career management

When Seeking a CFO Position …

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… it isn’t necessarily over when you think it seems to be over.

What I mean is that there a couple of factors at play that, despite not being selected initially for a job you want, could mean the position may come into play again in the near future.

Take for example, the story about Louisville University being forced to restart its CFO search. One week before he was supposed to begin, the newly-named CFO decided not to take the job. A strong runner-up candidate, who took the extra steps to stay on the search team’s radar while reiterating his interest in the position, could be the obvious choice following a less than positive – not to mention expensive – hiring decision by the company.

The other factor is the incredibly high executive fail rate within 18 months of hire. Depending on who is doing the survey, that statistic is anywhere from 40% to 70%, with 5% failing spectacularly. While those stats can be mind numbing and frightening, the flip side is that they also present a second potential opportunity for a position with a company that is (or was) on your “crème de la crème” list. But, it requires nurturing those relationships with key decision-makers within that company so you are top of mind if/when things with its new CFO hire begin to spiral.

And finally, your position – unless it is your last before retirement – really only means you are currently not in active job search mode. In a perfect world and with good career management habits solidly in place, it would also mean that you are, always, in passive job search mode as you anticipate a smooth transition into your next dream position. Passive job search mode means you are executing two key strategies constantly and consistently … fostering a network (as opposed to growing a rolodex) and building your visibility among your targeted companies. Being pursued for your next opportunity puts you in a much greater position of power when it comes time to negotiate your compensation package.

It is the last day of January … how is your job search going?

 

Copyright CFO-Coach 2018

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

Don’t Do This to Your Network

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If you have read any of my previous articles, you know I believe that a strong network is an integral part of the job search process, especially at the executive level. Strong is the operative word because anything less might result in committing this kind of fatal networking mistake.

“Hey stranger – I hope you are doing well. Does your daughter still work for XXXX? There is an opening in XXX I am interested in.”

Notice the introduction … Stranger. Yep, that is pretty much what we are. The 6-word polite inquiry into how I am doing is merely that … polite, and a vehicle to get to the real purpose … perhaps gaining an edge.

Or, so I thought. After a few email exchanges, she said she was merely curious about whether or not it was a good company. Asking that specific question would have been a more palatable request. Regardless of intent, I don’t think I am amiss in saying this kind of request can be a networking killer.

Here are 3 don’ts in networking for a new position.

Don’t think you have trust and relationship where you don’t

If you haven’t worked on your networking relationships, don’t expect trust –or help- to be in place or even available. When you burn and churn even a fledgling network, you quickly destroy it and then have nothing.

Don’t take without first giving

The “golden rule” in networking is give to get. That means, you build before you use. The best way to do the building is to give others help, support, advice, referrals, and recommendations before you need them yourself.

Don’t burn and churn your network

If you do take the time to build a network in anticipation of making a move sometime in the future, then continue to nurture it long after you land that new position. Requesting and taking help from a contact, and then dropping that person like a hot potato once their ability to help is gone, just might mean they will not be willing, or make themselves available, to help in the future.

Most CFOs are so busy working their jobs that working a network has not been a priority. However, good networking strategies are a great career management habit for all executives and leaders.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

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Ethics in the C-suite

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A quote by Sallie Krawcheck made its rounds in meme form on Linkedin this week. It says … “If it comes down to your ethics vs. a job, choose ethics. You can always find another job.” Such truth … especially for Chief Financial Officers.

On a personal note …

Violating your ethics or values will eventually catch up with you … and whether it eats away at you until you are miserable on the job and your health is in jeopardy – or – you begin to blur the lines of what is ethical and what is not … neither of those endings are ideal. The blight of a poor ethical decision can stain the outcome of a future job search.

Always keep your marketing documents up-to-date and understand and act on the premise that you really are always in job (opportunity) search mode. Those two career management strategies can go a long way to ensure that should you ever be asked to violate your ethics and won’t / can’t, you are in a much stronger position to find another opportunity much more quickly.

From a corporate perspective …

The buck often stops with the CFO when ethical violations hit the press. And that … can have a huge negative impact on your ability to find a new opportunity even if you exercise the above two strategies.

May you never be faced with such a situation!

 

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

Your Home on the Web

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For many people, and particularly for most CFOs, the home of their digital footprint is Linkedin. Short of having your own URL, Linkedin is the only real neon sign option. That means having a robust profile is a critically important piece of managing your career … because it is where you can be found and where you are in control of the message.

Two posts came through my feed this last week regarding Linkedin, generating very interesting comments. The first was about headlines. The second around whether Linkedin replaces a resume. Let’s start with the headline.

The first question was asked as a yes/no poll … do you like headlines that are not standard fare? (i.e., your job title). I don’t have a good handle on the exact statistics, but there were strong opinions on both sides of the fence. Here’s my two cents.

Standard fare is a commodity, generic, and lacks value.

First, it is called a “headline” for a reason. If you believe your current job title is compelling enough to promote interest, do a search on Linkedin to see how many CFOs also use that headline. It’s tough to stand out with “just” a job title as your hook.

Second, companies hire because they need a Finance Leader to solve a problem, get them unstuck, or move them to the next level. The moment you define yourself by your job title, rather than your ability to solve problems and deliver impacts, and you lose your job … is the moment you become much less competitive and lose your power positioning. While nothing has changed for you except your location (outside vs. inside), companies and recruiters view that change quite differently.

Whether you choose to use a branded value-oriented headline or your job title, here are some things your headline should absolutely not say …

– Looking for a job or next opportunity

– Currently looking

– Anything that is not relevant to your branded positioning

The second issue was quite interesting, and there were certainly vocal opinions about whether the candidate needs both a resume and a Linkedin profile … and even whether a candidate would stoop so low as to create a resume if they already had a Linkedin profile. Goodness. While one day, perhaps, sometime in the future, a platform such as Linkedin may well replace resumes … that time is not now.

A Resume and a Robust Profile are Both Necessities

A Chief Financial Officer who wants to be competitive in the marketplace needs both a value-oriented resume that showcases his problem-solving skills AND a robust Linkedin profile that does not replicate his resume.

Your profile will get you noticed. Your branded value-oriented resume will solidify your credibility. They are two different, but necessary, pieces of the same job search puzzle.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

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The Difficult Truth About the Job Search

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Searching for a new job is tough. In fact, it might be one of the toughest, and certainly more stressful, things you will do in your career. For CFOs, there is only one position available (sans division or unit roles) and only so many companies who need your skills. The competition can be fierce.

Lately, I’ve seen much frustration among job seekers on Linkedin. One of my connections said … “Personally, I find searching for a new professional opportunity to be one of the most frustrating experiences anyone can go through during their career.” Yes, yes it is. And the break down of communication between decision-maker, HR, and candidate only adds to the frustration.

Another one of my connections – a CFO candidate – said that after applying for 400+ jobs on Linkedin, he was closing his account. The fact that he found 400 jobs to which he applied is nothing short of amazing. That none of them panned out, though, does not surprise me.

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid falling into the ego bashing, anxiety-ridden, torturous, frustrating, and difficult trap that can be part of the journey called job search.

– Don’t Take Rejection Personally

Easy to say; tough to do.

The right-fitting opportunity is extremely personal … for the candidate and for the company. However, neither of you benefit when the wrong person – from a culture fit perspective – is hired.

Just like you don’t win every business deal, you will not win every opportunity. Hold on to that professional perspective as much as possible.

– Leverage Your Network

Your network will always generate the best possible job leads. Always. Building your network before you need to use your network is always the best scenario. However, there is never a bad time to begin the building process.

When you don’t have a network, you are at the mercy of job boards. Which brings me to my next point.

– Don’t Get Seduced by the Job Posting Game

And such seduction it is. You find a listing. It appears to align perfectly with your skills. You send off your resume. And … nothing. The lure of the job posting game is the seeming ease in matching candidates to jobs. It isn’t and it rarely does, especially at the CFO level.

Devoting no more than 10% of your overall job search time to the job boards will go a long way towards reducing your angst. Your network is a much better source for finding those truly right-fitting opportunities.

– Your Search is Your Job, Treat it as Such

The easiest way to hit job search burnout is by forgetting to create a plan and then work your plan. At the end of the day (whether that is 4 hours, 6 hours, or 8 hours), it is important to put your job search activities aside and do something for yourself. The job search can be grueling; don’t let it also become all-consuming.

– It’s Not Over Until You’ve Landed … and then, Not Really

Don’t give up, or even ease up, on your job search activities until you have a signed, sealed, and delivered offer and have started your job. Even after you’ve landed, remember … you really are, in all likelihood, only between searches.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

3 Tips for Thinking More Strategically in a CFO Career Search

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CFO.com just published an article entitled “How CFOs Can Take on Bigger Roles.” The title sounds like it could be addressing a CFO career climb. Since they didn’t … I will!

The strategy behind taking on a bigger role is not much different whether you are “challenging the business and identifying new opportunities” as a finance leader –or- making the move to a more expansive CFO role externally.

Today’s most sought-after CFO is strategic by nature, elbow-deep in how operations drive numbers and vice-versa, building relationships internally and externally, and setting and guiding the company’s short- and long-term vision. The career challenge for CFOs is taking what they do in their jobs and translating that to create value messaging in anticipation of the next, bigger role.

– Identify and Embrace Your Value

This is usually the most challenging part of the work I do with my CFO clients. It is also the most effective.

A candidate’s value comes from his ability to solve problems and deliver tangible impacts. Value does not come from responsibilities held and duties performed. For most job search clients, especially the most accomplished, it is often tough to see the forest for the trees. It is imperative to take a step out of the responsibility/duty paradigm and dig deep into how you solve problems and position the company to grow, make money, expand market share, and otherwise reach corporate objectives.

Recognizing your value is the first part. However, just knowing it is not enough. It must be front and center of every marketing document as well as all career-related conversations. With value positioning as an anchor, the days of self-identifying by job title end and your appeal as a candidate who can solve a prospective company’s problems increases significantly.

– Who Cares

Identifying your target audience is critically important. Not every company is a great fit for your unique skill set, and more importantly, there are jobs that derail careers and set finance leaders up to fail. You don’t want those.

Knowing which companies do need your skills, are a great fit for your skills and ability, and have a success environment in which you can succeed helps you to be focused in your search efforts and enables your network to be more effective.

– Close the Gap

When you are clear on your value and who needs it, close the gap. Build visibility around your unique problem-solving skills among your target audience. And, to ensure you get the opportunity you want rather than a job you need, begin 9-12 months before you intend to make a move.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

Linkedin Profiles & CFOs

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Fast Company recently posted an informative article on what recruiters prefer to see in a Linkedin profile. It is good advice, and you can read it here. I thought I would add my two cents, aimed specifically at CFOs, to the information.

– Keep Your Profile Current

It is so easy to “forget” about Linkedin when you are not in job search mode. The reality is that recruiters are always looking for top-quality passive candidates and one of their sourcing methods is Linkedin. Keeping your profile current so you can be found, and your contributions as a problem-solving CFO are front and center, is a commendable career management strategy.

– What Constitutes a Headline?

It isn’t your current or most recent job title. The moment we identify by job title rather than value to a prospective company, we begin to lose important positioning.

Think about what entices or intrigues you to actually read an article or a post beyond skimming “headlines.” That same methodology applies to recruiters, while simultaneously differentiating you from the competition.

Honing in on how you are different from your competitors and how you have (and do) deliver value is the beginning of an effective headline.

– Your Profile Might be your Home on the Web

And if it is, it is NOT the same as your resume. Nor should it be a mere recitation of duties and responsibilities held throughout your career. Your “home on the web” is best utilized by creating an authentic and cohesive value-story that begins with your headline and ends with contributions delivered throughout your career, including any hobbies or personal interests that further or solidify your value positioning. Culture fit is the most challenging piece of the hiring process, so your ability to showcase fit-for-culture will only enhance your appeal.

If you need help crafting your value positioning on and off the web, let’s talk. You can reach me at Cindy@CFO-Coach.com or 813-727-3037.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

Burning Bridges Can Burn You

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You know the importance of not burning bridges when things go sour at work and you end up losing your job. But in the heat of the moment, and being human, we might just forget that critically important head knowledge and react rather than respond.

It’s not always easy to leave on good terms, especially when you’ve been wronged. However, there is leaving with hard feelings, which can be understood, and leaving by throwing a grenade behind you and completely charring anything and everything behind you.

A few weeks ago there was just such a moment in my Linkedin newsfeed. This gentleman, obviously hurt and angry, took his emotional reaction one step further by publicly eviscerating his boss, and then stating that he was looking for a new position within a specific geographic region.

In this age of social media, you just know this is going to go south for him quite rapidly. In fact, it is no doubt already there. The world is a very small place, made smaller by geography and industry. The scathing words posted on a public forum can, and no doubt will, be found by those within the search community. And, it is almost impossible to “take them back.” And what was said and how it was said speak volumes about who this person is.

Here are a couple suggestions so you don’t end up in the heat of the moment saying or doing something that you will ultimately regret. And let’s not forget the unforgiving press releases that are circulated on social media when a CFO does lose his position, because somebody has to take the fall.

Maintain control by being proactive

Losing control is never fun. If you wait until you need a job before you position yourself to get that next opportunity, you are not in control. Rather, you are at the mercy of companies and recruiters and the entire train wreck that constitutes the job search process.

Long before you need a job or want a new position, with “long” being defined as 9-12 months, begin positioning yourself for that new position. You are much more desirable as a candidate when you have value but don’t need a job than you are when you are unemployed and in need. You can always say no to an opportunity. But you want those opportunities coming your way even while gainfully employed so that you maintain control of your career.

Find a non-public outlet for your emotional roller coaster

This goes beyond just the immediate reaction of losing your position. It carries right into the interview process. Even if you are using all the right words, any anger or feelings of injustice can slip through in your tone and your body language.

If you can leave on good terms, great. If you can’t, practice telling your story, honestly and truthfully, free from any lingering hostile emotions until you can do talk about what happened without any negativity in your delivery and body language. It is not easy, but it is necessary. Having the exact right opportunity within reach only to lose it to lingering negativity would only add more fuel to the anger.

Give me a call if you need help with value positioning or working through how to talk about your last employment situation or anything else related to the frustrating job search process.

Copyright CFO-Coach 2017

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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.

The Job Search is Really a Career Journey

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As a political junkie (which is about 10th in my list of passionate interests), I couldn’t help but be drawn in by this article by Dorie Clark. The comparisons he makes of the job search to a permanent political campaign are quite fascinating. And, legitimate!

For the savvy Finance Chief, the job search has been replaced by an ongoing, permanent campaign. It’s a journey with a series of stops (roles), rather than a destination (at least until you’re ready to retire).

In the age of social media, where every important moment can be captured … and spread like wildfire … it is critically important to make sure your moments are visible, authentic, and consistent.

I’ve always preached that if you’re invisible, you don’t exist. But this article takes it a step further and says “if you’re invisible, you’re probably a fraud.” And then he backs up that statement …

One firm I consulted for almost didn’t hire a a qualified senior executive because — lacking almost any online presence — they strongly suspected he had fabricated his background. He hadn’t, but the elaborate process of verifying his story nearly cost him the job.

I said this yesterday, but it is worth repeating.

Don’t make your next move even tougher by waiting until you lose your current job to begin thinking about your next job. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.

And I’ll add this to yesterday’s statement … make sure you’re  authentically visible to the people who need to know about you!

Job Search is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

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A recent FENG newsletter contained this quote …

“Unfortunately the search process is more like a marathon than a sprint.”

While the author was referring to the length of the job search, it is also a true statement when you think about the search process as a career management strategy rather than a “find-the-next-job” strategy.

As soon as the job seeker lands, the focus is on doing his job … lulled by a false sense of security and/or even misguided corporate loyalty. And far too often, the passive candidate does nothing to prepare for an eventual move … whether that results from working himself out of a job or losing a job.

Instead of training for the marathon while he had the luxury of time (gainfully employed and well-positioned), almost every future candidate chooses to wait until he’s unemployed and then tries to sprint, completely unprepared for the challenge of the job search process, into that next position.

Here’s the new paradigm … shorter tenure means more frequent moves so good, consistent career management habits need to be developed and executed consistently long BEFORE a new job is needed.

What hasn’t changed, and may never change, is that passive candidates are still the most high-value targets. That makes marathon conditioning and training so much more valuable than the short-term sprint (which it rarely is) to the next position.

Learn more about why social media is important for your career as a Finance Executive and what you need to do to leverage it’s power … particularly while you are a passive candidate … at the CFO.com webinar on April 12 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. You’ll learn how to begin training for the marathon of proactively managing your career!