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“Strategic Career Engagement” provides the insight into what today’s hiring managers want to see from their prospective candidates. It takes the art of applying for a position and the progression of your career to a higher level. Being the best qualified candidate is no longer enough. You must be able to clearly demonstrate it and back it up with facts.
Today’s economic climate makes the securing of a job offer more difficult than ever before. The competition is fiercer and no longer can you simply rely on your qualifications or experience to secure a position.
“Strategic Career Engagement” describes how the job market has changed. It details how, like a product or company, you too must become a brand. That brand must have a following that is able to catch the eye of a hiring manager in such away that makes you the candidate of choice.
Donn LeVie Jr. passes on his inside knowledge on what it takes to be the hiring manager’s choice.
There can be no question that a job for life is a thing of the past. It is estimated that today a person may change jobs between five and seven times during their career.
Changing jobs can be a stressful enough process at the best of times, especially in the case where you have been unexpectedly laid off and have a mortgage and family to support.
In “Strategic Career Engagement” LeVie focuses on how best to present yourself to a hiring manager when applying for a new job. His book describes the many mistakes that people make when making an application, and what it takes to capture the attention of a hiring manager. With so many people applying for so few jobs, sending out your résumé detailing your past responsibilities together with a standard cover letter is unlikely to attract much attention.
In essence, you need to become a brand yourself, and one that is recognized and sought after. In describing what it is that a hiring manager is looking for, LeVie writes:
“They scour resumes for evidence of value-ocity in listed accomplishments, achievements, recognized professional brand, and contributions to an organization’s goals.”
The author provides an in depth guide as to how you must market yourself when putting yourself forward for a position. He describes the makeup of a well written resume and cover letter which should focus more on achievements and what you can offer the employer than your previous responsibilities. These should be tailored in a way that covers the exact skills that are being sought after as outlined in the job description.
In “Strategic Career Engagement,” insight is also given into how hiring managers will often evaluate a candidate through their LinkedIn profile, and how the contributions that you have made within your profession such as writing papers, publications, and speaking at seminars are all vital in demonstrating your credibility.
Twenty-five years is the length of time that LeVie (@DonnLeVie) has been working in a variety of hiring manager positions. That is a long time, and much has changed during those years. Through his vast experience, the author not only writes books on the subject, he also provides advice and lectures to corporations, colleges and various organizations and professional institutions.
His invaluable expertise helps organizations to find the correct candidates for their businesses, and individuals to market themselves in a way that should help them to attain a new position, or to gain promotion in their line of work.
If, like me, you have not needed to change or look for a new career in recent years, “Strategic Career Engagement” will outline the changes that have taken place with regard to the recruitment of professionals. Without this knowledge, it would be easy to make common and now unacceptable mistakes when putting forward your resume.
One particularly noteworthy mention is how companies now use systems or a software application called a bot to screen résumés before they even get looked at by a human.
In “Strategic Career Engagement,” the author outlines the distinction between a résumé and a CV and how the way that they need to be written varies. These variations are dependent on whether you are seeking a position in the private sector or public sector.
Whether you are looking to change careers or are returning to work after taking some time off, LeVie has valuable advice. Particularly useful is his advice to those leaving the military to pursue a career in the private sector.
“Strategic Career Engagement” is full of practical information on how one must market oneself like a brand when seeking to impress a hiring manager. In the first half of the book, the author describes what the hiring manager wants to see, and the type of submission which would be rejected very quickly.
I wanted to see examples of what the author was describing, and was getting frustrated at what I thought to be missing. However, examples are to be found later on in the book, but personally I would have liked to have seen these incorporated when first mentioned.
You may already be employed and are looking to move upwards or elsewhere to further your career. Or perhaps you want to return to work after a break. Or have you been laid off and need to get back into employment. Whatever your circumstances, “Strategic Career Engagement” covers a variety of scenarios and offers advice on the best practices to capture the attention of the hiring manager.
Applying for a position has become an art in itself. To be successful, it is now a matter of marketing yourself rather than sending off your résumé and hoping for the best. If you are serious about your career and want to get the edge over your competition, “Strategic Career Engagement” details the best practices to follow to make you stand out from the crowd.
