This was a good week. It was not a good week because I recruited a new consultant, which I did. It was not because I accomplished all of my planned tasks, but I did. And, it was not a good week because I had several very productive meetings. All these activities are noteworthy of course, but it was my ability to mix these activities with my favorite personal pastimes that made the week so enjoyable. Yes, I accomplished quite a bit and had a lot of fun in the process.
The high point of my week was my meeting with Walt. I was introduced to him, three weeks ago by Dave, a mutual friend. Dave reached out to me to see if I would be interested in talking with him as he needed help with his job search. I have great confidence in Dave’s recommendations, so I invited him to make the introductions. Shortly after that, Walt and I were having a telephone conversation.
Our first conversation was relatively brief. I learned that he had a background in the food distribution segment with experience in business development and as a category manager. Walt advised me that he had been terminated within the past two weeks, having been furloughed by the pandemic. He did not have a current resume to share, at that time, but promised to send a copy when it was ready. He said that it has been a long time since he has had to look for a job. Actually, this may be the first time he has been in a job search since he began his career. I also learned that he is a cigar aficionado, familiar with my favorite cigar bar. We ended the conversation with my commitment to follow up after I review his resume.
We met mid-afternoon, Thursday at the cigar bar. After making our cigar and beverage selections we found seats at a table in a private meeting room. We made a toast and got down to business. He handed me his resume as he began to recap his background. Walt is an extrovert. He is friendly, engaging, and interesting. We are about the same age and have much in common. Our meeting was off to a great start. He laid out his history as a Category Manager and Business Development Professional in the food distribution industry segment. He explained that he was furloughed at the beginning of the lockdown, then recently terminated.
We spent the better part of two hours together. I noted that he is better off than most job seekers. He has a severance package including a non-compete clause. He has a solid network and excellent references. Already, he has reached out to make them aware of his situation so they can be helpful. He admitted that he is not savvy about networking groups or how to find them. He said he is open to new opportunities.
When Walt finished presenting his background he asked for my advice. I commended him on his positive outlook and his willingness to consider new opportunities. We discussed the obvious difficulty in the foodservice segment; however, I foresee opportunities helping his prior customers with their purchasing and supply chain issues. We also discussed pursuing opportunities in non-food distribution. I told him that many are finding success by taking freelance consulting projects as a bridge strategy to find full-time employment. Finally, I suggested that his search should include smaller companies with upside potential.
His resume, hot off the presses, was prepared by an HR professional, not a professional resume writer. Although it is well organized and easy to read, it is bland and lacks a call to action. It does not reflect the contributions he has made to his employers and his positioning statement lacks clarity. I can help him with that issue.
His final question was about my program. Could I be helpful, and how I was paid for my services? I explained how the three parts of my business, (New Century Dynamics Executive Search, ITB Partners, and Executive Career Coaching) operated and how each could be helpful to him.
At the end of our conversation I agreed to the following deliverables:
- Help him plug into the market via networking groups.
- Review his resume and LinkedIn Profile – make recommendations.
- Provide clearer background information about our capabilities.
- Make Strategic Introductions to my network.
Walt is hitting the market at a difficult time. The economy is coming out of recession, it is the middle of summer, and his industry segment is under pressure. As a Baby Boomer, he has demographic challenges. On the plus side, he has a solid skill stack and a positive mindset. His severance package is a plus. He has a good network and great references. Most importantly, he is coach-able and open to new opportunities. Walt will adapt to the realities of this market as he has a better understanding of his options. I am confident that it won’t be long until he will be gainfully employed.
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