www.sharongraham.ca

Anyone can type a page or two and call it a resume. To write an effective executive resume, you need to be much more than a typist; you need to be strategic.

When it comes to writing resumes, strategy is not about:

• Following the pack just because they say that something “should be done a certain way.”
• Copying a resume template or sample just because “it already exists.”
• Following primitive formulas indiscriminately because that’s “how it’s always been done.”
• Using one specific technique because that is how “everyone else does it.”

There is nobody on earth like you. You have a unique blend of experience, skills, and accomplishments. Nobody else has exactly what you have to offer. Therefore your executive resume must be different from the rest in order to sell you effectively.

A strategic executive resume is a marketing tool. It is well thought out. Not only does the resume effectively represent you and your background, but it also addresses your potential employer’s needs. Your goal is to highlight your specific qualifications, experience, and talents in the very best way possible.

Here’s a short test you can take to determine if you know how to strategically position yourself. Consider each one of these questions thoroughly. Ensure you are doing the right things to strategically mitigate concerns and feature your strengths in your resume. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, take action to find out the best strategy for you:

1. Do I know the optimum number of pages my resume should be? One? Two? Three? Or more?
2. Do I know exactly how I should structure my resume? Reverse Chronological format? Functional format? Or something entirely different?
3. Am I clear about what information I should include? What should I exclude?
4. Should I be concerned about privacy, confidentiality, and Internet theft? Or should I include as much information as possible so people can find me?
5. Have I selected the best font(s)? Is the overall design and readability of my resume helping or hurting my chances?
6. Am I using the right amount of bolding, underlining, and italics? How much is too much?
7. When should I use abbreviations and acronyms? How about idioms and other jargon? Am I sure I’m using them appropriately in my resume?
8. Do I know how far back I should go when listing my career history? How many positions should I feature? Would it be more advantageous for me to condense or expand my background?
9. Am I certain that I’m dealing effectively with barriers to employment such as age, unemployment, multiple positions, career change, and career gaps?
10. Have I featured everything I need to feature in my resume? Am I sure I’ve eliminated the rest?

When it comes to writing a strategic executive resume, nothing you do is arbitrary. Everything has a reason. If you were able to answer these questions without doubt, then you are very likely to have a strong, strategic resume.

If you’re uncomfortable with your responses to the above questions and you don’t know how to start, then you should consider retaining a writer to help you create a solid document. Select your consultant carefully. Ask good questions. A good strategist will not spew off old “resume rules and regulations” and tell you that it’s the only way things can be done.

By retaining a writer who can think and write strategically, you will generate a superb resume that is true to yourself and will also attract appropriate employers.

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If you are like most talented and qualified career professionals, you probably love helping your clients achieve their career goals. You have invested in learning your craft and gaining your credentials. You have everything you need to succeed – except good clients who are willing to pay what you are worth.

The problem is you’re spending most of your days trying to attract clients, struggling to explain your value, and attempting to close the sale. Instead of creating a consistent stream of revenue, your days, weeks, and months are “up and down.” Aren’t you tired of the rollercoaster?

Many practitioners I speak with are tired of working SO DARN HARD for SO LITTLE MONEY. This program is not about being a better career practitioner. You already know how to do that. It’s about making money.

•  Attract REAL clients
• Close YOUR sales
• Make MORE money

I’m ready to share my secrets for success. If you are ready to create a profitable business, you need to connect with me right away. This program starts next week and there are only a few seats left.

YOUR PROGRAM STARTS NEXT WEEK, but YOU STILL HAVE TIME to register. You must contact me right away. This is your last chance to join us.

You can learn all about the program here:

BUILD A PROFITABLE CAREER BUSINESS

…with Sharon Graham, Canada’s Career Strategist

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“Canadian employers expect an upbeat hiring climate for the third quarter of 2010”

Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey of more than 1,900 Canadian employers reveals a hiring climate that is trending upwards as we enter the second half of 2010. Since the start of the recession, we have been preoccupied with job losses. However, as the economy now recovers, a talent shortage is the next looming crisis in the business world.

During the economic downturn, many executives maintained their positions to safeguard their futures. These seasoned individuals will now gain the confidence to venture into retirement, opening up new opportunities for talented professionals.

If you are an executive in career transition, it is in your best interest to be prepared to expand your options and opportunities as the job market opens up. Here are some things that you can do to accelerate your job search as the economy undergoes another transformation:

1. Concentrate your efforts on the new economy. Rather than focusing on job loss, maintain an optimistic attitude about the future. The outlook for executives is strong. Now is the time to investigate how you can add value.
2. Tap stable and growing markets. According to the Manpower report, Canadian employers in the mining, construction, wholesale, retail, finance, insurance, and real estate sectors showed the highest projected increase in hiring. Put your energy into building relationships with leaders in those and other emerging sectors.
3. Consider opportunities in rapidly developing provinces. Employers in Atlantic and Western Canada are forecasting the strongest increase in hiring across the nation. These are regions to investigate.
4. Revise your “infomercial” to focus on your target market’s new requirements. Emphasize what you can do to drive your prospective employer into 2010 and beyond. Employers will listen when you tell them how you can accelerate the organization’s vision and mission.
5. Leverage technological advances to your benefit. Build your online business presence and actively use online social networks such as LinkedIn to build your list of contacts, develop business relationships, and find out about unadvertised career opportunities.
6. Embrace lifelong learning. Knowledge is a hot commodity when there is a talent shortage. Companies want people who can learn, grow, and adapt to change. To compete, keep current by upgrading your education or learning a new skill.

A tight but expanding employment market typically signals more opportunities at the most senior levels. Exploit the upcoming shortage of experienced executives to your advantage. You’ll find that there are many exciting opportunities looming around the corner.

For additional Canadian Competitive Intelligence Click Here:

http://www.grahammanagement.com/Survey.xpg

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70% of six-figure Canadian resumes have several spelling and grammatical errors.

According to a landmark research study conducted by Graham Management Group (GMG), many professionals are not performing adequate due diligence to ensure that they are presenting impeccable documents. GMG evaluated 1000 resumes received from six-figure candidates over a period of one year and found that an astounding 70% of the documents have several errors in spelling and/or grammar.

The GMG study found that most individuals miss important factors such as uniformity in currency and numerals, correctly identifying idioms, applying serial commas consistently, employing active language, and utilizing modifiers correctly.

If you make a spelling mistake on your resume, do you think a potential employer will give you an interview? Think again. In a separate recent study by Accountemps, an independent research firm found that 40% of North American executives evaluating candidates for a position would eliminate an individual from consideration if they found even one typo in the associated resume; 76% said that more than one typo would disqualify the applicant completely.

If you are asking for a six-figure compensation package, then most Canadian employers expect that you have an impeccable command of written and spoken English. If you show them otherwise, they may discard your resume before you have even had a chance to speak with them.

Canadian spelling and grammar is especially tricky to master if you have not had exposure to the language. There are subtle differences between Canadian English and other versions.

If you are new to Canada, you might want to start by reading this post: Oh Canada You Have a Way with Words

If you are considering targeting positions in Canada, it is imperative that you supply recruiters and hiring managers with a resume that is free of errors. However, everyone makes mistakes. If you wrote your own resume, then you are probably so close to your own work that you don’t even see your errors. It is in your best interest to engage a professional with in-depth expertise in Canadian English to proofread and edit the document. Your flawless resume will be the hit of the job search circuit.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL GMG REPORT HERE:  http://www.grahammanagement.com/ResumeResearch2010.xpg 

Graham Management Group

Research Study: How Does Your Resume Compare? 

Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians 

info@GrahamManagement.com | www.GrahamManagement.com | 866.622.1464 

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post.

49% of Canadian executive resumes have significant issues hampering readability.

As a leader and innovator in the Canadian resume writing industry, Graham Management Group (GMG) actively keeps a finger on the pulse of the market. In the largest research study of its kind, we evaluated 1000 randomly selected resumes that we received from senior executives, managers, and other $100k+ professionals. Almost half of the resumes we received had significant issues hampering readability.

These days, employers and recruiters have very little time to read resumes. They may become impatient and frustrated with resumes that are not concise and direct, and may not even make the effort to read them completely. Resumes must be crisper, tighter, and more compelling than ever.

Candidates who create a resume that is a “good and easy read” tend to produce better results in their search. In order to get your foot in the door, your resume must be read. It’s not how much you say, but what you say and how you deliver it. There are many ways to strategically make your resume readable:

• Don’t create paragraphs that are lengthier than five lines in total unless there is a significant reason for the extra content.
• Make it easy for the reader to get through your document by writing concisely, using active language rather than passive language.
• Forget using personal pronouns. Do not speak in the first person, using “I” or “me.” Rather, use direct language to present a more professional tone and create statements with impact.
• Emphasise your abilities with powerful language, but be careful to cater to your reader. Avoid using acronyms and buzzwords without context. Rather than trying to use complicated words, use terms and key phrases that he or she will easily understand and value.
• Focus on accomplishments rather than responsibilities and start each accomplishment with a past tense verb to show that you have already achieved it. Avoid repeating the same the same action verb too often, but ensure that your writing is consistent and parallel throughout.
• Eliminate exceptionally lengthy lists. If you must provide a long list of bullet points, limit each point to three lines or less. Include ample white space between bullet points. Arrange your accomplishments in order of importance, adding impact by ensuring that your final bullet ends with a bang.
• List your computer or technology skills in one place. You don’t want the reader to have to work hard in order to figure out your hardware, software, or networking knowledge.

When it comes to your resume, always cater to the needs of your target market, and include only the essential information. Write concisely. If the reader enjoys the read, you are much more likely to get a call.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL GMG REPORT HERE:  http://www.grahammanagement.com/ResumeResearch2010.xpg 

Graham Management Group

Research Study: How Does Your Resume Compare? 

Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians 

info@GrahamManagement.com | www.GrahamManagement.com | 866.622.1464 

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post.

To be considered seriously as a sales, marketing, or business development candidate, you must look the part. You need to capture your prospective employer’s interest, present your product, highlight its features, demonstrate how the employer will benefit, negotiate the agreement, and close your next job offer. If you fail in any of these steps, you are showing by example that you cannot do the job.

Your Value Proposition

If you are a seasoned business development professional, you already know that a value proposition is key to selling any product. This tactic can also be applied to your career transition. Think of yourself as a product. Potential employers are shopping around and looking at various candidates. You need to stand apart from this competition.

To present your own value proposition, you must persuasively advertise your precise features and benefits. The employers who are potentially purchasing you have very specific buying motivators. Address these buying motivators by introducing your supporting qualifications. To add value, bring to the table your supplementary offerings – unique talents, characteristics, and competencies that others may not be able to offer.

Your Sales Pitch

As a sales professional, you arm yourself with a hard-hitting “elevator speech” – your 30-second sales pitch. When you are selling yourself, you must strategically position your value and entice your target market. The story you tell must be a concise summary that addresses the top- and bottom-line results that you can produce for your next employer.

Above all else, you must emphasize your numbers. In the sales, marketing, and business development arena, you have many, many quantifiable achievements, results, measurements and other data that can you can feature in your sales pitch. Use them to your advantage.

Your Business Card

If you are a strong salesperson, then you know that every time you meet someone, there is a potential business or career development opportunity. Your business card is the essential networking tool. There are many scenarios where you encounter people who can help you in your career progression. Often, it is inappropriate to hand out resumes in bulk. You need a “calling card” that provides concise contact information so that you can make a great first impression and ensure that it is a lasting one.

Bring your business cards everywhere. You never know when you will run into someone who may be able to refer you to a potential opportunity. Be sure to include pertinent and current information. To present a professional image, brand your business card to match your resume, portfolio, and any other supporting documentation you use.

Your Brochure and Portfolio

Whether you are advertising, merchandising, or selling, you always require effective tools. Many professionals ignore this outstanding opportunity and serve up a typical “homemade” resume. What kind of impression will this make?

The way you present yourself to others says a lot about you. Show your superior skills by presenting a portfolio – a package of material – that is geared towards showcasing your value. Your marketing documents provide employers with an indication of the impeccable work you will be doing for them.

If you build the brand, they will come. Create a unique brand-identity with a “look and feel” that is reflective of who you are. Branding is all about value. Hone in on what makes you unique and use this to differentiate yourself.

There are many ways to attract, persuade, and convince your next employer to buy you. You could include a wide range of creative marketing communications such as targeted letters, a business case, a T-chart, and a resume addendum. Use bite-sized case studies to emphasize what you can do for the employer. By incorporating charts, tables, and other graphic representations of measurable successes, you can easily highlight your value.

Throughout your marketing material, incorporate your value proposition as your brand message. You can attract employers and create a memorable presentation with a strong, consistent message.

Your Marketing and Advertising

Effective professionals advertise in venues where they have a captive market. When you know to whom you are marketing, it’s easy to determine where to invest your time and energy. Employers are not posting good, senior-level sales, marketing, and business development jobs online, so don’t make yourself look like a junior telemarketer by applying to low-level jobs on the internet.

Employers typically hire people who have already made a mark for themselves as experts in generating revenue, increasing profitability, and growing market share – and they know how to find those people. If you are a sales and marketing professional and you are not on LinkedIn, you do not exist. When it comes to online networking, LinkedIn is the giant, but you can use many other social networking sites to raise your profile and gain further exposure.

When it comes to relationship building, it’s all about “who you know.” You need to take active steps to connect with decision-makers, executives, and other influential people. If you can do this well, recruiters and hiring managers will do everything they can to attract you into their organization.

Your Business Proposal

Obviously most spectacular sales professionals have superb cold calling and networking skills. However, any good business development person will know that you must develop a meaningful relationship so that you can then use your excellent closing skills.

An interview is like any business meeting where you are presenting a business proposal. This is the place where you must show off your superb presentation skills. A passionate and believable presentation will go a long way, but you also need to be able to handle objections like an expert.

Because there are so many highly qualified candidates in the market, you will be competing with others. Your goal is to make your prospective employer need you and want to invest in you. Be ready to hit the right notes with your audience by communicating a very clear but authentic point of view. You must impress, but you must also be real. If you develop rapport with the people you are meeting with, you will find it much easier to close the sale.

Many professionals are outstanding business developers, but have difficulty selling, marketing, and presenting themselves. There is no shame in employing an executive resume writer or career strategist to present yourself more effectively. These days, employers expect that the senior-level businesspeople they retain use experts to their benefit. This is because the most successful professionals understand the value of leveraging others to help them achieve their goals. Asking for support and entrusting others when they need help it is a primary reason that they succeed when others do not.

As a sales, marketing, or business development professional, your career transition is the ultimate opportunity for you to show, by example, all the strengths that you bring to the table. If you do an exemplary job of marketing and selling yourself, you will find that employers will be competing for the opportunity to nab you. Wouldn’t it be great to be presented with many offers so that you can choose the best one and happily sign on the dotted line?

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I’m so thrilled with the response I’ve received about this new program. I would like to thank everyone who has registered already, and many more of my colleagues for sending their “well wishes.” 

The EARLY BIRD RATE ends tomorrow and there still are a few spots left. I’m ready to share my secrets for success, are you ready to create a profitable business? You can learn all about this special event for Canadian Career Practitioners here:  BUILD A PROFITABLE CAREER BUSINESS

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post.

During this recession, 50% of practitioners are making more money than the previous year. – Resume Writers Recession Survey 2009

Special Event for CANADIAN CAREER PRACTITIONERS  

Doesn’t it make you wonder how some career professionals are so busy with their practice that they can “pick and choose” clients?

Through the last ten years, I’ve met many independent practitioners across Canada. Some are successful, some are struggling, and these days, most are frustrated with their lack of income and apprehensive about their future.

Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of practitioners increase their profits in tough times and in good times. Often, I’m asked how I was able to build TWO successful Canadian career businesses that are actually growing and thriving during this economic downturn.

I’m now ready to share my secrets and I’m excited to introduce a new program BUILD A PROFITABLE CAREER BUSINESS. This is a 4-week fully interactive teleclass, networking, and mentoring program for independent professionals. In this one-of-a-kind program, you’ll learn how to

• Attract REAL clients
• Close YOUR sales
• Make MORE money

If you are an entrepreneurial career counsellor, employment consultant, resume writer, or career coach and you want to build your profitability, then you will not want to miss this opportunity.

Register right away and take advantage of the EARLY BIRD special. New and existing members of Career Professionals of Canada pay HALF PRICE and get a 3-month extension on their annual membership.

Learn all about the program here:

 BUILD A PROFITABLE CAREER BUSINESS

…with Sharon Graham, Canada’s Career Strategist

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post.

25% of six-figure job seekers are not addressing their shortcomings effectively 

Based on two North American studies, it is clear that many executives are still opting to follow templates rather than creating a distinctive, strategic resume. Historically, professionals have been told to list their career history in a chronological format, presenting their career progression in reverse sequential order. Functional resumes, on the other hand, have been used to disguise career issues by categorizing the career history under competency headings. There are other strategic options. Executives rarely choose to implement those. 

Graham Management Group Resume Research Study  

As a leader and innovator in the Canadian resume writing industry, Graham Management Group (GMG) actively keeps a finger on the pulse of the market. In the largest research study of its kind, we evaluated 1000 randomly selected resumes that we received in 2009. These resumes were sent to us from senior executives, managers, and other six-figure professionals across Canada. The survey found that 25% of resumes were structured in a format that did not position the candidate most effectively. 

Practitioners often debate which format to use: chronological or functional. However, typically, many completely ignore a third option – a strategic combination resume format that may be a hybrid of the two. 

Accountemps National Survey 

There is a strong argument for applying a reverse chronological strategy whenever possible. A survey recently conducted by an independent research firm on behalf of Accountemps suggests that hiring managers veer away from functional resumes. 150 senior executives from 1000 of the largest North American companies were asked if they prefer a chronological resume versus one organized by job functions and skills. 75% of the respondents interviewed said they prefer the chronological format. Only 17% indicated that they prefer functional and 8% had no preference. 

Hiring managers dislike functional resumes because the skills and relevant accomplishments are separated from the employment history. This makes the resume difficult to follow, as the reader cannot connect the candidate’s accomplishments with the position they held at the time. 

Career Professionals of Canada’s Recommendation  

Career Professionals of Canada, the national Canadian association administering the Certified Resume Strategist Credential, suggests that “while it is true that recruiters prefer the reverse chronological resume, there are occasions that call for other formats. Whenever possible, give preference to the reverse chronological format to keep the individual‘s responsibilities and accomplishments under the respective job titles. If you must, use a hybrid combination of functional and reverse chronological that will strategically minimize your client’s obstacles while meeting the employer’s needs.” 

Based on the research, it may be best to avoid the functional or skill-based format. Since most recruiters prefer resumes to be formatted in a reverse chronological format, unless there is a major career barrier to address, there is no reason to veer from this strategy. 

In many circumstances, a hybrid combination of functional and reverse chronological will strategically minimize obstacles and meet the prospective employer’s needs. If the candidate is attempting to transition into a new industry or role, or is addressing a major career lapse such as a lengthy sabbatical or career gap, then such a strategic option should be considered. Whichever format you choose, ensure that you mitigate all career barriers and present a compelling and readable story to draw in the hiring manager. 

DOWNLOAD THE FULL GMG REPORT HERE:  http://www.grahammanagement.com/ResumeResearch2010.xpg 

Graham Management Group

Research Study: How Does Your Resume Compare? 

Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians 

info@GrahamManagement.com | www.GrahamManagement.com | 866.622.1464 

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post. 

66.0% of senior-level professionals are uncomfortable with cold calling and networking.

Graham Management Group’s recent survey, OUTLOOK 2010: Competitive Career Intelligence for Six-Figure Canadians, found that 69.4% of senior-level professionals feel that they do not have adequate connections or exposure within their industry. Adding to the concern, a full two-thirds of those surveyed expressed that they are uncomfortable with cold calling and networking to create career opportunities.

If you’re in a job search now, you’re probably painstakingly applying to postings that are advertised in the open market. Consider the hours and hours you spend each day trying to find good jobs on the internet and in the papers. You customize your resume and cover letter and then e-mail your package off to recruiters – only to hear nothing back from anyone. Then, not to be stymied by the lack of response, I’ll bet that you utilize the very same strategy the next morning, and the next, only to net the very same results. Soon all you can unearth are the same old positions on the internet. What a frustrating process this must be! What if you knew how to break out of this cycle and could start to receive positive reinforcement right away?

There is a much more effective way to create opportunities. The most successful six-figure job seekers know that targeted networking is their competitive advantage. Contrary to popular opinion, they know that this kind of networking doesn’t require any more effort than they are already spending.

Most positions at the $100k+ salary range are not advertised. This is what we call the “hidden job market.” One way to tap into these hidden opportunities is to approach your current network. But aren’t you tired of well intentioned practitioners telling job seekers that networking is connecting with existing friends, neighbours, and colleagues? This is a very narrow approach to networking. If anyone in your immediate network knew about a good job, wouldn’t they have already told you about it?

Keeping your immediate network informed is a good strategy, but there is a better way to tackle the hidden job market – and it’s quite different from the traditional advice you’ve received. It also produces far better results, far more quickly.

If you really want to accelerate your job search, you must go outside your comfort zone. Target leaders and experts in your industry. If you form solid relationships with people who are “in the know” and who know the right people, you will exponentially expand your network.

If you make an effort to research and approach influential people, you are likely to learn more and gain more in your job search. More significantly, people who are connected can put in a good word for you. These types of referrals are much more meaningful, because hiring decision makers will greatly value the input of industry “heavy-hitters.”

Once you have researched the cream of the crop, pick up the phone. Start to make in-roads with them. Remember that true networking is “give and take” and you must focus on the “give” part. If you approach your new contacts with a “take” attitude, you might never get a chance to develop a strong sharing relationship. Learn what each new contact might need from you and make every effort to supply that. If you truly come from a position of generosity and helpfulness, your relationship will blossom into a friendship.

There are many ways to increase your exposure with powerful people. If you want to get closer to them, you can start by responding directly to articles, features, and blog posts that were written by them or about them. You’ll find that people are very grateful when someone takes the time to read and respond to them with good, useful information.

Another way to establish yourself and start targeted networking is to respond to influential people on industry forums and e-lists. Give them the best advice you have to resolve situations they are encountering. When you help people, they will naturally want to help you in return. Furthermore, you’ll develop your reputation as a leader in your area of expertise.

You can establish your presence in many ways. How about actively participating in your industry’s professional association? If you volunteer your talents, the association’s “inner circle” will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of your expertise.

As you develop your relationship, express your career objectives and value proposition clearly. You need to make it easy for your contacts to understand your value, and to introduce you to others in their network.

Don’t ever put yourself behind the eight ball again. Targeted networking is a lifelong process of developing relationships with the right people. It’s not a “quick fix,” but if you don’t start now, you might be in the very same position a year from now. There’s no time like the present. Once you start to see your new relationships blossom, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

Learn the top three strategies to secure a $100k+ opportunity.

DOWNLOAD THE GMG COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT HERE:

http://www.grahammanagement.com/Outlook2010SurveyResults.xpg

Thank you for reading my blog! Please email me if you spot any errors in this post.