Saturday, March 14, 2020

Do Executive Candidates Need to Use a Cover Letter

Do Executive Candidates Need to Use a Cover LetterWhen executives are looking for ways to stand out in a job search, it can often come down to creating a great deckblatt letter. Yet all too often, people applying for an executive punkt will omit the titelblatt letter entirely, thinking that an executive titelseite letter is unnecessary. However, you need to remember that a potential employer is going to spend only a few seconds reviewing your resume, especially if they have no reason to pay extra attention to it. Introducing yourself and your qualifications to them with a clever deckblatt letter will get them interested and have them focusing more closely on what your resume says. Your cover letter can help you to stand out significantly in your job search, and, to be blunt, it is simply too important to ignore.In short, if you find yourself asking Should I write a cover letter?, the answer is yes Executive candidates do need to use a cover letter.So, as an executive, how do you make your cover letter stand out? Lets take a look at how you can approach writing an executive cover letter to capture the attention of two potential audiencesrecruiters and hiring managers/executives.Give a Recruiter a Short IntroductionWhen it comes to executive recruiters, the cover letter isnt quite as important as it will be for hiring executives and other higher-ups, but you still need to include one. Your cover letter gives you the opportunity to communicate information that helps you demonsttarif your interest in and qualifications for the jobthings there just arent room for in a traditional executive resume. For example, you can explain why you are willing to relocate, you can really make an effort to establish your personal brand, or you can speak to why you are looking to change industries and why you will be able to do so easily.Establishing your personal brand will make you stand out, while explanations that address concerns a recruiter might have upon landseeing that you live far away from the standort or that you are coming from a different industry encourage them to not dismiss you as a candidate immediately. Your resume cant offer these explanations effectively, and seeing them up front and right away in your cover letter will help the recruiter overcome hesitation and increase their willingness to pay attention to the qualifications and accomplishments that are in your resume.Give Hiring Executives What They WantWhile recruiters are looking at your resume to get to the bedrock of your skills and qualifications, other executives in charge of hiring want to know who you are as a person and how you fit in with a companys culture and goals. Your cover letter is a reflection of your professional personalityand it can carry a lot of weight with hiring executives.When writing an executive cover letter that is going directly to a hiring manager, you need to demonstrate that you have knowledge of their company and that you have a reason for being particu larly interested in working for them. You know that you have to tailor your executive resume its just asif not moreimportant to tailor your executive cover letter as well.Personal branding should also be a part of a cover letter going directly to potential employers. In establishing your personal brand in a cover letter, you should link it to the companys mission or culture. Make it clear that you have a vested interest in helping them move forward and succeed. Dont go in-depth into your specific experiencethats what your resume is forbut instead touch on the high points, expanding on the best information that you dont have the space to further explain on your resume.If you need to offer explanations like those mentioned in the section on recruiters above, then do so, but keep in mind that when you are writing directly to a company they will be more interested in what you can do for themwriting a personalized, compelling cover letter means saying what you bring to the table for them , and not the industry as a whole. Offer explanations if needed, but focus on your personal brand and why you are a good fit for that specific company.Ponder This FactDid you know that studies show that nearly two-thirds of hiring managers and executives take the time to read cover letterswith nearly half of them considering a cover letter a make-or-break part of your resume? You have no way of knowing if the company you are applying to falls into this category, but with so many hiring executives demanding cover letters, it is always better to be safe than sorry. If you are pitching a company directly, without any job ads or open position announcements, you certainly want to write a cover letter so you are ready to pitch yourself to the company.The hiring process can be long and repetitive for many positions, and having a cover letter and executive resume that stands out from the crowd is incredibly important. Leaving out a cover letter is leaving out an opportunity to impress a pot ential employer, or is even relegating your resume directly to the rejected pile as they see you couldnt be bothered to put the time into a cover letter. Dont put your career at risk just to avoid writing a cover letter.I say all this recognizing that just like resume writing, writing a cover letter can be tough and time-consuming, especially if you are applying to more than one opportunity and need to write several. But its worth it to put the time into writing a great cover letter, even at the executive level.At the end of the day, a well-written, professional cover letter is more than just an vorkaufsrecht or a formality it is an obligation. It is your chance to establish yourself as a brand and pitch yourself to the company. It is your chance to get the attention of an employer or a recruiter right away and make them pay attention to your resume to really learn about your skills and achievements. As you write your cover letter, make it unique to each company and each positionand be sure to include performance metricsWhen You Are Ready for Interviews NowWe employ the above tips and many more interview-winning resume and cover letter writing strategies through our professional resume writing service. The resumes we write have delivered an exceptional 99.6% interview-winning success rate for our clients and shortened job searches by 6+ months. Our professional resume writing service is collaborative, one-on-one, and completely customized to you and your job search goals. The professional resume writers at Great Resumes Fast know that an effective cover letter and resume requires understanding your skills, experience, and career goals and is much more than just plugging information into a template. Youll work with a writer who talks to you to really understand your career and your career goalstwo things that are crucial for personal branding and the creation of effective cover letters and executive resumes. With certified resume writers who have industry and h uman resources experience, we know what it takes to get results for you.If youd like to see examples of the job documents we create, head on over to the samples page of our website. To find out more about our services, click here YES Im ready to shorten my job search and start interviewingAre you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never breakthrough the screening process. It shouldnt be that way. Thats why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start seeing better resume response rates

Monday, March 9, 2020

Fairygodboss of the Week Maggie Chan Jones

Fairygodboss of the Week Maggie Chan Jones In 2017, Forbes voted Maggie Chan Jones the worlds most influential CMO. But when she began zu sich career, she didnt see that coming. She stumbled into the tech industry while struggling to find a job after college. She had moved to the United States from Hong Kong just a few years prior, speaking hardly any english. However, she worked her way into a marketing career beginning at a small tech company in Seattle and moving through Microsoft, Level 3 Communications before being named CMO at SAP.Chan Jones realized her ascension to the c-suite as a woman of color welches rare, and wanted to work to make it more common. In the fall of 2017, she founded Tenshey a tech-enabled executive coaching startup dedicated to advancing gender diversity. Since, Tenshey has partnered with the likes of absatzwirtschaft Academy and Ellevest, and has helped countless women achieve their career dreams.We spoke with Chan about the barriers she overcame to beco me a leader in her male-dominated industry. Then, she shared her biggest influences, what sponsorship really means to her and how Tenshey is hoping to change the workplace for women.Fairygodboss of the Week Maggie Chan JonesFounder CEO, TensheyNew York, NYTell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?Landing my first job out of college was a lot harder than I thought. I stumbled into the tech industry when a purchasing manager at a small tech company in Seattle took a chance on me. Then, I worked my way into marketing. I worked hard, learned constantly, stayed focused on my goals and went on to hold leadership positions at Microsoft, Level 3 Communications and, in 2014, I was appointed the first female CMO at SAP. In 2017, I was named one of the worlds most influential CMO by Forbes.I realized that as a woman of color in a male-dominated tech industry, my ascension to the C-Suite was rare, and it shouldnt be. In fall of 2017, I decided to found Tenshey a tech-enabled startup dedicated to advancing gender diversity through executive coaching. Its hard enough for women to climb up the corporate (or startup) ladder We need a strong support system to help us get there.What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?Paying it forward. With the support of our coaches, Tenshey is donating over $200,000 in coaching service-in-kind to the Marketing Academy, a global non-profit that aims to accelerate the careers of high-potential and rising talent in Marketing and Communications. We also started working with Ellevest, a digital investment platform for women. Im so proud of the impactful relationships weve made in just over a year of existence.What is a challenge that youve faced and overcome?When I was 14, I was living in Hong Kong and realized that I wasnt book smart enough to get into one of the three competitive universities there. To give myself a shot at an education, I boarded a plane to New York City alone to live with family I barel y knew. I spoke very little English and it was a complete culture shock. The experience taught me that sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and to face challenges with perseverance. Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? and Why?My grandmother and my mom both single parents. It is through them that I learned about compassion, kindness, independence and grit. What do you do when youre not working?I love tennis, wake boarding, and hanging out with my husband and our four-legged kid Charlie, a miniature poodle.If you could have dinner with one famous person - dead or alive - who would it be?Serena Williams.Lightning Round What is your karaoke song?None, because when I hear someone say karaoke, I run the other way.Lightning Round What is your favorite movie?Ok, Im going to sound really boring I dont have a favorite movie either. I do love watching Madam Secretary. Its not a movie, I know.Lightning Round What book would you bring with you on a desert island?Grit by Angela Duckworth.Lightning R ound What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?Designer shoes. When the store brings out cookies or champagne, I know Im in trouble. If I won the lottery, I would first take my close friends and family on a mega-yacht trip, then invest more in Tenshey and other female-founded startups.What is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?Gosh, its so hard to pick just one. I think that women are often over mentored and under sponsored. Mentors are the people who inspire you and build you up. Sponsors are the ones who talk about you when you are not in the room, and open doors for you to opportunities. Id like to challenge anyone in a leadership role men and women to sponsor rising female talents within their network. We need women and men to work together for us to achieve gender equality in the workplace. Lets pay it forward and use our own success as a platform for the next generationWhy do you love where you work?A few weeks ago, I heard back from one of Tensheys early clients, Missy. After a few coaching sessions with her coach, she went to HR and asked for the position that she really wanted. And got it Before coaching, it had never occurred to her that she could even ask for what she wanted. Success stories like this make it all worth it.