Relentless Pursuit- From the desk of Chuck Morris, Managing Partner

For those of you who have worked with me over the years either as a client, leading a search for key positions in your organization, or as a candidate, reference, referral source, mentor or friend, you know that I am passionate about completing a project and creating win, win, win situations.  If we find the very best candidate for a client, it’s a win for that client.  If we place someone in their next career opportunity, it’s a win for the candidate.  If both parties fit together, then it’s a win for us. 

However, winning only happens after extensive work is performed, understanding the needs of a client, the culture, the environment, the requirements of a key position in the organization and the many other influences involved with decision making/hiring.  Once we understand these noted parameters, we embark on performing research to identify individuals who might meet these requirements, competing companies with similar organizational structures, sources, vendors and other resources who could help lead us to that perfect candidate. 

At this point we engage in relentless pursuit of the ideal candidate for this opening. Our deep understanding of the industry, functional requirements, historical foundation, contacts and relationships is advantageous.  We have lived, breathed and participated in the ecosystem and rapid growth of the cable television industry and the wireless communications industry, the Digital Media convergence and a variety of outlying ventures including numerous new business initiatives facilitated by technology development – Content Delivery, Ad Sales, Digital Media, Home Automation, IoT, Robotics and many more companies supporting these industries. 

Our recent work in the Cannabis industry, Home Automation, Real Estate, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, IoT and other sectors has proven that our success and the greatest demand for our services has come from early stage ventures, new technology enhancements, new regulatory environments, searching for experienced leaders to accomplish the goal, capture the dream and/or optimize performance.  In some cases, the best candidates need to come from outside the industry, with a proven track record in a parallel or similar role.  We have succeeded in attracting risk takers and proven leaders who can facilitate and create success.  In new sectors, enabled by technology or facilitated by changes in the regulatory environment it’s essential to identify candidates with the entrepreneurial instincts and proven success in early stage companies or divisions.  Moreover, it takes relentless pursuit to identify, attract and deliver these leaders.

As companies grow to the point of having a large HR department with internal resources, processes and feeder systems our value can be questioned.  However, time and again we have delivered outstanding results, with the benefit clearly outweighing our cost.  Our expertise lies in finding the early stage leaders, the new division team, the new technologist leaders, the industry creators and facilitators.  We don’t run ads to find candidates. Why cast wide nets across the entire spectrum when needs are very specific? Our value is delivering the very best candidates who are recruited to meet the specific needs, with applicable and relative experience who fit the company, culture and requirements. How is this accomplished?  Relentless Pursuit! 

Our Mission-Vision-Value embodies this… Think long term. Do the right thing. Create win, win, wins!

To all of you who have helped support our searches, made recommendations, provided references, communicated ideas and participated in the search processes with us, we cannot thank you enough.  Without your help, we could not succeed.  Thank you!  Stay safe and Healthy!

From the Desk of Chuck Morris, Founder and Managing Partner of Warren & Morris LLC

Interviews: Preparation and Attitude are Everything

We recently represented a candidate to a client. Our client liked their background and proceeded to set-up an onsite interview. In attempting to schedule the candidate, we noticed the candidate wasn’t making himself available. We addressed it and turns out the candidate was hesitant about the company, the role and overall "fit". We discussed the importance of going through the interview process, meeting the hiring manager, the team, seeing the facility, etc., and how that experience would provide him with the right data to actually make an informed decision. He agreed, so we agreed on a date and time to meet with the client.  

The good news is that after the interview, the candidate found the opportunity to be a lot better than he had imagined. He was definitely interested in pursuing next steps. The bad news, is that the client passed on him. So, what happened?  It seems the candidate brought his hesitations directly into the meeting. During the interview he drew negative attention to concerns instead of exploring the opportunities. He held back on showing excitement towards the opportunity instead of exploring the possibilities. If your resume speaks for itself, that is, your skills are obviously a match, sometimes just being present and eagerly exploring the possibilities and opportunities in an interview is all it takes to make it great.

The takeaway? Preparation and attitude are everything. Prepare for your interviews, know enough to be able to ask the great/challenging questions that will separate you from the pack - but always keep it positive. Check your attitude, are you the kind of person you'd want to hire? Always go into an interview prepared, confident and with a positive outlook. You never know, this could be the perfect role for you. Don't make the mistake of judging it before you know about it. Have an open mind and be prepared to listen, learn and engage the hiring manager in a friendly, upbeat and productive manner.

Preparation and attitude are everything.

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services since 1994.

Starting a Job Search – A note to my nephew

From the Desk of Chip Cossitt

Sr. Partner, Warren & Morris, Ltd., Executive Search.

Starting a Job Search – A note to my nephew

One of my nephews is a month away from graduating from law school.  He graduates in January and reached out to me for some assistance.  I get it.  Finding yourself in a position where you are entering the workforce or suddenly need to find a job can be daunting.  I literally cut-n-pasted my email response to him, below.  Please, if you have a child graduating soon or a friend or colleague looking for a job, please send this to them.  A little guidance can go a long way. 

Dear (Nephew),

Congrats on your accomplishment!  First, you are going to need to develop a solid Resume / CV.  Check out this piece I wrote on Resumes.  Follow the directions and it’ll be easy to set-up.

LinkedIn, Job Boards, Recruiters, Google, Social Media, Friends & Family

Start-off by creating a profile on LinkedIn.  If you already have one, freshen it up, take a solid, professional photo, check-off the option on your LinkedIn profile as “Open to Opportunities” and fill that information out completely.  When done, start connecting.  Connect with professors, with friends, family, colleagues, anyone you can think of.  Then research and join applicable networking groups.

Next, you’ll want to sign-up on all the top online job boards.  Here in the US, that includes LinkedIn, Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed and Dice…  Then methodically go to each site, do an exhaustive search, apply to those that you like, then set up job reminders.  That last piece is key.   The site will then automatically send you any and all new roles that surface.  This way you don’t have to keep checking every site.  Huge, huge time saver. 

Afterwards, locate recruitment firms, staffing agencies and temp agencies that specialize in your field and sign-up.  Hit up the big national agencies and hit up the local and regional one’s as well.

Lastly, start Googling.  This is to locate roles with those companies that only post roles to their own websites.      

That takes care of your digital presence, for the most part. 

Bear in mind, most of the roles you will find over the course of your career will be from someone you know.  Whether that’s from your dad, mom, sister, friends, colleagues, people at the gym or someone you meet at a conference.  But they won’t know to suggest anything, unless you make it public.  Make people aware you are looking.  Be verbal, include it in your discussions until you find your next role.  Put it out on social media.  Oh, and on that note, take a night to review your social media accounts.  Yes, prospective employers will check these out. Go to Facebook, Instagram, whatever site you are on and, if necessary, eliminate anything on there that shows an unprofessional side of you. 

Then turn it into a job.  Plan to send out a certain number of resumes per week and stick to that plan.  Whatever number you deem appropriate.  To my candidates who aren’t working (company closed, they were laid-off, etc.), I suggest keeping a 40-hour workweek, during which time they’ll work on finding a role.  Since you are still in school, I suggest maybe putting aside a couple hours a week and maybe sending 10 resumes out a week.  Compound that and you are sending 40 a month; 20 a week gets you 80 resumes submitted per month, etc.  Do what you are comfortable with.  And be sure to make an Excel spreadsheet, categorize columns to include the name of the job, the company, the email address you used and, if possible, the person to whom you sent the email.   And make the last column the date you sent out the resume.  Then create a follow-up reminder so you can reach out again every so often and check on status.  

As for different ways of applying or different ways of thinking….  Reality is, todays job market, at least on the front-end, is mostly managed electronically.  Kind of tough to get creative, but there is a right and wrong way to do it.  Companies and recruitment firms use ATS’s (Applicant Tracking Systems), which sort and rank resumes electronically based on keywords.  The right way to do it, is to really detail what you’ve done and use specific keywords to explain it.  If someone needs a skill and uses the internet to locate that skill and that skill isn’t on your resume, you will be not be found.  Capiche?

The key here is that you do the work, cover your bases and stick to it.  It can be frustrating at times but don’t give in.  Your work will pay off!  And when you are out there applying, don’t be shy to shoot for jobs above and below your pay grade, every connection is worthwhile and can turn into something other than what it was intended for.  You apply for a role asking for 5 years, they see you, recognize you have zero years, but have this other thing that you look perfect for…. Worth it.

Hope this helps, (Nephew).  Please don’t hesitate to hit me up with any other questions and again, congratulations on your massive achievement!

~Chip

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services for more than 25 years.

Retained vs Contingent Search

When you’re a hiring manager and you’ve made the decision to entrust a third-party recruiting company to provide search services for you, which way do you go?  Do you work with a retained firm or contingent?  Which one is right for you?  If you’ve not gone down this path before, the data below should help you zero in on what model suits your needs best.

First off, aren’t they all the same anyway?  Is there even a difference?  The answer is yes and no.  Yes, they both take on the responsibility of finding you talent to hire.  They are quite different otherwise, which I will attempt to explain in more detail below. 

Let’s start off looking at internal workings of both.  The Retained world is typically staffed with seasoned recruiters, those that have made their career in recruiting.  They also may be staffed with subject matter expert senior executives that come from within industries the firm serves.  Firms in the retained world will often begin a search process by visiting their client, whether that’s a local drive or a cross country flight.  They’ll build a client dossier by way of researching and interviewing all the client team members in order to make sure the entire hiring eco-system is on the same page.  Once the requirements are clear across the board, a retained firm will then pursue candidates.  They’ll perform research, identify company competitors, network, find out who the key players are, perform references, followed by rigorous candidate vetting.  Once fully vetted, candidates will be submitted. 

In contingent, leadership is often made-up of seasoned contingent-search executives.  The employee base is a mix of recruiters with experience or those without that instead have some level of strong KPI based sales experience. Those without prior recruiting experience, once hired, are rigorously trained to be effective contingent recruiters.  The front-end discovery process in contingency is quick and succinct.  Contingent recruiters are well trained on how to get to the point fast and will quickly narrow down the need to only the most key requirements of the job. That communication will result in a handful of data to both script up a job order and provide keywords used to create a job posting.  The role will then be posted to online job boards.  When candidates apply to these postings, they’ll be directed to fill out questionnaires as part of the process, questions that are designed specifically to uncover the candidate’s true qualifications for the role, as well as to expedite the recruiters process.  Then, through their ATS (Applicant Tracking System), they’ll be electronically sorted and ranked (usually by keyword) for the recruiter.  Recruiters will either call the candidate to discuss or if the application looks strong enough they’ll immediately forward the application to the client.  It’s all about speed and volume. 

Are Retained Firms and Contingent Firms fees drastically different?  No, not really. Aside from a few outliers, most companies all work in same fee percentage range.  Retained firms can and will, however, incur additional costs for client travel and candidate interviews (when applicable).

Now, let’s talk about the role you are looking to fill and the candidates you want to attract.  This will be a key factor to your decision on which model of search firm to use.  As noted, contingent firms are all about speed and volume.  Contingent firms are trained to cover as much ground as possible, as fast as possible, using the largest possible “net” to bring in potential candidates.  This means, a contingent recruiter will uncover your need, immediately post the role to job boards and then rely heavily on candidate ad response.  Confidential searches are difficult to execute within this model of search simply because it’s hard to post a role and keep it confidential at the same time.  Retained firms, on the other hand, tend to rely on executive level search techniques that don’t involve posting a position online.  Retained recruiters will perform in-depth research, identify competitors and identify comparable candidates using advanced AI technologies.   Retained firms will work proactively within their networks, relying on human-to-human interaction as their main means of gathering information and connection.  They are not limited to only those actively seeking opportunity on job boards and, because their search methods don’t involve posting a position online, they are a good choice for confidential hires or replacement hires.  Retained firms tend to fill higher level, strategic-oriented roles, such as those in the C suite and VP level whereas contingent firms tend to focus on more mid-market talent.

Why do contingent firms rely on speed and volume so much?   In the contingent model, a fee is due when a placement is made.  Due to this - and this is a phenomenon unique to the contingent model- clients will often choose to work with several contingent firms on the same search at the same time.  Contingent firms know this.  They live and breathe a highly competitive environment and speed of candidate turnaround is a critical factor in the process.  They know the second they get a role, the race is on.  And since the competing firms are all posting to the same (or competing) job boards in the same markets, the winner (the firm that makes the placement) tends to be the fastest recruiter to post a role and the fastest to turn around candidates.  The hiring manager that chooses this recruitment strategy understands, or should understand, that this strategy will result in a lot of resumes (volume).   This speed-to-hire process can be very effective, but there are two issues that I experienced, again, both unique to the contingent process. The first is that the hiring manager will manage a much larger workload when dealing with multiple agencies.  And second, the company using this tactic should be prepared for a distinctly larger falloff rate (that is the rate at which candidates leave their job within a 90-day-guarantee time) as the candidate vetting process tends be more surface when moving at such a rapid pace. 

Clients that use Retained firms pay an upfront retainer to one Search Firm and rely solely on that firm to make a placement, creating a space where speed and volume don’t cloud the process.  Retained firms won’t bury a client in resumes because they don’t have to “win the race” to the finish line.  Instead, they spend time performing research, identifying company competitors, networking, finding out who the key players are, performing initial references, followed by rigorous candidate vetting.  Once fully vetted, a candidate will be submitted.  Retained recruiters will then act as a go-between with client and candidate further vetting, further researching and further qualifying until no questions are left.  At which time an in-depth professional reference process will take place and then an offer is extended.  The workload on the hiring manager is significantly less and due to the time spent deeply vetting candidates throughout the process, the falloff rate is significantly lower.  The downside to retaining a firm is not knowing if they can get the job done.  Putting all your eggs in one basket, if you will.  Retain the wrong firm and you may find yourself several months down the line without any real results.  Choosing a reputable retained firm is extremely important should you go this route.  Any reputable retained firm will be able to provide a deep list of client references.  Do your homework on these firms before signing any agreements, it will be well worth your time.

One last thing:  There are many retained firms that offer contingent services and contingent firms that provide retained services.  The examples above are purposely black and white to address general differences between the two most basic fee structures/models of search.

The take-away?  Both models work, both cost about the same and both will get the job done.  As you’ve read, however, they can be significantly different in how they approach the recruitment process.  It’s really a matter of knowing your candidate audience and choosing the model that is best positioned to approach them.

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services for more than 25 years.

Should I reject an InMail - In LinkedIn

From the Desk of Chip Cossitt

Sr. Partner, Warren & Morris, Ltd., Executive Search.

Should I Reject an InMail?

This morning, I received a note from LinkedIn that an InMail message I sent to a potential candidate had been declined.   I electronically introduced myself, extended my hand, they looked at my hand, walked away and shut the door.  And I mean that literally, they shut the door.  When you decline an InMail, that discussion is over.  You cannot further engage that person on that InMail.

Remember that networking event last week when you walked up to that guy, introduced yourself,  reached out to shake their hand and they said, “Declined” and walked away?  Yea, me neither.  Why?  Because it didn’t happen.  It’s widely understood that networking events are there to provide a platform for people to meet, greet and, well, network.  So why are the rules any different on LinkedIn?  LinkedIn is arguably the largest online professional networking site in existence.  Shouldn’t we approach networking online the same way we approach it in person?

This morning, I also received a message from LinkedIn, notifying me that a candidate had accepted an InMail I sent to them.  They added a note which read, “Thanks for the note, this isn’t an appropriate role for me at this time, but please keep me posted if anything else comes your way”.  What they’ve done is connected, made a contact, kept a door open and acted as any professional would in person. 

What’s the takeaway?  Accept InMail!  Even if the content doesn’t apply to you, accept the InMail.  Accept the InMail, respond with gratitude - just like you would at any networking event - and leave them with information that will help them to engage you in the future. 

Last year both my business partner and I were awarded with LinkedIn’s 2019 “Top 1% Search and Staffing Professional” award.  This was awarded to any recruiter out there who had a stellar InMail response rate.  Our approach to InMail is as simple and straightforward as our Vision Statement, “Think Long Term, Do the Right Thing”. 

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services for more than 25 years.

Should I pay an Agency to Post a role for me?

We here at Warren & Morris don’t post positions online, never have.  We find good old-fashioned, human-to-human networking to still be the best way to search (researching, identifying, contacting and sourcing).  But it doesn’t mean posting isn’t a viable option, depending on your circumstances.   If you have the time and leisure to give it 30 to 90 days prior to engaging with a search firm, it’s an option to go this route.  If your opening is a replacement for an incumbent (someone  currently in the role) and the search requires a high level of confidentiality,  posting a position on a job board isn’t an option.  But if it’s an open role with no confidentiality restraints and you have the time, give it a shot.  Job posting is a cost-effective first step for any company to locate talent.   I find myself recommending this option to clients often.   Bar none, posting to a job board can be one of the most effective ways to advertise your open role.  You simply can’t beat the coverage it provides, it’s inexpensive and it’s easy to do; After paying the price of the service and uploading your job, all you do is filter through applicants.   

If your company has a hiring need, post it, see what you can get, you very well may find a perfect candidate.  If you don’t have the time or resources to do so and it’s time to outsource the process, choose a search firm wisely.  There are many search firms and agencies out there that include job posting as part of their recruiting strategy.   But know there are agencies out there that use online postings as their only recruiting strategy.  The “advertising model” of search.  This is when a third-party recruitment agency posts jobs to job boards as their only means of recruiting;  This is a model I highly suggest you avoid.   Once these firms sign an agreement with you, they do exactly what you’d do if you were posting a job yourself but at a much greater cost.

When you post a role on your own, you pay the fee for the posting, upload the job then filter candidates.  When you give the search to an agency that strictly utilizes online postings as their only means of recruitment,  they do the same thing you would do.  Well, almost the same thing.  To be fair, advertising model agencies will most likely be a great deal more successful at this process than the average Joe.  After all, this is their business.  They are constantly training and learning how to do it even better, week after week of data filled analytics reports telling them exactly what does and what does not work.  They’ll pay top-dollar and receive VIP programs resulting in better coverage, priority positioning, daily refresh, etc.  So yes, chances are they’ll execute an online search a lot better than most, otherwise, the mechanics are the same regardless of who does it.  

The biggest difference?   The cost. 

Let’s discuss costs using an example of a two-month long search and a placed candidate that now earns $100,000 in annual salary.

If you post the role yourself:

-          A thirty-day posting costs anywhere from $50 to $500 for a 30-day listing, regardless of the salary of the role being posted.  There are also some free posting options if one is resourceful…

-          Final cost, post placement after two-months, is anywhere from $100 to $1,000, plus overhead.

If you choose to use a search firm that only uses the advertising model:

-          The advertising model search agency charges on average anywhere from 15% to 30% of the hired persons first years’ salary. 

-          Using the example of a $100k annual salary, post-placement, your final cost will be anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000.

Post on your own and pay $1,000.00.  Have an advertising model agency post it for you and pay $15,000 to $30,000.

That’s a big difference. 

If you are hiring, my suggestion is to take it in steps.  First, try to make the hire happen organically. Source your organization, your contacts, work your network.  If that doesn’t work, post the role to a job board yourself.  Give it 30- or 60-days.  And if you are still not getting what you need, call an executive search firm to help, one that doesn’t simply turn-around and re-post your job.

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services for more than 25 years.

Artificial Intelligence in the Recruitment Industry

In the past few years the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence has changed and enhanced Executive Search.  Some agencies have become completely dependent on Boolean searches to identify targets for outreach, and are fully automated to perform the outreach efforts.  Outliers will never be contacted in this environment, and this could impact identifying and recruiting the very best candidates.  People are also put off by automated outreach efforts at times, but this will invariably improve over time…

Candidates are now becoming adept at placing key words in their resumes, or online profiles.  Smart people are recognizing the need to play to the AI influence and capabilities at companies using third party software solutions.  This is valuable to understand and will ensure you are contacted by these technology driven organizations.  Is this the future of the industry, or is there still value in experience and common sense and being able to think outside the box?  Time will tell.

One must also understand and appreciate that personality, cultural fit and soft skills are also key considerations when identifying, screening and delivering candidates to clients.  These soft skills are harder to identify through AI, but as time progresses and personality tests are utilized, and behavioral interviewing is incorporated, automation will improve.  A big downside to this is that candidates can become frustrated with filling out forms, and responding to screening techniques to enable technology to deliver them as the best candidate.  I’d venture to say that this will improve over time, people need to appreciate that the technology is evolving, and it’s still early in technology development.

Video interviewing (Skype, Facetime, etc.) is also helping to save time and money to fly candidates in for interviews, but face front meetings are still better, once you go beyond the AI and ML phase.  Key decision makers or hiring officials still need to make the call and decide who is best of the finalists.  Successful hires are typically made based on all the ground work, and information received, but intuition is also a key factor.

Experienced executive recruiters typically have intuition which has been learned over the course of time, from experiences over the course of their careers.  Intuition can be learned by individuals, and will invariably become critical if machine learning and AI begins to replace individuals/people in the search industry.  Oh, it’s coming, but it will take time for this to happen.  Understanding cultural considerations, needs, desires and other factors such as organizational demands, reality versus smoke and mirrors are soft skills that are key strengths of great recruiters.  Coaching hiring officials, communicating through multiple processes, and personalities are all skills that AI and Machine learning cannot replace. 

Lower skilled workers, technically skilled employees and other roles are well suited for automated processes, however as positions become more complex and more influential in an organization experienced executive recruiters will invariably be the best solution to lead a search.  Those of us that use AI and ML to complement our processes will be even faster and better.  Technology should be embraced and utilized whenever possible, but it cannot replace a great executive level recruiter.

 From the Desk of Chuck Morris, Founder and Managing Partner of Warren & Morris LLC

How to Write a Functional Resume

From the Desk of Chip Cossitt

Sr. Partner, Warren & Morris, Ltd., Executive Search.

How to Write a Functional Resume

One constant in the life of a recruiter is being asked to help with resumes.  I get asked to help with peoples resumes a lot… I mean, a lot, a lot.  Always happy to help but figured instead of taking the time to write to everyone individually, why not put it out here?  This way it can be accessible to anyone/everyone.  Are you writing a resume? Are you a recruiter helping someone write theirs or perhaps tasked with (re)writing it for them? This is a quick read and it will walk you through making a great resume, step-by-step. 

First, choose a widely accepted document  (WORD, for example) and add your name, address and contact information.  Turn it into a .pdf after if you wish.  As for Name: Use the one that’s on your birth certificate.  Use your current Address or for added privacy, feel free to simply list your city and state.  List your contact information, including a working Phone and Email address.  Make the email address an actual working link so they can click it and contact you right from the resume. 

Objective

Do you need an objective?  That’s up to you.  I find them limiting in that the content can be misconstrued and end-up working against you.  But if you like it, by all means, add one. 

Under this, add the word Experience or Work History, include Title, Employer, tell the audience About the employer, What you were hired to do and finally list the Successes you had with those responsibilities. It’s that easy….  I’ve taken the liberty of providing some (fictitious) examples below.

(Title) Vice President of Marketing

(Employer)  The Thorn Group, Dublin, Ireland

-          Want to stand out?  Highlight the company name and link it to the website.  You can  even link it to the specific part of the website that discusses the business unit you work(ed) in.  The main points will be on the resume but if they want to learn more, you’ve made it as easy as one click for them to do so.

(About the employer)  The Thorn Group, commonly known as Thorn, is an Irish multinational enterprise software company based in Dublin, Ireland. Thorn employs more than 14,000 in offices across 20 countries, is the UK's third largest technology company and is the world's fourth-largest supplier of enterprise resource planning software.

-          The key here is scope and scale.  After a quick read, the reader has a pretty good understanding of Thorn.  I find myself telling people this often, “Just because you know the details of your company, doesn’t mean everyone else does.” 

(What I was hired to do)

-          Remember the ad you saw that made you want to apply to the position?  That first paragraph that detailed the Responsibilities?  That’s what goes here.  In short, the overview of the job they want you to do.  For example:  Oversee the User Acquisition, Marketing, and Creative Services teams while working cross-functionally with Product, Design, Data Science and Platform Engineering to drive growth in users and monetization across the portfolio.  This section is specifically designed to outline what your responsibilities are/were.  Keep this short and sweet and keep it in a paragraph format.  Below this is where you will follow-up with your successes with those responsibilities. 

(Successes with those responsibilities) 

This is where you will list achievements, or, what you did with the responsibilities you were given. This is often formatted in bullets. 

-          Full profit and loss responsibility for $75M

-          Grew staff from seven to 18 in 2019

That’s it.  Easy right?  Now just do this for each of your roles.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  When you have completed this, add your education (unless you want it to be on the top of the document, your call), and add other professional achievements, list certifications, things of this nature.  And below this, feel free to add personal achievements.  Why?  They can be great icebreakers!  I love having the ability to instantly connect on a personal level.  Allows me to start a discussion with, “I see you are a black belt in Karate” or “I see you coach baseball” or “I see you are an avid reader”….  A great way to connect on a personal level before diving into your work history.

Some suggestions for common scenarios:

-          If you have been with the same company for a long time and have been promoted several times, put the history of roles under one company header.  No need to keep listing the company. 

-          If you’ve been with the same company and it’s been acquired several times, make that clear.  Employers in many cases will look at job longevity, so don’t hesitate to provide that data. 

-          If you have attended college, but haven’t graduated, make that clear.  If you have graduated, make that clear.

-          Have you been with a company for a short time but you are looking again?  I get this question a lot.  “Should I put that company on my resume?” or “I was only there for a short time, should I list it on my resume?”…  In short, I always say “yes, keep it” but, that’s up to you.  In my experience, these things tend to surface and then you’re the person who, you know, kind of lied a little on your resume.

A couple of final thoughts: 

1)       Scope and Scale.  Scope and Scale.  Scope and Scale.  There, you read it three times now.  Don’t forget.   

2)      Keep It Simple.  The average attention span is relatively short, don’t lose their interest.

3)      Resume Length:  Most people can get away with two pages or less.  But more is perfectly acceptable especially if you are further along in your career.  And on that note, don’t shy away from your history.  If you are 30-40 years in business, no need to hide it.

4)      Avoid, if possible, heavy graphics and cutting and pasting excel tables onto your resume as they tend to get jumbled once they’re sent digitally.

5)      Lastly (and this is a topic in and of itself)  remember to use accurate and detailed keywords.  If you are applying for a role (online, through a company website, etc.) chances are good that the resume is being sorted through an electronic/digital filter.  Recruitment agencies and many companies have sophisticated ATS’s (Applicant Tracking Systems) that parse and rank resumes by way of keywords.  Don’t skimp on them.  They are the bait that attracts the fish.   

At one point or another, everyone in business will be faced with creating their resume.  It’s a daunting task.  Follow the step-by-step guidelines above and your resume will be great!

About the Author:

Chip Cossitt is a Senior Partner with Warren & Morris, Ltd., executive search and has been providing executive search services for more than 25 years.

2016-Moving forward with a new office location

We have now established a new office location in Eden UT, yes, back on the mainland.  The intent will be to work out of this location as needed to support our clients needs.  Time zone complications are reduced and access to the airport for travel on the mainland will be easier.  The office location is about 5 miles from the base of Powder Mountain, which boasts the most ski-able terrain of any individual ski area in North America.  Sure, there will be temptation to break out of the office for a few runs, but it's better than sitting in traffic in a busy city environment.  So, when you are in the area, just give me a shout and let's connect.

Consolidation Continues... 2015

Consolidation Continues… 2015

The state of the cable and wireless industries remains fluid, the acquisitions and mergers continue.  Hold on, because it looks like it will continue.  In fact, the leading analysts are now predicting that the Cable/Broadband providers will be acquiring and merging with the Wireless Service Providers (or vice versa).  The FCC and SEC have been slowing the roll up in some cases (Comcast/TWC), but they just can’t stop every deal.  The Charter acquisition of TWC and Bright House looks promising

The impact to the workforce is going to be pretty significant for most of these merged ventures, the layers of senior level executives in duplicate roles at the division/region and corporate level will be impacted.  Even the system level executives will be affected in the case where systems are geographically close.  Face it, it is one of the justifications for the acquisition (reducing operating costs).

It is hard to say what will happen with the international acquired companies such as Suddenlink.  Companies like Altice will need a stable and capable team, and this should protect the senior level executives.  Sprint has new owners now, and these International players are continuing to invest in the organization.  The executives will have a new reporting structure and there will be cultural considerations.  It won’t be the same as reporting into Jerry Kent and the investors, that’s for sure.

The best advice I can pass on to everyone is that no matter who you are being acquired by, or merged into, it would be best to begin to position yourself with the new organization and culture as soon as possible.  Research and learn how things work in the acquiring organization.  Position yourself as that motivated and interested leader in the new environment.  Embrace change and welcome the opportunities ahead.

At the same time, keep all your options open.  Confidentially seek advice from others who have gone through mergers in the past.  See how they dealt with it; learn from your peers, mentors, family members, and industry contacts and resources.  Embrace the benefits and incentives to support the transaction, but don’t close off all options.  Stay wary or all your options and evaluate all potential paths; you may be one of the ones impacted by the consolidation. 

I know a number of people who have reaped the rewards of playing out multiple acquisitions, staying on board through the vesting of shares and receiving severance packages, especially if they had stock options.  In some cases it is what positioned them to invest in a new entrepreneurial venture.  But I also know and constantly receive communication from a number of people who lament that they probably should have taken a position versus waiting, especially due to the flood of competition in the marketplace, and lack of new jobs.  Either way, a financial analysis can begin to shed light on what might be the best decision.

You may be forced to take a step back in compensation and move into a lesser role, but that might be a viable option, versus not landing a job, and tapping out your savings.  Be smart, and do what is right for you and your family.  Maybe you should be evaluating a change in career path, investing in a franchise, joining a firm outside of your depth of industry expertise.  Look at functional opportunities (within the same functional area-Finance, Ops, Sales, Marketing).  

Bottom line is to keep your options open, and don’t be complacent.  Be proactive and continue to manage your career.  Continued success!      

Tough Times Ahead; hold on to your Job, if you can…

I was recently published in a few different industry publications, and some of the information was omitted, which happens... thought I would make the information available to people by teeing it up in this blog. Hope it helps

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I have always advocated remaining open to opportunities, and still feel that everyone’s right to evaluate opportunities while working with an organization is a given. For over 25 years, I have consulted with senior executives recruiting and placing them in the cable, competitive telephony, wireless and now the digital media industries. During this time I have experienced numerous growth spurts and then consolidations with Cable TV Operators, Programming Services, Competitive Telephone ventures, Wireless Operators and related technology and software ventures. The technology ventures serving each of these sectors tend to be impacted like the tail of the beast, but are also excellent indicators for future potential.

As we stop and look around, the state of the economy is not exactly healthy. Our leading companies are closing shop, going into bankruptcy, cutting back, closing down divisions and in some cases thousands of people are being tossed out on the streets. Unemployment levels are at their highest point ever, in some states they can’t afford to cover costs for benefits. Some people are completely caught off-guard, and others may have seen it coming for weeks, months, or even longer in the case of an acquisition. The streets are crowded, and opportunities are not as prevalent as they have been in the past.

Our leading industry players on the Fortune 100 list include AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, Disney, Microsoft, Motorola, News Corp, Sprint-Nextel, Time Warner and Verizon all highly integrated organizations with tens of thousands of employees. The pyramid factor has narrowed the growth opportunities for many great folks who established and built these companies. Through organizational shifts, executives have been forced to either reinvent themselves or to accept more narrowly focused positions in order to survive. The General Managers of old, who were responsible for all operational aspects of a service provider, are now department heads, or have segued out of the industry. Yes, they are typically now in larger operations that have been rolled-up or merged following the acquisition. Of course, some if these former GM’s are now the Division leaders or serve in corporate staff roles.

Content ventures, technology developers and software-solution providers serving these industries have created opportunities and supported the development and enhancement of these service providers. Their status tends to be a good indicator to predict the future of the industries they serve. Competition is high domestically, and they are certainly also victims of global competition, ultimately driving margins down to almost unrealistic levels. We all have watched these ventures and relied on them to fuel growth by enabling new services and products to carriers and consumers. Over the years there has been also extensive consolidation eliminating competition in the market and acquisitions in this sector allowing companies to expand and broaden their product portfolios. These include companies like Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco (Scientific Atlanta and the trail of companies acquired by them), Disney, Ericsson, Intel, Nortel, Motorola-GI and numerous others they bought, Qualcomm and many more.

I remain concerned that business realignment with these manufacturers and technology ventures are indicators that we are in for some rocky roads ahead. Just look at the announcements by some of these leading companies regarding bankruptcy protection (Nortel) and major cutbacks, hiring freezes and layoffs announced over the past few months by numerous others (Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Siemens). In addition to these, there have been a variety of failed startups (Amp'd Mobile, Helio, NextWave, etc.), and a number of others have been displacing people at alarming numbers.

Even Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! have not been spared as they cut back and eliminate groups after acquiring and merging ventures into the fold. Content ventures servicing the cable, satellite, broadband and mobile sectors also have been rolled-up and consolidated over the years. Beyond this, the mobile and broadband content and application rollout has been slower than anyone expected. Business models are still being tested, and monetizing content across all mediums has thrown the traditional guidelines in the programming world on its ear. New applications are being developed but killer apps are still few and far between. But they are coming… Content and applications appear to have good potential and opportunity for growth in the future… m-commerce, information services, digital media marketing and advertising companies, production and programming ventures, as well as software development firms have been created as the barrier of entry decreases and technology enables this sector’s growth.

While this is happening, Social Media ventures are redefining the way we network and communicate allowing us to leverage the power of Web 2.0. Generation X,Y and beyond (igeneration, Millennial’s, Net Gen’s,) are gradually coming into the financial power base, and lead the way to mass market adoption of new ways to access information, to be entertained and to connect with each other. It’s a wild and undefined frontier ahead, and like the pioneers of the past - we go into the future, and face battles resulting in death, destruction or slings and arrows from the established power base. Technology innovation is also dropping the barrier of entry for production, programming and application development. Early stage ventures will be created by those who are not digital immigrants, or naysayers, or executives positioned in larger, established, political, slow moving organizations. More will come.

As part of the business realignment talent acquisition processes have also changed for employers hiring, training and retaining their current workforce. The hundreds of companies that established these industries are now a few large organizations, with huge internal recruitment, staffing and support groups. They directly post positions on their websites, network internally and reach out to some of the employment websites (Monster, Career Builder, HotJobs by Yahoo!-see links below), and other narrowly focused industry support vehicles such as associations, and publications. Many of these publications have broadened their traditional classified sections into interactive links so people can apply to postings. In some cases, they also use external resources such as search firms. Often times, to replace someone terminated, or who leaves abruptly. Last year, for example, CFO’s with public company experience were in hot demand. Interim employment and consulting assignments were also available.

It is my personal opinion that Executive search firms will not go away, not only because internal talent acquisition groups and hiring officials still get bogged down with the selection of applicants who inundate them. Their time is spent screening or blocking, looking for faults and issues and to fend off the hoards of non-qualified applicants. Many times they lack the time and capacity to assess the true fit between an individual and the organization. That’s where external search consultants add value. Acting as talent agents on behalf of the organization. Search Firms provide the expertise to source and recruit the candidates with the right leadership capacity to increase organizational effectiveness. However, during these times of surplus people in a low demand environment search firms will be impacted. No doubt, board level, C-level and other senior executives will continue to be needed, and many of these hires will be facilitated through headhunters.

Embracing the future seems to be the only hope; we must all embrace, enable and support the development of the restructuring of the industry. The slow down in the industry is just that. It will come around. Over the past 25 years, I have personally witnessed the ebb and flow of success and downturns in these industries. Theses successes have been enabled by innovative thinkers and it is still feasible to capture funds for development, internally and externally. Downturns are inevitable. We will all need to consider reinventing ourselves, and be willing to jump into the fire head first by taking risks, learning new ways of doing things to take advantage of the technological tsunami in the social media world. Career opportunities with large established ventures will always exist, but in a consolidating or contracting industry, leaders will need to evaluate starting up companies, pursuing new ventures with high risk, in order to capture the next wave of growth ahead for new applications, products, services, technologies and entertainment.

So now what? I offer some advice, and some information, but for each group it is a bit different…

For Employees who seek positions in established companies;

1. Be focused and target your applications. Embrace the fact that your audience in these companies will screen and block, so be smart and apply for those positions where your competency is a match. You will save yourself from frustrations by reaching beyond your capabilities and experience, and don’t expect these organizations to take the leap of faith to hire you into a position you are not qualified to perform. In fact, as the competition exists, you should consider evaluating positions you are overqualified for… especially if there is growth potential, or other justification.

2. Be willing to consider less compensation, and narrower responsibility, and be open to consider relocation, with no boundaries. Reach as high as you can, but be willing to be flexible especially if you refrain from relocating, and narrow your options for personal reasons. Think long term, and evaluate decisions with the future in mind.

3. Stay up on current resources, build your network, and participate in industry forums or association activities. Become aware of the new techniques used to find talent. Use the many tools and resources that are now available to pursue these opportunities such as; job boards, company websites, search firm websites, industry association and publication links. Be informed, stay up on what is out there and depending on your interest, reach out and apply. Here are some of the many resources available to you.

a. Generalist/Broad multi-industry sites where you can find postings and apply include: Career Builder, Dice, HotJobs, Monster, The Ladders, NetShare and job crawlers to scan across multiple job sites such as Indeed, Jobster, Oodle, and Simply Hired, or general search engines such as Google, are all viable resources to identify jobs, and there are more popping up every day.

b. Specific industry associations and publications that are positioned in your industry are also valuable to find postings and in many cases apply–

1. For the Wireless industry some of these links and job sites would include Cellular News, CTIA, Fierce Wireless, RCR Wireless, Unstrung, Wireless Week and WIIE.

2. In the Cable Industry these Association links and job sites would include CTAM, NCTA, NAMIC, SCTE Custom JobConnect™ and WICT as well as publications job boards include Broadcasting & Cable, Cable 360 Net, CED, Multichannel News, and SmartBrief.

3. In the Digital Media space there are a number of publication sites including: ClickZ, Mashable, MocoNews, PaidContent.org, SmartBrief on Social Media, and Social Media Today. Digital Media/Web and related Job Sites include: ClickZ Jobs, Digital Media Jobs, Mashable Jobs and PaidContent.org Jobs.

c. It is also smart to apply and submit your resume on Search Firm websites so your information is available to the leading search firms; DHR International, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds, Spencer Stuart, and Warren & Morris In some cases positions will be listed, in others you will go into the database which will be accessed when a search firm is engaged on a search. Http://www.searchfirm.com is a good resource listing other search firms; you can define specialization or geographic preferences to identify a firm for your specific needs.

4. It will also be important and valuable for everyone to use social networks and applications to stay in touch. You should recognize that your personal contacts and relationships over the years will offer you the chance to become aware of opportunities, leads and just to keep those relations strong. In fact, roughly 80% of all career moves are initiated with or supported by personal contacts. There are a variety of these social networks including; Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Renren, Weibo, Qzone, Orkut, Friendster, Google+, LinkedIn, MyLife (formerly Reunion.com), Myspace, Netlog, Ning.

And there are plenty more are coming…. Be selective if you have a limited amount of time, and use those sites oriented to business relationships if you have to narrow this list down. On the other hand many of our friends were developed through business relationships.

For Entrepreneurs creating new ventures;

This type of effort involves putting together business plans, pursuing funding, and/or starting up companies. One path is to jump in with personal resources “in your garage” to prove the model, positioning yourself be the first mover and pursuing organic growth. Or, of course one could pursue outside funding, working with external funding such as Angel Investors, and allowing investors to participate in the leadership. The potential to be successful and potentially be acquired in the future could pay off either way. The latter can be more complex, especially if you have never started up a venture, but there are a wide variety of investment brokers, consulting firms and advisors out there who can help navigate these uncharted waters.

Deal makers exist in each industry; look to the board level executives, and other leading executives to build or reestablish relationships to network into this level. Over the years, we have helped introduce entrepreneurs to funding sources as a service to our venture contacts, and more than several times this has led to future search work. Other sources to network with should include companies and associations who facilitate introductions to funding sources in local communities, regional and industry forums. These contacts will be identified in a future article, yet the social networking resources can also help link you to the right contacts.

Hopefully these links and resources provided will begin to help provide a framework of information for people to begin to embrace the technology and step into the future. I wish I could do more to help people in this state of the industry. Hopefully providing tools and information may help some. You can become informed about leads, opportunities and contacts to make your way through the rough waters ahead. There is hope and a future that will eventually become clearer. The fog will settle and great opportunities are ahead for all. Brace yourselves and be patient. Hold on to that job if you have one, yet always be open to the next opportunity, and if you are on the streets, best success finding that next opportunity. Be aggressive and targeted with your efforts, and understand that the resilient will survive and succeed despite the environment and obstacles ahead.