E-Summit: Making Mid-Level Managers Shine

Presented byMarie Zimenoff, M.Ed, MRW

and Louise Kursmark, MRW

Mid-Level ManagerDefinitions Definition

Duties Get things done Supervise employees Report up the chain of

command to executives Work in all functional areas of

a business

Mid-Level ManagerCategories Individual contributor to manager

Shift focus

Face career challenges

Move from entrepreneur to middle management

Government/non-profit to corporate (and vice versa)

Move up to executive

Individual Contributor to Manager Challenges Lack confidence; never held manager title May lack knowledge of manager role Don’t know how to showcase manager experience

Individual Contributor to Manager Strategies Behavior-based questions (“Tell me about a time you

were put in charge of a project.”) Drill down to get numbers Ask what their manager does Ask for performance reviews Use relevant keywords in LinkedIn profile heading, job

title

Individual Contributor to ManagerHeadline

Job Titles

And, of course, Summary and Skills!

Individual Contributor to Manager Samples Ben Robinson (Page 5 in Handout) Contributed by Lynn Levy

David Meyer (Page 7 in Handout) Contributed by Lynn Levy

Shifting Focus

Challenges How to position specific experience for transition Having to take a step back to transition What not to say or showcase

Shifting Focus

Strategies Have an eagle eye for overly specific language and

details Position them in the new role/industry Pull keywords from target job descriptions Find parallels Be strategic on LinkedIn

Shifting Focus

Headline

Summary

Shifting Focus

Samples Dana Winfrey (Page 10 in Handout) Contributed by Michelle Swanson

Derek Brownell (Page 12 in Handout) Contributed by Marjorie Sussman

Facing Career Challenges

Challenges Worried about their obstacle … afraid the will “never”

get a job Unsure how to position things that can appear less-

than-positive May have qualifications, technical skills, certifications,

etc., that are not up to date

Facing Career Challenges

Strategies Get creative Uncover the context Position the right information to get attention Overwhelm with good stuff Explain your strategy Be strategic with LinkedIn profile content and

organization

Facing Career Challenges

Samples Jackie Price (Resume: Page 16; LinkedIn: Page 18) Contributed by Louise Kursmark

Steven Unger (Resume: Page 19; Letter: 21; LinkedIn: 22) Contributed by Marie Zimenoff

Entrepreneurs

Challenges How to position self for a specific role after doing it all May not be well versed in specific job requirements May tend to use terms/highlight experience that turn

off employers

Entrepreneurs

Strategies Use the right job title(s) Showcase relevant achievements Use numbers wisely Write with the reader in mind Connect the dots with LinkedIn language

Entrepreneurs

Samples Paul Jacob (Resume: Page 29) Contributed by Marie Zimenoff

Mariel Smithers (Resume: Page 25; LinkedIn: 27) Contributed by Louise Kursmark

Move Between Gov’t / Non-Profit and Corporate Challenges – Non-profit/Gov’t to Corporate Not able to translate past experience May not be able to show numbers May look too academic or narrowly focused

Challenges – Corporate to Non-profit/Gov’t Not able to translate past experience May need to highlight volunteer experience to be

relevant May look overqualified

Move Between Gov’t / Non-Profit and Corporate Strategies: non-profit/government to corporate Get the numbers and highlight them Tout expertise and connections Use corporate language Avoid government-speak, acronyms, and other

content that will not resonate

Move Between Gov’t / Non-Profit and Corporate Strategies: corporate to non-profit/gov’t Highlight volunteer/association leadership Translate corporate experience into non-profit/gov’t

language Write a cover letter that connects the candidate to the

mission of the target organization Be strategic with LinkedIn profile organization and

content

Samples Roger Maxwell (Resume: Page 33; LinkedIn: 34) Contributed by Karen Reiff

Cecil Shorts (Resume Page 36; Letters: 38–39) Contributed by Marie Zimenoff

Move Between Gov’t / Non-Profit and Corporate

Moving up to Executive

Challenges May provide too many details of low-level activities May not project executive image (tone and visual

impression) May not have enough or large enough achievements

to compete

Moving up to Executive

Strategies Focus on the big picture Showcase revenue/profit growth, cost reduction, and

other executive achievements Use executive language – abbreviations and acronyms Create an executive “look and feel” Be strategic with the linked in profile

Samples Fred Rodgers (Resume: Page 41) Contributed by Karen Reiff

Raj Singh (Resume: Page 42) Contributed by Marjorie Sussman

Moving up to Executive

Questions Page 44

Questions to Elicit Great Content

Thank you!Questions?

Presented byMarie Zimenoff and Louise Kursmark