Recruiting in China

My friends in the executive-search business are all talking about the boom in new jobs. But we all know not every industry is booming, and I know it especially well: One of my company's regional offices is near Detroit.

Whether the automotive professionals are leaving their industry or getting left by it, the end result is the same: They need new jobs. I specialize in corporate marketing search and consulting assignments; that means many of these corporate refugees end up sitting on the other side of my desk.

It's a difficult first meeting. I start it with a dose of reality.

It's almost certain that these professionals will have to change industries. On the agency side, when a company like DaimlerChrysler decides it doesn't need separate agency teams for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, two-thirds of the players find themselves on the street. As Ford and GM cut back, the same goes for the client-side guys. There simply aren't enough marketing jobs in Detroit for all these people.

Unfortunately, with most of the folks I've met, automotive is all they have ever done. And while there are exceptions, the hardest thing so many of these executives learn is that much of what they've being doing in their careers may not be valued outside of the automotive world.

The problem is exacerbated by the very scope of the auto business. A marketer may move from one nameplate to another and from one agency to another, but once he's tagged as a "car guy," it can be very hard to break out.

So here we are. And the job-seeker wants to know: Now what? I have a number of answers. They apply principally to the automotive world, but the thinking and strategy can, if properly tailored, apply to many a marketer at a career crossroads. Here's how it works.

A job search demands a strategy, a business plan with target audiences and a communications structure. Decide whom you want to reach, what it is that you have to offer that will meet their needs and how much of your time you have to invest in reaching each target. I also believe there are two kinds of resumes: those that help get a job and those that get in the way. For our auto pros, sometimes the same resume is both. Hence, I advocate using a two-pronged strategy.

First, I suggest the searcher think about industries, businesses and companies that might value some or all of what he's accomplished in his auto career. Look for other businesses that are adjacent to the sale of automobiles, such as tires, batteries, oil or gas. We talk about tearing down what the marketer has done into the functional parts. Rather than considering his career as one that's about automotive marketing, we think about his experience in local and regional marketing, event marketing or trade shows.

For plenty of people, however, this approach can only go so far. It's then that I suggest thinking about the nonresume world, which means the personal network of friends, contacts, peers, superiors and acquaintances everybody has. There are probably people who know you and your work so well, they don't care about what your resume says. These are the folks who can see how you may be successful in a role that has nothing to do with your previous titles and experiences, in a role you may never have thought of.

It always surprises candidates to learn exactly how many people are actually in their network once they think about it. Friends, neighbors, vendors, folks from church or clubs or associations you've been part of. Whatever happened to your college roommate or that favorite professor? Make a list of everybody.

Then I have candidates segment the list into three groups: Those who will take your call without question, those who will need a little reminder of how they know you and those who are indirect contacts, people with whom you've had some professional contact.

Next, start calling. Begin with those you know the least so you can practice your technique. Don't presume someone can't help you just because he works in a totally different industry. You may not know that your contact's brother-in-law happens to be an HR exec at a company that's perfect for you.

These skills will, alas, probably be needed for quite some time. The auto business is in a downward spiral and it's not clear how or when it will pull itself back up. No doubt, some marketers think their own industries are invulnerable¡ªbut in this economy, is that presumption wise for anyone?

Perhaps an old saying about careers suffices: If you're really good, you're always looking.

Ed Tazzia is managing partner at Gundersen Partners, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a global executive search and management consulting firm. Contact: (248) 258-3800 or edtazzia@gpllc.com.