What You Need to Know Starting Off

• Know Yourself
• Be Real and Realistic

1. What are your values?
2. What is your overarching purpose in life – your reason for being?
3. What are your priorities in your work?
4. What is meaningful to you?
5. What are your strengths? Your weaknesses?
6. What competencies/skills do you want to use in your next job?
7. What have you liked and not liked about your previous work experiences?
8. What industries are you targeting?
9. What is the ideal organizational culture for your style and preferences?
10. What are the 3-5 job functions your experience and education would be applicable to as well as of interest to you?
11. What are your objectives for your job search?

How the US Job Market Is Different

1. You will need to market yourself more than perhaps you are used to
2. Recruiters are more direct; some would say less polite
3. You will have about 2 minutes to make an impression
4. MBAs may have a bad reputation – recruiters may have the perception that MBAs are arrogant, overpriced, and disloyal (that you will stay only a short time before leaving for the next big thing)
5. Lots and lots of jobs are hidden and not posted; it is not a level playing field and there is not perfect information that everyone has access to
6. It is highly difficult to get a visa to work in the U.S. That's why your best bets will be: working for a previous employer who knows you and your work and may sponsor you in a U.S. office OR U.S. office of a leading European company OR at minimum in your same field and industry at least to start.
7. You will be competing against an enormous number of U.S. MBAs as well as their alumni and other talented candidates who are out of work. It's not impossible but you will need perseverance, a strategy/plan, excellent execution, and some good luck.
8. One page resumes (not CVs) and cover letters work best
9. There is a big emphasis on fit as well as qualifications for evaluating candidates for a job/organization.
10. Organizations are often not level conscious – input from an assistant (PA) you may talk with or a new hire could impact your chances of getting an offer just as much as what the CEO or an executive thinks about you.
11. Many job seekers in the US want to change industries. This is not as realistic in this environment but even less so for others trying to gain entry.

Marketing Yourself with a 5P Framework

Some Advice on Researching Industries and Companies

For evaluating industries

• What does the future look like?
• Who are the major players and what are their strengths, weaknesses, and points of difference?
• What will it take for a company to be competitive for the longer term?
• What's the talent like in the industry -- what kinds of people does it attract?
• What kinds of people do well?
• What does one need in terms of education, background, skills, and abilities?


For evaluating specific organizations

• Who are the CEO and executives?
• What are their values, their backgrounds, sytles?
• What are the company's vision, strategy, and priorities?
• How does the horizon look for this organization?
• What are its major challenges and opportunities?
• How does it treat its people - workforce?
• What are the key success factors for someone working in this organization?

Winning Resumes and Cover Letters

1. Reverse Chronological is the most widely used in business and other fields. Education and work experience (organization names and titles) are listed most current first, oldest last. Other sections on the resume could be entitled: "additional information" or "other." This section would cover volunteer activities or interests and hobbies. For highly technical fields, another section on "technical/computer skills," for highlighting language competencies (HTML, etc.), certifications and training, professional affiliations and the like. Most employment/job Web sites have resume builders or resume writing tools and templates.
2. Functional can be extremely valuable to those making substantial career changes. This kind of resume focuses on major skill areas within a chronological context. 3-5 skill-based subheadings, relevant to the job you are seeking, are noted. Under each, you list the responsibilities/accomplishments which represent each skill, drawing from the sum total of your experience. Organizations for which you worked, dates ranges (month/year) and job titles can be listed as one separate section – in one grouping - before the skill subheadings/bullet points. Examples of skill subheadings are: project management, client relationships, strategy and analysis, project management, marketing/selling, financial management.

Resume Tips – Bits and Bobs

Begin each description with an action verb and try to specify the result you achieved or the impact you made on your organization.

Illustrate compellingly and concisely what you accomplished. In general, consider what you accomplished in your work to be viable for your resume if one or more applies:

• your contribution produced something important to your organization, the employees, or your clients/stakeholders
• you reached results with fewer resources, under budget, before the deadline, etc.
• you made something easier, simpler, better, or faster
• you achieved something for the first time or performed remarkably given the circumstances
• you or others were proud of what you did; it made a difference

Accomplishment Statements – P A R

1. The Problem – or issue that you solved, need or challenge met; a major undertaking.
2. The Action - what you accomplished and how
3. The Result – what was the benefit or outcome for the organization? Try to quantify or calibrate the result.

Targeted Cover Letters

• Address letters to a person and make each letter unique.
• Keep your letter brief, one pager or maximum 2.
• Do not detail from your resume. Intrigue the person to want to read your resume.
• Try to be concise and make every word count.
• Avoid jargon and trite phrases.
• Let your interest and enthusiasm shine through.

An Outline

1. Introduction - explain who you are and why you are writing. Mention your referral if you have one. Ask for an informational interview or consideration for an interview if you are writing about a specific job opportunity.
2. Interest highlights – summarize what interests you about the company, its needs/challenges, and/or the overall industry.
3. Compelling Examples – describe what you can offer. Highlight a few relevant examples or specific experiences that would be valuable to the organization.
4. Next steps – state clearly who to follow up with, when and how.

US –Resonant Action Verbs

Preparing for Interviews

Do your homework. Anticipate and research what questions or areas of focus your interviews will cover. Get to know what's required on fit and technical competence.

Think about the key messages you want to convey about yourself.

Practice without sounding over rehearsed. Mock interviews, videotaped practice.

(Chapter 5, pages 54 – 65 to understand from a recruiter’s perspective, the taxonomy of an interview and how recruiters evaluate candidates. Chapter 6, pages 66-76 to read what 14 executives shared about their favorite interview questions and approaches. These are from a variety of industries. Companies represented are: Goldman Sachs, Bain and Booz Allen; Yahoo, General Mills, a high tech start up, a non-profit, etc. )

U.S. Recruiters' FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

From excerpt: Hiring the Best and the Brightest... A Roadmap to MBA Recruiting

The COO of Del Monte Foods thinks that above all it’s important about how well a candidate can work with and through people. His point of view is that "arrogance or elitism is a kiss of death, no matter the credentials."

A VC managing director looks for if the job candidate who can really made things happen – "sorting the doers from the posers." And he does not appreciate when candidates are in the interviews when there's not a hunger and a genuine interest. In his opinion, mutual trust and respect for the relationship begin in that first interview.

A leading mutual fund manager and CEO of a startup looks for how people make big decisions. He also cares about peoples' relationships – do they have long-term friendships and how do they get along with their families.

A former MD at Goldman Sachs who was head of recruiting and is now a principal in investment management says she zeroes in on the hobbies and interests tucked at the bottom of the resume. She has "learned a lot" about people, their character, and substance from probing about those.

A partner at Bain selects one of the most complex or specialized accomplishments on a candidates' resumes and asks them to explain it as if to their six-year-old sister. He does this to test "their ability to explain complex things" to clients.

A museum director and CEO of a non profit both "look and listen for values alignment," to the mission of their organizations.

A director at General Mills tries to ascertain what motivates the individual, the whys behind his/her success and how he/she set goals.

1. Give me an example of a time when you: __________________. (Fill in the blank with what the job requires; what the interviewing is evaluating as to if you have experience in it. For example, possible fill ins could be: handled a crisis, dealt with a conflict, handled stress, made a mistake or failed at something, had to become an expert at something quickly; had to influence people who did not report to you; implemented an idea, managed a large scale project; solved a problem, were creative, took a risk, worked on a team, accomplished something against the odds...)
2. Tell me about yourself (in 2 minutes).
3. Why did you decide to get your MBA and why LBS?
4. What have you learned or what’s your favorite course and why?
5. Describe a time you failed and what you learned?
6. What do you know about us and why are you interested in working with us?
7. Why should I hire you for this job?
8. What would your former boss, co-workers, and staff tell me about you?
9. Everyone has developmental areas or weaknesses – what are yours?
10. What do you see yourself doing in 3-5 years?
11. What questions do you have for me?

Compensation and Negotiation

1. What are the components of compensation – it includes both tangibles and intangibles.
2. There will be an expectation that you will negotiate to try to improve your position/the offer. Remember that the negotiation is a part of your relationship with your potential new employer. Don't do anything you will regret or be overly aggressive.
3. Trying for a win-win outcome is the best.

The components of compensation that are negotiable include:

• base salary
• any sign on bonus
• year end bonus
• any stock options and the vesting schedule
• your working title
• benefits
• start date
• vacation (formal and informal – comp time)
• relocation support
• help with a visa
• professional development/continuing education support
• spouse or partner assistance
• timing for an out-of-sequence review/raise.