Executive Power Brand ~ Deb Dib, The CEO Coach

The Twitter Job Search Guide: The Missing Manual for Executive Career Success

Two years ago I barely knew what Twitter was - it seemed like just another useless time-sucking social media site, with the emphasis on "social." 

Fast forward to March 2010, and no one is more surprised than I to find that I am the proud co-author of the first book about using Twitter for job search to be written by three experienced career coaches who know what works in careering and job search - and how Twitter makes it all work better.

Why a book? Why now? Simple. Twitter is one of the most useful (and most misunderstood) career-building, opportunity-attracting tools - and most people still think is for "birds, nerds, and kids." And in this economy, job seekers (even very senior executive job seekers) need all the help they can get - a support system, a vibrant network, job leads, research tools, and more - and they can get it from Twitter.

Executives have a unique opportunity to build their brands and extend their hands on Twitter - to be seen as visible, viable, and valuable leaders - and to help others on the way. We know the value of an exec's time is sky-high so we've created a plan that (after your short learning curve) will allow you to use Twitter effectively in just 15 minutes a day.

The Twitter Job Search Guide has more than a dozen fascinating stories of successful job seekers who found meaningful work on Twitter, 140 "Tweets" from career experts, advice from some of the most innovative recruiters around, and pioneering ways to use "short form" thinking to power up your career communications (resumes, letters, pitches, etc). 

My co-authors @SusanWhitcomb, @Chandlee, and me, @CEOCoach, invite you to drop your suppositions about Twitter, and join the growing number of corporate leaders, recruiters, companies, thought leaders, bloggers, news sources, and "just folks" who find that Twitter is truly what Chris Brogan calls "the informational pulse."

Twitter attracts avid fans and die-hard skeptics. Please comment and let us know why and how you use Twitter - or why you don't. Let's get the conversation going and share some great ideas, in the collaborative and generous spirit of the Twitter community.

Execunet's Recruiter Confidence Index showing growth. Are you ready for new opportunities?

March 1, 2010

Today, Execunet's Recruiter Confidence index, a leading benchmark in executive hiring trends since 2003, found that 53% of 183 surveyed recruiters are "confident" or "very confident" that the executive job market will continue a slow upward trajectory over the next six months. This number has been slowly rising over the past 18 months, from a low of less than 30% in November of 2008. 

Mark Anderson, President and Chief Economist of Execunet, cautions that, as has happened in other recoveries, companies will be "testing the waters" in hiring before a steadier rise begins. The good news from Mark is that, "This economy, however challenged, continues to create far more executive jobs than it did a year ago."

If you've been one of the lucky execs who have been employed during this time, and holding tight before making a move, are you prepared to jump on opportunities as the tide turns? Will you be scrambling to find and update your career docs and pitch when the recruiter calls, or a contact gives you a dream lead? That's not working from a place of power!

Now is the time to polish (or discover) your executive brand, review your career materials (if you have a resume older than a year, it is too old - get those new accomplishments defined and ready for your best impression), focus on building or maintaining a robust on-line identity (far more critical than most execs realize), and beef up your network. 

Those who are confidently "visible, viable, and valuable" will have the best opportunity to be hunted, and land faster (with better compensation). Don't wait until the economy heats up...do your homework now!

Ten Tips for Executive Rebranding to Win in Volatile Markets

The market as changed - fast - thoroughly - like an earthquake. 

This seismic shift has left even the most accomplished top talent feeling a bit lost in the present and thoroughly uneasy about the future.

In this volatile climate it's tempting to change who you are - to meet what you think the market needs - so you can protect your current job or secure a new position.

But changing your personal brand is a "no can do" – it’s intrinsically who you are!

However, you can change your executive brand - what you are known for; what your personal brand looks like when you take it to work - and the perceived value attached to that executive brand. 

To retool your executive brand you need clarity, passion, and focus. 

Clarity is about the market and your brand - what the market needs now and what in your executive tool kit of ROI contribution intersects with that need. 

Researching the market and new paradigms in business is hard - but once you have that clarity passion is inevitable because you'll be in your zone, in your sweet spot. 

Focus is about staying on your new course every day and doing what needs to be done to build your new executive brand presence.

Here are ten "Deb Dib" rules for rebranding to win in volatile markets...

1. Do the homework you need to do to know what the market needs, how you can help, and what you now want to be known for. 

2. Make sure your new executive brand value is comfortable and authentic to you.

3. Make sure it's valuable to an employer and/or market. Make sure you can prove the ROI of your executive brand through stories of previous accomplishments.

4. Try and be as niched (specialized) as possible to increase your value. Scarcity value sells!

5. Get passionate about evangelizing your new message. If you can’t be passionate about it you may not yet have reached the clarity of a deeply visceral and valuable brand - keep working for that “eureka” feeling that tells you you’re there.

6. Create a strategic plan and time line for maximizing your exposure as your new brand. If you are employed, don't forget that you need to do this within your company as well as in the marketplace.

7. Don’t forget to include re-building or establishing your new branded on-line presence via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Namz, VisualCV, etc.

8. Make all decisions brand decisions – ask yourself, “Is the answer on brand or not?” “Will this decision strengthen my brand presence, or weaken it?”

9. Have very good reasons for doing something that is off-brand. A muddy brand dilutes rather than strengthens. A muddy brand confuses and erodes confidence – your own and that of the marketplace.

10. Educate your "personal board of directors" as to your new direction - get some passionate advocates working with you.

Bonus tip: Give to get - be open and generous with “on brand” knowledge and help – the "career karma" William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson talk about in Career Distinction doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Bonus rule: Embrace the knowledge that building, strengthening, and refining an authentic and valuable executive brand never ends - it's an evolving and exciting continuum that helps you land faster, earn more, have fun, and even change the world a bit!

Are You Attracting Digital Dirt or Digital Desire? Here's How to Find Out.

With today's virtually unlimited public access to a deep-dive of digital information about you, you MUST know what you look like on-line.

What are people saying about you? If you are a successful executive (or just about anyone), employers, recruiters, board members, the media, and even your friends and family will Google you.

What will they find? Good, bad, or indifferent, you want to know. Knowledge is power -- power that will enable you to leverage what's positive and mitigate what's problematic.

Visit Dan Schawbel's Personal Branding Blog for a list of 5 free, must-use tools to help you track and manage your on-line (and off-line) reputation.

 

Fifteen Tips Executives Need to Know NOW to Make a Career Transition in a Volatile Market

1.    Start with the known -- If you've been laid off, excessed in a merger, or just want out of your current field it often helps to pursue companies, industries, and functions that have some connection to your field. These are often the most productive targets. Examples might be healthcare to biomediclal; teaching to educational sales; consumer products brand management to B2B marketing; banking to corporate finance; engineering to green technologies; software development to new media.

2.    Seek growing fields -- New, growing, and emerging fields like green technologies, clean energy, social media, and others, will have fewer job applicants trained in those precise areas. They are looking for the best, but know that the best will often have to come from somewhere else. If your value and experience speaks to their needs, your transition is assured. But it's your job to build the bridge to them and make your case. Barbara Safani's Career Solvers research department can help you with comprehensive job search research services. Mark Hovind's Job Bait site has terrific stats on employment and market trends by industry and region.

3.    Leverage volatility -- When mass layoffs occur, smaller companies that could not compete for top-talent rush into to fill the gap and gobble up superior performers. If you are laid off, don't limit your search to your industry or function, an unrealistic salary, or a geographic location. This is the time that companies are thinking creatively and are more open to speaking with "non-traditional" hires with a great track record. And they will be directing their recruiters to do so too.

4.    Concentrate on unique transferable value -- A transition (indeed any hire) depends on value not skills. Determine the value you bring -- value that transcends the boundaries of industry or function and underlies all your successes. Examples might be an ability to 1) consistently deliver growth no matter what the circumstances, 2) always find the one thing within an already good process that make s it deliver even more productivity or revenue, or 3) motivate a team to gel and excel in difficult circumstances.

CEOs and LinkedIn: Just do it!

Before you read this post, if you're not yet on LinkedIn, get over whatever uneasiness you have and get on it.

You need to be there. If you are not, the people you need to know (recruiters, potential employers, potential vendors, prospects etc) will think it's weird that you're not.

Can you imagine not showing up in Google? (I do hope you show up in Google!). Can you imagine your company not showing up on Google? If you don't show up on LinkedIn, that's just about as bad.

If you are reluctant to appear on LinkedIn because you are a CEO, you're not alone.

I've had CEOs tell me they shouldn't be on LinkedIn because it opens them up to far too much unwelcome contact. Well, when you are between assignments every few years (CEO tenures are running between 2 and 4 years on average), you'll wish you had some of that contact! The time to build your LinkedIn network (and your employment brand/company brand presence) is now, not later.

THE expert on LinkedIn and how to work it to your advantage is Jason Alba, author of I'm on LinkedIn, Now What?? and founder of the JibberJobber Career Toolset (In my opinion it's the best career CRM for CEOs and other execs). The book and companion blog are the most practical, fast-read guides I've found for CEOs to understand and embrace the power of LinkedIn.

Jason recently wrote a very useful post on LinkedIn recommendation protocol. It's a must-read if you want to use LinkedIn recommendations (believe me, you do) to build or enhance your C-level/executive credibility/brand and demo your value.

If you're in the C-suite (or heading that way) and have already used LinkedIn, LinkedIn recommendations, and/or LinkedIn questions as a career tool, how have they helped? I'd love to hear your experiences and successes.

Five Ways to Jump-Start Your Network When Your Network is Nowhere

Is this you?

You know networking works. You know everyone says networking is the best way to get a job. Maybe you even got a job from a lead a contact gave you. But you’ve been too busy doing your job to keep your network alive, or maybe you’ve never networked.

And now your network is nowhere.

You keep meaning to get out there and get started networking. When you have time. When you need to. When it feels right.

Now you’re afraid you waited too long.

You’re afraid that your job may be in jeopardy, or that you are being passed up for a promotion, or that you are stagnating where you are, or that you need more professional visibility.

Or maybe, the worst has happened—you’ve lost your job and you need a network NOW.

Jump Starting is Your Answer

Building a vibrant network of professional and personal contacts doesn’t have to take years. You CAN jump-start your network—even if you’ve not networked for months or years. Even if you have never networked.

Using just five simple steps you can create an action plan that will get you out there, get you known, get you traction, and get you set for a lifetime of powerful and satisfying networking. Follow these five simple steps to jump-start your network and create career momentum:

1. Be your own advertising agency
2. Be your own PR organization
3. Become visibly involved in industry groups
4. Get personal with one-on-one calls and meetings
5. Go virtual to get personal

The steps are not hard, but you will have to work hard to make this happen in a compacted timeframe. Remember—you likely have a lot of catching up to do! But with a plan and with passion, you can make it happen, and make it happen faster than you think.

Is success real without value?

Stop by Cube Rules today and read Scott Herrick's post Value Must Precede Success.

In the bustle of business we sometimes forget our grounding -- the reason we are in business -- and the way we want to conduct our lives.

Sure you can have a business (and a life) without value, but for how long, and at what personal and professional cost?

At Executive Power Brand, my passion is to work with leaders who consciously practice value as a goal -- in business and in life. Value is in their DNA. It's who they are -- an authentic part of their personal brand -- and it touches everyone they manage, the products or services the company sells, and the world in which they live. You might be surprised at how many of these great leaders exist in the corporate jungle, quietly and powerfully doing the right thing, everyday -- and leading highly successful companies or divisons.

Scott's post is an apt reminder of value's reach. It touches every part of life and business. With value, purpose meets passion and profit follows.

Can committed and passionate leaders instill a value proposition throughout the organization? Over at Chief Executive Robert M Donnelly explores how Apple, Costco, and FedEx have built value into their products, people, and customer interactions. Their corporate DNA is built around an implied promise of value, and their brands are wildly successful in their markets.

Without value can true personal and business success be achieved? Without value does success have real meaning? What do you think?

The new face of loyalty

Jason Alba has a thought provoking post over at the JibberJobber blog. He speaks of a VP he met on a trip - they discussed how difficult it is to have been fired and to then enter a new job with any kind of loyalty. Jason said he didn't think he could have that kind of loyalty again. The VP said, 'Sure you will have loyalty. But you’ll be cautiously optimistic.'

I think "cautious optimism" is a great response to a job market in flux. With C-level tenures shrinking to three years and under (CMOs are trending at just about 18 months!) loyalty tempered with cautious optimism for the length of employment sounds just about right.

Of course that doesn't mean one should be cautiously optimistic about doing the job - doing the job requires loyalty to the team and full-out optimism and energy.

In my comment on Jason's blog post I suggested that for savvy career activists who know that they must be prepared to move at anytime, a good phrase might be "Cautiously optimistic. Change ready."

What do you need to do to create your own career (not job) security?

Are you change ready?

Are you hunting or hunted?

Here's a 'close to home' example of how branded 'niching' works to build visibility. As my developer Kirsten Dixson and I were building my new website (this one), I told her I wanted to showcase a group of respected colleagues to whom I could confidently refer prospects, as I just can't work with everyone, or even keep up with inquires.

As I thought about the resume and branding professionals I know well, I immediately thought of their specialties, their work styles, and the type of clients with whom they prefer to work. I had that clarity because they are so visible and branded in the careers industry. I know them, I know what they do, and I know I can trust them to deliver value to my referrals.

How would it feel for you to be that visible? To be so top-of-mind in your field? What would that mean in terms of your career? With purposeful branding you can create that visibility and reap the benefits.

As my speaking partner Kim Batson and I say in our brand presentations, 'You'll be the hunted, not the hunter!'

Re-branding your employment brand

Want to change your brand – no can do – it’s part of who you are!

BUT, you can change what you are known for, and the perceived value attached to that. To do that you need clarity and passion. In fact the toughest part of rebranding is clarity -- once you have that the passion is inevitable. The focus takes some work to stay on course every day and do what needs to be done to build the new brand presence.

Here are ten "Deb Dib" rules for rebranding employment or business brands...

Note: these “rules” are not for a personal brand – that’s hardwired into you. But the face of that personal brand-- how your brand “works at work” or in business -- can change according to your interests or market conditions…hence the need and desire to rebrand.

1. Do the homework you need to do to know what you want to be known for

2. Make sure it's comfortable and authentic to you

3. Make sure it's valuable to an employer or your market

4. Try and be as niched (specialized) as possible to increase your value

5. Get passionate about evangelizing your new message (if you can’t be passionate about it you may not yet have reached the clarity of a deeply visceral brand—keep working for that “eureka” feeling that tells you you’re there)

6. Create a strategic plan and timeline for maximizing your exposure as your new brand. Don’t forget to include re-building or establishing your on-line presence.

7. Make all decisions brand decisions – ask yourself, “Is the answer on brand or not?” “Will this decision strengthen my brand presence, or weaken it?”

8. Have very good reasons for doing something that is off-brand-- because a muddy brand dilutes rather than strengthens. A muddy brand confuses and erodes confidence – your own and that of the marketplace.

9. Educate your personal board of directors as to your new direction -- get some passionate advocates working with you.

10. Give to get -- be open and generous with “on brand” knowledge and help – the "career karma" William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson talk about in Career Distinction doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Bonus rule: Gladly embrace the fact that building, strengthening, and refining an authentic and valuable employment or business brand never ends -- it's an evolving and exciting continuum.

Your career: It’s all about the brand!

Strong, compelling personal brands are not an accident. They are nurtured, strategized, refined, and they are always top of mind. Every career or personal choice is -- at some level -- a brand choice: Is it on brand or not? Will it support the brand, or not? Will it build brand authenticity and visibility, or not?

Strong personal branders know the power of branding, and its need for consistent attention. In fact they welcome branding because it gives shape and focus to their actions. Everything has a distinct purpose. In fact every action attracts the notice of the brand's target and leaves "non-targets" uninterested.

And that's a good thing – because great branding, built on authenticity and passion, simplifies decisions by automatically “repelling” opportunities that aren't a fit -- the stronger the brand the more aligned the opportunities -- the others fall away.

I’ve been a career management professional for executives since 1989, and exclusively for C-level execs since 1999, and my clients have always done well. But since becoming a Certified Personal Brand Strategist in 2004, I’ve seen my clients’ success skyrocket when they purposefully focus on building personal brands that enhance their already stellar value propositions.

The biggest benefit I convey to them is that top talent will usually make it to the short list – but how hard will it be to get there? Purposeful branding activities build visibility so that execs become the hunted rather than the hunter. Once on the short list, how hard will it be to win out over superstar competitors? Purposeful branding builds the chemistry that is often the key decision-making tool, when all else is relatively equal. 

Effectively coupling personal branding with a strong value proposition is, in my opinion, the defining difference between “good,’ “great, ” and “What will it take to get you on board? When can you start?”

CEO Branding

Once a Novelty, It’s now a Necessity in the Battle for Top Executive Jobs

People have been talking about personal brands since Tom Peter’s ground breaking article “The Brand Called You” appeared in Fast Company magazine in 1997. Since then the world of branding has exploded, with experts and novices alike extolling the virtues of personal branding.

Human branding has become a force in personal and career development because the process and outcome of personal branding works. It authenticates and clarifies the value of an individual and empowers that individual to be more, to achieve more, and to contribute more—with an empowered enthusiasm and vigor that attracts success, satisfaction, and happiness.

In fact, in the changing world of work, the power of branding may be most visible in today’s most successful corporate CEOs, organization leaders, and entrepreneurs.

Passion builds brands and BRANDS BUILD CAREERS!

Do you know the adrenalin rush you get from a great idea? From brainstorming with smart, savvy people? From knowing that you made a huge difference to someone? From knowing that you made a mental connection that precipitated a brand-new process or product?

That’s what I LOVE, and that’s what I feel everyday that I work with GREAT PEOPLE — CLIENTS LIKE YOU!

Passion builds brands and BRANDS BUILD CAREERS!

EVERYONE has a PASSION (however deeply buried) and I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOURS! Sometimes we forget our passions as we get bogged down in the daily complexities of our careers and responsibilities.

Without the underpinnings of passion driving our actions and careers, we are not who we were meant to be—we may be BETTER THAN ORDINARY, but we are NOT YET EXTRAORDINARY.

What are core strengths and passions that define you? What is your business value proposition? What is the ONE THING that will make you IRRESISTIBLE to decision-makers?

You MUST know these things, you MUST be CLEAR and EXCITED about WHO YOU ARE and WHAT YOU OFFER to communicate your VIABILITY as a SHORT-LIST CANDIDATE.

I want to help you make your brand happen!

What makes YOU Extraordinary? What is YOUR Passion?

I want you to be JAZZED BY WHO YOU ARE! I want you to tap into YOUR UNIQUE POWER to create the CAREER, LIFE, and LEGACY you want. 

I want EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE LIKE YOU to know your passion and power, to feel it, to be it, to MAKE THE DIFFERENCE YOU WERE BORN TO MAKE!

My passion is helping you reconnect with WHAT DRIVES YOU—helping you reconnect with your value to your organization, your family, your world, your SELF—so that you can SOAR and create POWERFUL MOMENTUM AND TOP DOWN CHANGE.

My passion is supporting the careers of men and women like YOU, who have PROVEN that CREATING BETTER COMPANIES and organizations with innovative, VALUES-DRIVEN, humanly-focused, sustainable business practices CAN drive ROBUST CORPORATE PROFITS AND SHAREHOLDER / STAKEHOLDER VALUE.

My passion is helping EXTRAORDINARY people like YOU have the career, compensation, life, and deep satisfaction you want by knowing that WHO you are and WHAT you do has IMMENSE VALUE to the right organization.

My passion is helping extraordinary people like you do what you love!

My personal brand includes these brand attributes…

My clients, colleagues, family, and friends tell me I am Experienced, Intelligent, Inspiring, Enthusiastic, Passionate, Pragmatic, Creative, Genuine, Supportive, Successful, and Warm. Those are the strengths and skills I bring to every client.

What do your core people say about you? I want to help you find out and help you use that information to help you TAP INTO YOUR PERSONAL POWER and create the IRRESISTIBLE VALUE PROPOSITION that will get you on the SHORT LIST for your next great opportunity.

I want to deliver the brand that will propel you where you want to go!