The Executive Job Search: Career Changing Pitfalls

In a Harvard Business Review article (Volume 67, Number 5), “Beware the Pitfalls of Global Marketing,” the author notes that: “Shortcomings in a campaign, like over-standardization and poor follow-up, can fell a good product.” When you are a TMI client, these shortcomings, which in many cases also handicap the job campaign, are thoroughly addressed by TMI Executive Resources’ team of expert consultants.

They include:

• Insufficient Research
• Rigid Implementation
• Poor Follow-up
• Narrow Vision
• Over-Standardization

Insufficient Research
Formal research is of course not alien to marketing decision making, yet many a program has been kicked off without the benefit of a reality test: How viable are my options? Which are most appropriate? Short-cutting this early step is likely to be costly sooner or later in one's career.

Rigid Implementation
When a job search is burdened with too many conventional methods, inventiveness is lost. Objectively, innovation and an individualized program consisting of a strong communications strategy (writing, personal presentation, negotiating) is necessary to stay updated and responsive to changing market conditions.

Poor Follow-up
Impressive meetings and splashy presentations to company heads are important "attention-getters" at the start of a campaign. But the momentum will be lost if these are not followed up by concrete steps to monitor progress, debate issues and solve problems as they occur. These post-launch activates can determine whether or not program will be productive.

Narrow Vision
Narrow vision is a serious problem. In most cases only a single (non-objective) perspective is presented during a launch and beyond. Without a forum for debating issues and alternatives, and for developing solutions, decisions will be narrow and insular. This will inevitably hamper the marketing process. A key contributor to the problem is the job searcher's insistence on a home-brewed recipe for self-positioning and self-marketing in an already crowded and competitive job market.

Over-Standardization
A standardization, off-the-shelf marketing approach can be dramatically limiting due to the current economic environment. Since the job market is dynamic and changing, flexibility should be built into a program’s implementation. Absence of flexibility becomes an obstacle to competitive advantage.

Our Method
TMI Executive Resources has developed an approach to help people avoid these pitfalls and find the right career opportunities at the right income. As career management experts we can bring great knowledge, convenience and speed to our clients’ efforts.