highlighting the contributions you made to the company in your last position, not just listing your responsibilities. Hiring managers are seeing too many resumes, make yours stand out by stressing the ways you’ve saved money, improved efficiency, or prepared a company for an IPO. Emphasis results, dollars saved, percent reduction in inventories, preparation of an S-1 that never got filed. They are all important.
And candidates, don’t forget, if you’ve done some consulting, even if it’s a short project, put it on your resume, it’s important. Perhaps you’ve worked with some colleagues on a pro bono basis to start a business, prepared a business plan to raise money, or volunteered for a non-profit. It makes your resume look fresh instead of stale.
Hiring managers need to be ready for the uptick as well. First and foremost, make sure you’re connected with your key employees to make sure they are engaged and motivated in their roles. Nothing makes people happier than contributing to a successful organization, so remind them how they are making a difference. And then, get a jump on top talent. “A” players are just beginning to consider jumping into the job market. Turn up your recruiting efforts a notch and get to these candidates before other employers do. It pays to be ahead of the curve. And carefully assess resumes, some of the candidates that are out of work are A players. You’ll benefit by finding those “needles in the haystack”. If you need help, call me, that’s our core competency!

Recently I’ve been seeing numerous comments about employee turnover. This is good news and bad news. The bad news is that hiring managers are at risk of losing some talented people. The good news is it means employees are feeling more confident about the economy and are willing to take the risk of moving to a new company.
According to a survey of U.S. workers released by Right Management, many workers are unhappy with their present jobs and 60% of employees intend to leave and an additional one-in-four are networking and updating their resumes. Only 13% of employees say they intend to stay.
“Employees are clearly expressing their pent up frustration with how they have been treated through the downturn,” said Douglas Matthews, president and chief operating officer at Right Management. “While employers may have taken the necessary steps to streamline operations to remain viable, it appears many employees may have felt neglected in the process. The result is a disengaged and disgruntled workforce.”
Information is power and there is still time to act. As a hiring manager myself, my experience is that you can definitely change employee discontent into content. The number one reason employees changes jobs is unhappiness with their manager. And often that can be as simple as “my manager doesn’t recognize my work”, or “there’s no work/life balance” at my company. These are problems that can be solved quickly and the results are immediate. So take a look around, and make sure your top talent is happy and engaged. We all know it’s much easier to retain talent than replace them.