Tip #3: Leverage volatility When mass layoffs occur, smaller companies that could not compete for top-talent rush into to fill the gap and gobble up superior performers. When you experience a layoff, don't limit the search to your industry or function, an unrealistic salary, or a geographic location. This is the time that companies are thinking creatively and are more open to speaking with "non-traditional" hires with a great track record, and companies will be directing their recruiters to do so, too
RL Stevens
Tip #2: Follow the money New, growing, and emerging fields like green technologies, clean energy, social media, and others, will have fewer job applicants trained in those precise areas. They are looking for the best, but know that the best will often have to come from somewhere else. If your value and experience speak to employer needs, transition is assured.
Tip #1: Start with the known During your career, if you are ever laid off or you just want out of your current field, companies, industries, and functions that have some connection to that field are often the most productive to pursue. Examples might be healthcare to biomedical; teaching to educational sales; consumer products brand management to B2B marketing; banking to corporate finance; engineering to green technologies; software development to new media.
THE CIRCUMSTANCE
What was the opportunity, problem, or challenge? State in no more than 2 sentences. THE CONDUCT Actually, the steps to the solution! What specific actions did you take…or why did you take action? In most cases, three or four actions should be identified, along with the rationale for taking those actions. Where possible, use the personal pronoun ”I” followed by and action word, such as managed, directed, led, designed, created, formulated, negotiated, planned, trained, sold, etc. State in no more than 2 sentences. THE CONCLUSION Wherever possible, QUANTIFY results and try to include a time frame. Where results don’t seem quantifiable…think again! While sometimes it is difficult to establish a clear cause-effect relationship between actions and results, it is perfectly permissible to cite a beneficial result that your actions contributed to, even if the actions of others also played a contributing, even vital role. The Conclusion should be 2 or 3 sentences for greatest effectiveness. It is not necessary to “tell all” when relating a Three C story; simply tell your story. The listener will identify with the favorable objectives. In the telling, invite interviewer questions, especially when you have good back-up data. The most effective Three C presentations are typically brief; each should be able to be told in less than 90 seconds. Circumstance - Conduct- Conclusion
Complete and Concise Interviewing Is the Conclusion truly responsive to the Circumstance (i.e. problem or opportunity) identified? If not, rephrase either the Circumstance or Conclusion to make them line-up with one another. This creates interest. Have you cited an appropriate result for each action taken? If not, either you should…or the action was incidental and can be dropped from the story. A frequently apparent shortcoming in many Three C presentations is the inclusion of irrelevant information…usually in describing the situation, but occasionally also in the actions or in the results. Don’t bury your listener with unnecessary detail. You’re painting a word picture with broad-brush strokes. Layer your results; checking to make certain that each is more significant than the one preceding it. In the telling, after you detail the most significant result…STOP…and wait for questions or for a response. Auditing your experience… Three C’s are stories; a good storyteller is welcome and remembered in almost any environment. Many clients, upon successful completion of their campaigns, cite the Three C technique as the most effective of all techniques used in converting interviews to offers. It is a technique worthy of study and practice… a technique it would be wise to master. Circumstance - Conduct- Conclusion
Complete and Concise Interviewing An effective Three C story presents a scenario in which the interviewer can identify with the challenges you faced in considering your circumstances and conduct. Strong Three C’s position your skills to the employers' needs. He or she will react favorably based on the positive results. Create demand and position your branding. Communication is marketing from the point of view of the hiring manager. One of the best ways your career search communications can be looked at is as brief anecdotes which, when properly utilized, stress your values and strengths, and establish your credentials in areas of need or concern as they exist in the mind of your listener. Responses following the Three C technique may be considered the simplest, most concise, most direct forms of COMPLETE COMMUNICATION; and they are the strongest conversational fortification one has in career development, the market campaign, or the job search. One of the most memorable ways of presenting value is to do so in a manner that succinctly describes problems you were successful in solving by using a “story-telling” format. Story telling is a powerful medium, especially when you concentrate on action-oriented stories that portray several abilities in one telling. Invariably, incidental circumstances in the story will register memorably because of their relevance to the listener's needs.
“I came to RLS for four reasons: (1) I needed my resume to stand out in the crowd, (2) I needed access to contacts and business leads that I can’t acquire on my own, (3) I needed someone who can help me expedite this transition process more quickly than I can on my own, and, (4) I wanted someone to help me optimize my negotiating position.”
Within a relatively short period of time, Jack was discussing an opportunity with the president of a company that owned 20 different businesses. The company president said, “We’ve been thinking about adding a marketing/operations strategist for over a year. We own 20 different businesses; your resume caught my eye. Don’t know how you found me, but I’m glad you made contact. The job is to take three of them (approximately $21M) and help us grow the product and the market share.” This contact came directly through the ‘targeted resume placement’ activity Jack’s marketing consultant assigned to him to do the first day of the month. He was contacted within 4 days and spent the next few weeks writing a proposal (per our tutorial on the proposal approach) about what he would do with this portion of the company.” “The offer is interesting, especially when you put it against my wish list from our meeting. It’s 15 minutes from my house with a base salary, 15% equity, a performance bonus I helped structure, and a minimum of $50K in compensation for a special market analysis project I proposed. And remember the request for a company car? They gave me $250 car allowance (expenses) and a vehicle from the ‘owner’s collections’. That’s right! He collects cars… he has 82 of them. My company car is a fully restored 1967 Silver Shadow Rolls Royce." Jack said, “This has been truly amazing. It’s perfect for right now. It’s diverse, it’s unique, and I won’t get bored. Could last forever… could last a few years…. Either way, I’ve got you guys on my side.” |
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