About Us

Strategic Search Partner
Job Search Tip Sheet
 

As a former client of search firms, a former job-seeker and now as a search consultant, there have been many valuable lessons I have learned over the past twenty five years in industry and in the search business. I am frequently asked by colleagues who are seeking a new opportunity how to go about conducting a search. As an executive search consultant, our primary purpose is to help clients fill positions in various industries and functions. Unfortunately, we are not always working on assignments which match up with qualifications and career goals. Included in this "Tip Sheet" are a few ideas which may help you navigate the search process.

Here are a few key pointers we pass along to our colleagues in business who are either engaged in a current job search or are simply trying to enhance their long-term career prospects. Please keep us posted on your career progress and let us know if we may ever be of service to you or your organization in the future. For more information, please call Frank Laux at 817-281-1282, fax 817-281-4495 email info@searchssp.com  Also please be a frequent visitor to our website WWW.SEARCHSSP.COM. We promise to continually update our "Tip Sheet" and keep you informed regarding our search activities.

Here are a few things you may want to consider:

Make an honest self-assessment of where you are in your career and your life. What do you want to accomplish? Take a look at your skill set, your qualifications and your unique abilities and see how they are marketable in today’s environment and how they will be marketable 3-5 years down the road.

Gather Information and get up to speed quickly on the job market. An excellent source for mid-senior executives is John Lucht’s "Rites of Passage at $100,000+". Also, you should be searching on the web for relevant job search support. Much of this support is free of charge. For our recommended list of the most helpful resources to maximize your results click on these books:

John Lucht’s "Rites of Passage at $100,000+" "The guru of executive job-changing" combines many new techniques with the proven, reliable wisdom his loyal readers have come to expect to create this invaluable manual--an indispensable aid to executive job hunting.

Develop your resume. This is one of the most important things you will do. Communicate clearly what you have done in the past. List your previous positions in reverse chronological order and explain your responsibilities and your accomplishments. Be specific, be conversational. List your educational background and other relevant information. There are plenty of inexpensive books and articles to help here. Most important, BE HONEST and clear. Have fellow colleagues critique it and check for content and spelling errors.  We recommend these as the best resources to build your resume.

		Donald Asher's Bible of Executive Resumes and How to Write Them " . . . this book provides the largest compendium of executive resumes available to the general public."
		201 Winning Cover Letters for $100,000+ Jobs : Cover Letters That Can Change Your Life!  by Wendy Enelow "This book presents a visual feast of outstanding examples representing the 'best of the best' written communication professionals offer employers seeking top talent in today's highly competitive job market. "

Develop a marketing plan for yourself. Depending on your situation, this will vary depending on whether you are out of work and aggressively looking for a new position or quite happy in you current position with "feelers" out in the market. Here are a few ways to tailor your marketing plan. For those aggressively seeking a new challenge, do the following

Activate your network. Former colleagues at work, friends, customers, suppliers, college friends, former supervisors, industry associates, trade associations, anyone you feel may be helpful in your search. There are appropriate ways to let people know you are looking without becoming a pain in the neck. Most people are happy to help if they can, but understand that everyone is very busy. Don’t take it personally if everyone does not return phone calls. We are living in a very busy, "voicemail" society.

Do a targeted mailing campaign to retained executive search consultants. You will need to distinguish between "Retained" search firms and "Contingency" firms. There are several distinctions.

Retained firms serve as consultants for and generally work on assignments at $100,000+. They are paid a fee for conducting the search work and a do exhaustive work to find the perfect candidate.

Contingency search firms are generally used by clients for a wide variety of positions ranging from sales positions to senior management roles paying well over $100,000. The client pays the fee to the search firm if and when a "match" is made between a prospective candidate and the employer. There are excellent search firms whether operating on a retained or contingency basis, but it is very important to get to know the consultant and the firm and if possible deal with firms that specialize in your industry or functional area. You should be very careful circulating your resume to a large number of contingency firms, since you may have your resume circulating without your permission. At Strategic Search Partners, we operate with total confidentiality for both our candidates and our clients. Trust and Integrity are absolutely critical in your relationship with any search consultant.

Strategic Search Partners
Address: PO Box 1176, Keller, TX 76244
Phone: 817-281-1282 
Fax: 817-281-4495

Email: info@searchssp.com