Reality Show - 10 Job Transition Tips

For the past almost two years we've spent a lot of time at Boardroom Metrics meeting and working with folks in some form of job transition. Many are looking for their next corporate gig. Some are very clear that going corporate again is not what they want - so they are making the transition to consulting or some form of 'post-corporate' work-style.

Here's a random mind-dump of thoughts based on two years of observing and listening to people in transition.

1. get brutally honest about why you're in transition - forget the fluff - it shouldn't take longer than 30 seconds to explain that the company downsized and you're gone - put yourself in a hiring manager's shoes. Keep in mind that everyone has a story and that after a while they all sound like BS!
2. there is tons of damage out there! we don't meet many people who ever expect to be in transition at this point - AND IT HURTS! finding someone to talk to, to help focus their efforts, to remind them of what makes them great, different, funny, valuable is REALLY important. I'm only moderately good at that stuff but there are people here at Boardroom Metrics who are fantastic at it.
3. don't make the mistake of being too unemployed - I know one fellow who's been sending updates to his network for over two years! and recently we had the opportunity to meet someone representing a networking group of senior unemployed folks - a group that takes being unemployed VERY seriously - weekly meetings, reports, speakers, etc. Apparently focusing on anything other than being aggressively unemployed (not our thing) was too radical. There's no text book (actually there's probably a ton) on this stuff - breaking out is a GOOD thing!
4. recruiters are the first stop for everyone in transition. Not hearing back from them is EVERYONE'S story. Just remember that RECRUITERS DON'T CARE. It's not their job. Recruiters are paid by clients and they will care when you have something the client needs.
5. stop being a generalist! almost everyone we meet is walking around with content, knowledge and experience that makes them unlike anyone else out there - yet how do they want to position themselves?? like everyone else out there! the world has enough change agents, strategists, leaders and motivators! there's no credibility any more. A lady we met recently was all those - and wanted to be all of those - but she also had a PhD degree in mathematics - now THAT's differentiation - the world can always use a leader who gets the #'s!!
6. LinkedIn is amazing! but it's not a silver bullet. And using it to keep your name high profile by repackaging everyone else' content gets old fast. Instead - start writing your own content, producing your own videos, developing your own tools, creating your own ad campaign. We haven't met anyone yet not smart enough to operate brilliantly on their own - unfortunately many social media tools make it too easy to hide behind others - and, while that's a great way to ease into blogging and tweeting - it won't get you a gig.
7. you can't be half pregnant - and consulting isn't for everyone. While the freedom and lack of corporate BS seems attractive, staying busy is like non-stop finding a job! It's tough. So inevitably we see people stuck in between - wanting to be consultant but unable to afford it. Like anything, if you're going to consult  - or find a new corporate gig - you have to commit to it - over time.
8. almost no one we meet in transition is putting in the effort they should - yet almost everyone we meet is busy, busy, busy. here's how we think people should spend their time - 1) figuring out what they want to do - like consult, get a job or just mess around 2) defining their space in the market - consult in what?, work at what?, be differentiated how?, and 3) going for it - having a story and telling it everywhere - through networking, publishing, interviewing, speaking, creating, volunteering, mentoring, coaching, interning. even to recruiters!
9. being in transition takes a lot of people a long ways from what they're good at - and what they're used to. For someone who's climbed the corporate ladder their whole career, being in transition means big changes - being without a team, having to learn to sell, having to make the coffee, having to write the presentations. That is where networking groups or the what we do here at Boardroom Metrics can really help - learn new skills in  a safe environment - and be part of  something.
10. for those without huge severance payouts saving money is a huge deal initially that tapers off over time - which seems counter-intuitive. Why? first because most people think they will have a job in 6 months and don't want to invest unnecessarily. second, because it takes a while to realize you can live on less and get comfortable with it, and third - because no one is desperate enough in the beginning. Desperation starts to set in after about about 6 months - putting lots of people 6 months behind investing in themselves.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
How can Boardroom Metrics help?

• If you're having trouble figuring what makes you great and different try our personal branding assessment. We'll work you through it. You'll come out with greater clarity on who you are and what your plan is.

• If you've figured out why you're great and where you're going, we can help you get there. We have a powerful web and social media platform you can tell your story from. We network all the time and we bump into opportunities. Our platform gets stronger the more talented people who take advantage of it.
• If you just need someone to talk to - a mentor, coach, ally, team - we're happy to support your efforts and occasionally kick you in the ass. Let's face it, we all need that every once in a while!

Here's the Boardroom Metrics website. Boardroom Metrics Twitter. Boardroom Metrics Facebook page.

#Recruitfest09

Quick thanks to the organizers and passionate leaders of #Recruitfest09. Met some great people. The sessions today were spirited, co-operative and useful. At first the unconference approach takes some adjustment but once the flow starts it's a great way to learn and contribute (and U of T isn't a bad place to do it).

Some thoughts coming out of today.

1. managing the talent puddle - forget the pool it's too big (and sounds like most are struggling with basic talent management - when WAS the last time anyone took a candidate for lunch?)
   
2. Twitter - um, not so much - despite experts to the contrary I still say that brand and audience relationship building (never mind sound search optimization) requires a multi-platform approach, not just one (I use Twitter to get you to this post, not to write it)
   
3. maybe a little too much talking to ourselves? - next time let's get some users in the room (clients and candidates) - it would be fun to hear their side of the conversation
   
4. finally, yes it's been a tough year and competition is getting worse but...the most sustainable competitive advantage any company has is it's people - so hang in there. And even though the pricing of bits and bytes is going to zero so a lot of the process crap has no value any more, if you give me the BEST person for the position I'll always be happy to pay you a fair price (it's when I don't want the best - goodbye competitive advantage, or you can't provide it, then...we're both in trouble.)
   

Bottom line. Productive way to spend a day. Lots of opportunity going forward. Hope everyone enjoys Toronto.

Hire Me Someone Good

Every 6 months or so I get together with my friend Martyn.

Martyn's a recruiter. A good one. He started before the tech boom years ago. Built a serious firm. Saw it implode. Started over. Now very successful. Savvy. He's seen a lot. Been through a lot. Not a lot surprises him anymore.

As a consultant/CEO, I've used Martyn over and over to find me great people. He says his sweet spot is tech sales, tech sales management. Good for him. Having a positioning is good. However, I've used him to find marketing people, CFO's, customer service managers, you name it - in everything from not-for-profit through financial services.

Ultimately, the competitive advantage in recruiting is understanding what your client is looking for - a product of listening and client knowledge - and being fearless about reaching out to potential candidates. Martyn is the listener. His staff are the fearless ones, and they're good.

Every time Martyn and I get together, he ultimately regales me with his ugly client stories. Getting stiffed. Clients stealing candidates. Clients lying about what's happening in the business.

In every story, there are underlying themes about some clients and some client mentalities around recruiting - and business in general.

First, there's the notion some clients have that recruiting is some sort of commodity type business that is practiced equally by any/all firms in the business.

Second, that the universe is large and unconnected. That burning bridges and being an asshole doesn't have consequences.

Third, that negotiation is win-lose exercise, where the win-lose on fee is disconnected from the quality of the search.

Finally, that being funded by a VC means you're generally smarter than people with 3x the experience.

My perspective on any/all of these won't be a surprise. They're just dumb. Having a strong relationship with a recruiter is potentially one of the most important business relationships a growth manager can have. These relationships take time to nurture. A few searches. Getting to know how manager and recruiter come to see the same candidates in the same light.

Treating recruiters - and candidates - like commodities will backfire. The search community may seem large, but it's not. Sure there will always be a new firm to take an asshole client, but if you're the Board, do you really want your CEO building the future and sinking your investment on a new supplier every time there's a new search?

Some thoughts on working effectively with a recruiter.

> Have lunch, regularly. Get to know his/her business. Let him/her get to know you/your business. Get to know each other.

> Err on the side of loyalty. Forcing the recruiter to compete on every search will not lead to better quality candidates. It will lead to a semi-disengaged recruiter.

> Don't blow the relationship up over a search that goes wrong. There's valuable learning when mistakes happen. Early on working with Martyn I learned that when I provided the wrong specs, he hired me the wrong person. Good for him. Sucks to be me. Martyn helped me work it out and it's never happened again.

> Tap their expertise. Experienced recruiters like Martyn have seen everything. Negotiating techniques. Employment contracts. Salary levels. Tapping into that during and outside searches can be invaluable.

> Negotiate fee when it makes sense. Like when you're hiring multiple senior positions. But don't grind it every time. Yes, you can leap to a new recruiter who may do something dumb to get your business. Other than that, the recruiting fee model is pretty standard - and your choice needs to be on the quality of the recruiter, not winning a price negotiation.

> Finally, come to terms with how you feel about people/employees, and their impact on your business. My philosophy is simple. It's all about the people. No compromises. Does Google compromise? GE? Microsoft? Measure your recruiter on the basis of one thing - quality of the people you ultimately hire. As long as Martyn keeps delivering people who teach me how to get the job done, we'll be working together for a long time.

Oh, and here's the link to Martyn's site. http://www.mbassett.com/