How high profile Executives who lost their jobs could look for re-employment
In the current global economic scenario, layoffs, downsizing and reorganizations have becomecommon phenomena in the corporate highlife
Worldwide, we have witnessed a tremendous trend of senior level layoff by organizations looking to cut losses and trim their workforce. Often enough the layoffs happen for no fault of the candidate as business priorities sometimes necessitate closing down of some businesses or in some geographies to enable organisations to concentrate more on key markets or businesses.
Lay-offs especially for a high profile executive can be unsettling and a number of candidates find it difficult to deal with this especially if the candidate has been a high performer. Therefore, it is critical to remember it is not the end of the world and therefore keep the confidence high. A good professional history backed by good track record of performance and achievements prior to termination, will most definitely aid in gaining employment, even for high profile executives. Executives should begin their branding process which will help them to get noticed by hiring managers. The focus should be on re-building the career trajectory with a positive mindset. The following tips will help executives to best handle the job search, ensuring the feelings of disappointment and self-doubt, as well as the negative perceptions of others, won't stand in the way of finding a new job.
Understand what went wrong
When a relationship ends, one takes the negatives from the experience and turns them into positives. The same holds true for jobs. Executives can avoid committing the same mistakes in the future by understanding what went wrong,reviewing the circumstances and factors what might have led to this scenario and identifying their own strengths and weaknesses. This process of an honest assessment will help them in their long term growth.However, what puts off a potential employer is being negativeby bad mouthing your company or bosses .A number of candidates loose potential opportunities because of this so good to take some blame yourself rather than put it only on the previous organisation, bosses or circumstances.
Create a plan
Getting fired can be emotionally as well as financially distressing, it can leave people drained of their savings and self-esteem. While one should give some time to let it all sink in, being proactive and having a plan of action ready in hand is a better approach. Personal branding, online brand identity-building, networking, and social media, are must-do strategies. Outside references is a great option as executives need other individuals and leaders in the industry who are familiar of their abilities and can confidently recommend them. The strength of an executive's relationships with individuals in his network will help him weather a storm and transition to his next position. People who have handled relationships with key stakeholder’s well stand a much better chance than those who tend to take everyone for granted. Remember relationships like anything need to be built and no individual however brilliant is more powerful than his /her organisation or key stakeholders.
Work on your CV
It may shock you but the reality is that 90-95% CV’s are not well written even at the senior management level. Importance of a good CV is often underestimated. A well-drafted CV will invite more interviews.Experience at a job is just a qualifier as what is critical to the reader is what the candidate delivered at each of his/her tenures. Your CV therefore should be comprehensive and get the organisation interested in meeting you .It is prudent to take professional help to help you make a good CV. Ensure that the information is accurate and do not succumb to the temptation of fabricating it .
Better preparation,better interview
To make strong first impressions, executives should be better prepared. The more information they know about the hiring manager and the organization, the more comfortable they will be talking to him/her and presenting themselves as the ideal candidate.They should know when and how to employ verbal and non-verbal cues. At top/ senior management level it helps if you carry a few ideas for the organization that can help the organisation grow or produce results. Therefore, doing homework well helps. Needless to emphasise but do dress appropriately.
Lastly, show passion and energy as in today`s world it is an imperative and the last thing a company wants is to hire a laid back person.
Mr. Ronesh Puri, MD, Executive Access
