Community Relations Director Case Study

THE EXECUTIVE’S CHALLENGE:

When SVP Rachel Washington returned to the firm after a two-year stint as an Executive-on-Loan to a highly visible community service group, much had changed and there was not an open position of sufficient scope and challenge for her. “Another problem,” she said, “was the length of time I’d been away. As far as one manager was concerned, I might as well have been in jail for the past two years! He seemed to discount my huge contributions to the businesses due to my hiatus.”

These difficulties initially compelled Rachel to downplay her two years of community experience as she searched for a job at her compensation level. Frustrated and not satisfied to “coast” in interim roles with familiar colleagues, she embraced my strategy.

DAN COBEN’S RESUME STRATEGY:

“Sometimes, if you have a perceived ‘flaw,’ the best strategy is to feature it as a unique competitive advantage! I helped Rachel Washington construct a resume that immediately made the business case for her Community Liaison expertise in the Objective. This value proposition is supported by a succinct description of her recent experience in this area, featuring the names of powerful government contacts with whom she partnered on that assignment. Lest there be any perceptions of her as a ‘non-profit type,’ the Community Relations theme is balanced by the Profile and most of the Experience, which establish the depth of her credentials as a bottom-line oriented leader, manager, revenue generator and profit-enhancer in highly competitive businesses.”

THE RESULTS:

Rachel Washington was hired by a Fortune 10 company to serve on the CEO’s senior management team as National Director in charge of Community Relations. Her compensation increased 70 percent.

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