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.
Okay, not all the CEOs in the 2014 September CEO Report at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. are going out the door because they are being booted out, but the report does highlight a rise in the planned CEO departures for September. The 124 CEOs who left their positions represent an increase of 4.2% over the 119 leaving in August.
Looking at this report, it is striking to see how many CEO changes there have been in the first nine months of 2014 — 1,009 turnovers were tracked, most of them in the health care industry. What does this mean for executives who hope to move into C-level positions?
Be Ready To Move When The Door Opens
If you are serious about being considered for a position like President, CEO, CIO, CFO, and all the rest of the senior/C-level jobs, you need to also be serious about your resume, your executive branding, and every detail that you are presenting to the world. It isn’t enough to collect the experiences that qualify you for the job, those experiences have to be presented convincingly to persuade people that you are the best candidate for that job.
Monitor your online presence and deal with unprofessional lapses now.
Look over your resume and make sure it is updated regularly.
Consider your current level of expertise and actively seek to hone those skills.
Present yourself in a competent, professional manner worthy of the level you seek to attain.
Consider your current job an opportunity to show what you can do by doing it with excellence.
Research and learn what will be needed to move into that new opening when it comes.
Many of the CEOs in the Challenger study were actively grooming their replacement. That means someone was getting ready to step into their shoes as soon as the position opened up. Other C-level openings were vacant while the company scrambled to find the replacement. Whether you do the groundwork yourself, or get professional services to help you, the best way to move up the executive ladder is by being prepared to act when the door opens.
We’ve all seen the news reports on data breaches in retail. Even the President is getting involved by signing an Executive Order to combat the growing concern of identity fraud. But this security problem affects the corporate arena just as much as it affects the shopping cart. We all have to be aware that somebody is monitoring our online behavior and looking for a chance to make money somehow. That someone could be a marketer, or they could be a hacker and the effects of their motives affect our lives.
Be Aware of Security in Your Job Search
There isn’t a good way to find a job without being online somehow, unless you are in a unique situation. For most of us, an online job search brings privacy issues and the need to understand how and why security measures are important. This is a basic living skill in the world we inhabit, so it makes sense to keep an eye on developments.
Being aware of security and how it affects data becomes an asset in your career, because you have already developed an awareness that will protect your personal information and your employer’s.
Be Aware of Security in Your Career
Every business entity has security concerns. The risks of data exfiltration are high because the ability to save to “the cloud” with a single click makes it easy to put potentially sensitive information where it shouldn’t be. Staff and management alike need to be educated, and that training needs consistent reinforcement to keep data where it belongs.
Executives who maintain a respect and awareness of the challenges of data security will be ahead of the game because the discipline needed for secure habits is already there. As the responsibility in an organization increases, the security needed will also increase, so if you want to move up the corporate ladder, this skill is an asset.
New Survey Shows Executives Need Social Media Skills
There are many CEOs who are not interested in social media because they are incredibly busy. Let’s face it though, we are all busy. However, BRANDfog’s 2014 survey on The Global, Social CEO indicates that C-level executives who ignore social media are losing the ability to influence brand reputation and company leadership. The global conversations are happening on social media, and not being part of the conversation means others are controlling the topics.
How The Survey Was Conducted
A diverse selection of companies, ranging from small startups to Fortune 1000 companies in several industries, was represented. BRANDfog surveyed 1000 UK and US employees in these companies asking 15 basic questions about social media for executive and C-Suite communication. This is an annual survey and shows a definite shift in perception regarding social media and industry leaders.
Highlights and Conclusions
There were three observations of recent trends made in this year’s survey results. These are:
Social CEOs make better leaders.
Social CEO engagement leads to brand trust.
Social media is modern PR.
It’s clear that anyone interested in being an effective upper level executive is going to need to come to terms with social media. To quote from this survey:
“C-suite executives who embrace social media gain a competitive edge. They use social channels to provide context for business decisions, address brand issues, showcase company culture and most importantly, demonstrate thought leadership.”
What This Means For You
Anyone interested in moving into the upper executive levels of a company should be working right now to be a competent, professional social media expert. Careful monitoring of your social media use now, in areas like LinkedIn profile development, is going to pay off in the future. Developing social media competency keeps your personal brand clean, your professional brand impressive, and becomes a habitual discipline.
As you move higher in the corporate world, a habitual discipline is going to make adding new responsibilities much easier because you already do the basics. It’s also going to make you more attractive to those looking to fill leadership positions. A social media-savvy candidate will be preferred in tomorrow’s business world.
Why does career derailment happen? Most of the time, it’s the same sort of thing that derails an executive job search; something you thought was unimportant trips you up and leaves you behind in the race. Some of the problem is in the details of what you did, and some of it is your attitude.
Little Details Can Be Big Mistakes
Being disorganized can result in missing something important, and we all do it to some extent. But when the important thing you missed costs you an interview or a promotion, it hurts. Here are a few places where this happens:
Application mistakes can get your submission rejected by a computer before a person sees it.
Resume mistakes give the impression that you are careless.
References can get you the job or get you out of the running if your references aren’t appropriate.
Disheveled, dirty clothing makes you look like you can’t even do laundry right.
Online behavior lives forever and can return to haunt you.
Attitudes Can Be Hinderances
When you look at a news story about someone’s career derailment, pay attention to how attitude factored into their fall. Attitudes change your workplace and have a direct relationship to the way you get along with co-workers. When you make mistakes — and we all will make mistakes sometimes — the relationships you have with the people you work with often change the consequences of those mistakes.
In an executive job search, the way you relate to people is incredibly important because an executive position requires the ability to collaborate and build a team. People who are insensitive, manipulative, and easily angered don’t make good leaders. People who are considerate, encouraging, and stay focused on the mission instead of the problems do. The way you work with people now is seen as an indicator of the way you will work with people in the new position.
Hope Is Not Lost
One last point that can be made about avoiding a career derailment: learn from your mistakes and do what you can to fix them. This gives you an answer when it comes up in an interview and shows you have one of the most important assets for being a successful executive: the ability to turn a negative into a positive. Overlooking details and ignoring bad attitudes can keep you out of an executive position, but fixing the problems can boost your chances of getting there.
Searching for executive jobs in today’s world can be tougher than ever. It’s imperative that executive-level job seekers stand out from their competition and prove to their potential employer that they offer a high return on investment. To do this, job seekers need certain tools, including the essential job-search documents needed to effectively market oneself in the job hunt: executive resume, cover letter, career biography, reference dossier, etc.
If you are a part of the executive job hunt remember that personal branding is important to strategically position you ahead of the crowd. It links your key personal attributes, passions and strengths with your value proposition. Does your resume brand you? What about your LinkedIn profile? Does that let the reader know that you are the leader their company needs? If done right this will translate into a crystal clear message that differentiates your unique promise of value that will resonate with your target audience. By showcasing your expertise and unique personal brand in the best possible light, you’ll open doors that others can’t and be in charge or your career destiny.
Make sure you do your research! Tap into the hidden job market by taking advantage of all that’s available online in the way of targeted industry and company research. Check out websites of companies that interest you and start by identifying the challenges they’re facing, learning about the company culture and attempt to track down warm leads at those companies. It’s important to pinpoint how you can have a positive impact and help those companies reach their goals. Save time by identifying and connecting directly with top decision makers at companies through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or other online social networks when possible. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you’ve never met. LinkedIn is known for its members welcoming connections from unknown contacts. The point is to expand your network and make new connections.
A good executive resume will be the backbone of your job search. It’s important to identify exactly what you want your resume to convey before you get started. Remember, every resume is a one-of-a-kind marketing communication that should tell your story. In order to do that it’s imperative that you make sure your executive resume is well designed and executed. There are a lot of DIY resources and resume writing tips available on the internet that you should take time to review, but in the end it may be better to hire a professional to convey your personal brand. Either way, with a good executive resume in hand that translates your unique attributes you are sure to be on your way to the executive job of your dreams!
At least twice a week clients will ask me if their resumes have enough branding–specifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO. Your executive brand doesn’t always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what you’ve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are.
How Do You Make Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume?
Your brand is something that makes you uniquely you. You’ve had a steady career progression and along the way have honed your skills, learned new things, and carved out a name for yourself. You have distinguished yourself from others this way. You’ve also used your qualities to guide you to the next level in your career.
A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand. To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand? I know sometimes this can feel like a difficult thing to do. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.
Sometimes, all that is keeping you out of a c-level career is your online brand. Other times, it is your resume. Often, it is both!
If it has been years since you tried to find another position, you need to understand that things have really changed. You may be great at the face-to-face networking that is an essential asset, but online social networking might not be high on your list of things to do. This is a mistake, because today, the people who are vetting job candidates are looking online. If you do not have a strong presence, you aren’t on their radar.
Why, some ask, would a c-level executive professional decide to hire someone else to write a resume or develop an online brand? Wouldn’t the fact they are capable of planning the strategic infrastructure of a Fortune 500 company and negotiate multi-million dollar partnerships mean they can do this themselves? Leadership professionals usually will rely on a professional resume writer and other professional services because they are used to outsourcing tasks that require high levels of expertise. There’s a skill to the complexity of assessing career progression and leveraging data to create a personal marketing campaign. Only the highest quality of a complete Executive Resume Package yields results by positioning you to get the job you want.
For many of those who have busy working in their current positions and not paying attention to the new demands in the job market, it’s good to add the discounted Executive Recruiter Distribution or Online Branding Power Package. Whether or not you need them can be determined during the initial consultation — an hour of strategic consultation that includes discussing branding.
