a q&a session with rodney apple - apics

ASK THE CAREER COACH A Q&A SESSION WITH RODNEY APPLEBy Rodney Apple, in partnership with APICS

2 ASK THE CAREER COACH

INTRODUCTION

We decided to switch up our normal APICS Career Coach webinar and white paper format this time around! Instead of laying out information on a specific topic up front, we polled APICS members so they could tell us what career development questions they wanted answered.

We received about 70 questions in total. I condensed this list to the top 20 questions, with the goal of covering unique topics we hadn’t addressed in prior APICS Career Coach webinars and white papers.

I hope you enjoy this Q&A format—and especially the content! The APICS members asked excellent questions, and I have answered them in this white paper. Perhaps some of these tips can help you with the advancement of your supply chain career. To your success! Rodney Apple APICS Career Coach


1. After retiring from the military, I’m having a problem translating my skill sets into civilian lingo. Are there resources to help? 2. I have a great deal of practical experience and I’m CPIM-certified, but how do I highlight my background when I don’t have a formal degree?

3. Could having the same title for 10 years at the same company hurt me as I’m looking for new opportunities?

4. Can you help me understand how supply chain could enhance company profit? 5. For mid- or senior-level executive candidates, is an MBA viewed as a necessity or a preferred requirement?

6. I don’t have supervisory experience, but I’m ready to take a team lead role. What can I do to get to this next level?

7. What is the typical duration of a mid- to senior-level professional candidate’s job search? For a company’s search?

8. The APICS certifications are very popular in Europe and are considered a “good to have.” But when applying for a job with American companies, I’ve found some of them haven’t heard about these certifications yet. As an APICS-certified individual, how can I best promote myself to interviewers who are unaware of this credential?

9. How do I tailor my résumé for supply chain business consulting jobs? 10. How do I tell my manager that I’m ready for a promotion in a different area within the company?

11. How can I jump from a small company managing the end-to-end supply chain to a bigger company where tasks are more specialized?

QUESTIONS


12. I’m applying for a job that offers lower compensation and requires less experience than my current position, but I’m really passionate about the company and the responsibilities of the new position. How do I convince the hiring manager I’m right for the job?

13. I find some recruiters/positions are very specific and limited in how they perceive previous experience. How do I sell transferability of skills? 14. How do I address the question of why I left a job after six months because “it wasn’t a good fit,” when in truth it was really too overwhelming? What do I say when they keep digging? It feels like a dark cloud over my résumé.

15. I’m in my late 50s and need a career coach. Any suggestions for someone with no budget?

16. In my experience, it’s much easier to work for a company with which you share the same values. How can you find these companies?

17. Is it a negative to have been with the same company for 20 years, even if there has been upward movement? 18. Is it better to use a recruiter or to do your own job search? When is the best time to leave during an acquisition transition? 19. What are three traits young professionals must possess to succeed? 20. What are some effective ways to approach networking through email when no prior dialogue has been established?


After retiring from the military, I’m having a problem translating my skill sets into civilian lingo. Are there resources to help?

Yes, there are a lot of good resources to assist with learning civilian lingo and how to translate the experience and skill sets you attained in the military to the civilian sector. The APICS Dictionary, 15th edition, contains more than 4,800 terms and definitions relevant to supply chain and operations management professionals working in today’s global environment.

Visit apics.org/dictionary to learn more!

Here are some additional online career-related resources for veterans: RecruitMilitary.com — This job board is specifically designed for active members of the U.S. military with the goal of connecting them with hiring managers and recruiters.

GIJobs.com — A guide to post-military success that includes sections on everything from education and résumés to wardrobes and body language.

Military.com — This subsidiary of Monster provides a variety of military-related content, including a “buddy finder” and information about VA loans.

USAJobs.gov — Run by the government, this jobs and information board welcomes all veterans, including those with disabilities, and provides them with assistance in their job search and help navigating the deluge of paperwork that comes with the transition from military to civilian life.

MOAA.org — Military Officers Association of America serves active, former and retired military officers. Provides networking opportunities and other transition services.

HireAHero.org — Social networking for veterans that connects them with employers, recruiters, volunteers and mentors to assist in their job search.

CorporateGray.com — Serving the veterans’ community by providing resources, job fairs and career-transition education books and services, as well as promoting veterans as employees to employers.

TAOnline.com — Transition Assistance Online offers transition assistance information and tools to help veterans and service members find civilian employment.

Hire a professional résumé writer with supply chain experience and/or knowledgeIf you’re having trouble translating your military experience into civilian terms on your résumé, then you may want to hire a professional résumé writer. This quick, easy and affordable solution can yield positive results if you choose the right partner. If you need any referrals, please contact me via email. Online NetworkingNetwork with other ex-military supply chain professionals. An easy way to make connections is via LinkedIn. I recommend running an Advanced Search on LinkedIn and start by typing the name of the military branch you served in within the “Keywords” search box (e.g., “Marines”). Next, type some supply chain-related keywords into the “Job Title” search box (e.g., “logistics” or “transportation”). Ideally, you

QUESTION 1.

BACK TO QUESTIONS


should use keywords and titles that match your core experience in the military and/or the type(s) of jobs you’re most interested in. If you have a list of target companies, you should enter them into the “Company” search field. You also might consider signing up for a premium account on LinkedIn to give you better access to individual contacts. You can always cancel at any time. Identify supply chain recruiters that place military candidates into civilian jobs—they deal with this challenge all the time. Again, LinkedIn is a great resource to identify these types of recruiters and recruiting firms. You can ask your peers if they have any referrals as well.

YouTubeI’m convinced that you can learn just about anything there is to learn via YouTube. Experiment with various search terms until you discover the type of content you’re looking for. For example, try “translate military to civilian lingo” as a search term and you’ll find plenty of good advice. I’m a big fan of the instructional videos on supply chain management that Arizona State University developed.

Attend Supply Chain Professional Networking EventsThis is a great way to learn lingo and meet others in the supply chain profession. APICS has local chapters in most major cities. Visit apics.org/chapters to find the chapter nearest you.


I have a great deal of practical experience and I’m CPIM-certified, but how do I highlight my background when I don’t have a formal degree?

List CPIM and any other supply chain certifications at the very top of your résumé, right underneath your name. I don’t recommend listing your certification(s) right after your last name because when you apply online and your résumé is electronically scanned/parsed into an application tracking system (ATS), the system could mistakenly interpret your last name as “CPIM.”

Tailor your résumé to each job you apply for, matching your skills and accomplishments against the qualifications and requirements listed within the job description. I recommend keeping a “master résumé” on file that contains a list of all of your skills, qualifications and accomplishments. You can easily copy and paste specific information from your master résumé to create a tailored résumé.

Write a cover letter that highlights your skills, experience and accomplishments as they relate to the position you’re applying for.

Emphasize relative training, courses and certifications under “Education and Training.”

Target employers that are flexible with their degree requirements. Note that small to mid-sized companies are typically more flexible than large public corporations when it comes to degree requirements.

Never falsify education on your résumé. Not only is this unethical, but most companies conduct background checks that include validating education and degrees.

QUESTION 2.

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Could having the same title for 10 years at the same company hurt me as I’m looking for new opportunities?

Unfortunately, this can be perceived as a negative by employers—they may assume you’re not top talent because of the lack of demonstrated upward career progression. Here are a few scenarios where it’s completely acceptable to hold the same job title for 10 or more years at the same company:

Senior executive positions where there’s little or no advancement opportunity; e.g., COO, CFO, CEO and the like.

Very small companies where there’s little or no advancement opportunity. Highly specialized positions requiring unique skill sets, such as network modelers. Companies that have a very flat organizational structure. Positions based in extremely rural or remote areas with very few employers.

What you need to do to mitigate this perceived concern Consider using a functional résumé format instead of reverse chronological. This allows you to emphasize and showcase your skills, experience and qualifications and deemphasize your job history (job history goes at the very end of the functional résumé).

Consider using a cover letter to explain why you’ve held the same job title for so long and be prepared to answer the question during an interview.

Emphasize your increased levels of responsibility, accomplishment and compensation over time on your résumé and in interviews.

QUESTION 3.

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Can you help me understand how supply chain could enhance company profit? There are numerous ways in which supply chain contributes toward and improves the profitability of a company. Here are a few examples, broken out by supply chain function: Procurement

Very small companies where there’s little or no advancement opportunity. Highly specialized positions requiring unique skill sets, such as network modelers. Companies that have a very flat organizational structure. Positions based in extremely rural or remote areas with very few employers.

Logistics Identification of more efficient means of transporting and distributing products Cost reductions through carrier or 3PL rate negotiations Network modeling and optimization

Planning

Improvement in inventory turns and optimization of inventory levels Improvement in forecast accuracy Mitigation of excess and obsolete inventory

Manufacturing Continuous improvements at the factory level, such as upgrading production equipment, implementing better systems, streamlining processes, improving maintenance, increasing labor productivity, increasing throughput, etc.

Implementation of Lean, which also can help increase profits if done correctly.

QUESTION 4.

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For mid- or senior-level executive candidates, is an MBA viewed as a necessity or a preferred requirement?

This varies from company to company, but typically it’s a “preferred” requirement. As a rule of thumb, the higher up the career ladder you progress, the more the weight shifts toward skills, experience and accomplishments rather than education.

Large public corporations and major consulting firms tend to prefer MBAs, while smaller organizations tend to be more flexible with the degree requirement.

Be aware that an MBA can be the deciding factor between candidates interviewing for the same job if all other qualifications are considered equal.

If you’re targeting specific companies or industries for employment, research the educational backgrounds of peers and executives at those companies via LinkedIn to help determine if an MBA would help you gain employment and accelerate your career advancement.

I always recommend that you conduct a cost/benefit analysis to help determine the potential ROI of obtaining an MBA.

QUESTION 5.

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I don’t have supervisory experience, but I’m ready to take a team lead role. What can I do to get to this next level?

I recommend that you start by asking your direct manager this question. He or she should be able to tell you what you need to accomplish, and by when, in order to move into management. Schedule one-on-one time with your manager to develop an action plan with defined performance objectives, training needs and milestones. Also, be sure to schedule recurring meetings to go over your progress, accomplishments, etc.

Seek out someone in management who could serve as your mentor. Don’t select your boss. Instead, try to find someone who has a strong track record of success and respect at the company. A mentor can help you in many ways, such as making internal connections, providing you with advice on how to move up the ladder at the company or removing road blocks.

Strive to be the very best at your current job and identify innovative ways to help your team or department exceed (not just meet) expectations.

Help others every chance you get, since this is what leadership is all about. Ask your peers if you can do anything to help with their workload. Demonstrating leadership when you’re not in a leadership position is a major key to success and upward movement into management roles.

Take initiative every chance you get—volunteer for projects, fill in for a coworker who’s absent, seek out opportunities to increase your knowledge and skills, etc.

Be sure to keep a written daily journal of everything you do that goes beyond your day-to-day responsibilities, especially accomplishments and what you personally do to help others succeed. You’ll use this information when you sit down with your manager for reviews and to provide an update on progress made toward your goals and performance objectives.

Develop a “Plan B” in the event that you have a boss who doesn’t want to invest time in you or help you achieve your goal of moving into leadership. Your plan could include moving internally to another department that has better management or growth opportunities, or finding a better opportunity with another company.

QUESTION 6.

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What is the typical duration of a mid- to senior-level professional candidate’s job search? For a company’s search?

There are many variables that can significantly increase or decrease the length of time required to find or fill a job. Job location, labor market competitiveness, compensation, relocation factors, employer brand/reputation, economic conditions, industry, etc. can all play a role.

With that said, the average time for a company to fill a job typically falls within the range of 45 to 90 days. Mid- to senior-level professional roles tend to take a little longer, mainly due to their more thorough interview assessments and a higher degree of difficulty in scheduling candidates and interviewers.

On the job search side (and this is my personal experience, as there are no stats available to track this metric), I would estimate 60 to 90 days on average. Mid- to senior-level professional jobs are typically on the higher side of this range, and can take even longer because career opportunities become more limited the higher you advance up the career ladder.

QUESTION 7.

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The APICS certifications are very popular in Europe and are considered a “good to have.” But when applying for a job with American companies, I’ve found some of them haven’t heard about these certifications yet. As an APICS-certified individual, how can I best promote myself to interviewers who are unaware of this credential?

Ensure that your APICS certification(s) is prominently displayed on your résumé and cover letter—at the very top of your résumé, right underneath your name. I also recommend adding it under Education/Training on your résumé.

Consider adding a hyperlink (for example, APICS CPIM) within your résumé and cover letter to prompt interviewers to click on the link and quickly learn more about the certification and its value.

When you’re asked at the end of your interview if you have any questions, be sure to ask the interviewer(s) if they’ve heard of APICS and the value of APICS supply chain education programs and certifications. This is an ideal opportunity to educate them on the spot.

Be sure to research and target companies that list an APICS certification as preferred in their job postings—obviously these companies are well aware of the value of APICS and its certification programs.

QUESTION 8.

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How do I tailor my résumé for supply chain business consulting jobs?

You should conduct research to identify the core skills, requirements and qualifications of the consulting jobs you’re most qualified for and want to pursue.

Identify relevant and/or “transferable skills” in your background that you can match against the job requirements. Highlight these in both your résumé and cover letter.

Focus on highlighting relevant projects that you’ve led and participated in. Prioritize these on your résumé based on the job you’re applying for.

Be sure to highlight systems implementation experience and process improvement, analytical, problem-solving and strategy development skills. These are core skills that consulting firms typically look for.

Quantify the results of your accomplishments—such as cost savings, for example—on your résumé.

If you have any consulting experience, obviously you’ll emphasize this on your résumé. If not, perhaps you have “internal consulting” experience you can emphasize on your résumé and in your cover letter.

If you have advanced education such as an MBA or master’s degree, be sure to highlight it near the top of your résumé, because this is typically a primary requirement or preferred qualification in many consulting firms.

QUESTION 9.

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How do I tell my manager that I’m ready for a promotion in a different area within the company?

This can be a tricky maneuver, especially if you’re in a high-impact, high-value role within your current department and would be transferring to another department under a new manager. Sometimes managers are very protective of their top employee(s) and fear that things will implode if they lose a strong team member. Of course, the best approach is honesty and transparency—but to help smooth the transition process, be careful how you communicate your aspirations.

I recommend that you schedule time with your manager to go over your career goals and intentions to move to a new department as soon as possible. The longer you wait to have this conversation, the longer it may take to attain the promotion. In addition, if he/she finds out through the grapevine that you’re intending to switch departments, this will likely cause some friction between you and your manager.

When you meet with your manager, make sure you bring your performance goals with you, along with your accomplishments, so you can articulate how well you’ve performed against your goals. Include all accolades you received from others, both internally and externally, and quantify results for each accomplishment. If you fell short, document why, and detail what you’ve done to make improvements and close any gaps or shortcomings. Before you leave this meeting, seek confirmation that your boss is satisfied with your performance.

From here, you’ll want to transition the conversation to the promotion opportunity and ask for support in pursuing the promotion. Ensure that you have your manager’s full support, and document any concerns he or she brings up so you can address and alleviate them. In addition, it’s often beneficial to describe how you would help transfer your responsibilities to your replacement and aid in getting the new person up to speed. While it isn’t your job, showing this initiative can help ease your current manager’s concerns.

If you do encounter heavy resistance (especially if your manager refuses to support your promotion for selfish reasons, such as a fear of something going wrong after you leave), you may need to seek guidance from your HR representative and/or the hiring manager for the promotional opportunity that you want to explore. While it should never get to this point, it’s wise to document everything in writing in the event the issue gets escalated.

QUESTION 10.

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How can I jump from a small company managing the end-to-end supply chain to a bigger company where tasks are more specialized?

Start by optimizing your résumé. In this type of scenario, you should tailor your résumé to match the jobs you’re applying for in larger firms. Be sure to emphasize and highlight the relevant functional experience, accomplishments and transferable skills that align with the position you’re applying for. Deemphasize your non-relevant experience.

Write down your job search strategy using S.M.A.R.T. goals and action steps with deadlines. S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (deadline-driven). Action steps are all the activities you’ll need to complete to obtain your goals (number of jobs to apply for, networking events to attend, etc.).

Research and develop a target company list of larger employers. I suggest keeping this list size at 25 to 50 companies so you can better focus. Your target list will evolve as you discover companies that aren’t a match and new companies that you want to add.

Use LinkedIn as a means of researching and connecting with employees on your target company list. Make an effort to connect with employees who work within the function you’re targeting—peers, potential hiring managers, HR partners, department/functional leaders and even the top supply chain executive. All it takes is one person to act on a résumé, forward it to the hiring manager or set up a phone interview.

Focus the majority of your job search efforts on networking activities instead of online applications. A good rule of thumb is to spend 80% of your time networking and 20% of your time conducting research on jobs and employers to explore.

Attend supply chain networking functions to meet and engage contacts who work with larger employers. If you have a local APICS chapter, take advantage of your APICS membership and attend its local chapter events. These are excellent events—you can typically network while learning something new at the same time.

When it comes to your primary connections within the top employers you’re seeking, make an effort to stay on their “radar screen” so you’re at top of mind when jobs open. Schedule periodic check-in emails or calls, but be careful not to overdo it and become an annoying pest.

Consider taking a lateral move or a job that’s a small step back to get in the door with a larger employer. Many candidates who have worked only with small companies mistakenly believe they can land a job with a higher-level job title at a larger employer. These candidates are missing out on opportunities because they’re making assumptions that job titles are similar across organizations in responsibility, scope and compensation. It’s best to keep an open mind and not make these types of assumptions about job titles because titles can be drastically different from company to company.

QUESTION 11.

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I’m applying for a job that offers lower compensation and requires less experience than my current position, but I’m really passionate about the company and the responsibilities of the new position. How do I convince the hiring manager I’m right for the job? Before engaging with the hiring manager, you need to put some thought into how you’ll convince the hiring manager that you’re the right hire. This includes writing down key talking points such as your unique value proposition and a list of relevant skills, experiences and accomplishments that closely align with the responsibilities and qualifications of the position.

You also should think about some of the objections you’ll likely face when you speak with the hiring manager, along with how you’ll address and overcome them. The typical concern is that you’ll be a “flight risk” if given the job—meaning you would focus on finding your next opportunity, either internally or externally, soon after starting in the position. Be sure to conduct plenty of research on the company and prepare a list of questions that you want to ask the hiring manager during an interview. Here are some tactics you should consider using when you interview with the hiring manager:

Display your passion, professionalism, sincerity and genuineness about the company and opportunity. Avoid coming across as desperate or over-excited, though. The goal is to build trust with the hiring manager quickly and alleviate concerns that you might be a flight risk.

Focus on communicating the value you’ve brought to past employers in similar positions and how you can deliver the same value in this position.

Ensure the hiring manager understands you’re a dedicated and loyal employee by providing examples from past employers of how you’ve built and gained trust. Ideally, you should provide the interviewer with a strong reference list, as well—references that can validate your strengths, work ethic and loyalty.

If salary is brought up, especially if a comment is made about your current or recent compensation being above the range for the position you’re interviewing for, be honest and transparent about your expectations. Obviously you’re interviewing for a role below your current compensation, so I recommend suggesting that you’re flexible and are more interested in the company and opportunity than the compensation. Of course, everyone has a minimum acceptable compensation level, so make sure you understand this number and your worth before going into the interview.

If tenure in the new position is an issue, ask the hiring manager what time commitment he or she expects of you. If it’s reasonable, you need to convince him or her that you’ll gladly stay in the role until the expectation is met.

QUESTION 12.

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I find some recruiters/positions are very specific and limited in how they perceive previous experience. How do I sell transferability of skills? One of the many positive aspects of supply chain management careers is that skill sets generally are transferable from industry to industry. I think most employers understand this, but unfortunately there are plenty that don’t. While it can be quite challenging to convince a recruiter or employer that your skill set and experience from the past are transferable, there are a couple of techniques you can utilize to help them better understand.

First and foremost, it’s very important that you have a fully optimized supply chain résumé developed before you initiate a job search campaign. Once your résumé is optimized, you’ll want to tailor it for each job that you apply for. Ensure that you’re emphasizing your most relevant and significant skills, experience and accomplishments toward the top of your résumé while deemphasizing non-relevant and non-significant skills, experience and accomplishments. Using a customized résumé for each job you apply for requires more work, but can be a very effective way to highlight transferable skills and experience for an employer.

Another technique you should consider employing is to create a t-format cover letter. The format is similar to most cover letters and contains the following three sections:

1. The top section introduces you and describes why you’re interested in the company and job opportunity.

2. The middle section is the most important, because it visually illustrates how your skills and experience align with the most important requirements within the job description. To format the middle section, create two columns, with the left column showing “Employer’s Needs” and the right column showing “My Qualifications.”

Analyze the job description to uncover the top three to five most important skills and qualifications the employer is seeking (typically the most important qualifications and requirements are listed at or toward the top of each section within the job description). Be sure to highlight your skills, accomplishments and experience that are most relevant to those top qualifications—and try to quantify the results, as well (for example, “Increased productivity by X% or lowered transportation costs by Y%, which generated $Z in cost savings.”).

3. The last section is your closing argument, in which you summarize why you would be a great fit for the position and company. Also provide a “call to action,” such as stating a date and time that you’ll contact the employer to follow up on your application.

QUESTION 13.

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How do I address the question of why I left a job after six months because “it wasn’t a good fit,” when in truth it was really too overwhelming? What do I say when they keep digging? It feels like a dark cloud over my résumé.

Honesty is by far the best policy when it comes to addressing a job that didn’t work out as planned. We don’t live in a perfect world, so most employers and recruiters understand that things occasionally go wrong between employers and employees.

You should be fully transparent when discussing a past job that went wrong, because employers highly value personal traits such as “honesty” when evaluating candidates for employment. Any sign of “dishonestly” will instantly lead to rejection, so avoid bending the truth when it comes to explaining these types of scenarios.

In addition to being honest and transparent, you should prepare in advance of the interview for how you’ll address questions from employers about a job that didn’t work out. I suggest writing down a list of all the things that went well with the job in one column and all the things that didn’t go well in another column. The goal is to confidently speak to both the positives and negatives of the job and ultimately steer the conversation from “mistake made” to “valuable lesson learned.”

In addition, strive to address the issue in an interview before the interviewer has a chance to bring it up. This will help put the ball in your court, allowing you to control the conversation instead of the other way around. Remain positive at all times and never say anything negative about the employer. Again, the goal is to address what happened and show the employer how you learned and progressed from the situation.

QUESTION 14.

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I’m in my late 50s and need a career coach. Any suggestions for someone with no budget?

Start by leveraging your existing network (past coworkers, friends, family, etc.) to identify those who could provide you with some career advice that matches your particular needs. Develop a list of people who might be able to help you out, whether directly or indirectly, and then start reaching out to each person to make them aware of your needs and to seek referrals. Perhaps you don’t necessarily need a full-time or certified “career coach,” but could benefit from someone in your network who has years of experience and good career advice to share.

You also should get out and network with other supply chain professionals. As an APICS member, you can attend local or regional APICS chapter events—these are excellent venues for meeting other supply chain professionals who can offer career advice.

Be sure to check out the APICS Career Coach site to access our portfolio of white papers and webinars.

Use LinkedIn and other online sources to research and engage with connections who could give you advice, such as seasoned recruiters, HR bloggers and the like. LinkedIn allows you to “follow” influencers without actually being first-level connections; this can be a great way to obtain career development advice.

I also suggest using a news aggregator like feedly.com to subscribe to career-focused blogs. Aggregators are excellent tools for researching career advice and staying abreast of career blogs as they’re published.

QUESTION 15.

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In my experience, it’s much easier to work for a company with which you share the same values. How can you find these companies?

The easiest way to find companies that share the same values you do is to be an active and curious networker. Developing and maintaining a strong network gives you plenty of supply chain professionals to engage with and ask about companies that match your core values. Seek out like-minded people and find out where they’re employed—this can lead you to like-minded employers.

LinkedIn provides a great platform for polling your direct connections and their member audiences to identify great companies to work for. You can post questions about employers in Groups or within your main feed.

Another good research tool is Glassdoor, which is basically the “Yelp” for employers and consists of company reviews and other employer-related data. While Glassdoor is a great source for employer information, remember to account for negative bias, since negative reviews typically outweigh positive reviews on this particular site.

I also recommend that you connect with seasoned professional recruiters in your geographical area—they should have a good understanding of employers in the area that reflect your values.

QUESTION 16.

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Is it a negative to have been with the same company for 20 years, even if there has been upward movement?

No, this is a very positive attribute—it shows that you’re very loyal to your employer. Just make sure that you’re steadily progressing based on your career goals and aspirations, because if you do get stuck in one job or company for too long, the perception could be that you’ve hit your career ceiling.

Make sure that your résumé shows strong career progression in terms of responsibilities and accomplishments. If possible, demonstrate job title progression as well.

QUESTION 17.

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Is it better to use a recruiter or to do your own job search? When is the best time to leave during an acquisition transition?

I encourage all job seekers to treat their job search as if they’re leading a critical project that will likely have a major impact on all aspects of their livelihood. While using recruiters should be a component of any job search strategy, you should never rely exclusively on recruiters to find you a job. Why? Recruiters are not in the business of “finding a job” for candidates. On the contrary, recruiters are in the business of “finding candidates” for search engagements assigned by their clients, considering those clients are the ones that pay the recruiters’ invoices. Keep in mind that it’s far more common for employers to use executive recruiting firms to fill positions at the executive/officer level than to use recruiters for non-executive roles. If you’re working in an executive/officer capacity, make sure you’re engaging with the proper executive recruiters who align with your unique job search criteria.

As for knowing if or when to leave an employer during an acquisition, this a difficult call because you may never understand the true intentions and plans behind the acquisition. In this type of scenario, I always recommend developing a “Plan B” so you’ll have other options to consider in the event your job is eliminated. Better safe than sorry!

QUESTION 18.

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What are three traits young professionals must possess to succeed? The best I can do is provide you with my opinion, which has been shaped from 20+ years of working within the recruitment industry. If you ask anyone else this question, you may receive a different answer. But I consider those three traits to be:

1. Grit — How much willingness and determination do you possess to move your career forward, even when the odds are stacked against you? If you fail, will you take the easy way out and give up, or will you pick yourself up off the ground and keep working toward your goals? Grit is your career mojo—your career survival instincts. Grit is the level of determination you must possess to achieve your career goals.

2. Curiosity — Are you constantly seeking out new opportunities to improve your career? What are you doing to learn something new each day to help propel your career forward? Do you challenge the status quo, or do you accept what you’re told without question? When you meet someone new through work, are you thinking about how you could help the person out and vice versa? Curiosity is the ability to think critically, view things from a big-picture perspective, challenge yourself, and seek out the right connections and opportunities to advance your career.

3. Communication — Are you able to easily and convincingly explain your unique value proposition to an employer in under a minute? Can you effectively sell yourself in a job interview? Are you succinct with your communication, or do you ramble? Do you routinely make grammar and spelling mistakes? Can you put together a presentation that wows your audience? You can have a very high IQ and wicked analytical skills, but if you can’t communicate effectively, you may have problems advancing your career.

QUESTION 19.

BACK TO QUESTIONS


What are some effective ways to approach networking through email when no prior dialogue has been established? Email can be a very effective tool for networking purposes and making introductions when you’ve had no prior contact with someone. When used properly, it’s a great way to “break the ice” and convert a cold lead into a warm lead. Here are my tips for using email for introductory networking purposes:

Personalize every message by conducting research on the person using LinkedIn and other online sources. This will help you identify something unique in their background that you could reference in your email. You could mention the person’s current or past employers, job titles, a project, skills, hobby, the city or state they live(d) in, content they’ve uploaded to their LinkedIn profile or shared on social media, or a connection you share. Whatever you do, never use the same cookie-cutter template with zero personalization—this reeks of laziness and can be an instant turnoff.

Personalize the subject line as well, with the goal of grabbing the recipient’s attention so your email will at least get opened. An easy way to do this is to use the person’s first name in the opening of your subject line. Make sure that you don’t use any spammy words that trigger spam filters, which may block your email or send it straight into the junk folder.

Try to write the first introductory email using five sentences or less. The primary goal of an introductory or cold email is to get the person to respond—to start a dialogue. People are busy and receive a lot of email, so it’s critical that you keep your messages short and to the point. Each person whom you email wants to quickly understand who you are, why you’re writing, and what you need or hope to receive from making contact. If your email consists of stacks of long paragraphs, then your response rate will likely be extremely low. Keep it short and sweet and your response rate should go up.

Always leave a “call to action” at the end of your message, asking the person to agree to a quick introductory call or asking a question that’s intended to elicit a reply or response.

QUESTION 20.

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Make sure you inject your personality into the email—no one wants to communicate with a robot. But don’t get too personal and act as if you already know the stranger you’re writing to. Keep it professional and conversational.

Avoid using a “me, me, me” tone or a “demanding” tone with your written communications. Naturally you’re writing with the hope of receiving something positive in return, but you need to convey in your message that you’re willing and able to do something of value as well. You could share an article you think the person might find valuable (be sure to do the proper research before sharing anything) or offer to help introduce the person to certain people in your network. A simple “Is there anything I could do to help you with anything?” can be effective, too.

While email is a great way to break the ice, your goal should be to quickly move the conversation from email to a call or in-person meeting. A few email exchanges may be required to help “qualify” the individual as someone worthy of connecting with, so use your best judgment before deciding whether to ask for a call or meeting.

This may be obvious, but be sure to leave your contact information in the body of the email so the person can easily contact you. Setting up an email signature within email programs such as Outlook and Gmail is easy and strongly recommended.

27 ASK THE CAREER COACH© 2016 APICS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rodney Apple is the founder and president of SCM Talent Group, LLC—a national supply chain recruiting and executive search firm that recruits across the end-to-end supply chain discipline.For nearly 10 years, Rodney worked at the corporate headquarters for The Coca-Cola Company and The Home Depot, where he led professional and executive recruiting for their global supply chain organizations. To date, Rodney has successfully filled over 1,000 professional- to executive Level supply chain positions for clients ranging from Fortune 15 to startup. Rodney also authors “The Supply Chain Talent Blog,” where he shares advice on job search strategy, résumé optimization, interviewing tips, career development, hiring and more. For more information, please visit scmtalent.com.

Visit apics.org/careercoach to read the library of white papers authored by Rodney Apple.


ABOUT APICS

APICS is the premier professional association for supply chain management and the leading provider of research, education and certification programs that elevate supply chain excellence, innovation and resilience. The APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and APICS Supply Chain Operations Reference Professional (SCOR-P) designations set the industry standard. With over 45,000 members and approximately 300 channel partners, APICS is transforming the way people do business, drive growth and reach global customers. For more information, visit apics.org.

a q&a session with rodney apple - apics

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