A survey of 1,311 executives in the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (which owns and operates BlueSteps.com) revealed a sea-change in the attitudes of corporate high-flyers, with a growing number rejecting long hours and the scramble up the corporate ladder in favour of better quality of life.

More than half (53 per cent) of those questioned said they have not achieved a satisfactory work-life balance and a similar proportion (46 per cent) felt that their work-life balance had changed for the worse over the past five years.

What are your experiences in trying to achieve a suitable work-life balance? Have you significantly altered your quality of life by changing your work pattern? Do you have any tips for executives trying to make this change?

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Tips from Debra Feldman, http://www.jobwhiz.com/index.php

Do you know the correct techniques to win over even the most sullen of administrative assistants? Good manners go a long way if backed by the right strategy and a strong value proposition that can’t be ignored (without risking a possible reprimand from the boss!)

The gatekeeper uses criteria developed to evaluate requests. If you pass the test, you are referred to the boss. If not, you are turned away. The value proposition you initially present to the gatekeeper has to satisfy predetermined needs or be intriguing enough to captivate their attention affording you the opportunity to elaborate on your interest and justify your request as an exception. Start with the premise that the gatekeeper is not an enemy but, like yourself, is a professional trying their best to fulfill an assignment, keep the boss happy and get rewarded for a job well done.

Here are 6 ways you can increase your personal odds that gatekeepers will grant you access.

Offer a low risk, high reward situation. Do your homework. Plan your presentation so it is clear, compelling and engaging. Pique the gatekeeper’s curiosity. Inquire if they have a few moments for your call and how their day has been. Listen. If they hesitate or sound busy offer to call back, even before you leave your name. Find out if there is a convenient time to call back.

Convince the gatekeeper that there is no reason not to offer you an appointment. The gatekeeper is balancing two competing choices: granting too much access to the wrong applicants or being too stringent thereby excluding individuals that the boss would want to meet. Their job (and livelihood) depends on how well they interpret the screening criteria. If the gatekeeper believes it would be more detrimental to keep you out than to let you in, you have won!

The more interaction you have, the more invested the gatekeeper becomes in a relationship that contributes to a desire to help you and be a part of your success. Speak respectfully, be polite. Ingratiate yourself and it is more likely and have the chance to explain more about your business.

Follow the gatekeeper’s instructions, cooperate and be pleasant. Not only do you have to have a high quality concept and credentials, but your personality has to be a fit. If you are asked to email a request, do it and send it out within 24 hours or less before you are forgotten. Don’t be argumentative. Smile as you speak—it will come through in your voice. Your demeanor communicates that you are not going to cause trouble. Be patient and helpful. This gatekeeper may be your new boss’s administrator or even your own right hand someday!

Gatekeepers can become your personal liaison warming up the boss on your behalf and facilitating the impossible.If you can win the gatekeeper’s support, this individual can become your ally advocating for you, squeezing an appointment for you into a booked calendar, talking you up to the boss, giving you hints to help your meeting be more positive. If your encounter with the gatekeeper is negative, reconsider your goal. If the boss condones unprofessional behavior, do you really want to move forward with this?

Timing is critical. If you don’t succeed, try, try, again. Don’t be discouraged if your first approach isn’t wholeheartedly embraced. After an appropriate interval, attempt another connection revising your presentation, enhancing your value proposition and using better timing. Polite persistence and creativity pays off. Follow up is key to making progress.

© 2007 Debra Feldman
Debra Feldman is the JobWhiz™, a nationally-recognized expert who designs and personally implements swift, strategic, and customized senior level executive job search campaigns, banishing barriers that prevent immediate success. Her gift for Networking Purposefully™ and cold calling — executed with high energy and savvy panache — connects candidates directly to decision makers, not HR. Learn more about her groundbreaking techniques that compress job searches from months into weeks. Contact Debra now at www.JobWhiz.com to expedite your executive ascent!

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A BlueSteps poll of almost 1000 senior executives found that Chief Strategy Officer will be the most influential non-CEO C-level position in an organization in 2007. This is the second year that the CSO position topped the charts, with 39.8% of executives. It was closely followed by CIO/CTO (32.9%) and CMO (29.6%).

A strategic vision and plan to attain that vision is critical to any organization, but who puts that vision into practice? Does your firm have an appointed Chief Strategy Officer? Or is the strategic imperative directed by one or more individuals in the C-level suite?

Categories: Recruitment Trends
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Resume writing has long been the subject of experts teaching the tricks of the trade. The good news is that there are things that you can do to make your resume more attractive to search consultants. But beware - there is nothing that can dress up a mediocre track record to make it look stellar.

Search consultants want to be able to grasp information quickly – they see thousands of resumes in the course of a year. They don’t want the long introduction, the obfuscating descriptions or the emotive words such as “a results oriented executive with hands on experience of managing growing companies” (a statement which has communicated very little.)

Instead there is a lot to be said for simplicity, clarity and clear targeting. A short description of jobs held, indicating size of company, responsibilities and major achievements will quickly help the search consultant to make some summary judgments in the screening process.

By all means add a short covering letter indicating the kind of appointment you are looking for, and of course ask if the consultant could spend a little time on the phone with you. After that, it’s all about serendipity - the right job at the right time.

II. Do’s and Don’ts in Resume Writing

Do:

• list positions held in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top)
• use bold type fonts to highlight the company name and the position that you held (position can be in italics)
• keep it short - preferably one page, but as long as it reads quickly then by all means use two
• highlight key achievements
• include bullet point information describing the nature and size of the organization
• include academic prowess
• add a great (but very short) covering letter customized to the reader describing why you warrant attention; even better send the letter first without the resume – that way you stimulate interest without giving away too much information up front.

Don’t:

• indulge in introductory statements about your career or your career goals (do that very quickly in the covering letter - then you can modify each letter according to the reader)
• list every achievement in your college and high school career
• use long-winded narrative
• employ generic descriptions of your achievements – be specific.

Common Misconceptions: The reader is interested in all details of your career; the reader has time to read and assimilate information; the resume is crucial to opening the door – it often isn’t, but the covering letter may be.

Resumes don’t get jobs, you do; therefore work out how to communicate what makes you different or special. Also, don’t forget that a search consultant is a different audience to a potential hiring organization.

III. Making your resume work for you

Most executives forget all communications theory when it comes to writing about themselves. They become focused on describing everything they have ever done rather than applying simple but well proven rules such as – defining the audience, defining the purpose of the message and then defining the message itself.

The resume is purely and simply a medium of communication. Make it long and obscure and you will lose your audience – just as with a presentation. Make it to the point and highlighted with key messages and you will succeed in getting your message across.

Don’t try to put the whole message in one document. Parcel out information as and when you know your target audience is ready to receive it. Most senior line and HR executives have little or no time to read voluminous resumes or CVs. When received they will either have their assistant dictate a standard reply or the papers will be referred to the recruiting division to be lost forever.

First get the attention of your target audience and then communicate. Try a very short introductory letter or, if possible, a telephone conversation. By attracting the attention of the target in this way your resume can be used as back-up or an aide-memoire once they have shown some interest in listening to you.

Work out to how to stimulate that initial interest and you will make real progress in your networking.

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The outlook for executive talent in 2007 is extremely positive, particularly for those in Financial Services, Healthcare, IT or pharmaceuticals. Peter Felix, President of the Assocation of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), which owns and operates BlueSteps.com, has recently been quoted on Forbes.com concerning the bright outlook for talented CEOs in 2007.

Click here to read the article

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