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See Research StudiesTeam leader or “individual contributor”? Manager or supporter? Successful organizations are filled with all personality types. The best leaders in the world would be very unsuccessful if they had no followers.
When you are looking for a job, it is no time to be modest. You need to be your biggest cheerleader and sell yourself to whomever will listen. And, while you need to take credit for all of your achievements, you also need to be careful not to exaggerate your achievements to the “unbelievable” level. Being a great leader is no better than being a great supporter. This is all well and good, but it is a delicate balance. The selling process starts with getting your name “out there”, it is supported by your cover letter followed by your resume and finally the interview process as the “clincher”. And did I mention your network?
Your Resume – First and foremost is your resume. This one document should summarize not only your work and educational experience, but it should also highlight your achievements (this is the part where you use action words). Maybe you completed a strategic project, or a new method to manufacturing a product. What ever your achievements are, they belongs in your resume.
Your Network – In this case I’m talking about your friends, family and professional acquaintances. These are the people that know you best, know the quality of work you do and are aware of your achievements. But not everyone in your network is equally informed and they can’t effectively help you find a job if they don’t have all of the information. So, as part of your regular networking routine, you need to make sure that your entire network is aware of your achievements.
Social Networks – So of course you cannot mention social networks for executive job search without mentioning LinkedIn.com. In addition to your profile (which should mimic your resume), you should also list your accomplishments here as well. This is also a great place for references. Try to have some of your former coworkers submit a recommendation on LinkedIn for you. Join industry and other groups on LinkedIn, this is another great way to expand the your network and the people who know what you do best.
Blogs – Writing a blog is a great way to get your name out there. Of course you need to balance the type of material that is on your blog with the type of career and job you have. If your blog is too “out there” it is likely to scare people. If your blog is informative about your industry or job function, that is even better. Posting ideas and accomplishments (if done in the right way) will get you noticed.
Guest Articles -Writing articles is another great way to get your name out there and help with your job search. This is where you can leverage both, the Internet and print media. Trade associations are the first place to look, followed by college newsletters, industry news letters and magazines. You should also look for popular blogs and offer to writes guest posts. You could always write a book (although this is likely to take a long time.You will need to be the one who decides on the topic, ensure you will leverage your experience. Once you have at least one article published you can add it to your resume (and yet another achievement).
CareerAlley is a leading career and job search advice blog. You can see the original article here.