Simon Gray's Blog, page 4

How to write a LinkedIn professional headline that gets you noticed!

One of the questions I’m asked on a regular basis is how to put together an impactful LinkedIn professional headline, which grabs attention and interest.

We live in a world where people increasingly have shorter and shorter attention spans and now with over 450 million members on the platform, viewers of your profile have a lot of choice. This means if something doesn’t grab them immediately then there’s a high probability they’ll be off to the next profile and may never return!

One of my mos...

Executive job search strategy – create, uncover or wait for another?

The question of how to stand out in the executive job market is one I’m asked a lot. It’s a complex topic made all the more difficult by the fact that there are people on both sides of the transaction, which means you need an effective executive job search strategy. Executive jobseekers are people and the employers who make the hiring decisions are people too. As we all know (if we’re honest with ourselves) people are emotional creatures and how we feel, behave and react can differ from day-t...

What executive search firms really want!

For those of you who’ve read any of my previous blog posts you’ll know that in the executive job market I advocate taking proactive control of your job search.

The knee-jerk reaction for many is to rely on third parties to champion their cause (principally executive job boards and executive search firms), but what if that doesn’t deliver the results you expect within the timescales you envisaged?

My message is to take proactive control of your executive job search to define, find and secure t...

Employability outcomes increasingly matter!

Employability outcomes have never been more on the agenda for educational establishments.

Businesses and educators have long recognised the need for young people to receive independent career advice and pathways to employment opportunities, and now it seems that the legislative and funding landscape is catching up.

The first joint report of the Business, Innovation and Skills and Education Committees 2016-17 identified the importance of improving careers provision and that all young people sh...

Why a BAD attitude pays in the executive job market!

If you’re active in the executive job market or about to enter it, be warned! It can be an unforgiving place littered with the ambitions of those who have given up too early, become disillusioned and ultimately failed in the attempt to realise their full potential!

If you’re to survive and thrive in the executive job market (the title of a recent online event I ran), then a BAD attitude can really help. To be clear, I’m not suggesting a negative attitude, but quite the opposite – instead one...

Possibly the best job title in the world?

If you have a job or run your own business, deciding what to put on your business card as a job title can be somewhat of a conundrum!

Although I personally ditched business cards a while back (principally in favour of connecting on LinkedIn) I still have an email signature where I need to call myself something and what to put is never an easy decision.

A business card has no value in your pocket, instead it needs to be out there in the hands of important contacts, decision makers and prospect...

The magical power of making mistakes!

Let’s be honest, while we might sometimes try and hide the fact, we all make mistakes from time to time. I used to fear making a dreaded mistake and of course would go out of my way to prevent them happening, but running from the inevitable can never be a winning proposition.

We’re all human and making mistakes is part of our DNA and I now embrace making them for two reasons:

1) They show me I’m trying hard and pushing boundaries – essential to achieving success in any aspect of life.

2) They...

Job hunting using LinkedIn, but don’t want your current employer to find out?

Last night in a group-coaching call for ‘Executive Edge’ online I was posed a question I’ve been asked many times before – a question where the answer can be somewhat confusing particularly given recent changes to LinkedIn’s desktop interface.

Developing a personal brand on LinkedIn is an essential ingredient in uncovering executive job opportunities that exist in the ‘hidden market’. If you’ve not read any of my previous blog posts or Super Secrets of Successful Executive Job Search, the hid...

The big choice executive jobseekers need to make!

In my experience the knee-jerk reaction for many C-suite / C-level executives entering the executive job market (whatever the reason) is often to rush to write their CV / resume.

Thoughts turn to:

How do I structure my CV / resume to best reflect my experience?

How much detail do I include and how long should it be?

With all the advice out there, which format / style should I adopt?

Having written the CV / resume, consideration is then often given to the best executive job boards and executiv...

Executive job search and ‘The Company Men’!

Although an avid film fan it’s rare for me to come across a movie that speaks directly into the industry I work in, but this is exactly what happened when I watched The Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones.

Set in September 2008, the film tells the story of a global and publicly owned corporation hit hard by the onset of the financial crisis, both in terms of its stock price and the future prospects of its employees. Having started my own business...