Matt Leonard posted a blog post
The Role of Technology in the Executive Job Search
When looking for an executive position in today’s job market, technological tools are at your disposal, and it makes sense to put them to work for your success. These tools are employed by everyone involved in the process of filling a position including the hiring company, candidates for the position and job recruiters. Without them, you’re at a disadvantage competing for the executive job you want. How Technology Has Changed the Way Positions are FilledIt wasn’t that long ago that snail mail was the best way to send a resume to a Human Resources Rirector – but of course, back then they were Personnel Directors. The fax replaced the USPS, and email attachments followed next. Teleconferencing added voice to the equation, and now video calls using Skype and Google+ are a part of many job interviewing situations. We’ve come a long way from stuffing envelopes. That progression shows just how important technology is for all the parties involved and why you’ll benefit from using it.Seven Ways to Use Technology to Land An Executive PositionHere’s how to take advantage of the available technology whether you’re a job seeker, the one hiring or a recruiter seeking to make a connection that benefits everyone.Spend Time on Company Websites Understanding a company’s products, services, mission and culture is invaluable when pursuing a position with it. The company website contains a wealth of information that will help you determine if you’re a good fit and will assist you when you’re customizing your cover letter, resume, or video presentation for interviewing process. Job recruiters should also spend time getting to know companies through their websites to determine which candidates they’re working with are best for the open positions.Search Job Posting SitesThousands of executive level jobs are posted on Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and similar sites. These sites allow you to search by job position, location, company, categories or industry, allowing you to look as broadly or as narrowly as you choose. You can also post your resume on many of these sites. People in human resources and job recruiters are scanning those resumes every day, so it makes sense to make yours available, unless you haven’t announced to your current employer that you’re looking for a new position.Open a LinkedIn AccountShould you be using a site also used by executives from every Fortune 500 company and employed by 89 of the Fortune 100 companies to find executive talent? That’s an easy and emphatic “Yes!” Become one of over 300 million users and build your profile. More than 3 million companies have opened LinkedIn pages for recruiting purposes. Become a proficient LinkedIn user, and take advantage of its networking functionality and features such as the ability to post content you’ve written related to your industry. You can also learn a great deal about the executives you’ll be interfacing in the new organization by studying their profiles in LinkedIn.Create Your Own WebsiteA website allows you to tell prospective employers or head hunters who you are and why you’re worth a closer look for an executive position. Build pages showcasing your job experience and skills, education, achievements, community involvement, charitable giving or work and even your family, if you desire. Reference your website in your cover letter and resume. The site must be well done, so hire a pro if website design isn’t part of your skill set.Add Videos to Your Website or YouTubeA one to three-minute video can be an effective way to communicate your career achievements, education and passion for your industry. Consider creating one video for each topic, rather than one long video covering all the subjects. Dress in business casual or as you’d dress on the job. Choose an attractive, neat setting in your home or office. Make each video succinct, and speak in a conversational tone. Redo the video until it really captures what you’re trying to communicate and does so in a natural way. That’s right, sometimes you have to practice a few times to appear natural. The videos can be loaded to your website and/or to sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. If you’re a job recruiter, the better you know an executive-level candidate, the better you can present him or her to the hiring company. Spending time on their website and watching their videos will help you market them effectively.Practice Your Video Interviewing SkillsMany initial interviews take place on the phone or via a video platform such as Skype or Google+. It will pay off to get familiar with how these sites work and to practice conversing with a friend or colleague prior to an interview. Make sure the setting is neat and professional and that there is good natural lighting. Add artificial lighting if necessary, and make sure your face isn’t in shadows. Dress and conduct yourself as you would for a face-to-face interview.Clean Up Your Social Media SitesIt will be worth your time to review all your postings to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, etc. that may contain pictures or comments that are inconsistent with presenting yourself in an executive manner. You can rest assured potential employers are going to be scouring the Internet for your content. This type of research by a hiring company’s agent has stopped many offers from being made. You can and should use these sites to your advantage.These seven proven tips will position you to succeed in landing the executive job you desire by presenting yourself professionally, depicting a technology savvy background.Matt Leonard is VP of Digital Marketing for ServicePower.See More