The Exclusive Career Coach

I want to talk with you today about how to approach your resume summary. I will also be talking a lot about personal branding in this section.

If you are new to this concept, the resume summary goes “above the fold” on page 1 of your resume – after your name and contact information, before your Experience section.

Here’s what DOESN’T go in this space: an old-school objective, which tells a prospective employer what YOU want, rather than how you are uniquely qualified to provide them with what THEY need.

An objective sounds something like this: High-achieving communications professional seeking a mid-level position in public relations that utilizes skills in BLANK, BLANK, and BLANK.

I hate to break it to you, but a prospective employer does not care what YOU want.

Rather, this space should be utilized to lay out your brand differentiators – what you bring to the table that no other candidate likely will.

These brand differentiators are then followed by concrete examples that support your brand.

I see two primary problems with the resumes I look at that aren’t written by me:

Either there is no branding at all, or the attempt at branding merely tells the reader that the candidate has the minimum qualifications expected of everyone they would even consider for the role.

If there is no summary or branding, the job seeker hasn’t set the stage for what is to follow in the Experience section – there’s no context for what the prospective employer is reading.

If the attempt isn’t differentiating, the job seeker has wasted valuable space above the fold when they could have provided compelling evidence that the employer MUST continue reading.

How do you know if your branding is differentiating? By looking at what you have with an objective eye. As you read each component, are you merely stating what EVERY candidate should have – or what is unique to you?

The mistake many people make in attempting to brand themselves is to try to appeal to everyone – this is not the purpose. Rather, an effective branding statement will have an immediate polarizing effect – a prospective employer will either know this is not the person for them - or they will be highly interested in speaking with this candidate.

Three Great Examples

Remember: The goal here is differentiating and attention-grabbing. Here are three examples from my clients:

Transformational Leader, Creative Operations

Change Management | Integrated Team Leadership | Content Champion

Bringing best practices in content creation and creative production from a wide range of B2B, B2C, and D2C experience spanning financial services, food & beverage, CPG, retail, luxury automotive, OTC pharma, and online media. Global leadership experience includes onshore and offshore teams spanning U.S., Canada, China, and Italy.

This is then followed by:

Leadership Highlights:

¨   Increased production capacity by as much as 52%

¨   Generated savings by as much as 50% on contracts

¨   Reduced expenses by as much as 49%

Proven Record of Success in:

¨   Restructuring creative departments and workflows, achieving greater productivity and efficiency

¨   Negotiating contracts and developing vendor relationships that slash costs and minimize financial, operational, and legal risk

¨   Optimizing in-house utilization and external resources by creating transparency around demand

From 2021:

Chief Human Resource Officer

Delivering an executive presence, coupled with a data-driven decision process and willingness to engage in tough conversations

Senior HR professional with an exceptional record of improving employee engagement and retention in the high-turnover field of healthcare through a combination of building strategic relationships, gathering data directly from front-line workers, and restructuring hiring, on-boarding, and compensation processes.

Representative Achievements:

»       Transformed perception of HR into a true business partner in support of organizational leadership with an optimal blend of training, change management, coaching, and a full branding shift.

»       Served in key leadership capacity during COVID-19 including massive furlough and establishing remote work structure for 5,000 employees.

»       Reduced turnover by as much as 4% for front-line healthcare workers and 3.3% for corporate areas.

Enterprise Risk Executive

Strategically tackling mission-critical problems, increasing efficiency,

and improving processes

Highly adept at collaborating across enterprises to

solve complex challenges

Known for thriving in ambiguity and bringing structure through processes, cross-functional engagement and communication, and high-level strategic focus — coupled with an eye on risk / reward balance and achievement of organizational goals.

Experience includes:

• Credit risk, operational risk, compliance risk, reputation risk, and strategic risk expertise, coupled with exposure to liquidity risk, price risk, and interest rate risk

• A foundation in commercial banking underwriting and relationship management, with 7+ years’ experience in sales and sales management

• Enterprise-level strategic planning and risk oversight

• Building operational risk and AML programs from the ground up

• M&A due diligence and integrations of banks and fintechs including developing governance frameworks

Two points about the bullets:

-I don’t ever duplicate a bullet from the client’s experience section in the Summary section. Rather, I think of it as “reconstituting” an achievement or experience from elsewhere in their resume.

For example, if a client is in sales and has a strong record of increasing market share in each role he’s held, I might pull that information together in a bullet like this:

-Consistently catapulted market share by as much as 34% with a strategic combination of BLANK, BLANK, and BLANK

The second point is this: What you include in your Summary MUST be anchored somewhere else in your resume – otherwise, there’s no context for it. You’ll just confuse the reader.

Now that I’ve given you three great examples, let’s look at what isn’t so great:

Objective: Self-motivated and energetic Healthcare Administrator looking for a full-time position in a company where there is always an opportunity to grow, gain experience, and improve skills. Experience in medical operations, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and the organizational savvy to run a facility smoothly, also proudly maintain a highly productive, efficient and quality-driven environment always.

Sales Leader

A results-oriented sales professional with a proven track record in business development and sales management. Over 20 years of consultative sales experience, adept at building relationships, developing tailored solutions, and closing deals with multiple decision makers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Consistent top revenue producer with exceptional track record for exceeding sales objectives. Knowledgeable in technology, with experience in working with start-ups and SaaS solutions.

A determined self-starter who is intrinsically motivated with demonstrated ability to deliver results. With a graduate education in social work and field-based clinical experience, I apply my training and skills in critical thinking, creative problem solving, adaptability, and cultural competence throughout the work I do daily.

Android Developer / Web Developer

WORK EXPERIENCE - Self-taught Android developer who designed, developed, deployed and maintained various different apps for a diverse user base.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, make sure your branding statement and summary are a) differentiating, b) not just the minimum requirements of the position, c) compelling.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

Over the years, a number of people have reached out to me with concerns about their resume – in some cases, resumes I wrote for them.

They went to a website that offered a free resume critique and got back harsh criticism that worried them.

Here’s what’s going on: Larger, so-called “resume mills” have software they run your resume through. That software is set up for the express purpose of telling you things are terribly wrong with your resume, after which they do a hard sell to get you to buy a resume package from them.

I promise you, I could send my own resume to them and they would give it a terrible score – their system is set up to make sure everyone does.

They hook you in with the “free” part – after all, what’s the harm in having them take a look at your resume at no cost?

There’s plenty of harm, as it turns out.

A second scenario you will find is where an actual human looks at and evaluates your resume.

The most common setup for this scenario is a charge for the resume critique, which can then be applied to the purchase of a resume package should you choose to move forward with that company.

In this scenario, your question SHOULD be: Who’s doing this critique? What are his/her qualifications/credentials? And would this person also be the one writing a resume for me should I purchase a package?

A third and final scenario is how I have my business structured: I take a cursory look at your resume prior to your consult with me (no charge), and let you know during the consult 3-4 issues I see with your existing resume.

And here’s the thing: The issues I find are almost always the same, which I’m going to cover next.

In other words, you may not need to spend money on a resume critique, or subject yourself to a “free” review that ends up with a hard sell.

You know whether your resume is pretty good…really great…terrible, don’t you? Either because it’s not getting the job done – interviews – or because someone who knows has told you (such as a recruiter or hiring manager).

If you want to have a professional rewrite your resume, choose wisely. Obviously, I want you to come to me – the link to my calendar to schedule a complimentary consult is in the show notes.

If you want some guidelines around what to look for and what questions to ask, pick up a copy of my “How to Assess Resume Writers,” Here’s the link:  

https://bit.ly/assessresumewriter

So, what are those common problems I see with virtually every resume I am asked to take a look at?

Branding: Either there is no attempt to position you as a unique product employers will be excited to purchase, or the attempt at branding is non-differentiating. In other words, what you’ve told the employer in your branding statement is essentially a list of the minimum qualifications EVERY candidate should have to even apply for the role.

Death By Bullets: You’ve created a laundry list of job duties, each of which is bulleted, rather than a 2-3-line paragraph that succinctly tells a prospective employer what you did in each job.

Achievements: I see one of two scenarios here. Either there isn’t an achievement anywhere in sight, or there are weakly written achievements mixed in with death-by-bullets job duties that dilute the impact of those achievements.

ATS Repellent: Many resumes I see are incapable of getting the applicant a high enough score to be seen, or seriously considered, by the humans. Specific issues might include:

           -Using headings that are non-traditional

           -Submitting as a pdf

           -Not customizing for each application

           -Columns, charts, and graphs that can’t be read by the ATS

           -Stacking jobs

You guys like it when I bottom-line things for you, so here it is:

-If you know you need a new resume, find the most-qualified resume writer you can afford – expect it to cost about 1% of your anticipated annual salary for the resume alone.

-If you really don’t know whether your resume is any good, it’s a safe bet it isn’t. Find a reputable resume writer like me.

-If you think your resume is fantastic and want someone to confirm that for you, DON’T use a “free” resume evaluation service. Ask me, preferably – or someone you know in the business, such as a recruiter or HR professional.

A couple of final thoughts: One of the things I frequently talk with prospective clients about is this: How high is the bar? Not everyone needs a top-of-the-line resume like the ones I create for my clients.

Also: It may not be your resume. Or at least not JUST your resume. In my consultations, I ask you questions about your entire job search including conversion rates of applications to interviews, interviews to job offers. I want to get the full picture of where your problem(s) might be – it isn’t always the resume.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

Today’s topic is how to become a thought leader on LinkedIn. This is something I work with many of my mid- and upper-level clients on and I wanted to share some of that work with you in this episode.

Let’s start with the obvious: If you want to become a thought leader on LinkedIn, you need a complete, professional, and optimized profile. If this is something you want help with, reach out for a consult and I can give you the specifics of what I can do for you and the associated investment.

Why do I want to become a thought leader on LinkedIn?

If you want to become a thought leader, LI is the place to do it. There are numerous reasons to make this a goal, including:

-Increased visibility for your personal brand

-To move up within your current organization

-To increase awareness for potential employers

-Increased visibility for your company and/or industry

-Increased visibility for your profession

-To showcase your side business

What should I be doing?

Let’s start with some basics. These are the things I do every time I sit down at my computer for LI:

-Respond to your messages

-Respond to connection requests

-Begin cultivating relationships with those you’ve already connected with

-Engage with posts/birthdays/anniversaries/new jobs in the Notifications section (5-word minimum)

Now that we’ve covered the bare minimum, let’s take things to the next level:

-Original content (think of LI as your blog)

-Sharing others’ content, with a question that will elicit engagement

-Content in the Featured section of your profile – these can be videos, posts, newsletters, articles, links)

-Join groups appropriate for your job function and/or industry and participate

-If you are also trying to grow your audience, set a weekly goal for how many connection requests you will send out and who you want to connect with. Then CULTIVATE – don’t try to sell right away.

-Once you begin contributing, you may be asked to be a contributor to collaborative articles on LinkedIn. A lot of people have found me through these contributions. Here’s how it happens:

“LinkedIn identifies members who are likely to be experts in a certain topic based on their work experience, skills proficiency, and prior engagement on the platform. They must also meet high trust and quality standards by adhering to LinkedIn’s User Agreement and Professional Community Policies, and their contributions must remain relevant, original, and additive.”

How much time will this take?

The biggest pushback I get from clients is “this will take too much time.” I’m going to break this down into bite-sized chunks, all of which can be managed much like a buffet – take what you want and leave the rest. It’s not all-or-nothing here.

-Make this a priority, or it won’t happen

-Calendar in time, along with the specific deliverables you want to achieve

-I spend 15 minutes, twice a week, on the basics:

           -Messages

           -Requests

           -Initial greetings

           -Notifications

-It was recently recommended to me that I might try spending 1 hour a day commenting on posts – this would be on LI as well as my other platforms. I don’t have that much time, but I plan to expand what I’m currently doing now.

-Original content will take additional time, of course – but you may have “recyclable” content you can use, at least to start with. Is there an article you’ve written that could be broken up into several posts?

-You’ll need some artwork to help attract eyes to your posts. If you haven’t learned Canva yet, I recommend either doing so or soliciting help from someone who knows how to use it. You may be able to create a template for your posts that would then require a minimum of changes each time you use it – this would also help with branding.

-If you want more eyes on your thought leadership, you may also want to add to your connections/followers. My goal is 50 new connections per week – people who are in jobs and at the seniority level of my ideal client. This takes me about 1 hour/week.

-Look for podcasters who speak on topics that intersect with your SME and schedule a virtual coffee date with them. Rather than asking to be on their podcast, focus on building the relationship and let them ask you. This is part of my 50 new connections each week.

So the amount of time you need each week depends on which of these suggestions you want to take on. Start with a manageable goal and get that under your belt before trying to expand – I recommend 15 minutes/day. Again – calendar it in and set specific deliverables for each day.

For example, you might do the basics – check messages, respond to connection requests, check and respond to Notifications – every day, while you may do original content on Mondays, share something on Wednesdays…you get the idea. MAKE IT MANAGEABLE.

I was thinking…this is episode #312. Episode #1 aired on October 25th, 2017, so this is my seventh year of putting out weekly content FOR FREE.

So here’s all I ask of you: if you haven’t subscribed or followed the podcast, please do so. And I would greatly appreciate it if you could do me a solid and write a review if you love what I’m putting out for you.

One more thing: if there is a career-related topic you’d like me to cover on the podcast, shoot me an email at [email protected]. If I’ve covered it, I’ll send you links to what’s already out there; if I haven’t, I’ll put it in the queue and mention your first name when I cover it.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

Here’s the scenario: You’ve been promoted in your current unit. You are now managing people who used to be your peers – at least one of whom may have also applied for the promotion.

How do you transition from a colleague to a manager? This can happen as you move from an individual contributor to a first-time manager, or from a manager to a director or senior manager. You could also become a VP and start managing your former director colleagues.

In short, this scenario can happen at any level.

As I researched this topic, many of the resources I looked at gave rather generic advice – in other words, here are the things any manager should do in a new role. I wanted to give you advice specific to leading those you used to work alongside, so here are my nine suggestions. I used mindtools.com and mondostaffing.com to help me with this episode.  

Let’s start off with why it is important to start this new role off on the right foot. You want to avoid, as much as possible, negative feelings (“why did SHE get the role and not me?” or “HE didn’t deserve this promotion as much as XXX did”)

You want to maintain what has, hopefully, been a positive professional relationship and earn their trust and respect. You may not immediately be afforded trust and respect – it’s yours to EARN.

#1. Be humble.

This can work both ways – you can choose to brag about the promotion or you can choose to beat yourself up when you make a rookie mistake. Neither of these approaches will serve you.

Acknowledge the promotion when someone else brings it up, but don’t boast. Also, recognize that you WILL make mistakes – and that those mistakes are a necessary ingredient in your success.

Unfortunately, some people may revel in your mistakes – even sabotage you. Address these situations appropriately as soon as possible – they are workplace cancers.

#2. Acknowledge the shift – and the awkwardness.

It’s up to you to acknowledge the change between yourself and your former peers – bring it out in the open and acknowledge that it may feel awkward at first.

Your professional relationships WILL change now – pretending anything else won’t serve you or your team.

Bring the shift out into the open and allow time for the transition.

#3. Be transparent.

Setting clear expectations for each team member, and for the team as a whole, is important. Lay out your goals and the changes you want to implement and be open to hearing their feedback.

#4. Set clear boundaries.

Friendships previously formed may need to change. After-hours activities may no longer include you. You’ll need to set clear boundaries and recognize that your team may need to do the same.

#5. Don’t pick favorites.

It can be tempting to show favoritism towards a team member who was your friend. Remember: Now you are making decisions based on what is best for the team and your unit – not who you like the most.

Your goal should be to make sure everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their relationships with you prior to the promotion.

#6. Recognize the change in dynamic.

If you previously vented work frustrations or joked about company or department policies with your peers, you now want to set a professional tone with your team.

You’ll be under more scrutiny as a manager and you don’t want to get a reputation as not being a loyal member of management. Lead by example – with a high level of integrity.

#7. Set clear expectations.

One of your primary goals as a manager is to ensure your team members know what is expected of them and they have the tools to be successful.

Make sure you set clear expectations around what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of work quality, adhering to deadlines, and other important issues.

And piggy-backing on #4 – Don’t Pick Favorites – make sure the expectations you set apply equally to everyone, as do the consequences of not meeting those expectations.

#8. Schedule regular 1:1s.

Regular 1:1s with each member of your team will help ensure you are on top of each person’s progress and development, allow you to address any concerns or issues quickly, and help keep everyone on the same page relative to goals and objectives.

#9. Ask for help.

At whatever level you are rising to, there are a multitude of trainings out there – from online courses to in-person seminars and even certifications. If you feel you need training to help you succeed in this transition – ask for it.

Along those lines, ask for a mentor(s).

Here’s a quote from the Mindtools.com website:

“A new boss who tries to remain "one of the team" can end up frustrating everyone. When you're more concerned about friendships than results, poor decisions are usually inevitable. If you're afraid of being called "bossy," you may not hold people accountable, or you may avoid making unpopular decisions.”

The bottom line can be summed up as follows:

-It’s not going to be the same – don’t try to make it be the same.

-Don’t expect automatic trust and respect – you’ll have to earn it.

-Set clear expectations – and make them consistent for all team members.

-Lead by example – your professionalism will help earn the trust and respect you want.

-Ask for help – whether training, a mentor, or other assistance to set yourself up for success.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

I want to start by being clear: This is a topic I’ve covered before. I’m covering it again because, based on the resumes that come to me for consults, ya’ll haven’t gotten the message yet.

In addition to touching on this topic in several episodes, I specifically covered job duties and achievements in episode #174. I’m going to expand on the content from that episode in this one.

What I see

Let’s start with what I see on almost every resume that comes my way: either there isn’t an achievement in sight, or the few achievements that are there are mixed in with bulleted job duties – and they are poorly written.

This creates what we resume writers call “death by bullets.” A looooong laundry list of job duties and maybe a few achievements that don’t impress the reader and causes them to lose interest fast.

Job duties are important, because this is your opportunity to tell the reader what you did on a day-to-day basis. This is particularly helpful when you have had job duties outside what someone with that job title would normally have.

Job duties tell the employer WHAT you did. There is an assumption that everyone with XXX job title does approximately the same thing on a daily basis.

Achievements, on the other hand, tell an employer HOW WELL you did your job. This is your opportunity to show how much money you made or saved, how you improved efficiency, increased retention…whatever is appropriate for your job function.

Think of it this way. If you were a Nike athletic shoe, your job description might read:

Made of rubber. Come in a variety of color combinations. Includes shoelaces and an insert. Can be spot-washed by hand. Can be worn for athletic or casual wear – by men and women.

Here are your achievement bullets:

• Shaved 7.8 seconds off Sue Smith’s running performance in the mile.

• Received prime placement in athletic shoe stores including…

• Played key role in Jonathan Jones’ 15th-place finish in the Boston Marathon.

• Generated $1.2 gazillion dollars top-line revenue.

Now, let’s break down the specifics of job descriptions and achievements.

Job descriptions

This should be a 2-to-3-line paragraph of the daily job duties you performed – either most frequently, those that are most applicable to the specific position you are applying for, or those not normally performed by someone with your job function (but only if you want to continue to perform those duties).  

There’s no room for fluffy words or extra verbiage in this paragraph. Stick with the most important, most relevant, and/or most differentiating tasks.

Here’s an example:

Aligned marketing plans and GTM tactics to drive audience awareness and growth for $12M international entertainment product. Drove branding, design, website, video production, customer journey, social media, billboards, subway ads, taxi tops, paid ads, customer experience improvements, celebrity and influencer partnerships, and content creation.

Here’s another example:

Drove all management and operational components including reporting functions, scheduling, hiring, onboarding, training, policies / procedures, compliance, and strategic planning. Collaborated with marketing director to promote and grow all offices. Managed P&L including net profitability, net revenue per visit, and net cost per visit.

Note that these are paragraphs – not bullets. Bullets should be reserved for achievements ONLY.

Achievements

Your achievements are what market you on your resume. When you mix your job duties with your achievements, you dilute the effectiveness of your achievements.

Ideally, you will have progressively more achievements with more recent jobs. At most, 5 achievements per role.

What makes an achievement impactful?

-Is specific

-Starts with an action verb (parallel structure)

-Leads with results

-Leaves the reader wanting more (2 lines max)

Example #1:

Instead of 

 Grew customer base

This high-impact achievement bullet:

 Catapulted customer base 400% and revenue 700% by launching a comprehensive social media campaign.

Example #2:

Instead of 

 Managed new-hire in-processing

This high-impact achievement bullet:

 Processed 140 new employees in just 30 days including all paperwork, orientation, security clearances, and computer access.

Example #3:

Instead of 

 Managed IT installation project

This high-impact achievement bullet:

 Spearheaded 1200-unit IT installation project including beta testing, identifying and training superusers, and troubleshooting.

How do you know what to include as an achievement? Here are some guidelines:

-Choose achievements that, in combination, present you as well-rounded and competent for the role you are applying for.

-Focus on achievements that demonstrate the skills you want to use moving forward. If, for example, you’re really good at managing budgets but hate them, and they aren’t an essential part of the job you’re applying for, don’t focus an achievement on your budgeting magic.

Two more things: With some clients, I will separate out a 1-to-2- line statement about the scope of their work. Doing this makes it easy for the reader to see things such as size of budgets managed, number of direct reports, reporting structure, size of sales territory, etc.

Here’s an example: 

Directly supervised 5; total team of 14 | Hired, developed, and managed marketers, vendors, and agencies | $3.8M Marketing budget

Finally, I am increasingly beginning each of my clients’ bullets with an introductory phrase. This serves two purposes: It allows the reader to quickly scan the resume and determine the “buckets” of achievements this candidate has had, and it further packs the resume with keywords that will increase its score in the ATS.

I determine what phrases to use based on two things: The content of the achievement (what is it really about) and the keywords I find in the job descriptions the client gives me.

Examples:

• Stakeholder Advocacy & Education: Developed and managed Regional Advocate Program, which delivered grassroots, legislative, political, and investor development support and resources to Florida Chamber, local chambers of commerce, legislators, candidates, and business advocacy partners across 6 regions of Florida.

• Efficiency Enhancements: Achieved annual cost reduction of 30%, enhanced financial reporting processes, and increased productivity through strategic technology implementations including dashboarding and cloud solutions.

• Latinx Community Leadership: Recognized with Hispanic Heritage Foundation Award — for courage and commitment to elevating Latinx culture in all its expressions.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

As most of you know, the first 90 days in a new job are critical for your long-term success – not only in that role, but for your future with the organization.

Today, I want to give you key steps you can take in those first 90 days to set yourself up for success.

Let’s start with an Individual Contributor role.

A primary focus from week 1 should be getting clear success metrics and priorities from your boss. This typically goes beyond the job description, although that’s a good starting point if you don’t already have one. If your boss doesn’t have success metrics and priorities prepared for you and can’t / won’t communicate them verbally, write your own and get your boss to sign off on them.

Another focus in the first 90 days is learning how your department works and interacts with other departments within the organization. How does work flow? Who does what? How does the work your department generates fit into the larger organization?

As part of this process, learn how to communicate with others in your department, especially your boss. Get a good understanding of the culture of your department and of the larger organization. Remember: there’s what is in writing and there’s what is actually happening – learn when people come to work and leave, how lunches and breaks work, and other day-to-day practicalities.

Your boss or a mentor within your department should be able to direct you to key stakeholders and peers outside your department that you need to get to know. Schedule 1:1s with them to introduce yourself and learn how you can work together most effectively.

Key words for this level: ALIGNMENT, ORIENTATION, COMMUNICATION

For a New Manager.

As with an Individual Contributor, it is important that you get a clear understanding of what you will be responsible for delivering and how your success will be measured. Get this in writing.

Schedule 1:1s with your direct reports and get to know their strengths, growth areas, communication and work styles, how they like to be rewarded, how best to deliver feedback, and their professional goals. This is THE major shift for you from an Individual Contributor role – the adjustment that the work you produce will now largely be through others. Their development is of paramount importance.

Learning about leadership is another critical component – read and learn about different leadership styles and determine what will work best for you. Remember to be authentically you as you adapt to this new role – if you try to be someone you aren’t, you will not be successful in the long run.

Develop your plan for the year and get alignment from your boss as to priorities, goals, and measures of success.

Key words for this level: ALIGNMENT, MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP

As a new Director or Senior Manager.

Once again, step one should be alignment of success measures and KPIs with your VP. Make sure you understand how these fit into your VP’s broader goals.

A key difference at this level is that your direct reports may also have direct reports. If they don’t, it is likely that one of your key goals is to mentor and coach them to become managers. Meet with your direct reports about goals, working styles, and key cultural norms for your area and make sure there is alignment with what they are saying and doing with their direct reports. Establish clear expectations and make sure they are doing the same.

You will be meeting regularly with others across the organization, so quickly begin to set up those meetings and establish those relationships.

You will be expected to regularly evaluate what is and isn’t working in your area, so make sure you are seeing and hearing what is going on. Get on top of issues quickly before they have a chance to fester and become cancerous.

You’ll likely be expected to create a long-term plan – possibly a 1-3-5-year plan. Create this, get insight and buy-in from your VP, and disseminate this information to your team and other key stakeholders.

Key words for this level: ALIGNMENT, INFLUENCE, STRATEGIC PLANNING

For a VP or C-Suite Executive.

Developing a vision and aligning your leadership team with that vision is a critical component at this level. You will be expected to do so with executive presence and compelling communication that elicits buy-in and engagement.

Once you have established your strategic initiatives, select 1-2 for quick wins. It is important for you and your team to have early victories. Pulling the lens out a bit further, communicate your 90 or 120 day and 1-year goals. Be sure to celebrate these wins!

Listening to employees at all levels is another critical element for you. Conduct a listening tour to not only listen, but to show your team their voices are important and will be heard. Gather information as to where gaps exist and develop a plan to address.

Develop a communication plan for your unit that is open and transparent, both internally and externally.

Key words for this level: ALIGNMENT, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION

You may have noticed that a consistent element at each level is ALIGNMENT. What that looks like will differ at each level, but it is so important that you make sure your goals and priorities are in alignment with your boss and the larger organization.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

First, a confession: When I started seeing articles and comments about “dry promotions,” I didn’t know what that was.

In case some of you are in that same boat, here’s a definition:

“A promotion without a salary increase.”

As American businesses seek innovative ways to cut costs in a tightening economy, employers may be enticed to promote employees but withhold a salary increase.

There are two primary benefits to an employee who accepts a dry promotion:

1.    An opportunity to gain new skills and take on new challenges.

2.    Added recognition and appreciation.

(Most people in the organization won’t know that you didn’t get a raise.)

What about the benefits to employers?

1.    They can advance their goals for succession planning and professional development without a hit to their wallet.

2.    Dry promotions can improve employee engagement.

What about the downsides to a dry promotion?

1.    For an employee, the downside is pretty obvious – you are doing more work – and work with more consequence – with no additional pay.

2.    A dry promotion could work against you if you look for work elsewhere – the future employer may have concerns about the disparity between your job title and your compensation.

3.    Conversely, an employer may find that it has positioned the dry employee for a new job at a new organization, with commensurate pay.

4.    An employer with a dry promotion practice may find a decrease in overall productivity, since extra effort is not rewarded.

5.    An employer may find they aren’t attracting the best talent.

What options do you, as an employee, have for negotiating a dry promotion?

1.    Get in writing that a raise will happen – or at least be discussed – at a specific later date, possibly with some retroactive pay.

2.    Ask for an increase in variable compensation, such as bonus targets.

3.    Ask for an increase in other fringe benefits like PTO or flexibility.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

Today, we’re talking about how to develop your elevator pitch. This is your 15-to-30 second “commercial” about yourself, which you will need for use in a variety of settings, including:

-Introducing yourself at a networking meeting

-Selling yourself to a potential employer

-Selling yourself, your company, or your product/service to a potential customer

If you’re not familiar with the concept, the idea is that you could say your elevator pitch while going from one floor to the next on an elevator.

Elevator pitches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on how you’re using them.

I gave some excellent examples of elevator pitches in episode #209; I’ve included a link to that episode in the show notes.

https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-01-13-209-developing-your-elevator-pitch

First, I want to give you some big picture do’s and don’ts for elevator pitches, then we’ll drill down to specific frameworks.

-Keep it short and succinct

-Don’t be predictable

-Leave them wanting more

-Engage them with a question

Now, let’s build a few elevator pitches for different situations.

Situation #1: Networking for Your Next Job

You’re at a networking event, where you want to meet several people. You want to keep it short – remember, in most cases, these people aren’t in a position to actually hire you, but rather connect you with others who are.

“Hi, my name is Sue Smith, and I help mid-tier healthcare organizations optimize technology so they can increase profitability and streamline processes. Most recently, I did this as Director of IT at Zulu Healthcare System – and now I’m looking for my next role with an organization that wants to make sure they are making the most of their tech spend and are fully utilizing what they already have.” (23 seconds)

Situation #2: Introducing Yourself to a Potential Employer

Now, you are in front of someone who IS in a position to hire you – say, at a chance meeting. You’ve found yourself in line for coffee with the CIO of ABC Hospital, one of your target employers.

“Hi, my name is Sue Smith, and I’m the former IT Director at Zulu Healthcare System. I’ve been speaking with Joe Jones in your IT department because ABC Hospital is one of my dream employers. One of my greatest strengths is making sure my employer is maximizing the impact of their tech spend – they are only buying what they really need and they are fully utilizing what they buy. I would love the opportunity to sit down with you and describe some of the results I’ve gotten for my previous employers – would this be possible?” (30 seconds)

Situation #3: You’ve Just Randomly Met Someone

Here’s the deal with this situation: You aren’t in “networking mode,” but at the same time you don’t want to pass up an opportunity, because…you never know. Let’s say you are randomly chatting with someone a friend has introduced you to at a house party.

Keep in mind that this elevator pitch might occur after you’ve been on the elevator for a few floors – it would likely come across as too aggressive if you started right in.

“My name is Sue Smith, and until recently, I was the IT Director at Zulu Healthcare System. I’m looking for my next role in healthcare IT, so if you know of anyone in a leadership role in healthcare in Tallahassee, I would love an introduction!”

Note that I didn’t get into the weeds with my qualifications or brand attributes – there is no need to.

Situation #4: You are at a Networking Event, and Your Goal is to Sell Your Product or Service.

Let’s say this is a Chamber of Commerce networking event, and you are looking for people who are unhappy with their current cleaning service – and are in a position to influence a change in this regard at their organization.

“Hi, my name is Jack Graham, and I am the Sales Director for Service Excellence Cleaning. How satisfied are you with your current cleaning service?”

“We are relatively satisfied, I guess. They charge a fair price and are pretty dependable.”

(NOTE: Not a glowing recommendation, but they aren’t completely unhappy either.)

“What would you say if I offered to bring a crew in FOR FREE to clean your office one day next week? I guarantee we will outperform your current service and our recommendations on Yelp and Google are outstanding – take a look! All I ask is that we have a chance to speak afterwards to discuss options for working together going forward.”

Notice how conversational this was, rather than a monologue by someone determined to sell you cleaning services whether you needed them or not.

Situation #5: You are a solopreneur at a networking event, selling a service.

“My name is Lesa Edwards, and I help high-achieving, mid-career professionals land their dream job and get promoted.”

Notice how short this one is – there is no reason for me to go into detail unless the person I’m speaking with is interested in knowing more.

Notice also that I didn’t tell them HOW I do what I do…I didn’t get specific about the services I provide. I want to pique their curiosity – if they have any curiosity about me.

Let’s say they respond with:

           “Are you a recruiter?”

“No, recruiters work for employers to staff their organizations. I work exclusively with prospective employees – preparing them for the job search. I’m one of fewer than 25 Master Resume Writers in the world and I’m a Certified Job Search Strategist, so I give my clients exceptional marketing materials and a job search strategy that gets great results FAST.” 

As a review, here are the big-picture considerations for your elevator pitches:

-Keep it short and succinct

-Don’t be predictable

-Leave them wanting more

-Engage them with a question

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2

Last week, I focused on Verbal Communication Skills to Enhance Promotability; today I’m covering Written Communication Skills.

Once again, I want to start with an assessment – these are great questions to ask yourself. From there, I recommend you pick the area that you felt the least confident about and set a 90-day goal for improvement.

1.    How well can I anticipate and predict possible causes for written confusion and miscommunication, and how good am I at dealing with them upfront?

2.    How often do recipients fully understand my messages, emails, or other documents? Do I give enough information and detail?

3.    Can I use communication platforms such as email to quickly and efficiently communicate complex issues?

4.    Do people often misunderstand my messages? Am I often surprised that they don’t understand what I have written?

Let’s review the four steps to the communication process as they apply to written communication:

-The words you write (correct word usage, punctuation, context)

-What you meant by those words (which is more challenging without visual cues – remember that only 7% of communication is the actual words you use)

-The words the receiver reads (the reader’s facility with the language, eyesight, communication device i.e. phone, tablet)

-What the receiver makes those words mean (experience, cultural differences, their thoughts about you/the subject matter)

There are four types of written communication:

-Informational – You are conveying information to someone who needs to know that information. No response is required, except perhaps acknowledgment of receipt or any questions.

-Instructional – You are educating someone on something they need to know. Again - no response is required, except perhaps acknowledgment of receipt or any questions.

-Transactional – You are conveying something to someone else, with the expectation of a response. The mistake many people make with this type of communication is not clearly conveying that a response is expected and the nature of that response.

-Persuasive – You are communicating the benefits of a product, service, person, or idea to elicit a specific response, such as buying the product or service or voting for the candidate. This type of communication requires a clear call to action.

Next, let’s dig into specific written communication issues you may have and ways to improve.

1.    If you struggle with grammar, spelling, and punctuation:

-You may want to take a short course to help you with this.

-Read a lot – it doesn’t matter what, as long as it’s well written. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

-Do NOT depend on Spell Check.

-Take advantage of a tool like Grammarly.

-Practice writing.

-Read your writing out loud.

2.    If you struggle with clarity and structure in your writing:

-If the message is complex, outline it.

-Get to the point.

-Determine the best method for conveying this message – should it even be in writing? If so, is it an email, a memorandum, a white sheet?

-Anticipate your reader’s questions.

-Read out loud.

-Ask someone else to read your writing and tell you what they think you’re trying to communicate.

-Don’t over-explain.

-Eliminate filler words and phrases in the editing phase.

-Eliminate redundancy (State of Florida, previous experience, final conclusion)

-Go easy on the prepositional phrases (“reflected” instead of “was a reflection of,” “of the results of the quarter” can be changed to “this quarter’s results” – which also puts it in active rather than passive voice)

-Avoid padding weak words with adverbs (instead of “mostly right” you could write “had excellent points,” instead of “please respond quickly,” try being more specific with a date).

-Take a business writing course – I did in graduate school, and it was one of the best courses in my Master’s degree. You can also take a shorter-term course through LinkedIn Learning, for example.

-Get a business writing “mentor” – someone with exceptional written communication skills AND the time and patience to help you develop your skills in this area.

As with last week’s episode, let’s bring this back around to how to leverage your improvements to increase your promotability.

-Clearly communicate you goal with your boss and ask him/her for any support you need (pay for a course and possible release time, for example)

-Regularly communicate your progress with your boss.

-Make certain your boss knows you WANT to be promoted – and want to be considered for a promotion at the appropriate time.

If you are a high-achieving professional with the goal of landing in the C-suite, the Highly Promotable coaching program may be just the ticket! This 1:1 program is targeted to strategically leverage one of your strengths to become a signature strength — and move the needle on one of your developmental areas so it becomes a strength.

This is a four-figure investment in your professional future! If this sounds like just what you need, schedule a complimentary introductory call to determine if you are a fit for Highly Promotable:

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call

Today, I want to give you strategies to improve your verbal communication skills – specifically, with an eye to enhancing your promotability.

Next week’s episode will piggyback on this one with ways to improve your written communications skills – also with an eye to enhancing your promotability.

In episode #113, I covered active listening at work; here’s the link to that episode:

https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-02-05-113-active-listening-at-work/

In episode #114, I talked about effective communication at work, and I’ve included that link in the show notes. I’m going to include some of that information in today’s episode.

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-02-12-114-effective-communication-at-work

Let’s start with an assessment of your verbal communication skills – tell yourself the truth as you answer these questions. I highly recommend journaling your responses.

1.    Do I ask questions when I don’t understand something, or do I keep it to myself?

2.    Do people often misunderstand my messages? Am I often surprised that they don’t understand what I am saying?

3.    Is it easy for me to understand someone else’s point of view during a conversation?

4.    Do I think about how my responses will be perceived by others, or do I speak without thinking? 

5.    Do I find it difficult to see and read people’s body language?

6.    Do I struggle to find the right words to convey my message?

Which one of these is a weak link for you? Develop a 90-day goal to improve that area. Asking for a mentor’s help, watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, reading books, asking for people’s feedback, or taking a course are all ways to improve your area.

There are four steps to the communication process:

-The words you speak (articulation, correct word usage)

-What you meant by those words (intonation, vocal pauses or emphases)

-The words the listener heard (ability to hear what is said, the listener’s understanding of the language you are speaking in)

-What the listener makes those words mean (experience, cultural differences)

Utilizing both verbal and written communication skills, you want to be able to clearly communicate your achievements and contributions to your manager. You also want to be able to articulate your career aspirations – he or she needs to know that you want to be considered for a promotion at the appropriate time.

Next, let’s dig into specific verbal communication issues you may have and ways to improve.

1.    If you find yourself straying mentally when others are speaking, you may have a challenge with active listening. Strategies to improve:

-You have to be able to hear the other person. If the space you are in is too noisy for that to happen, suggest moving to someplace quieter.

-Are you possibly dealing with a hearing problem? Is this something you need to get checked out? Or is the problem only when there is a lot of ambient noise? If so, move to someplace quieter.

-Are there visual distractions around you that are interfering with your ability to pay attention? Relocate the conversation to minimize.

-Are you asking questions to make sure you understand what the other person is trying to communicate? The key here is to find the balance between constantly interrupting the speaker and making sure you understand their message. Another tool for understanding is to repeat back what you heard.

-Are you making appropriate eye contact? My rule of thumb is your eye contact should be nearly 100% when the other person is speaking and at least 60% when you are speaking. Also, be sure to nod and make appropriate facial gestures to show you are listening.

-Do you have trouble retaining important information after a conversation? If so, WRITE IT DOWN.

-Are you paying attention to nonverbal cues – and working to reconcile them with what’s being said? If not, you’re missing more than half of the conversation – the 55/38/7 formula created by Albert Mehrabian states that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, and 7% words only. If this is a challenge for you, I recommend you look up some YouTube Videos on nonverbal communication.

-Do you understand what the speaker intends for you to do with the information they are about to give you? If not, ask questions – does the speaker want your advice, do they want you to take action, do they want to just impart information?

-Are you showing the appropriate emotional response to what is being said? If this doesn’t come naturally to you, it may be a case of “fake it ‘till you make it.” Excitement, empathy, and understanding are all possible emotional responses.

2.    If your challenge is speaking clearly and concisely, you’ll want to work with a coach or find a mentor who can give you real-time feedback on your verbal communication skills. Specific areas for them to help you with include:

-Are you clearly stating your message? Can the other person understand the information you are trying to convey?

-Are you using unnecessary jargon or fillers? Slang, inappropriate use of words (hone instead of home, irregardless instead of irrespective), fillers like “Um” or “I mean” or “Sort of”), or overusing a word like “literally” or “fantastic.” And, of course – no profanity.

-Are you conveying your message concisely – with an appropriate amount of detail but not too much? Are you staying on point?

-Are you using examples or analogies as appropriate to illustrate your points?

3.    If your challenge is speaking up in meetings, this may be a confidence issue, a communication issue – or both.

Either way, set a goal to make at least one significant comment in your next meeting. If possible, ask someone you trust who will be in that meeting to give you feedback afterward.

As you get comfortable with making one comment, set your bar higher. Eventually, ask about running a meeting.

4.    If your challenge is presentations, this can either be an issue with public speaking, organizing and conveying information – or both.

This is an excellent one for a speaking coach; Toastmasters is another excellent option. Practice is the key here.

-Seek out low-risk opportunities to speak in public, whether at your work, in a volunteer organization, or some other opportunity. Gradually build up to higher-risk opportunities, as there will also be a higher reward possibility.

-Use appropriate visuals. We’ve all been subjected to PowerPoint presentations that are so small we can’t read the content – or 46 slides in one presentation. Make sure your visuals support your presentation – not hijack it.

-Get feedback on the “compellingness” of your presentation – are you moving people if that is the purpose of the presentation? Are you making factual information interesting? Are you using humor if appropriate?

-Know your audience. What is their current level of understanding of the information? What references will they relate to? What else do you know about them that will help you customize your presentation?

-Look the part. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from a professor was this: “How you dress lets the audience know what you think of them.” Of course, you want to factor in the environment and other considerations, but in general – dress in a way that shows your audience you respect them and value their time.

-If you find it challenging to answer audience questions, either because you are afraid you won’t have an answer or because you aren’t great with spontaneity, watch YouTube videos of this portion of people’s presentations. Go to live presentations – evaluate how other people are handling this portion and learn from their successes and mistakes.

So let’s circle back around to the title of this episode: Improving Verbal Communication Skills to Enhance Promotability. As I said at the outset, a piece of this is to let your boss know of your interest in being promoted. Also, let him or her know that you are working to improve your communication skills – and what, specifically, you are doing to achieve that goal.

Ask your boss for what you need – Is it feedback? Is it suggestions on how to improve? Is it opportunities to use the skills you are working on?

The final word here: Practice. Practice. Practice. Set SMART goals, plan your steps to achieve those goals, and evaluate your progress at appropriate intervals.

If you are a high-achieving professional with the goal of landing in the C-suite, the Highly Promotable coaching program may be just the ticket! This 1:1 program is targeted to strategically leverage one of your strengths to become a signature strength — and move the needle on one of your developmental areas so it becomes a strength.

This is a four-figure investment in your professional future! If this sounds like just what you need, schedule a complimentary introductory call to determine if you are a fit for Highly Promotable:

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call