Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

First off, did your company not offer any outplacement assistance? After 15 years and leaving as an executive, this might have been a standard part of your severance.

If you are truly after an executive-level position, you might not want to go the traditional route of sending out cover letters and resumes; you probably also don't want to comb the "Help Wanted" section week after week. As we all know, many of the really great jobs are never advertised.

I'd think that you'd want to at least consider working with a recruiter. Try these links to get you kick-started:

https://www.staffinglinks.com/psearch/Executive_Recruiters/Defense_,038_Aer...

https://www.i-recruit.com/drecruiters_type_aerospace.htm

https://www.business.com/directory/aerospace_and_defense/employment/recruit...

https://www.careerjournal.com/recruiters/profiles/

Good luck!

Paul

Hi Bunnygirl3, some good recommendations from everyone. I went through a similar situation over a year ago. It was difficult at first, but in hindsight, it's the best thing that happened to me. In addition to the traditional methods of a job search, I also used an informational research gathering approach (which worked well because the majority of people don't do this).

Make a list of companies in all industries that you are interested in. There are also databases at your public library that you can access for virtually no charge to get information about companies. Call them and explain that you are researching the "____" industry and would like to know who is in charge of "_function_". While some companies may not give you the person's name, many others will. When you get that person's name, call them and explain that you're very interested in their industry and am conducting researching to see if that industry would be a good fit with your background/experience. (Be clear that you are not looking for a job, but that you are in the process of fact-finding.) Mention that you have high regard for their company and would he/she be kind enough to share 15-20 minutes with you.

Most people were willing to share their knowledge with me as long as they did not feel pressure on their part. There's more to this so if you would like further details, feel free to contact me directly or let me know how to contact you. Best wishes in your search!

I agree with many of the thoughts posted above. Some are so important that they are worth repeating, plus my additional thoughts:
- don't get depressed, exasperated, etc. You will be back working before long.
- make sure you are still not upset about losing your job - if you are, this will be a turn off to potential employers. You are better off taking some time off from looking to get over it.
- do prepare a resume. Don't get it to 100%, because you can spend so much time editing it that you don't ever send it out. Just get it good enough.
- network. Go to association meetings, catch up with colleagues, etc.
- do spend some time looking at posted job openings. But, don't spend the majority of your time doing this. If you are spending more than a day or two a week, you are spending too much time.

I like the Net temps Crossroads newsletter as a source for job seeking tips - https://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/.

Good luck.

Time for another commercial.

Pick up a copy of The Potato Chip Difference : How to apply leading edge marketing strategies to landing the job you want. It's available on Amazon.com, bn.com, most bookstores in the US, or on the website www.potatochipdifference.com .

The premise of the book is that your job search is, first and foremost, a marketing strategy project. If you understand that and treat it that way, you'll find that you accomplish the objective quicker, better, and with a lot less stress.

Also, the very first thing you need to do is be sure you don't inadvertently sabotage your own efforts by doing things that seem right but actually undermine your marketing plan. Those are listed and explained in the booklet, 10 Stupid Things Job Seekers Do That Guarantee They'll Be Looking For Work Again Soon. You can get the booklet free when you order the book at the website, or you can buy it there for US$3 (I think).

You should take comfort in the fact that the average tenure with the same employer, at least in the United States, is just over 3 years. That means that there are millions of people with the same problem you have, and there are some great references available to help you with the task at hand.

You might want to check out the resources listed on the website referenced above. There are books, websites, and professional coaches/counselors all listed there.

Have a look and see if it helps. Also, you can read the introduction and first chapter of the book on the website while you're there.

Good luck. You'll look back at this a year from now and wonder why it was so traumatic ... though that probably doesn't help much today.