commercial profile Getting your career back on track
BillHennessyof MERCPartners explains that executive positionswill continue to emerge and he shares some insights on howcandidates can best prepare and position themselves for that next big career opportunity
WITHthe catastrophic banking crisis and result- anteconomicupheaval,whatarethe career prospects for executives in 2011? For those who havelosttheir jobs orareat riskoflosingtheir jobs, how do you put your best foot forward in representing yourself and in finding that next opportunity? Inthelast24months,MERC Partners has
BillHennessy is a partner with MERC Partners.
MERC Partnersis a leading executive search firmin Ireland and isa member firm of IIC PartnersExecutive Search Worldwide, one of the top 10 retained executive search groupsin the world.
www.merc.ie
observed that 60pc of the demand for senior executives has been in the functions of general management,marketing/sales and finance. In the current climate this is understandable – a change of CEO is often needed to strategically plot the way through the current difficulties, providing leadership and making the changes necessary to ensure survival and growth. Meanwhile, sales and marketing people are
neededtoensurethatrevenueismaintained ina fallingmarket – this can only be done by increas- ing market share through the formulation and implementation of best-practice business devel- opment strategies, while top class finance execu- tives are needed tomanage the highly challenging commercial and financial problems besetting so many companies at present. Typically senior executive roles will require
competency in strategic thinking, change man- agement, leadership and holding people account- able.Middlemanagement positions havemore of an emphasis on planning, controlling and effi- ciency orientation. Specialist positions will nor- mally require specific technical expertise, good attention to detail, problem-solving and analyti- cal skills. Senior marketing and sales positions will nearly always require strong negotiation skills, an ability to network and develop business relationships and a customer service orientation. In addition, what our hiring clients want today are flexibility and adaptability, creativity and innovation, and a ‘will do’ aswell as a ‘can do’ atti- tude. Ifyouhavesuddenly becomeunemployed,a
first move might be to get an occupational psy- chologisttorunthe ruleoveryoubycompleting aset of psychometric assessments to confirm
your leadership style and capabilities. The out- putswill highlightwhere youmayneedtopursue some further training and development or coach- ing to strengthen your candidacy. An alternative is to analyse previous performance appraisals, to acknowledgesomeweakerareasandtolearn fromthem. Ifyouaredippingyour toeinthejobsmarket
for the first time in awhile,my recommendation is to take professional advice on the preparation ofyourCV,andthentotailoreachCV presenta- tion to the job being applied for, emphasising the fit of your experience and competency to the exact requirements of the job. In conducting your jobsearch,doutiliseyour wider network ofcon- tactsasbest aspossibleandensurethatthe lead- ing executive search firms working in your sector are aware of you. The interview is asomewhat imprecise tool in
assessing suitability, but nevertheless a key process in finding anew job. The interview is used to establish evidence of success, achieve- ment, progress and stability in one’s career; also that you understand the job, have the ability to carry outtherole, thatyouhave therelevant experience and that your style will fit. Interview preparation is vital. Therefore ask for the job description and person specification beforehand. Identify the
essentials.Reflect on howto commu- nicate suitability and competence, whilst also dealing with weaknesses or gaps. You have to articulate the difference you willmake, what you will achieveandwhere you willaddvalue.Good preparationwill also include analysis of the target employer and the strategic and economic chal- lenges facing that business.Happy hunting!
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