We wrapped up a busy 2011, delivering top quality client service and exceptional outcomes for clients in the corporate, higher education, and non-profit sectors, including  Mattel, Occidental Petroleum, KIA Motors USA, Gap Inc., and Oaktree Capital Management; University of Southern California, UCLA, and Cal State Northridge;  City of Hope, United Way, L.A. Care, and  Kaiser Permanente.

At the beginning of 2011, we launched our Trufflepig Search division to help client companies find social media and digital communications professionals below the executive level.  And we opened our office in Hong Kong–Trufflepig Search Ltd.– to serve client corporations in Asia.  Our clients include AutoTrader, GE, Gap, Huawei and Coca-Cola/Japan.

As the economy builds momentum in 2012, Berkhemer Clayton is here to help you recruit experienced executives in corporate communications, public relations, investor relations, and finance, and Trufflepig Search will find your next great social media or digital communications team member in the United States or Asia.

We wish you a new year full of health, enjoyment, productivity and profitability.

WBENC’s mission is to advance the success of corporate members, certified women’s business enterprises, and partnering government entities. This certification is accepted and sought out by thousands of major national corporations, public and private utilities as well as federal and state governments.

“BE RESUME-READY” for HOLIDAY NETWORKING SEASON

Los Angeles (Oct. 27, 2011)—The best job-hunting time of the year is the holiday party season, according to Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire and Fred Clayton, principals of the retained executive search firm Berkhemer Clayton Inc. in downtown Los Angeles and Hong Kong.  “Networking is natural and expected at holiday events in all industries, so now’s the time to polish up your resume and online profiles–before the holiday party season officially begins,” advises Berkhemer-Credaire.

“Industry trade associations, college alumni associations, company parties where your spouse or best friend works, annual reunions of employees from companies where you previously worked, chamber of commerce mixers, and neighborhood holiday dinners, are a few examples of locations where for the price of a ticket, you can meet and impress potential employers,” she adds.

“Immediate follow-up after an event is the key to success.  So your resume must be ready to email immediately or no later than within 24 hours after meeting a prospective employer or recruiter,” explains Fred Clayton.  “No one’s resume is perfect, and everyone’s resume can be improved—even the most senior executives often make the same mistakes in their resumes that recent college grads make.”

Following are the six most often-missed pointers that Berkhemer Clayton recommends to be resume-ready.

1)    Spotlight your achievements, not your skills. Does your resume capture the value you have added to your company?  A well-done resume also becomes a guide for talking points for your interviews.  Write your resume according to how you would describe your best success stories in an interview with your future boss.

2)    Under each company name (even if that company name is well-known), add a two- sentence description, including size (revenues and number of employees), whether it is a publicly-held or private company, major products or clients served, and how many offices in how many countries.  This paints a picture of the scope of your responsibilities and in what types of corporate environments you have thrived.

3)    Under each company description, list the progression of position titles you held there, with most recent at top, and the years you held each title. This shows that the company recognized your achievements and promoted you.  Title progression also demonstrates you are committed, growth-oriented and ambitious.

4)    Management experience:  Bullet how many people you managed (include their titles if you can) and the dollar range of budgets you managed in each position.  These are important indicators of advancement potential.

5)    Objective or no Objective at top of the page?  Not really necessary, but if you feel compelled to use an opening Objective description, make sure the paragraph does not over-sell your skills, but summarizes the value of your experience you bring that would be pertinent to that potential employer.

6)    Jettison all self-aggrandizing, subjective (and therefore meaningless) words referring to yourself such as “superb,” “amazing,”  “unprecedented,” “unparalleled,” and countless more. Instead, refer to Tip #1 and list your actual achievements, which will speak volumes about you.

In addition, one resume does not fit all purposes, says Clayton.  “Depending upon the position and the company, edit your resume for each specific opportunity.  Start with the basic outline of your career segments—companies and dates will not change, of course.  But if certain achievements should be included to shine more light on your qualifications for a particular position at a specific company, do it.”

Lastly, online media profiles today are equally as important as your hard-copy resume—so synchronize your LinkedIn profile and your Facebook bio to reflect your resume.

And how do you find the holiday parties where you could network with people who work at companies where you want to work?  “Start with your own industry trade groups, non-profit organizations, your college alumni association, your church or political fund-raisers.  Research online, and schedule your networking calendar now for the holidays—the best networking season of the year,” says Berkhemer-Credaire.  For more on building an effective resume, click here.

The Irvine Company is an internationally renowned, diversified real estate company known for award-winning master-planned communities, high-quality investment properties, and leadership in conversation and natural resource management.

• Use a resume to convey what value you would bring.
• Bullet points must demonstrate your strengths, aspirations, and goals.
• Show a logical, strategic career pathway to create the best impression.

Your resume should look at the big picture, show what value you can add to the company, and as Fred explained, be aspirational.  You should not just use a resume to list experience and skills, but also describe what you would like to do—even if you would like to do something different especially if you are making a transition into something new.  When explaining what your goals are, or what you did at your previous jobs, make sure to show relevance to the position for which you are applying.

Your talent profile can often be more important than the resume, as it can better convey your aspirations and accomplishments.  When listing accomplishments, however, explain exactly what the challenge was, the strategy you orchestrated, and the results.

A resume is the first impression that an employer sees of a potential client, make sure that it is a good first impression.

Listen to the full recording of the show here.

As Director of Public Relations, Scott McKee provides strategic communications counsel and addresses issues that affect internal and external audiences.  Kia Motors America, Inc, the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation, is one of the world’s fastest-growing automakers.  KMA has introduced seven new vehicles in the past two years, and sold nearly 360,000 vehicles in the US in 2010.

Congratulations Scott McKee!

Ingram Micro is the global leader in technology sales, marketing and logistics for the IT industry. Berkhemer Clayton is proud to have handled this search for Ingram Micro.

The members of the team, and how they interact with each other, determine the strength of the team as a whole.  Hackman points out that often smaller teams with people who are comfortable working with each other tend to be more successful than larger teams or teams that are constantly receiving new members.  The ideal size of a team does, in a big part, depend on what the team is doing.  There is not one ideal size group for every situation, but it is much easier for people in big groups of people to be unmotivated to pull their own weight. That being said, big teams do present some advantages.  Naturally, larger teams contain a larger variety of opinions, and a larger group has a higher likelihood of creating unique, innovative solutions across multiple levels of the organization.

Teams where all the members have the same opinions and work without conflict are expedient and may seem preferable, but they don’t necessarily produce the optimal results.  These teams without conflict are often stagnant and lack improvement, two factors which inhibit the strength of a business as a whole.  If everyone agrees with each other, no new ideas will be suggested. It is also lucrative for everyone to feel comfortable sharing suggestions within the group-a point that Hackman stresses in his article.  Sometimes a leader emerges; these leaders can be remarkably helpful to the team–and business—as a whole, but they should not become dictatorial figures within the group.  Instead, these leaders should be open to opinions other than their own to contribute to the success of the group and ultimately fulfill the goals of the team.

Face-to-face interaction is another factor that helps strengthen a team.  The author concedes that while we do live in a time when instant messaging, emailing, and video-chatting are all prevalent, easily accessible, and helpful; these tools should not completely replace in-person interactions.  If the members of the team do work separately from each other, such as from home, they should all come together at certain points to discuss in person what they have accomplished separately.  These meetings are especially important and should not be overlooked, not just because they allow the different team members to become familiar and comfortable with each other, but they allow for a more personal environment to bounce ideas off each other and strengthen those ideas in the process.

Successful teamwork allows for companies to set themselves apart from the pack, to market their brand as something unique.  Innovation can be prompted by one individual, but the best ideas usually come out of a team environment where different parties across all levels come together to synthesize opinions and accomplish goals.

MORE INFO

UPDATE: Robin McCarthy is the executive director of Women at Work, a Pasadena-based career and job resource center. In her recap of the event she offers insight into how women entrepreneurs consistently offer real inspiration. Read the full article for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune here.

The interview segment will soon be posted to the NBC website, NBCLA.com. Details to come.

To watch the segment live tonight: