La gente asume que su currículum representa el 90% del proceso de búsqueda de empleo, pero en realidad solo es un 10%. La búsqueda de un puesto ejecutivo tiene un proceso similar a la venta de un producto o servicio.
Before I begin, I want to make it perfectly clear that at Advice, we have profound respect for people and their dignity. We do not consider them products or services. This note and its title are merely an analogy between the process of searching for an executive position and the sales process, for practical purposes, to contribute to the employability of each individual. The sales process is the succession of steps a company takes from the moment it tries to capture the attention of a potential client until the final transaction takes place, that is, until an effective sale of the company's product or service is achieved.
This process, when represented graphically, has the shape of a funnel, in which opportunities, contacts made, meetings, identified needs, proposals, negotiations, and closing are classified. Not all potential clients become actual buyers. The search for an executive position has a similar process to selling a product or service. First, you must have a product or service that is attractive to the potential buyer. For this, it is essential to know yourself, which means understanding who you are, your strengths and weaknesses; what motivates you most, your sense of purpose (your values), and the type of organization where your profile best fits.
Long before looking for a new job, your search should begin inward: who you are and what you have to offer. It is fundamental to ask yourself why someone would invest in you, what value you will add to an organization, and how that investment will pay off. What benefits does an organization have by having you in its ranks, and what achievements can you obtain in the short, medium, and long term.
With that foundation, you can build a resume that will represent the product or service you're selling: yourself. This note isn't intended to detail how to craft a professional resume, but in summary, it should contain your personal information concisely, a professional profile that encapsulates your career in four or five lines, work experience detailed with job titles, responsibilities, and past achievements (results-oriented), focusing on the last five to ten years, and concluding with your education and appropriate references. We now have the product. To determine its market price, we can use salary surveys or job pricing services, or alternatively, conduct a small investigation by asking a set number of colleagues with similar career paths and equivalent positions.
Next, the product or service needs to be made visible or promoted, and the appropriate marketing channels (place) must be chosen. LinkedIn turns out to be an extraordinary tool for networking, because it allows for very efficient management of contacts and interactions, while building “a perpetual agenda.” But networking should first focus on how you can help the people you want to connect with, be a sounding board, or share articles or websites that you consider of interest to them, by commenting on their posts and helping to promote their leadership through your social networks. You need to be networked long before you are thinking about changing jobs.
Other highly effective channels include human resources or recruitment consultancies, executive search firms, large professional services firms that group several companies, and private equity firms that are constantly seeking companies with potential to provide them with capital and management to help them grow. All of these organizations are looking for executives to manage, operate, technically develop, or grow their own businesses or those of third parties.
Over the years, I've noticed that many people do very detailed research when buying a cellphone or a car, but they aren't as thorough when investigating potential employers or companies to work for. I've also observed that when a professional focuses and identifies target companies where they'd like to work, it works. It means finding the intersection between what you have to offer and what a specific company is looking for. Focusing on companies means making a list of companies you'd like to work for, companies you admire, projects you'd like to participate in. Once the list is established, the research and networking phase begins to get your product to them, aligned with each company's specific needs.
For most people, the task of looking for a new job is as simple as polishing their resume, sending emails to various people, filling out applications on consulting firms or job portals, while networking with diverse individuals. But unless you are a very specific talent, or the reputation of your great achievements precedes you, few will seek you out. You must look for the job you want while “focusing” on your next opportunity. Some people today are confused about how to make things happen when they want a career change or are in transition. Others don't want to do the necessary hard work, which is a lot. Despite their phenomenal career paths, not many are clear about where they want to go in their next step, or what the path to get there looks like.
The job market generates more and better opportunities for those who proactively search for them. The search for an executive position has a similar process to selling a product or service. Probing, supporting, and closing constitute the core of methods used in the sales profession, and will be very useful to you when looking for a new executive position. Product, price, place, and promotion are four controllable variables known as the 4Ps of Marketing, and they will also help you.
Good luck!
