By Charles Shanley, SPHR, & Steve Swanston
In our previous post, we examined 15 ways credit union job seekers can improve their chances of landing a desk in the corner office. Here we list the top mistakes we see executives make—over and over again.
- Don't let technology do all the work: A lot of job hunting is based around technology, such as the Internet or e-mail. But don't rely 100 percent on the Internet for your job search. You can't just do resume blasts and expect the jobs to come to you. You should be networking on the social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, but you also want to keep networking in person at national conferences and local groups.
- Don't rely on the big resumes sites: You are not going to find CEO jobs on Careerbuilder and Monster.com. Instead look at the niche job boards and recruiters. CUES and the credit union trade publications offer job boards. Check those out.
- Don't forget that when you post on line, it's out there for all to see: Recognize that in the online world, once something is out there, it's out there forever. Especially if you already have a job and are looking for a job, posting a resume on line isn't always a wise thing to do.
- Don't blast your resume out to everyone: If you post on several job boards and send your resume to several recruiters, that gives the impression of desperation, especially at the senior level.
- Don't make resume blunders: Job seekers make so many mistakes on their resumes:
- Spelling errors are inexcusable on a resume. Grammar, spelling and punctuation have to be perfect.
- It should go without saying that you need to tailor the body of your e-mail or cover letter to the specific position.
- The resume format is very important. It should show a clear progression throughout your career. And it needs to be easy-to-read.
- The one-page resume is a thing of the past, especially at the CEO level. You should have enough experience for two pages. You could do an executive summary: Have a one-page summary of your experience, supported with an expanded, fuller resume.
- Also, on the resume, do what you can to quantify results. Show how you made money, saved money, improved efficiency, or improved some quantified measure. If you implemented new software that saved $22,000 each quarter, put that on your resume. Dollars and percentages stand out on a resume. You want to pass the "12-second review." That's the amount of time most recruiters spend when scanning your resume for the first time. It's just 12 short seconds that determine which pile your resumes ends up in.
- Spelling errors are inexcusable on a resume. Grammar, spelling and punctuation have to be perfect.
- Don't use your work e-mail on your resume. But do make sure the e-mail you use is professional. Don't use something like fuzzybunny@yahoo.com.
- Along the same line, have a professional outgoing voice-mail message on phone numbers you use.
- Don't talk harshly about former employers. In general, don't be negative. It's a huge turnoff to potential employers.
- Avoid interview blunders: The CEO search is never just one interview. Expect to go for at least two. Make the first interview all about what you can do for the credit union. Too many people make the mistake of asking too many "what can you do for me?" questions early on. Save those for the second interview. Also, be aware of your nervous habits. Try not to twitch and don't ramble on and on. These nervous habits shouldn't be so extensive at the CEO level. Being prepared can help you get over the nervousness. A board of directors wants somebody at the CEO level to be confident, so if you need help with your twitches, join Toastmasters or work with a professional coach.
- Finally, the last common mistake is not taking the highest-paying job: With all else being equal, if you have a choice between two jobs, always take the higher-paying one. Future jobs will make future salary decisions based on your current salary. A higher starting point will mean a higher raise.
Charles Shanley, SPHR, is executive search director and Steve Swanston is executive vice president of business development at CUES Supplier member JMFA Executive Search Group, Baytown, Texas. Contact Steve at steve.swanston@jmfa.com or by phone: 866.264.5017.
CUES partners with JMFA ESG on executive search.
