Lately, in my Executive Search work, I have more and more conversations with candidates about how to market themselves. Yes, the job market is tight right now, even in the burgeoning solar industry, but there has to come a time when job seekers take it upon themselves to get ahead of the competition if they really feel that they’re the right person for the job.

Most conventional recruiters will tell you that they have the responsibility of positioning you to a prospective employer, while this is true, their methods can often be outdated and disadvantageous to the candidate. Recruiters are paid by employers to find the best possible candidates, and in the process of their candidate sourcing, they will inevitably be drawn to resumes that match keywords with a particular job description. This works, but in the case where the true need of the employer goes beyond what is often stated in a job-description, where the qualitative factors come into play as much as the quantitative ones, supreme candidates can be left out of the running completely.

For this reason I’ve been challenging more candidates to move away from trying to convince me that they’re a great candidate based on what they’ve done, but to give me a compelling reason to promote them to employers based on what they’re capable of, and what it is that they really want to do. As I do this more and more, I find that candidates are now starting to self-select themselves, and the ones that make the best case are inevitably very strong contenders.

We’ve all heard the old adage that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. With this I challenge you all to think differently, to be visionary, to commit yourselves not only to finding a job, but to committing to only finding a position that you’ll be great at.

Confucius said “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. Now more than ever we need to emphasize this above all else. Let’s be straight, the job market is pretty tough right now, and that’s probably not going to change for a long time to come. Focus yourself on where you will fit in based on what you are great at, and more importantly what you care most about. This will tell you where you can make the greatest contribution to your employer, and put you in a situation where you’re valued beyond just what results you can produce based on your history. In short, it will raise you from the level of “producer” to the level of “asset” to the organization.

This process is a lot of fun too. Imagine doing something that you feel good about every day. Something that you want to continue to think and learn about even when you’re not on the clock… That’s the ultimate way to create job security. Your employer will pick up on these things and be more interested in understanding how he or she can take the skills and passion you bring and put them to best use, rather than reviewing your skills on your resume and evaluating how much you might be able to produce before feeling overwhelmed, burning out, or being lured by another opportunity.

Stay ahead of the competition. Know why you’re the best for the position, the company, and the industry you’re targeting. This will project an aura of trustworthiness and loyalty to the employer that they do not see very often. It will make you special. This will be particularly pronounced in small businesses and start-up organizations who are more dependent on each individual than big multinationals. They are hiring right now, and their top executives are more accessible than those from the larger companies. Most importantly, they’re the ones who can give you the opportunity to grow and fully utilize your skills and passion to make a difference. Align yourselves with them first, and the resume will become a secondary resource rather than the first method of screening you.

More on this in coming articles. In the meantime, check out who’s hiring on SolarVisionaries Career Page.

Have feedback? Leave a reply and let’s discuss!

You can read the article I mentioned here. http://bit.ly/9TN3Z9

Great job, great life.

-Joe

Transitioning to a new job and career is comparable to moving into a new home. Items need to be packed, a time line needs to be followed, and then everything needs to be unpacked and re-established at the new location. While most people have a general idea of what this consists of, there is actually quite a bit of loose ends that need to be taken care of. Jacqueline Crowe, HR Manager at BBC Worldwide in New York City, confirmed that the following items should be resolved during a job transition:

• Benefits. Be aware of when they end and when new employers’ benefits will kick in. Also, be aware of the differences in coverage and costs.
• Cobra. Be sure to ask when the old company will send the necessary paperwork.
• 401 K. Usually the old 401 K can roll over into the new 401 K account, but a comparison should be conducted between both plans. Also be aware of whether or not the plan is a Roth IRA or not.
• Non-compete Agreement. A recent requirement is that companies require that new hires sign a non-compete agreement. This limits the individual’s right to work at a competing company for a period of time, protecting the company’s rights and ownership of any products or ideas that are generated by the new employee. This also gives them the right to sue the employee should this agreement be violated in any way.
• Vacation and Bonus Payouts. Ask about vacation payout from the old company. If the departing employee is due any bonus payments or prorated bonus payments, the employee should take it upon themselves to seek these out.
• Record of Employment. If the departing employee does to have a job lined up, ask for record of employment to show when applying for unemployment.
• Termination Policy. Confirm whether or not the employer discloses the reason for termination as a policy.
• Back up sensitive files. Be sure that any personal e-mails or sensitive documents have been backed up and saved before resigning from the old employer.
• Biz critical roles. Be aware of the fact that anyone in a biz critical role (sales, for example) will typically be escorted out immediately upon resignation.

Good luck with the job hunt!

Leah Ben-Ami

Contributing Editor – Solar Careers