Seeking VP, Anything

Good Monday morning,

As I travel around the country speaking with job-seekers like you, I'll ask:

"So what are you looking for?"

And all too often I'll hear back:

"Oh, I'm looking for anything."

Which is a problem.

Because in today's economy, no employer is looking for a "VP, Anything." They're looking for an experienced professional who can solve specific problems.

Whether you're speaking with me, a former colleague, or a new connection, you need to have a brief, pithy assertion of who you are and what you're qualified to do. As a matter of fact, you need to be able to describe what you're looking to do in 30 seconds or less.

That's what's called an "elevator pitch" — a concise statement of your background and abilities and what you're looking for that can be shared in the time it takes an elevator to go to the top floor.

So it's not "I'm a saleswoman" and it's not "I'm in logistics" and it's not "I'm a finance guy".

No, in the 21st century you need to be more precise and more concrete. You need to describe what you've done and what you're looking to do... specifically.

So you'll need to share your ambitions more directly. It's not "I'm a saleswoman" but rather "I'm a sales management professional looking to lead a 100+ person sales organization, and am particularly interested in opportunities leading sales teams going through the transactional-to-relationship-selling transition."

It's not "I'm in logistics" but rather "I'm a logistics team leader who specializes in driving efficiency improvements in established groups, bringing down the cost of production year after year."

And it's not "I'm a finance guy" but rather "I'm a finance guy who enjoys rationalizing finance teams in multi-unit businesses and creating metrics and operating procedures that partner with the business to drive understanding of the underlying levers of growth."

You need to be specific and concise in your description of your ambitions, so that your network contacts, your future boss, or I can understand how and where you'll add value and improve the business.

So please, avoid the easy temptation to say that you're looking for anything, and be specific in your job search.

It's the best way to let people know how to help you, and to let companies know how you'll help them. (See my newsletter from August on creating your elevator pitch for more advice on the topic.)

We've got six weeks left in job-hunting season before the year-end holidays, Readers. Let's make the most of it!

Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com

Follow me on Twitter here.

Author's note:

I've been writing these newsletters weekly for almost a decade in order to provide you with the advice, encouragement, and assistance you need in your professional job hunt. I'll take what we've learned at TheLadders during the week, or experiences I've had with job-seekers all over the country, and try to find a usable lesson, a valuable insight, or a helpful tip to share with you on Monday morning (my writing deadline is 3 p.m. every Sunday afternoon).

I do read every one of your replies to this newsletter. Because of the volume of replies — typically over 1,000 per week — I'm unable to answer you personally, but one of our very qualified staff from our Job Search Support team will get back to you — most of the time within three hours or less.

As I am interested in every reply I get, I'll also occasionally reach out directly by phone or by email to say thanks, or ask a question, or to see how we can solve your problem better. Thanks for reading!