Mistakes Hiring Managers Make- Startupnation.com

This recent article highlights many of the mistakes we see hiring managers make as they grow their teams. Startupnation.com is an excellent site that offers valuable insight into all manners related to early stage companies. To view the article visit:
 http://www.startupnation.com/articles/9550/1/hiring-mistakes-5-common.htm

A Simple Resume That Works

By Nick D'Ambrosio

I see hundreds of resumes each month and while some are good, most need work. If you are a sales person , ask yourself what a VP of Sales (assuming this is the contact person) will want to see. Most people include  elaborate summary statements, mission statements, summary of qualifications and  detailed information about the technology they sell... OVERLOAD  (I even know what EMC sells).  What they fail to do is clearly highlight RESULTS. If you take out the "filler", your results will stand out!

 When a hiring manager is faced with a stack of 100+ resumes, what is he really looking for? The below 2 samples have proven effective over the last ten years. They are simple to read , show RESULTS and also highlight the big name accounts most every company is trying to sell to.
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Vertical Market Sales Sample


Summary: Dynamic sales leader with a 13+ year history of exceeding profit and growth targets. Strategic thinker with record of identifying and capitalizing on opportunities, developing winning solutions aligned with client needs, and negotiating multimillion dollar, multiyear contracts.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ABC Software - Regional Sales Executive- Media Entertainment                                 2006 to Present
               
Responsible for building a media and entertainment market. Developed a  successful partner program, designed and implemented a complete SaaS offering and leveraged a direct sales model. This combination of approaches resulted in the acquisition of over 100 targeted accounts in less then 18 months and a revenue growth from $15M in 2006 to over $75M in 2009. (500% increase)

Sales Accomplishments:
         
2009- Sold $19.5M- 148% of quota
 Account wins include: Disney Corp, Sony Studios, ABC, ESPN, Parks and Resorts, DIMG
* Presidents Club Award Winner
* Ranked #2 in the US (out of over 150 reps)
* Top ranked Rep in the Western US
* Sold largest deal in company history with ABC Studios - $7.5M- 4 year contract

2008 Sold $13M-  125% of quota 
Account wins include: Disney Corp, CTB Studio, ABC, ESPN, CTA Entertainment, Warner Bros
* Presidents Club Award Winner
* Ranked #3 in the US (out of over 150 reps)
* Top ranked Rep in the Western US

2007 -Sold over $11M - 187% of quota  
Account wins include: Yahoo, Paramount, Fox, DIRECTV, MTV, Fox Sports, ABC TV
* Presidents Club Award Winner
* Number 1 Rep in the US (out of over 300 reps)
* Sold largest deal of the year (Fox- $4.5M)

2006 -Sold over $9M- 150% of quota
Account wins include: Sony Pictures, ABC Studios, Fox Entertainment, CBC Sports
* Presidents Club Award Winner
* Number 4 Rep in the US (out of over 300 reps)
* Top producing new hire 
* Rookie of the Year (out of over 100 reps)

EDUCATION:
Seton Hall College- West Orange NJ, MI Bachelor of Arts Degree
Major: Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.

SALES TRAINING:
ABC Software Solutions Sales Training
Franklin Covey, Helping Clients Succeed, Microsoft’s preferred sales training class

COMPUTER SKILLS:
Lotus Notes email, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Freelance, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, Seibel, BRIO, Congas, Social Software, Sales force



Sample 2 - Basic Format
SUMMARY
(Your summary should change depending on the position you are applying for)
An accomplished sales executive with a proven track record for consistently overachieving quota. Experience selling into most vertical markets,  including : media/entertainment, healthcare, banking, technology and manufacturing. 

EXPERIENCE

ABC Networks – Regional Sales Manager, 2005-present

Responsible for selling networking products to major accounts in California.

2008 Quota Achieved- 133%
Sold over $3M (MySpace, Sony Mobil, Disney)
• Presidents Club Winner

2007 Quota Achieved- 155%
Sold over $3M (ABC Inc. , CBS, NBC))
Presidents Club Winner

2006 Quota Achieved- 125%
Sold over $2.4M (Pardee Homes, Thomas Guides, Idealabs, Wells Fargo)
Presidents Club Winner

2005 Quota Achieved -175%
Sold over $3.8M (Smashbox Studios, Fox Sports Net, Universal Studios)
Presidents Club Winner

CCC Communications – Account Manager, 2001-2004

Responsible for selling complete line of hosting services to new business in the Western US.

2004 Quota Achieved- 205%
 Sold over $4M (Disney/ABC, Taco Bell, ESPN, Universal Studios)
Winners Circle

2003 Quota Achieved- 235%
 Sold over $4M (Countrywide , AMD, Kaiser Permanente, Sony Pictures, Disney)
Winners Circle

2002 Quota Achieved- 180%
 Sold over $3.8M (Philips, Thomas Guide, Washington Mutual)
Winners Circle

2001 Quota Achieved- 205%

Sold over $4.8M (TTC Inc., Johnson Controls, UBC Bank)
• Winners Circle



EDUCATION

University of California -B.A. Computer Sciences 1999


Having a  well written resume is essential to a successful search. However, unless it is being read by the person making the hiring decision, it is has no value. Read " How to Approach Hiring Managers" and learn the best way to approach hiring managers. ( http://firstroundcareeradvisoryservices.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-approach-hiring-managers.html) .
To learn more about how our one on one coaching can help you achieve career success, call and speak to one of our Career Experts.   949.675.0000 ext . 101












4 Ways to Win More Jobs

By Nick D'Ambrosio

Wouldn’t it be great if you received a job offer after every interview? What if you could convert 25% more interviews into job offers? We all know people with average skills and amazing jobs. How do they do it? One thing I guarantee, they interview well.
While a solid background is always an advantage, it does not guarantee career success. Great backgrounds open doors, great interview skills generate offers! Here are a few keys to help you become an expert at interviewing.

• What is the job? - While this may seem like common sense, few people really know EXACTLY what a hiring manager is looking for. If you find a job through a recruiter, make sure they share with you everything they can about the position. Why is it open? What types of people has this company hired in the past? If you found it through another source, go to Linkedin and look up the company and the backgrounds of their employees. Know what the perfect person looks like…. before you interview.

• Why Hire You? - Have you gone on an interview and been asked, “ Why should I hire you?” Even if that question wasn’t asked, it was on the hiring managers’ mind. Make sure you have a brief “why hire me” story that you can confidently recite on the fly. If you’re not 100% confident in your ability to SELL your background, don’t expect many offers.

• What really matters? - Before you spend 10- minutes talking about how you sold or implemented or saved a company xxx, make sure these amazing feats matter to the person you are meeting. While selling the most routers in all of Texas is great, it may not matter to the VP of Sales at Oracle.

• How to close an interview- We talk to our candidates after they’ve interviewed. Most think they did well. Few know exactly where they stand . If you know you have made it through to the next step, find out what that step is. Ask as many questions as you can about the person you will be meeting and try to set up the appointment immediately. If you did not make the cut, ask why. Perhaps you can resell why you are the right person for the job. If not, you can at least try to gain insight into what you did well and what areas you can improve upon. Your interview skills will improve if you know exactly where you need improvement. While the goal of every interview should be to secure the job, you also need to use these meetings as a way to improve your skills in this area.
All things equal  it’s the person that interviews best that lands the job. Improve this set of skills and watch your interview to offer ratio increase substantially.


Take advantage of our complimentary, job market evaluation call. One minor flaw in your search approach is enough to keep even the best talent from reaching their career goals. Contact an expert today at: 949.675.0000 ext 101