MBA Career Seminar

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NANYANG TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

• MBA Career Seminar
• Stand Out Resumes and Cover Letter RESULTS !!

by Carolyn Chan ATKEARNEY Executive Search
11 September 2003
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A.T. Kearney Executive Search
CAREER SEARCH PROCESS

• Self Assessment
• Research
• Resume Preparation
• Cover Letters
• Networking
• Interviewing
• Negotiation, Evaluation and Closing
• Success on the Job

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1. SELF ASSESSMENT
What Do You Want To Do?

• Draw your own career map.

Tools

• Career Leader (www.careerleader.com), CISS
• Forte, MBTI, DISC

Determine You Own . . .

• Values
• Strengths Weakness
• Positive and Negative Experiences

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1. SELF ASSESSMENT
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Analyze Your Accomplishments

• Ten most important accomplishments.
• Skills, knowledge and abilities required for
  each.
• Develop your resume using these item . . .

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2. RESEARCH
Types of Information to Search for

• Company size
• Location
• Number of employees
• Services and products
• Industry outlook (market viability)
• Competitor information

• Financial history and status
• Company size
• Location
• Number of employees
• Services and products

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2. RESEARCH
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
A. Library
B. Internet

• Jobpilot and Jobpilot-Asia (www.jobpilot.com,
  www.jobpilot-asia.com)
• MBA Jungle (www.mbajungle.com)
• Careers-in-Business (www.careers-in-business.com)
• Wel Feet (www.welfeet.com)
• Vault.com (www,vault.com)

C. Networking

• Alumni Directory
• University wide networking database
• Other organizations, Previous company contacts
• Corporate Presentations and Industry Events
• Professional Association and Organizations
• Personal contacts (family, neighbours, schools,
  community)

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2. RESEARCH
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Some General Guidelines for Conducting
Informational Interviews

• Ask for information, DO NOT ask for a job.
• Ask for personal introduction and referrals,
  especially with more senior levels.
• Research and prepare your line of questioning
  industry, markets, products, other information
  relating to that company.
• Target individuals doing what you hope to do.

• Come to the interview with a resume in case the
  interviewer asks do not ask them to take if they
  dont offer.
• Send a thank you note after the meeting/phone
  call to the interviewer and anyone involved with
  setting up the meeting, including administrative
  assistants.
• Dont feel discourage if you get turned down or
  no response. Keep plugging away at your
  networking list.

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3. RESUME PREPARATION
Your resume is your calling card to an employer.
In most instances, the hiring individual has
never heard of you and knows nothing about you.
First impressions begin with how you present
yourself in your resume and can very well
determine whether or not you will get called for
an interview. Its worth the time to do it right.
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3. RESUME PREPARATION
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Responsibilities vs. Accomplishments
Responsibilities what you did
Accomplishment how well you did its
Responsibilities provides scope about your
job Accomplishment provides the benefit to
the client and/or company for you having the job
Responsibilities paints the picture of you in
that job Accomplishment paints the picture of
how successful you were in that job
How do you know when to go with a
responsibilities resume vs. an accomplishment
oriented one?
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE research, research, research
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3. RESUME PREPARATION
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Choose Your Format

• SUMMARY
• EXPERIENCE
• EDUCATION
• ADDITIONAL INFORMAITON
• PERSONAL
• LANGUAGE, MEMBERSHIP / AFFILIATIONS
• (2 page maximum)

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3. RESUME PREPARATION
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Proofread

• Review carefully for typos.
• Review your resume in comparison to the job
  function you are targeting is there a clear
  connection?
• Have someone else objectively review your resume.
• Be prepared to further refine your resume as you
  gather more information and feedback.

Remember, your resume is a work in progress. You
will likely work on it over time and continually
refine it as you progress in your search process,
and your career
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3. RESUME PREPARATION
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Final reminders . . .

• Dont forget to include all your contact
  information (full name, address, telephone
  numbers, and email address) at the top of your
  resume. Avoid using work address, telephone
  numbers, and email addresses.

• If you are developing a two page resume,dont
  forget to include your name and the page number
  of the second page in case the pages get
  separated.

• Keep margins to a minimum of 1 inch (25.4 mm) on
  the left and right sides, and to a minimum of .6
  inches (15.2 mm) on the top and bottom.

• Electronic Resumes Need to be transferable
  across different types of software and PCs. Its
  best to save electronic versions in ASCII or
  plain text format. Use keywords (nouns and
  verbs) that fit your goals, skill set, experience
  and industry you are targeting. Many employers
  and search firm use keywords to bring up resumes.
  Use plain fonts, no italics, underlining or
  borders.

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4. COVER MOTIVATION LETTERS
Like your resume, your cover letter paints a
picture of you. It can say how concise and
articulate of a communicator you are. It can
convey your ability to effectively develop your
thoughts to get your point across. It can also
indicate, by its tone, the type of leadership
skills you have.
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4. COVER LETTERS
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Minimum of the paragraphs

• Paragraph 1 Introduction/statement of career
  objectives
• Paragraph 2 Summary of qualifications
• Paragraph 3 Closing/next steps

• Optional paragraph between paragraphs 1 and 2
• Company knowledge/why you are interested in
  working for that company specifically.

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4. COVER LETTERS
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Final reminders . . .

• Dont forget to include all your contact
  information (full name, address, telephone
  numbers, and email address) at the top of your
  letter. This should mirror what you have on your
  resume, including layout.

• Standard business writing indicates the
  Enclosure or Attachment should be included at
  the very end of the letter.

• Once again, keep margins to a minimum of 1 inch
  (25.4 mm) on the left and right sides, and to a
  minimum of .6 inches (15.2 mm) on the top and
  bottom.

• Electronic Cover Letters You can either attach
  your cover letter and resume to an email, or
  cut/paste your letter format right into an email.
  If you cut/paste, instead of putting your
  contact information on top, include it at the
  bottom just after your resume.

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5. NETWORKING
Networking, especially as you move upward in your
career, is one of the most important tools for
developing your career, creating visibility, and
growing as a professional. Whether done
internally or externally, networking is simply
the ability to establish and maintain
relationships to gather, as well as give
information.
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5. NETWORKING
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Top Reasons for Networking . . .

• To market yourself to those that can potentially
  assist you in your job search.

• To gather inside information about an industry or
  company.

• To develop a clearer and more relevant
  understanding of potential career paths.

• To develop a referral base that can assist you
  both in searching for a job, and in your
  professional development.

• If you are in sales or work independently, to
  gain exposure to potential clients.

• To open the opportunity for you to mentor and
  assist someone else needing the value of your
  experience and knowledge.

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5. NETWORKING
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Begin with Developing a Networking List

• Start with your closest friends and relatives.
  Who do they work for? Who do they know?

• Add current/former classmates, instructors,
  administrators, coaches, counselors, etc.

• Look at who you know in your community
  government officials, religious leaders, business
  owners, volunteer organizations, etc.

• Look at your business connections former
  colleagues, managers, competitors and clients.

• Look at the associations you belong to if you
  dont belong to any, join one or two that are
  related to what you want to do.

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5. NETWORKING
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Executive Search Firms, Ads, The Internet and
Direct Marketing
While networking is still your most fruitful
method of finding your next job, more passive
methods should also be used in order to cover all
avenues of opportunity. Use the 80/20 rule to be
most effective 80 of your time on networking,
20 of your time on the passive search process.
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6. INTERVIEWING
While getting an interview is the payoff to all
the networking, letter and resume writing, the
real work of landing your ideal job now
begins. As with all the work previous to this
point, making the connection that you are a
perfect fit for the job is key. Research and
preparation will help you towards this end.
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6. INTERVIEWING
A.T. Kearney Executive Search
Three Types of Interviews

• Traditional (resume based)
• Behavioral
• Case

Depending on the profession, it is not uncommon
to encounter all or some of these interview types
in the overall process of interviewing.
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7. NEGOTIATION, EVALUATION CLOSING

• GET THE OFFER
• Identify and remove obstacles
• Confirm/establish next steps
• Access offers (if more than one to choose)
• Negotiations on salary

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8. SUCCESS ON THE JOB
Tips . . .

• Take initiative.

• Make a point to meet with your boss regularly at
  least on a weekly basis.

• Keep a list of your achievements for reference
  during reviews and performance evaluations.

• Keep your guard up in the beginning.

• Learn as much as you can about the companys
  services or products and financial performance as
  quickly as you can.

• Make a good first impression.

• Increase your visibility.

• Make self-improvement a priority.

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