Subject: Kansas City Business Journal placement
From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" <[email-masked]>
To: "John" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 08:20:51 -0800

Article from bizjournals.com: Networking can help execs land on their feet after layoffhttp://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/11/03/focus3.html?b=1225688400^1725040&surround=etf

Friday, October 31, 2008
Human Resources
Networking can help execs land on their feet after layoff
Kansas City Business Journal - by Lisa Waterman Gray Contributing Writer

      John McKee
      View Larger  
When layoffs hit the executive suite, those affected should take careful steps to keep their careers on the right path, area career experts said.

“Get your emotional state back to strategic application as soon as you can — and your current job is finding your next job,” said Gary Abram, senior managing partner of HCap International.

Michael Shirley agrees. The senior partner of Michael Shirley Associates Inc. said that it’s OK to grieve about a job loss for two or three weeks but that taking action is vital after that. If the executive’s family agrees relocation is an option, he or she should look for jobs inside and outside of the local market simultaneously. The executive also should be open to all employment opportunities that exist, even if they don’t resemble what the person did before.

“Most (executives) have been in long-term careers, and their market is very narrow,” said Russ Creason, senior vice president of Right Management Inc. “The ideal thing is that the company offers executive career consulting in the severance package. A professional consultant can assess your attitude and make a comprehensive assessment of your needs and how to pursue options that make sense. With a senior executive, we’re working on a multimillion-dollar project — the executive — and the stakes are high.”

People with a strategic approach to finding a new position are typically more successful. Abram said departing executives should be able to articulate how they can create value in the workplace and create leverage based on what they have accomplished previously. Asking, “What do I really love to do?” helps to generate a prospect list.

Most job opportunities come through some kind of relationship.

“Make five to seven calls per day for the first 30 days in the job market, and three to five per day for the next 30,” Shirley said. “Start with people you know, people they know and people you need to know.”

Creason recommends building a list of everyone you know, from the names on business cards to colleagues, suppliers, customers, competitors, friends and neighbors, and making 100 to 150 contacts through these channels before making any cold calls.

“Contact people you do business with, and say, ‘I’m on the market and available and looking for other opportunities. Let me know if you hear about anything going on,’” said Jeff Hagen, CFO of Grafton Inc.

“Identify people who have the role you’d be interested in and network with them for suggestions,” Shirley said. “(Ask them) ‘Are you aware of any position similar to yours elsewhere in the marketplace?’ If you’re really interested in a particular company, express interest in working there to four or five people.”

Online networking also makes sense in today’s marketplace. Even upper-level executives can make valuable connections through LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace in addition to job-specific sites such as The Ladders (www.theladders.com), Monster.com or industry-specific sites. Plenty of recruiting firms use them, too, Hagen said.

A good resume, with measurable goals the executive obtained in his or her previous position, will get a foot in the door, perhaps with the help of a resume professional. It’s also good to always keep your resume updated if you think you may be in the job market again someday.

But a successful interview — and how you follow up after it — is the bigger piece in hiring.

“Employers hire confidence, professionalism, the ability to work with and influence others — including an affirming attitude and personality — and the ability to plan for, manage and implement change,” Shirley said.

He also recommends that once an executive enters the interview process, he or she create a thoroughly researched and thought-out action plan, which indicates what the executive would accomplish during the first 90-days in his or her new position.

Steps for surviving a layoff
John McKee, founder of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an international career coaching practice, suggests these steps for executives who have been laid off.

1. SWOT yourself — assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
2. Get your resume current — what people look for now isn’t the same as it always was.
3. Make a life plan — take a tip from successful organizations that know that a well-thought-out plan makes them more likely to succeed. The plan should include all three key life aspects: career, personal and financial.
4. Consider using others — mentors, coaches and networks will help you fine-tune your elevator pitch and get you back in the game sooner rather than later.