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Article: Good-Background,-Strong-Skills---And-No-Job
by Myra Thomas
According to Richelle Konian, co-owner of New York City-based Careers on the Move, an executive recruiting firm focused on the finance field, many professionals are simply missing the right opportunity by not specializing in one sector or another. ''At the moment, half of our positions are in specific areas, including risk management or (fixed income or credit) derivatives,'' she says. ''That's about 50 percent or more of our positions. It's still hard to get positions in asset management.'' .
To understand what specialties are in demand and what areas of the country are particularly receptive to someone with your background, Konian says it's essential to stay abreast of the marketplace. You might find out there are simply too many people with the right credentials vying for the same position in your state. ''If someone advertises now for a financial analyst, you might see hundreds of resumes from qualified individuals,'' she notes.
Probably the biggest failure most professionals make is not keeping their appearance, education or networking skills up-to-date. When they're busy and times are good, people often let such tasks go, Konian says. Eventually, however, they'll need to go out on that job search again. When they do, it's important to be properly attired, equipped with up-to-the-minute knowledge about their business, and a personal network to help them find a new position.
''Contemporary executives shouldn't be afraid to use technology to distinguish themselves from the competition,'' says Don Straits, CEO of Corporate Warriors, a corporate outplacement, executive coaching, and career management firm based in Sacramento, Calif. An online resume that highlights financial accomplishments goes a long way toward piquing the interest of a human resources manager. So can including a video introduction of yourself on the site.
Straits adds that many resumes resemble tombstones. ''Far too much time is spent talking about the skills of the past, and far too little emphasis is placed on the executive's ability to generate bottom line results,'' he says. ''A better way to do it might be something like, 'For the past four years, while I was a key member of the team, I helped to generate annual revenue growth in excess of $4 million a year as illustrated by the following graph.'
Myra Thomas, jobsinthemoney.com
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