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Definitive Guide to the Executive Job

Search: 10 Steps to Getting an Executive

Job in Mere Weeks

By Peggy McKee

© Copyright Peggy McKee, 2018

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means without written permission of the author.

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About Peggy McKee

Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers.

Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as

a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique

perspective and ad-vantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job

seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named

one of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has

been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo!HotJobs, and the Denver

Examiner.

Originally from Oklahoma, Peggy grew up on a 1000-acre ranch. She earned a B.S.

in Chemistry and an M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma, going

on to great achievements in the medical sales arena. Eventually, she moved to her

adopted state of Texas, where she lives with her husband and two children. She’s

still a cowgirl at heart and loves ranch work, trail riding, and her favorite horse,

Lucky.

In 1999 Peggy founded PHC Consulting, a very successful medical sales recruiting

firm. When she consistently found her-self offering advice to jobseekers who

weren’t even her own candidates, she developed a new business model in order

to offer personalized career coaching as well as the tools jobseekers need to

thrive and succeed in the job search…and Career Confidential was born.

Today, Career Confidential offers more than 100 products, tools, books, videos,

and webinars for job seekers. Peggy receives positive responses every day from

candidates who have used them to land the job of their dreams, and she loves

that she has been able to contribute to their success.

====================

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Table of Contents

LETTER TO YOU ..................................................................................5

1 – RESUME .......................................................................................7

2 – COVER LETTER ............................................................................ 10

3 – NETWORK .................................................................................. 12

4 – GO DIRECTLY TO THE HIRING MANAGER (C-Level, President, Vice-President, Director, etc.) ................................................................... 15

5 – RECRUITERS ................................................................................ 17

6 – INTERVIEW PREP ........................................................................ 19

7 – PHONE INTERVIEW ..................................................................... 22

8 – FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW ........................................................... 24

9 – ASK FOR THE JOB ........................................................................ 27

10 – SALARY NEGOTIATIONS ............................................................. 29

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR YOU ....................................................................... 31

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LETTER TO YOU

Dear Executive-Level Job Seeker,

With 15 years of executive search recruiting experience (in the medical sales and

marketing arena) and over 5 years of coaching folks around the world (Thailand,

England, France, Russia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Canada,

Australia, New Zealand, South Korea), I have worked with executives at all levels,

in all kinds of different industries—from CEOs of big banks to CTOs of companies

that have hundreds of thousands of SKUs to the VP level, Director level, folks who

are in every area of the company (finance, operations, sales, marketing, customer

support, IT, etc.).

From this experience, I can tell you that there are commonalities that, if you

understand them, you can use to have much greater success in your job search

and your career:

1. You must MARKET Yourself

- Your resume really must ‘sell’ you.

2. You must REACH OUT to Others

- In your network, outside of your network, and especially to executive

recruiters.

3. You must Be AGGRESSIVE

- Let people know you are looking for a job or they won’t contact you.

4. You must PRACTICE Before Your Interviews

- Even though executives are wonderful at speaking about their

particular product at their particular company in their particular area

of expertise, they are not as good at speaking about themselves and

they get into interview situations where they feel that they should be

prepared, but they are unprepared…so practice, role play, hire an

interview coach, check out our books on Amazon. Be as prepared as

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you can possibly be. (Think about preparing yourself for this job

search and interview process as much as you would prepare your

company for some transition.)

5. You Must Keep Your MENTAL GAME Where It Needs to Be

- Don’t say negative things to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a member

of your team. Communicate positivity. Put up notes reminding you of

who you are and what you’ve done. Put those in your car, on your

bathroom mirror, in your books, on your computer. Use neuro-linguistic

programming (this is code for “talk to yourself in positive, direct, and

forward-looking ways”) to help yourself achieve your greatest level.

This guide that you are about to read is my gift to you. As experienced and as

competent and even as innovative as you are in your job, there’s a lot you don’t

know about getting a job, especially one that fits you and offers you what you

deserve. I’ve had a lot of experiences that will help you. This is just the start of it.

Dive into it. Enjoy it. My hope is that it will help you think of things you haven’t

thought of and create opportunities for yourself that you wouldn’t have done

otherwise.

I am very excited to hear your feedback. Please feel comfortable sending me an

email, giving me a call, or messaging me through social media to let me know how

I helped you or how I can help you more.

Sincerely yours,

Peggy McKee CEO, Career Confidential

www.CareerConfidential.com

Peggy@CareerConfidential.com

800-691-2562

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1 – RESUME

Your resume is the foundation of your job

search, and as an executive, it must be

better than it was when you were not an

executive. Your resume is a marketing

document for you. This means that it must

be an attention-getter, and an enticement

to speak with you in an interview.

Be Clear

Make sure that the position you want is abundantly clear with a good objective

statement that grabs attention and communicates quickly, like a headline. Tell

this employer why they should keep reading. Tell who you are, what you want,

and highlight one or two of your best selling points. This sells you to the hiring

manager and helps you get the interview.

Quantify Your Accomplishments

Quantify your accomplishments by describing them in terms of numbers, dollars,

or percentages, and you will stand out as someone who can provide attention-

getting, hard evidence of your success.

Add numbers in the form of:

• Direct reports

• Production Numbers

• Budget Size / Scope

• Scheduling / Deadlines / Time

Savings

• Decreased Turnover

• Success Rate of Projects /

Teams

• Accuracy / Rankings

• Sales / Revenue / Customer

Stats

How did you affect these things in your role?

- Did you make money?

- Did you save time?

- Did you increase efficiency?

- What did you improve?

- What did you contribute?

Any way you contributed to savings, growth, or profit for the company can and

should be described using numbers, dollars, or percentages.

As an executive, you MUST have these numbers, dollars, and percentages on your

resume. Your performance and your value in a leadership role are measured by

these numbers. This is what gets you the interview, makes them want you in

their organization, and justifies your salary.

Here are good examples of quantified bullet points:

• Reduced turnover from over 70% annually to 0%

• Turned around manufacturing firm on the brink of bankruptcy to

profitability after 1st year. Grew revenues 358% and delivered record 25%

profit margin

• Instituted highly successful, large-scale reseller recruitment, education and

sales incentive programs that enrolled 4,000+ new resellers, 50%

purchasing immediately.

• Built, managed, and maintained a portfolio of approximately 17 clients and

26 consultants, with revenues totaling approximately $4.5 million

• Achieved an 80% improvement in manufacturing productivity and a

reduction in order handling time from 2 ½ days to 4 hours through

implementation of LEAN manufacturing concepts

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Make Sure Your Resume Sells You

Your resume can’t just be a job history—it must market you for the job.

1. Use Bullet Points—Not Paragraphs

Bullet points grab attention. They naturally draw the eye because they are easier

to read. Use them to highlight notable skills or accomplishments from past jobs.

2. Add Power Words

Never use the words “Responsible for”—it’s weak. Use

powerful, exciting action verbs to begin your sentences,

which make you seem powerful and exciting, and show

that you had a significant impact in your last job.

3. Make It Visually Appealing

(1) Edit - Your resume should be 1-2 pages, unless you are

a C-level executive or have many publications. A

longer one is not proof that you’re experienced—it’s

proof that you don’t know how to prioritize what’s

important for a particular situation.

(2) Simplify - Keep your resume simple and classic—no

fancy graphics, unusual font, or colored paper (unless

you’re in a creative field). These draw attention from your skills and

accomplishments, and introduce factors that don’t belong in your resume.

You never want the focus to be on your presentation, unless you are in a very

creative field where that counts. All employers will appreciate something clear,

simple, and easy to read—wouldn’t you? Keep the focus on you—your

experience, your history, your skills.

If you need a template and some coaching to help you with your resume, here’s

how to get it: Extreme Resume Makeover Kit.

Action Words

• Designed

• Managed

• Delivered

• Wrote

• Planned

• Maintained

• Achieved

• Led

• Improved

• Brought in

• Built up

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2 – COVER LETTER

The purpose of your cover letter is to get them to

read your resume, and positively influence their

perception of you. What makes a great cover

letter? A great cover letter is one that is:

1. Powerful

2. Direct

3. Contains a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

How can you write a great cover letter?

First, make sure your letter is addressed to an actual

person—never “to whom it may concern,” or to a

title like “CEO of Marketing at ABC Corporation.” Find out the actual name, with

the right spelling, of the person who will read it, and address it to them directly.

Powerful

Each cover letter should be written for that particular job. Be clear about what

you want. Use your own ‘voice’ and words to put your personality into it and

make it resonate with the person reading it.

Think about the person you’re sending this to. Is it a recruiter? Is it a hiring

manager? Put yourself in their shoes. What pain are they experiencing right now?

What problems are they having because that job is currently unfilled? Address

that and show how you’re the solution to those problems.

Direct

Focus on how you can help the employer. What’s in it for them? What are you

bringing to the table? Use that an attention-grabbing opening. If someone they

know has recommended that you contact this person, say that right up front.

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In the body of the letter, mention a few details that support what you just told

them. If you have a job description, use their requirements. List a few of them,

and point out how you fit. For instance, if they’re looking for someone who “will

drive the growth of XYZ division,” you say, “At ABC Company, I led my team to a

25% increase in revenue,” or whatever it is. Answer their need. As much as

possible, use numbers and bullet points—just like with your resume.

Use your cover letter to complement your resume. Direct the employer’s

attention to the parts of your resume they will be most interested in, or add

details that don’t really “go” in your resume but that would be beneficial for the

employer to know. Answer their question: “Why should I talk to you about this

job?”

Add a Call to Action

In your closing, sum up why they should see you, and let them know when you

intend to follow up with a phone call. Say something like: “I am very excited

about the potential for this company and this position, and know that my skills in

x, y, and z will advance your goals for this division. I look forward to discussing it

with you, and I will call within a few days to set up a time to meet. Thank you for

your consideration.” That’s just an example. Use your own words so that your

cover letter stands out from the rest.

Never end your cover letter with, “I look forward to hearing from you,” with no

promise of action on your part. That leaves the power in their hands and you

with nothing to do but wait. This is your life we’re talking about. It’s good to be

assertive, instead of passive. This is how you’re going to get interviews.

Get Career Confidential’s Free Cover Letter Report –

How to Write an Attention-Getting Cover Letter

Comprehensive guide to a powerful cover letter.

Sample Letters Included!

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3 – NETWORK

Everyone you know and everyone you

have ever met should understand that

you’re job hunting, because networking

is still the #1 way to get a job.

A lot of people are uncomfortable with

letting everyone know that they’re

unemployed. But as an executive, you

will do yourself a huge disservice if you

do not let your entire network know you’re looking—all the people you’ve

worked with in the past (co-workers, bosses, clients or customers) and even your

social connections (friends, family, church or civic groups). By now, you should

have a large pool of contacts to work with, and you must take advantage of it.

Remember that the people you have worked with in the past are those who have

had great experiences with you, and they’ve moved on in their careers as well.

They know people that you don’t know, and they will be happy to let you know

about a job lead, doing a good deed for you that they know will eventually be paid

back down the road. Wouldn’t you be willing and happy to pass on information to

someone you’d had a good working experience with?

Call, email, or speak in person to everyone. Depending on how much they already

know of your job history and qualifications, say, ““Hey, I’m looking for a job as X.

Let me know if you happen to hear of anything, OK?”

Or, you can get more detailed: “I’m looking for a management position in the

restaurant industry. I have ten years of management experience, and most

recently I worked for a high-end French restaurant downtown. Do you know

anyone who might be interested in someone like me?” Talk about special skills

you have, classes you’ve taken, or anything that would make you a good fit for a

potential employer.

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Widen your net even further by letting your Facebook friends know you’re

looking. Tell everyone what you do, what job you’re looking for, and a little of

your background. Post when you get an interview, take a class that boosts your

skills, volunteer, job shadow… anything relevant to your job and job search.

Again, sometimes, job seekers (especially those in executive positions) don’t want

to let friends and family know you’re looking —especially if you were laid off or

fired. Maybe you don’t want to worry them. Maybe you don’t want to be asking

for “favors.” Maybe you’re just embarrassed that you’re in this situation. Any

and all of those attitudes are defeating and

negative, and you need to get rid of them.

Not having a job is a temporary state – it doesn’t

mean anything about you. I’ve seen many

unemployed professionals who never did anything

to “deserve” being jobless, and yet they were, for

a variety of reasons. More people than you know

understand what it’s like to be out of work, or

afraid for their job. They will empathize with you

and understand where you’re coming from, if you

give them a chance.

You’re not asking anyone for a favor if you say,

“Hey, I’m looking for a job as X. Let me know if you happen to hear of anything,

OK?” They are free to let you know, or not. That’s what connections are for—to

help each other. Someone might help you out now, and you might help them

sometime down the road.

If someone does ask for your resume to pass along, get back to them as quickly as

you would a hiring manager or recruiter. They’re advocating for you, putting in

time and effort to help you. Make it as easy as possible for them, and show that

you’d be a great asset to the company they’re referring you to – organized,

prompt, and professional.

Maintain Your Network

Every 3-6 months, send a

simple email or message

that says ‘Hi’ or ‘here’s

something I thought you’d

like’ or ‘is there anything I

can do for you?’ This kind of

‘touch’ every few months

will pay off richly for you

when you need to tap into

those connections fora job,

information, etc.

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Do not forget to send a thank-you note or email to everyone who offers you any

kind of assistance in your job search. Let people know you appreciate the time

and effort they’ve put in on your behalf. Be grateful for the help you receive, and

be willing to help out others, too.

If you have something truly difficult in your past

that you have trouble explaining, contact me

and I’ll help you. There are very few things that

can’t be put in a more positive light and you’ll

feel better and be more confident once we talk.

Career Coaching with Peggy McKee

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4 – GO DIRECTLY TO THE HIRING MANAGER (C-Level, President, Vice-President, Director, etc.)

THE most effective way to get interviews is to go directly to the person with the

power to hire you—and that person is always the hiring manager (this is the

person who would be your boss, or your boss’s boss). This person never works in

Human Resources, so do not waste one second applying for jobs online.

The hiring manager is the only one who can say “yes, you’re hired.” HR can’t say

“yes,” they can only say “no.” All they do is either stop you (which they often do,

even if you don’t deserve it) or pass you along to the hiring manager. So, skip

them. You don’t need HR to be your gatekeeper. Go directly to the hiring

manager. How do you find this person?

At a management level, depending on exactly where you

are, your hiring manager is going to be someone at the

C-Level, or with the title of Director, Vice-President,

President, or something similar.

For an accountant, this may be a Director of Accounting

or a CFO. For a sales manager, this is the person who is a

level up from you—maybe a National Sales Manager, a

District Sales Manager, or the VP of Sales and Marketing.

For a marketing manager, this may be a VP of Marketing

BTW….I don’t have anything against Human Resources folks. They’re just doing their

jobs, like the rest of us. But the truth is that this is how the process works, and that

process doesn’t do you any favors. Get out of it. When you do, things will happen: I’ve

seen candidates apply several times to the same company (through HR) and get

nowhere. They send the same resume to a hiring manager at that company, and all of

a sudden, they’ve got an interview. It happens all the time. That’s why you need to go

directly to the hiring manager—because it gets you interviews.

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or a Director of Marketing. For a customer service manager, this may be a VP of

Sales and Marketing. An Engineering Manager could report to a Director of

Engineering, a VP of R and D or a Division Manager. Someone in IT Management

may report to a Director of IT, a VP of Technology, or possibly the Director of the

specific division they provide support to.

Find the people you need searching by job title on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook,

Xing, Spoke, Jigsaw, corporate websites, anywhere you can think of. Dig up the

name and email, or phone number, of as many hiring managers as you can. The

more names you uncover, the more jobs you will find. The job search is a

numbers game. Your job is out there somewhere and the faster you look, the

faster you’ll find it. Your network alone is not enough.

Once you find them, make sure to contact them whether or not they have a job

posted. This is very important. Why? At any given time, the majority of job

openings are not posted. This is what’s known as the ‘hidden job market,’ which

makes up over 70% of all jobs—thousands more than what you see online. So, by

contacting hiring managers, you dramatically increase your opportunities for

jobs—AND, you’re putting yourself at the front of the line for them, because

other job seekers don’t know about them yet.

The process is simple: Choose hiring managers who could be your boss at places

you’d like to work and email them with a message that says, “Hey, here I am…this

is what I do…this is what I could do for you. Are you interested?” You’ll get more

responses (and interviews) from this method than from hours of applying for

jobs through HR. As a bonus, this is a great way to keep your job search

confidential if this is necessary for you.

Check out Career Confidential’s proven, professional

system for finding and contacting the people you need

to speak with and uncovering the more than 70% of

all jobs – the Hidden Jobs Finder

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5 – RECRUITERS

Using a recruiter from the beginning will be to your advantage—you’ll have

access to a bigger network, inside knowledge of job openings, and an ally who

can be your advocate with the company and give you feedback. No job board will

have every available job – many managers prefer to work with recruiters because

it is easier. Being presented by a recruiter helps you stand out. Companies who

have relationships with a particular recruiter will naturally pay more attention to a

candidate who is presented by them. So if a recruiter sends in your resume, you

have a very good chance of getting an interview.

Using a recruiter costs you nothing. Client companies (employers) pay the

recruiter when a placement is made. As much as the recruiter would like to place

every candidate they know and make piles of money, they have to wait for their

client to request a candidate. However…a recruiter can’t work with you if you’ve

already submitted your application to the company for a position. If the company

were to hire you, they would say that the recruiter didn’t find you; they did,

because you applied directly—and they will not pay the recruiter.

How to find a good recruiter

• Ask colleagues, friends and other

professionals in your field.

• Find similar-level employees at

companies in your space and find

out what recruiters placed them, or

who they would recommend for

your field. (Hint: Use LinkedIn.)

• Call the associations in your industry (speak to the officers) and ask if they

know any recruiters who specialize in your industry.

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• If you know one recruiter in your field, ask them to refer you to others.

They might or might not—it depends on their attitude and the scope of

their recruiting firm. But it never hurts to try.

• Run a Google search using keyword-specific terms:

Industry: What industry are you in? It could be aerospace, automotive, medical,

healthcare, financial, social media, sporting events, hospitality, chemical,

manufacturing, etc.

Function: What do you do? This might be sales, finance, marketing, engineering,

project management, logistics, information technology, security, etc.

Recruiter: If using “recruiter” doesn’t show results, try “executive search”,

“search firm”, or even “headhunter”.

• Look through LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Use

LinkedIn’s search function (like Google) to find them, or join groups in your

field and look for recruiters there and start online conversations.

How to Work with Recruiters Effectively:

Get Headhunters to Market You

Get a true insider look at how to become a recruiter’s favorite candidate

• More tips on how to identify and approach recruiters

• What to say to a recruiter to make them focus on you

• What recruiters especially value in candidates

• How to leverage a recruiter for maximum success

• How to lay the groundwork for long-term career

success by developing relationships with recruiters

Available on

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6 – INTERVIEW PREP

The best-prepared candidate is almost always the one who gets the offer. As an

executive, they expect to see that you have prepared for this meeting

professionally and powerfully. For them, this is not just an interview—this is a

demonstration of how you will prepare for presentations, board meetings, and

other high-level conversations you will have in your role.

To be the best-prepared candidate:

• Research the Company AND the

Interviewer

• Create Interview Tools That Will

Make You Stand Out

Research the Company

Use the company website, Google,

LinkedIn and Facebook to start researching the company online. Each resource

gives you another piece of the puzzle:

• Their primary focus / top products / plans for the future

• Growth have they experienced or expect to experience

• Size of the company in terms of employees, revenue or sales

• Significance in their arena (small fish, big fish) and top competitors

If you’re really on the ball, you can take all that and put together a SWOT Analysis

(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).

Access your personal network. Ask if they or someone they know could talk with

you about the company so you can find out things like: What do they like or

dislike about the company? How did they get hired? What’s the turnover rate?

What advice can they give you?

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Research the hiring manager: name, title, background, etc. Who have they

worked for in the past? How long have they been in the position? You’ll usually

be able to find their personal LinkedIn profile and find out a lot there.

**To find out more about how to research the company and the interviewer, as

well as how to answer interview questions and what questions YOU should ask as

a top candidate, see Career Confidential’s Strategic Approach to Interviewing.

Prepare Your Interview Tools

What are your interview tools? That’s your 30-60-90-day

plan and brag book. These will make you incredibly

impressive in the interview.

Your brag book is a historic look at what you’ve

accomplished. Performance reviews, letters of

recommendation, ‘attaboy’ notes, awards, special projects, and so on. One great

trick: put a tab on a few pages that especially support you in the job you’re

applying for, so that in the interview, you can easily find those support pieces and

show how successful you’ve been, which in turn shows how successful you will be

for them. Find out more about brag books here.

Your 30-60-90-Day Plan is a look at what you will do for this company. All your

research should give you a big head start on putting together your plan for what

you intend to do to be successful in your first 3 months on the job.

At your level, your plan should be at least 3 pages—one for each of the first 3

months (as specific to that company as you can possibly be). If there’s a company

training program, find out the name to put in your plan. If there are competitors

to deal with, name them. Paint a clear picture of you being successful on the job.

Just the fact that you’ve thought about how to be successful will make you a

better candidate, but actually writing it down and setting goals for your own

success will absolutely rocket you past the other candidates and make your

interview conversation easier.

One important

key to success is

self-confidence.

An important key

to self-confidence

is preparation.

Arthur Ashe

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When you talk about your plan in the interview, it changes the dynamic. Instead

of just answering questions, you have a real conversation between professionals.

It psychologically puts the hiring manager on your side and sets in their mind a

picture of you working for them, because they’re talking over the details of it

with you. Once they can see it, they’re half way to making you the offer.

In 20 years, I have never seen a hiring manager not be impressed with a candidate

who brings one of these plans. I used one myself to get 5 job offers in one job

search, back in the day, and I’ve sent thousands of candidates to interviews with

them. I personally would never go to an interview without one.

Career Confidential’s 30-60-90-Day Plan

• Find out exactly what the best plans include (with examples) • Save time with a fill-in-the-blank template • Use the PowerPoint template for a tech-savvy presentation • Hear the exact words to use when talking about the plan • Use it to ask questions and get critical information

Use key phrases to guide the interview and ask for the job • Even incorporate your plan into a strategic follow up

Get a 30-60-90-Day Plan with a Free Review by Peggy McKee

The 30-60-90-Day Plan sells you for the job like nothing else in the world.

One of my favorite success stories is about Pete Carr, a retail flooring store manager

for 30 years before he lost his job. He got interviews for jobs he was qualified for, but

was up against many others who were also qualified—so he never got a job offer.

He got my 30-60-90-day plan and tailored it for his next interview with a retail

flooring store The interviewer was so impressed, he offered Pete a job—not as the

store manager, but as a general manager for ALL the stores, with a big raise to go

with it…a 6 figure salary, much more than he interviewed for.

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7 – PHONE INTERVIEW

Research the interviewer and the company before your interview. The leading

issue hiring managers have with candidates in phone interviews is their lack of

understanding about the job, the company, or what the company does. Anything

you can do to understand the job the company, the product or the process will

really help you out.

To research the company, use LinkedIn, Google, the company’s own website,

your own network, forums, Facebook—anything you can think of. Don’t forget to

find out what you can about the interviewer, also. Is it HR? An interview with

them will be different (less in-depth) than an interview with the hiring manager.

If you are speaking with the hiring manager, whatever you can find out about this

person’s background will help you decide what to emphasize and what to maybe

not mention in your conversation.

Make sure the house is quiet for your interview—no interruptions. That means

no kids, dogs, parrots, husbands, wives, TVs, or other phones ringing.

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Get your materials ready and keep them in

front of you:

✓ Your Resume (on paper, in front of you)

✓ Paper and Pen (to take notes)

✓ A List of Key Points to Make About

Yourself

✓ A List of Key Questions to Ask

• What are they looking for?

• How soon do they want to make

a decision?

• Why is the position open?

• Who has done well and who has

had difficulty in the job?

• What’s the most difficult duty or

task that others struggle with?

• How will they measure the success of the person who’s in this

position?

• What are other concerns the hiring manager has about this position?

• What’s the process for making a decision to hire someone, and then

the process for bringing them on board?

• Is there any training that will need to be completed?

Phone interviews don’t lend themselves to clear, easy communication. Clarify for

understanding on any question that they ask, and then clarify that you’ve

answered the question.

Smile while you talk. It shows in your voice and makes

a difference in the impression you make during the

interview. Your voice changes when you smile so that

you sound warmer and friendlier than if you are not

smiling. This will help you build rapport with the

interviewer and make them think they might enjoy

having you on board.

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 24

As soon as you get off the phone, start drafting your thank you note. In face-to-

face interview situations, you should send the thank you note within 24 hours.

In the case of the phone interview, there’s no reason why you can’t send it

sooner—by email. Sometimes decisions about who to move to the next step are

made quickly, so you want to give yourself every chance at it that you can.

8 – FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW

A management-level interview will intensely focus on your

thought process, strategic analysis, and

behavior, so expect many behavioral

interview questions. Your answers should

be in the form of stories, or examples, of things

you’ve done or accomplished. The key is to weave

those stories into a coherent theme that makes it

clear they would make a mistake by not hiring you.

Some universal key competencies you can count

on needing a story for:

• analytical thinking

• business expertise • an ability to handle or

lead change

How to Ace Your Phone Interview:

37 Top Tips for the Best Interview of Your Life

• How to prepare

• What questions to ask

• How to get invited to the face to face

Available on

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 25

• integrity

• initiative

• good judgment

• decision-making

• leadership

• communication

• negotiating skills

• a focus on quality

Your stories should show quantifiable evidence of your success. (For instance,

you increased sales by 27% in 8 months as a result

of your ideas for x, y, and z.) Tell about the time you

were a hero: the one who took the initiative to act

in a crisis and avoided disaster or the manager

whose leadership skills pulled their team up to

become the market leader. Your stories need to

show a pattern of success.

Even if something doesn’t seem quantifiable, it

almost always is. If you can’t assign an actual number to it, you can always tie it in

to revenue, growth, money earned, money saved, time saved, efficiency

improved, or something.

A good rule to follow for telling your story is to keep it around 3 minutes and a try

to make sure the event occurred within the past 3 years.

Brag Book

A brag book is an ideal tool

to bring with you to a

behavioral interview

because it provides evidence

of the stories you’re telling.

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 26

Just remember, every interview is looking for one thing: for you to convince them

to make you a job offer. You can do that through thinking about great examples

of what you’ve done in the past, quantifying those as much as you can, and

packaging it for them in the interview through the stories you tell.

30-60-90-Day Plan

Always go to your interview with a 30-60-90-day plan. Management-level candidates

must have a high-level plan for how they’re going to attack the job and the problems

that need to be solved. This goes above and beyond the technical and industry expertise

employers rightly expect to see in managers. A 30-60-90-day plan showcases that

experience in a “this is how I’m going to begin solving your problems and making you

money” kind of way. A well-thought-out plan shows that you know your stuff, AND you

think strategically and know what it takes to get to a goal.

How you put together your plan will vary by whatever industry or career area you’re in,

but all jobs will have a basic structure you’ll follow when you start:

(1) an initial period of learning the specifics of the company—systems, procedures,

getting to know your team—that’s the first 30 days;

(2) a secondary period of getting your feet wet—getting more in-depth, evaluating

changes you’ll be making; and

(3) a “ready to run” period of implementing change,

initiating action plans, etc.

Get a proven, time-saving, powerful plan

to take to your next interview.

Career Confidential’s 30-60-90-Day Action Plan

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 27

9 – ASK FOR THE JOB

Where is the most critical interview tipping point? It’s that point where you’ve answered all their questions, and the hiring manager is at the decision: am I moving this person forward, or not? At this critical point in the process, you have great influence. You can tip them toward making you the offer, and boost your chances of getting the job by 30%-40%--just by asking for the job. Psychologically speaking, the job interview process is like a sales process. The hiring manager, or interviewer, is the customer. You, as a potential employee, are the product that’s being considered for purchase, or hiring—and you are also the sales rep. You’re selling yourself for the job. You’re talking about your product, which is you and your work. You’re answering questions from your customer. And just like in a sales process, it’s vitally important that you ask for the sale, or that you close for the job. Closing is a sales term. Good sales reps close. They talk about their product, answer questions from the customer, and then ask for the business. They say, “Are you interested?” “Do you want to buy this?” “Are you ready to make this purchase?” If they don’t ask the question, they are much less likely to make the sale. In a job interview, closing translates into asking for the job. Basically, it’s “Hey, can I have the job?” “Are you ready to hire me?” Or at the very least, “Are you ready to move to the next step with me?” Job seekers who close for the job boost their chances of actually getting it by 30%-40%. If you want the offer, you need to learn to ask one of these powerful questions:

• “Do you see me being wildly successful in this job?”

• “Are you in favor of moving me forward in this process?”

• “Can you see me being a productive member of this organization?”

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 28

If he or she does agree with you, then you’ve just boosted your shot at getting the job because now you have this person solidly in favor of hiring you. If he or she does not agree with you, they might tell you why. Whatever they say is their doubt about, or their objection to, hiring you. You can learn some crucial information here. Once you find out that objection, you can often overcome it by providing them additional information. Whatever their objection or doubt is—maybe it’s that you don’t have the right education, or that you live too far away—you need to have an answer for that…a reason why this problem is not a big deal, or a solution so you can overcome it. Your goal is to take away their reasons for not hiring you—and give them reasons to hire you. It’s always going to be better to figure out what they’re really thinking about you, while you have the opportunity to take action and shape that decision where you want it to be rather than wait and let that decision be made after you leave. Make them come to a decision now. Are they going to move forward with you or not? If the answer is no, then ask why. Many, many times, when a candidate closes and finds out what the issues are, they can deal with them in a positive way. This has absolutely saved job offers for many candidates. If they had not dealt with the problem right then and there, they would have lost any hope of getting the job. All of these closing statements and questions are powerful and they will dramatically improve your chances of getting the job. Even better, this skill in closing will help you across the board in your job…anytime you need to present an idea, make a sale, run a project management meeting, set a strategy, anything. Your ability to close will help you be more successful in all areas of your job, and even your life.

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 29

10 – SALARY NEGOTIATIONS

Employers expect you to push back a little when they make you a job offer, and

typically build in negotiating room. If you can justify the expense for the employer

and you are willing to negotiate, you’ll have a much better chance of getting that

money. You won’t get anything if you don’t ask.

How do you figure out what you’re worth? Do your research. Use salary research

websites like Salary.com, CNN Money.com, or Payscale.com. Look at several

sites, and work out a range that’s more than what you’re making now. Print out

your initial findings and set it aside for ammunition later.

When do you talk about your salary? NOT in the interview. Don’t talk about

money in the interview at all, if you can help it. The first person who says a

number in negotiations of sales is usually going to be the loser. Not always, but

often. A job interview is a sales process. You want them to decide they want you

before you start talking about how much it’s going to cost to get you. That gives

you more power in the negotiation.

For that reason, all you talk about in the interview is what

they need: what problems they have, what solutions they

need, who’s been able to fix it before, how you can fix it

now. Sell, sell, sell yourself during the interview process.

Over-prepare for your interview, excel in the interview,

be totally tight with all of your answers, know more about

that company than others know, provide evidence of how

good you have been in the past with a brag book, bring a

30/60/90-day plan that will show how good you’re going

to be in that role, and provide very good references that speak to how amazing

you are. All of this quantifies the value you’re bringing to the organization and

justifies the salary that you will ask for.

It’s easy to avoid bringing up the money question yourself, but if they ask you,

you need to deflect as much as you can.

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 30

You can deflect questions about your salary

expectations by saying, “What is the salary range for

the job?” Or, “I’m sure that you’ll offer a salary that is

commensurate with the responsibilities of this job.”

If they ask how much money you currently make, you

can be honest. Then say, “But I’m not sure that’s

relevant, because this position requires more

responsibility”, or more travel, or something that’s

more or different than what you’re doing now. You’re

justifying the increased salary based on something

quantifiable, like increased responsibilities.

If they ask you what salary range you want, set a bias.

Say something like, “I wouldn’t take a salary that’s less than what I’m making

now, and it would have to be a significant enough jump to make it worth the

change in my personal and professional life. I have a very good job, I’m valued in

my organization, and so, in order to take your position, it would have to be a solid

opportunity with the potential for me to exceed my expectations in the future.”

If you absolutely must name a number, name something in the top of your range

to set expectations higher. If they really want you, they’ll make an offer that

might not be as high as that, but it also won’t be at the lower end of your range.

Put off any money discussion as long as you can. Practice saying a few phrases

that match your personality so

that it seems comfortable to you.

Don’t worry—you’re not being

difficult, you’re waiting until you

know they’re serious about hiring

you. Keep in mind—it’s wise for

you to find out as much about the

job as you can before you fence

yourself in on a salary discussion.

Salary Negotiation Podcast

by Peggy McKee

Listen and learn….

• What is an appropriate increase to ask for?

• How to avoid pricing yourself out of a job if

you name a number that is clearly too high

• How to respond when you get the initial offer

• How to negotiate from a positive point of

view so that everyone ends up happy

One of the best books on

salary negotiations…

Negotiating Your Salary:

How to Make $1000 a

Minute

By Jack Chapman

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 31

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR YOU

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Smart, cutting-edge tips and strategies for your resume, job search, and

interviews. See current webinars and how to enroll here:

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https://careerconfidential.com/recent-articles/

https://CareerConfidential.com Page 32

eBooks by Peggy McKee on

How to Answer Interview Questions

See description, reviews,

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How Do You Prepare for an Interview?

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Finding a Job Fast Using a 30 / 60 / 90 Day Plan

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How to Ace Your Phone Interview

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