Chief Financial Officer

3 Reasons NOT to use Resume Templates

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Last week I saw comments by the CEO of Linkedin about the evolution of resumes. He is right that resumes are changing. Actually, they have been changing for a good 10 or so years with a clear focus on the ability to solve problems and deliver impacts rather than duties held and responsibilities performed. But …

A few days later, I saw that Linkedin and Microsoft have joined forces for a new Linkedin feature called “Resume Assistant.” DING DING DING! Perhaps Linkedin’s CEO had a bit of an agenda in mind when he made his resume comments.

Despite the fact that I hate resume templates, that is the first of my 3 reasons I would advise my CFO clients not to use this feature.

I hate resume templates

And most recruiters can spot them a mile away. All a resume template does is make you blend in rather than stand out from the competition. In this competitive job market, it is imperative to differentiate yourself from other candidates. What is different about how you, as a Finance Leader, solve problems and deliver impacts speaks directly to the challenge a company faces in hiring for culture fit.

Additionally, most templates do not allow you to use strategy to drive format. Rather, the templates are often format driven relegating strategy to second place.

Passive candidates are in high demand

When your resume is posted, the message – intentional or not – is that you are in active job search mode. Even if you are, advertising that can dilute your negotiating power. The perception is that something seemingly unattainable or hard to get is much more prized, valued, and desired.

My #1 reason for advising you to NOT use this template is …

If your resume is front and center on Linkedin (or any other public job board for that matter), there is no reason for a recruiter to pick up the phone, discuss his job requisition and search, give you an opportunity to articulate your value message, and ask for your resume. If you give them your resume upfront, the conversation may never take place. As a candidate, you want that conversation!

 

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.

The Proverbial Elevator Speech

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Every time I hear the term “elevator speech,” it makes me cringe. I know it serves a purpose and I’ll talk about that in a minute, but most people use an elevator speech to talk “at” people – about themselves – far too often. That is especially true when one is in job search mode. Think about a wife talking at her husband, or vice versa. How much listening is really happening? Or, is the other person …

– planning what s/he is going to say next;

– mentally wondering what else is on his “to do” list;

– trying to determine how soon he can disengage from the me-centered conversation; or

– strategically scanning the room to see who else is there?

That is a consequence of using an elevator speech when a back-and-forth conversation would be much more effective. Such communication is much easier when you understand your value and can articulate it in problem-solving language. When asked what do you do, there are conversation stoppers and more intriguing conversation hooks with which to respond. For example,

I am a CFO for XYZ Company; or

I help small mid-cap companies meet their growth objectives.

The first response is typical and completely misses the value piece of a message. Short of something like how long have you been there, the conversation is on its way to a quick end. Conversely, the latter response invites a follow-up question. If you are skillful at handling the follow-up questions, you can keep the conversation flowing while simultaneously creating rock-solid problem solving positioning.

Save your elevator speech – that 60-to-90 second spiel that tells people about you – for round table networking events and when answering the question “tell me about yourself” during an interview or in a conversation with a recruiter. At that point, it is both appropriate and useful because your written marketing documents (resume, cover letter, leadership brief) and digital footprint have already answered the value question.

Proverbial or not, I do not believe an elevator speech is appropriate when you are standing in an elevator or attending a networking event. Talking at people will never be as effective as engaging people by talking with them.

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.

Do You Need a Disrupting Irma in Your Job Search?

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There is nothing like a Cat 5 hurricane bearing down on your state to make you put your priorities into perspective. This is one of those times when I’m thankful I don’t live on the coast, but I’m not sure this particular monster cares much about location. She is bigger than Michigan, twice as big as Alabama, with winds far exceeding the Cat 5 minimums. Talk about a disrupter.

It did get me thinking about what it takes for most of us to be disrupted in our lives to the point of actually taking some action or a different action. It seems to be human nature to be content with misery rather than to risk pursuing and embracing change.

Maybe, as a job seeker, you need a personal “Irma disruption” in your life. Granted, a job search doesn’t cause the kind of physical devastation that a hurricane does … but an extended job search can feel pretty devastating. Stephanie Carson wrote about the ugly side of being unemployed and job searching.

What would happen if you disrupted the status of your current job search?

Your Plan is Only YOUR Plan

And YOUR plan is only as good as all of the external elements cooperating. Much like a hurricane, the job search process can have a lot of un-cooperating aspects …

– A lack of right-fitting opportunities

– The black hole phenomenon

– The ineffective spaghetti strategy

– Far too few responses.

If your plan isn’t working, it might be time to ditch it and do something new and different. The bottom line, though, is that you need a plan.

Refocus on what is Really Important

Usually in an executive job search, what is most important is a strong network. It takes time and effort to build, and most CFOs are quick to tell me they don’t have a strong network in place.

Besides, searching job postings online is easier and infinitely more comfortable … right? It might be easier and even comfortable, but it is definitely not an effective job search strategy for senior finance executives. Refocusing your efforts on building a strong network will ultimately provide a much greater ROI.

Become Other Focused

Who needs your particular problem solving skill set? Sometimes we can become so focused on duties and responsibilities that we forget good marketing means being able to meet the need of someone in a position to buy what you’re selling. In a job search, you are selling yourself.

Hurricane prep is all about “me.” But the reality is, post-hurricane it is all about community. The job search is all about you finding a new position. From a company’s perspective, it is all about what you can do for it.

Fortunately, my business is portable so Irma‘s disruption to my life and business is, hopefully, significantly reduced. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who are in her direct path and to the many first responders standing at the ready.

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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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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5 Reasons to Hire a Resume Writer

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Last week one of my colleagues wrote an article opining that no one should ever hire a resume writer. Rather, candidates should all enroll in her *paid* class so she can teach them how to write their own resume. It is definitely a choice.

I’m going to offer the flip side of why it makes sense for most people, particularly C-suite executives, to hire a resume writer.

Writing is not your forte

As a CFO, your area of expertise is finance, and operations, and possibly IT, and quite possibly you oversee HR, legal, real estate, construction, purchasing, to name a few. None of my finance clients, though, have ever told me that they felt they excelled at writing their own marketing documents.

However, if you do excel at writing about yourself … fabulous! Just be sure you are writing through the lens of value.

You are surrounded by your own paradigms

And those paradigms are usually responsibilities held and duties performed. It is tough to be competitive when relying on things you did rather than how you delivered. And sometimes, it is challenging to step out of that perspective and look at your contributions through the lens of value. It is precisely why athletes hire coaches. The coach can see and evaluate performance from a different perspective.

My one caveat to hiring a resume writer would be when working together is all superficial without being an authentic representation of who you are, how you communicate, and your clear and compelling value as a leader who solves problems. In that case, save your money and do it yourself.

You have one chance to make a first impression

Whether that first impression comes through your resume or a networking contact or your Linkedin profile, your written documents, elevator pitch (if you use one), and introduction all need to convey an integrated value message.

Your value message must be cohesive across all your marketing documents

That does not mean that your documents should be repetitive or redundant. In fact, they should be the opposite. Think of your marketing documents (resume, cover letter, Linkedin profile, leadership brief) as building blocks. Every time a company decision maker or recruiter looks at another one of your documents, they should see more and more evidence, credibility, and viability as the problem solver they want and need.

You have support with a vested interest in your success

Job searching is not for the faint-of-heart. Even with a top-notch resume, if you don’t know how to use it effectively, it probably won’t do what you need it to do. Sometimes, it is nice to know that you have an objective coach in your corner who can keep you accountable and provide support and insight.

If you are a Chief Financial Officer or up-and-coming CFO who is ready to make that great first impression with a compelling value message as a problem solver who delivers tangible impacts, let’s talk. Historically, we see the middle of September as the beginning of an active job search season so the time to get ready is now!

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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In Demand CFOs

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An opinion post appearing in the North Bay Business Journal certainly seems to be spot on in identifying the traits of an accomplished CFO. I’ll add my thoughts on two things that I believe are critically important.

<<As the role of the chief financial officer continues to evolve, the most effective CFOs are those who continue to add value beyond the traditional finance function and help deliver strong business results.>>

I doubt this is a surprise to any CFO. After all, today’s CFO has really morphed into a CFOO (Chief Financial Operations Officer) and in some instances, more of a CEO (Chief Everything Officer).

To be a competitive candidate for a finance leader position, the CFO or aspiring CFO must move outside the finance bubble.

Adding value matters. So does being able to effectively communicate how you add value that translates to tangible business impacts. Which leads me to the second point …

<<Other traits of an effective CFO include strong communication skills and the ability to listen attentively.>>

Soft skills are integral to the top-notch CFO. All the finance expertise in the world won’t matter if you cannot communicate with the Board, investors, the rest of the C-suite, clients or customers, bankers, your finance team, and intra-departmental teams as well as build trusted relationships with them in order to achieve corporate objectives.

I wrote this article in March, saying …

Companies understand brilliant Chief Finance Officers bring financial acumen and skills to the table. They also recognize that while industry knowledge can be taught and gained; teaching communication, relationship management, team building, and leadership is a much more difficult, and maybe even impossible, endeavor. 

I believe my comment is still very true today and will be true for the foreseeable future!

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 Dog Ate My Homework

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With that cliché title, I am no doubt dating myself. That’s okay. You already know I’ve been in business for 23 years so I’m definitely not a young pup.

This bit of sage advice from my colleague, Barb Safani, came through my Linkedin newsfeed this morning.

“If recruiters ask you to ‘walk them through your background,’ focus on your core messages of value, not the five positions you held pre-1985.”

This wise counsel is true not only when you are talking with recruiters, but is also critically important when crafting your resume, Linkedin profile, cover letters, leadership brief, and every other written marketing document you use. Not doing your homework, which in this case is not doing the hard work to clearly understand your value so you can articulate your value messaging, won’t result in a 0 grade for homework not done. Rather, it may cause you to miss out on a very lucrative opportunity; maybe even your dream opportunity.

Here area 4 tips for honing your value messaging in the competitive world of CFO job search:

– 10 to 12 are the magic numbers

While a recruiter and/or a company is interested in how you got where you are, what the hiring company most cares about is your ability to solve the kinds of problems they are currently experiencing.

In the fast-changing world of technology, that means your tangible impacts over the last 10-12 years matter much more than what happened in the early years of your career or your degree. Those foundational things matter, but they will not help a company with a problem understand how you can resolve their issue, challenge, or situation.

Which brings me to …

– It is not what, it is how

What you did only matters in the context of how you delivered value as a finance leader who knows how to step in, eliminate or mitigate issues, and make a company stronger and better. That is your track record; that is your core value; and that is what matters to a prospective company.

– Self-identify by value rather than job title or worse, lack thereof

Besides screaming desperation, which shifts the balance of power, identifying by your job title is absent any value to a potential employer. Find your value and then, use it as a neon sign at every opportunity.

– The more you blend in, the less you will be noticed

When I made the decision to work exclusively with CFOs, it was based on two things:

– With whom did I most enjoy working, and
– Where was a gap in the saturated resume writing/job coach market?

The answer was the same for both questions. I loved working with accomplished finance executives and there were no resume writers or job coaches working exclusively with CFOs.

That is true for you as a job search candidate whether you are currently in a search or anticipate a move within the next few years. Identifying how you are different from all your competitors will help to ensure that you stand out from them rather than get lost in the masses.

Your core value and strongest positioning are the most visible when you have identified what you love doing, quantified your track record of success doing those things, clarified your target market, and taken ownership of that space.

If I can help you hone your value messaging, give me a call!

 

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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Twenty-three years … so many memories!

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Rarely do I share personal information because I am just that much of a private person. However, reflecting on the fact that I am in my 23rd year of business prompted me to rethink my non-sharing position. While June 1994 was the beginning of my entrepreneurial adventure, July 2009 was when I ventured into my CFO-Coach branded space and never looked back. So many years, so many lessons. Here are a few of my reflections …

It’s exhilarating to be the boss, and quite scary

Those of us who love being in control absolutely love being the “boss.” However, with that title comes all, and I do mean ALL, of the responsibility. Having to make every decision can, at times, be quite frightening.

My business was launched when my then 7-year old came home from school and said if she could have anything in the world, she wanted me to be home when school was over so she didn’t have to be a latch-key kid. Talk about motivation. And terror. If I failed, it meant snatching away her cherished dream. And here we are, 23 years later.

Flexibility and discipline are often at odds with each other

Perhaps my favorite part of being a solopreneur is the flexibility it affords. Of course, modern technology has made it possible for me to work anywhere at any time.

Flexibility does bump up against discipline, though, and not everyone can focus on work when fun is calling. The difference is … when you love what you do, fun becomes a relative term. And 23 years later, I’m still having fun.

Differentiation and niching allowed me to do what I love

My philosophy with my clients is to help them do what they love … harness the skills at which they excel and enjoy doing, and then create their value and marketable positioning from that unique and differentiating place.

Way back in the 90s I took a job coach certification class, and the one thing that still rings true is the negative impact burnout skills have on our careers. Just because we are good at something doesn’t mean we want to do more of “that” skill. What you are good at, love doing, have a track record of success doing – that’s your sweet spot and it can be the basis of your value messaging and appeal to a prospective employer.

It isn’t always easy, but it is always my choice

Such is life, right? But where else would I have the opportunity to have …

– a great boss

– flexible hours

– the ability to help some of the most accomplished CFOs in the nation do what they love in their next position, while forming long-lasting relationships with them.

And to think I have had a dream journey because of the courage to act on one little heartfelt comment by my sweet little girl, now a grown woman with children of her own.

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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5 Tips for a Compelling Linkedin Profile

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Following my article on the CFOO, a CFO asked me this question …

<<… when you say “using LinkedIn as a placeholder for your online presence is a bad idea” what do you mean?>>

What I meant by a placeholder is a bare bones Linkedin profile – a name, maybe a picture, the current employer, and maybe education. A visual might be a person walking into a networking event wearing a brown paper bag on his head. It doesn’t invite perusal or conversation – there is simply nothing there to see.

Here are my 5 tips for ensuring that your Linkedin profile is more than a placeholder and sending a message you didn’t intend to send.

1. Make your headline a headline

Most people resort to dropping their most recent job title into the spot underneath their name. Using a job title is a clear missed opportunity to immediately convey value. A value statement also transcends any potential future job loss.

2. Expand your summary section

This is another place to convey value AND tell a story that will intrigue a reader to continue reading the balance of your profile. With 2,000 characters available, it is also a chance to capture critical key words that a recruiter or company will use when searching for a CFO candidate.

3. Keep your experience section fresh

By fresh, I don’t mean just updated – although that is a key point. However, cutting and pasting your resume into this section is not fresh. It is redundant. If you repeat your resume here, there is no need for a prospect to ask for your resume. Rather, think of your marketing documents as bricks that, when stacked on top of each other, form a solid wall of credibility.

4. Be judicious in choosing your connections

We never know who might be a great networking connection, but there are two important reasons to be selective in growing your online network.

First, recruiters do look at your connections and right, wrong, or indifferent – it is a part of their first impression.

Second, do you want to build a rolodex or grow your network? One is not necessarily helpful; the other is a necessity.

5. Get recommendations

Third party testimonials add credibility to your own value statements about your ability, and they matter – to recruiters and to the Linkedin algorithm. A profile doesn’t need a lot of “atta boy” recommendations; rather, it does need a few that validate your problem-solving abilities while helping to ensure a complete profile.

Social media is a critical piece of today’s job search process. Without a strong, value-oriented presence, recruiters might be missing out on the perfect Chief Financial Officer – you – to fill their job requisition! Don’t be a wallflower. Instead, be the candidate who stands out from the competition!

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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Industry Expertise

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I have been working exclusively with Chief Financial Officers for a long time. Eight years to be exact. And much has changed in those 8 years. Like …

  • The evolution of the stereotypical bean counting CFO to a Chief Financial Operations Officer.
  • An increase in the number of CFOs who have an interest in moving into the CEO seat.
  • A slight bump in the number of CFOs who have embraced social media.
  • The paradigm shift on “industry experience.”

It is the industry experience paradigm shift that is the focus of my thoughts today.

Up until about 5-6 years ago, industry experience was almost always a requirement. Recruiters would rarely consider candidates from outside “the” industry. Making a change was nearly unheard of and almost impossible to achieve.

That, however, is no longer the case. Companies are finally realizing that while group think (hiring within the industry) begets more group think, hiring outside the industry can facilitate a completely new and different perspective on solving problems and achieving objectives. Companies also recognize that knowledge of the industry can be learned and hiring candidates who possess certain skills – including soft skills – may be the greater imperative.

My favorite story to illustrate this point is a client who worked in a multi-unit retail space. He got calls – repeatedly – for CFO positions in healthcare … not because he had any healthcare experience, he didn’t. Rather, he had what the healthcare industry did not have – candidates who possessed multi-unit experience. It was not the industry experience that mattered. It was the skillset sorely lacking in that space that was attractive to his candidacy.

If you want to compete for Finance Leader positions outside your industry, then it is time to …

  • identify industries in which you can be competitive;
  • leverage your unique and transferrable skill set which includes doing what you love, want to do more of, and in which you have a track record of success;
  • raise your visibility with a compelling, value-oriented message; and
  • ramp up your networking efforts.

 

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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