Why do the powerful prefer to look obviously different than the rest of us?
Power symbols — those accessories that indicate status and authority — do vary according to the context. A number of years ago at a Presidential Inauguration it was striking to see that Republicans and Democrats clearly had preferred outerwear, but the wool dress coats and cowboy hats of the one party were just as expensive as the down parkas and accessories of the other. Equal in price, quality, and impressiveness but different in look and definitely different than the rest of the crowd standing in the streets for the ceremonies.
Today, questions like “are tiaras the new power scrunchies?” show up in the New York Times. In that particular article, the jeweled/metallic headband/tiara is a confidence booster that female executives are embracing in some circles. The idea that people of power have always worn a symbol of that power on their head is as old as time. Queens wear crowns, and when the women wear their versions of the crown they feel powerful.
Symbols Need To Have Context
The challenge in any career is to understand the way the corporate culture thinks. A status symbol can be an investment tool, but only if you are communicating effectively to those around you. Part of that communication is the confidence it gives to be wearing the status symbol, and part of the communication is the message the symbol itself sends.
As the wearable tech trends come available there will definitely be some new players in the status symbol arena. Smartwatches will join the smartphones and luxury watches already being sported in the C-level suites. But like all symbols, the context is everything.
When you are selecting your wardrobe and accessories for an interview or for the workplace, make sure your status symbols are appropriate for the context. You want to look different and powerful, not just different.
Salary negotiation can be one of the most stressful parts of getting a new job.On the one hand, it is exciting to think about a new job and the possibility of earning more money. On the other hand, it can be nerve-wracking waiting to hear what your new salary will be. Do you accept the salary offer, negotiate it or reject it? What if you make a mistake and accept a salary offer that is too low, or try to negotiate one that is too high? These events are unlikely to happen if you do your homework before you get to the salary negotiation stage. A salary calculator can help you with this important homework.It can give you an idea how much your current salary is worth in another city. It can also give you median, low and high end salaries for given positions and industries in a geographical location. Some salary calculators allow you to compare the cost of living between two cities. You can compare the cost of living between the city you are in and the city where you have a job offer, or the cost of living between two cities where you have job offers. These calculators aid you in thinking practically about moving for a new job. Remember to factor in whether your new employer will pay relocation costs. If the employer does pay relocation costs, find out what the cap is on those costs. If you go over the cap amount, say, by hiring movers to move your grand piano, you may end up paying the extra costs. You are more likely to get the salary you want if you go into a salary negotiation meeting with facts based on the information you gatheredfrom salary calculators and other job search resources. This information backs up your work experience and your education. You put a great deal of energy into both, so make sure you get what you are truly worth.
In order to advance in your career or show improvements on your resume, you need to make sure that you are constantly trying to better yourself and your skills. Employers want to see that you will make their company a more profitable place. Whether by awarding you with a promotion or giving you the job in the first place, you need to show employers the value you offer by doing something to enhance your career on a daily basis. You will be surprised how simple it can be to improve and develop skills, which may in turn lead them to give you the job or the promotion.
Practice: This is simple, but if you continue to practice the skills you already have, then you will become more proficient and they will become more impressive to employers.
Networking: This is another simple thing, but so very important. You need to make sure that employers know your name so that when promotions come up you are one of the first names that come into their head. Make sure your name is prominent on successful projects, that your initiative to move up the ladder is known, and that you introduce yourself to those attending meetings with you, especially when interacting with the company’s executives.
Training: Look for training and professional development opportunities in your industry that would help you develop new skills or enhance yourcurrent skills. Training by professionals can be a great way to learn and become impressive. If the training is especially applicable to your job, employers may even pay for part or all of the training.
There are so many things you can do to improve your career and resume. If you feel you are not improving, then take the time to ask yourself what you have been doing lately to add value to your career, as well as create a plan to further your skills and expertise. In today’s competitive job market, it is essential that you show employers the value you add to the company, every single day.
Everyone starts their career in an entry level position. A basic resume is great for entry level positions but will not work for executive positions as your experience grows. And, experience does grow. There is a young lady who started out as a cashier in a motorcycle accessory store. She did not have a college education and so she didn’t make much money. But she stayed there, went above and beyond the scope of her job and got raises and more responsibility.
After a couple of years, she moved on. This time, it was still a customer service job, but it paid more and it gave her the freedom to go to school to get a degree.
She has since gotten her degree after 3 years and in this current position she just got a promotion to manage two of the stores. It can be done. Many people work hard to climb this ladder of success. But you then have to change your resume to reflect you now, not the you from several years ago. It’s important to keep your entry level resume up to date. As you progress in the job field, keep adding new skills, new responsibilities, etc. You will also need to adjust your career outlook so that it reflects your work ethic and beliefs and how you can better a company with your experience.
As your resume turns into an executive resume, you will be able to recognize more things you can add to the resume so that it is tailored correctly, tastefully and will encompass everything you know. After all, if a resume is a reflection of you, don’t you want to be presented in the best possible light?
5 Executive Job Boards
If you’re an executive searching for a job, you know how difficult the job search is. You can’t just follow the same rules and patterns that most sites recommend for job searches. Additionally, most sites don’t gear their writing or even dedicate a portion of it to covering what executives need to do to get a job.
When executives search for a job, they don’t look at career web sites. If you’re an executive, knowing where to go can be just as important as who you know. Besides knowing the right people, when it comes to executives seeking to find a job, there is one other place to look: job boards. Job boards get a bad rap. I’m one of the many career folks who says, ‘don’t rely on using just job boards to find your next job’. Job search requires a combination of techniques, however, I think using the right job boards can greatly enhance your chance of getting the next job. What is a job board? If you’re an executive who climbed the ladder without job boards, congratulations. If you’re an executive needing to get back on the ladder, well welcome to the job board circus. A job board is an online listing where companies seek out top tier candidates. Companies in the know ignore mainstream job sites so they can avoid being inundated with hundreds and even thousands of applications from mid-level candidates who simply don’t have the experience and skill set to be an executive. In short, a job board is similar to those mainstream sites in that they list executive jobs. They offer the same search and filter features, but only accept jobs for companies seeking executives. It weeds out the riff raff, shall we say. The second, and most unfortunate, way the job board weeds out non-executives is by a fee. They understand that because there are fewer jobs posted, the payment for access to those jobs must come from the applicants. Since those applicants are executives, the companies figure they can afford the investment. Below are a few job boards I like and a couple that seem interesting to me:
Execunet: No job board list would be complete without ExecuNet. Around since 1988, ExecuNet caters to executives making over $100,000 each year. The service offers resume and networking programs throughout the United States. The site made Forbe’s Best of the Web list and has been featured in many magazines.
Netshare: Anyone that knows job boards may not have heard of this company. They are lesser known, but offer many of the same services as the big executive boards. The service is exclusive to executives making in excess of $100,000 per year. Their site also includes features written by or about top-tier executives that could be helpful and inspirational.
Executives Only: This company was included primarily because it is great place for mid-levels supervisors to make the leap into executive status. The reason is the service caters to executives earning over $70,000 annually. The site focuses on providing the educational tools to land the job, as much as finding the job.
Rite Site: This board takes a different approach. The services offers the same networking and resume services as other boards. In addition, they select certain companies of a high reputation to guarantee the executive jobs being sought are actually available and credible since some top-tier companies post jobs that they, in reality, do not intend to fill. That’s a key component of their operation, but a minor feature, which is why they barely cracked this list of job boards.
Executives Network:The company provides the ideal blend of in-person and Internet job search opportunity. The company connects users with other executives in the job field both online and in person. The group offers meetings in most major cities across the nation. The job is primarily for top-tier executives such as CEOs, CFOs and Vice Presidents.
If you know of any other executive job boards, let me know. I’d love to hear!
