Energy Recruitment News and Insights

What's The Elevator Pitch About Your Achievements

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:32:19 GMT

Can You Summarize Some Relevant Achievements in 1 Minute?

Brevity is a scare commodity, and hiring authorities don't have much patience.

If you were at a trade show and approached a potential hiring manager, could you come up with a phrase or two for that hiring situation?

Perhaps, I'm really good at two things which would seem to be important for your firm and the projects it finances: (1) I really understand how to model the most complicated financial deals, and (2) I know which funding sources are available for projects like yours.

This is actually a summary given to me by a candidate recently. Seldom get this much information with such clarity. See if you can do the same, even put it at the top of your resume. See what results it generates.

Even This Great Composer Had His Resume Rejected

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 20:14:29 GMT

He submitted a groveling cover letter and a 50-page attachment

Who was he?

Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1721, he wrote to Prince Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg.

Attached was a 50-page manuscript, which later became known as the Brandenburg Concertos, one of the most famous musical works of the Baroque period.

He never heard back from the Prince.

So, take heart, and think of alternate places you can approach for a job. Bach did ok.

Source: http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics2/brandenburg.html

(I guessed at the length of the manuscript, taking the normal time of performance of 100 minutes, and dividing by 2 minutes per page).

Who Can Help You Find A Job

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:13:54 GMT

Two Kinds Of People To Help

The Rockwood JobFinder process emphasizes how important it is to present yourself in a knowledgeable way to the right hiring manager. You generally only have one opportunity, so it must be your best effort.

To do so, you need:

1) to be sure your background is a good match for the job/industry that you are focusing on.

2) a warm introduction from someone close to the hiring manager. That insures that you’ll be considered seriously.

For the match with the industry/job you need a INDUSTRY/JOB expert .

This is a relatively senior person who can look at your background, talk to you about your interests and suggest possible jobs within the sphere that this person is knowledgeable about.

For example, if you’re interested in Marketing jobs, this person might work in an Advertising Agency and know the names and functions of departments within the agency.

They might say “digital marketing analysis is a hot job in our business. Have you considered that?”

This discussion about which jobs are possible fits is frequently part of an informational interview.

For the Introduction to a hiring manager, you need a SPONSOR . This is someone who likely works with the hiring manager or is in the same company. They would walk your resume over to this person’s desk, and ask that the hiring manager consider you for a specific job.

This is not someone who just sends your resume to Human Resources and say “for your consideration.”

Who are the Industry/Job Experts?

They could be:

An industry-specific recruiter’
An alumni of your school who has more than 10 years in the industry that you want to investigate. Ideally, they should have some management or hiring experience.
A professor or teacher in an adult education program focused on a particular industry.
A member of a professional association, perhaps at the organization headquarters. For, example, there is Solar Energy Industry Association(SEIA) that represents members of the solar business,

Who could be a Sponsor?

Alumni who work in the company or the industry you’re targeting.
The parents/relatives of your friends.
A prior boss for whom you did a good job.

You’d be surprised how more-senior industry people are willing to answer questions about their sector and help more junior people develop their career.

As The Virus Rages, Are There Renewables Jobs?

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 13:07:40 GMT

Same Number of Jobs, Less Candidates

The short answer is YES.

While many industries such as hospitality, travel and other consumer-oriented sectors are suffering, the solar and energy storage business continues to grow.

When a project takes a year to put together and when it takes 18 months minimum to build, developers can’t stop.

The other element is that many people have stopped looking for jobs. For reasons specific to them, they are not engaging with companies or recruiters. Their state of mind is “I’ll wait until this blows over, then look for a new job.”

Competition for jobs is diminished.

So, if your personal circumstances allow it, put your hat in the ring.

Be aware that the interviewing process, largely done via Zoom, takes longer. Getting feedback from various decision makers takes longer.

But, there are opportunities to be pursued.

What Every JobSeeker Forgets

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:18:48 GMT

For Every Posted Jobs, There are Tons of Competitors

The Internet has made it easier to apply to job postings. One click and your resume is on the way.

However, ANYONE can apply, not matter how badly qualified.

So, an overworked human resources staffer has to to go through hundreds of resumes. Or a busy manager has to click through the pile. After the first 50, they start looking the same.

Overly general job descriptions make it worse.

Also, have you seen descriptions that spell out what the hiring authority doesn't want?

The better way: focus on select companies/sectors. Decide who you want to work for. Determine what companies would benefit from your recent accomplishments.

Use friends, alumni and recruiters to approach targeted execs with your ideas about how you can improve the firm's operations.

Lots of work; infinitely more productive.

Massive Turnoff-Never Use These Words

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 13:57:25 GMT

What not to begin your LinkedIn Profile with

“XX(20+) years of experience….”

Citing length of experience is an instant turnoff for several important groups of readers:

1) HR Managers, since they are frequently looking for more junior, less-expensive candidates;

2) Senior Managers, since they don’t want competition in the company for their jobs;

3) Recruiters, since they’re thinking “is all they have to offer is seniority?”

And since so many people start their resume with this type of limp phrase, it’s BORING!

Instead

Tell the reader what you’ve accomplished in those years, with at least a few in last 3-5 years.

So, maybe:

John P. Smith

• Increased sales of PPA’s to corporate clients by 30% year-over-year for 3 years running.

• Reduced time to respond to RFP’s by 25% by mentoring younger staff during 2019.

• Led sales team to 120% quota performance in last two years.

Dealing With Headhunters

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:18:22 GMT

Responding to Jobs Posted by Headhunters

Provide clear, basic information

You would be surprised to see the sloppy responses we get to jobs posted on LinkedIn or on our website.

The cover letters(if the candidates bother) are full of hyperbole and platitudes, and frequently not relevant to the job posted. The same is true of the resumes.

1) Do a bit of homework—look at the headhunter’s website to see if the same job is posted. Take a look at the headhunter’s background.

2) submit a chronological resume with a few achievements highlighted.

3) indicate when you might be able to talk—days, times.

4) if you think you’re really well-qualified, follow up with an email to the headhunter’s website in two weeks.

Sometimes we miss things.

Don’t respond to an ad if you’re not qualified for the job.

If you do that, our general conclusion is that you’re either incredibly sloppy, or are sending blanket emails to any job that seems to be vaguely relevant. Those kinds of candidates have already mailed to every job posting in the sector, and their resume is now on company databases.

We can’t help that person since we can’t get paid for submitting someone whom the companies already know.

If you think that you have a good background, and want to be considered for other jobs, go to the headhunter website, and submit a general inquiry with either a resume or a link to a LinkedIn profile.

Ask for information on jobs that do fit.

What’s The Story On Your LinkedIn Profile?

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:19:25 GMT

Telling A Short, Cogent Career Story is Key

In a recent conversation with a candidate, I told him that his resume story didn’t match what the job needed.

He didn’t get it, so I explained.

Over the past 3 jobs, it was clear that he was headed away from types of assignments that the client wanted someone to tackle. In this case, each new job was more focused on residential solar than the one before.

Our job needed someone who was focused on utility-scale projects.

A short career story on your LinkedIn profile is even more important than on your resume. Both places benefit immeasureably from a clear statement of purpose and direction.

An example:

Solar developer with focus on larger and larger solar projects, ranging from 50MW to now 300MW.

Achievements:

Solved problems involved in siting 50MW community solar project in NYISO;

Worked with local utility and ISO to drop transmission interconnect upgrade costs by 40%.
·Shortened standard site design time by 20% through increased training for junior staff.

Energy Storage-New Frontier of Asset Management

Mon, 25 May 2020 18:43:52 GMT

The future of Energy Storage is here, and it can be complicated

Earlier this month(May 2020), NY-BEST (NY-BEST.org) conducted a two segment introduction to how Energy Storage Resource will be operated in NY State.

Conducted by Peter Fuller, it was billed as an introduction to the subject, which seems very complex indeed.

However, the explanations and graphics are extremely clear. It warned that if your firm wished to operate battery storage in NY, you’d be well-advised to dig deep into the subject before major commitments.

That said, NY State has planned to add more renewables and storage in the near term, and how the grid will operate with such a high percentage of renewables is the topic of many discussions. It’s a good place to participate in the future of the grid.

Recruiting Activity

Our firm has worked on recruiting assignments in asset management that deal with batteries, and each ISO has present or soon-to-be-finalized rules. So, there should be increasing demands for related jobs.

These positions require an understanding of the real-time and day-ahead power markets. In addition, one has to have the analytical ability to keep up with the rule changes and how they might affect energy storage economics.

To us, these are great jobs for people who already have good experience in wholesale power markets, and who wish to transition to the world of renewables.

Get A Job With People You Like

Sun, 17 May 2020 20:32:02 GMT

Find Jobs That Are Energizing

The top five reasons people leave jobs are In order of importance:

Work Content
Reporting Relationships
Opportunities for Advancement
Work Environment
Income/Comp Plan

Two of the top five are about who you work with.

So, when looking at a job or a company, use LinkedIn to review the staff's background before interviewing or approaching the firm
for a job.

This helps you find things in common with the management (that you can use in an interview).
Gives you an idea of whether other staff members will be the kind of people you'd want to share a plane trip with,
or share a beer after work with.

Life is too short to work in surroundings that don't motivate you.

Employer Culture—Big Factor in Interviewing

Sun, 10 May 2020 21:31:41 GMT

Will You Fit In? Or Want to?

This blog, the first of several, is not about biases relating to age, sex or racial makeup.

It’s about the subtle and not-so-subtle things that help you identify company culture signals and how hiring managers might view you in an interview.

Let’s start with something simple—some companies hire mainly from a limited number of universities.

The longer this goes on, the more entrenched the habit becomes. So, the people who rise to become hiring managers probably came from those schools.

This factor is one of the reasons to use alumni connections to get into a new employer. It leverages the alumni connection and more subtlely the similarities you might share with a hiring manager. You have, in effect, some to talk about that’s an ice-breaker.

Moreover, alumni hiring managers are more apt to give you the benefit of the doubt on soft skills—how you work with others, would you be someone that they would feel comfortable with reporting to them.

So, if you have an upcoming interview, get on LinkedIn and find out what the backgrounds are of a few key managers.

Where did they go to school?

What degrees do they hold?

How technically driven are they?

Also, see if you can find out who the recent hires are.

Note: Interviewing is a two-way street. You're also evaluating whether you want to work in this firm. Is this a group you'd be comfortable with?

Other comments on employer culture coming in the next blog.

What Is The Hiring Process?

Sun, 03 May 2020 14:51:45 GMT

Knowing The Process Reduces Stress, Improves Results

When you've entered the hiring cycle at a company, find out the process--upfront.

This process varies tremendously from company to company and individual hiring manager to hiring manager. Knowing what this process is and how to navigate is what recruiters deal with every day.

If you’re not working with a recruiter, you can figure it out too (with some effort) and improve your chances of getting more and better interviews.

Here are the steps:

1) understand the company and the people it already has on board.
2) understand something about the hiring manager.
3) see who the hiring manager has hired before.
4) is there now really a job to be filled and what’s the current definition?
5) what’s the best way to introduce yourself to the hiring authority?
6) what information should you provide about yourself (maybe an introductory letter, maybe a tailored resume)

7 STEPS TO GETTING BETTER JOB INTERVIEWS

1) Understand the company and its people.

What is the firm’s business model?

If a firm’s business model is to respond to Requests For Proposal put out by a utility, it’s more likely to need technical sales than true new business, door-knocking sales reps.

If it’s heavily focused on demonstrating its engineering prowess in project design, it will want people with engineering degrees and hard-core engineering experience.

2) What Is The Background of The Hiring Manager (or likely Hiring Manager)?

Does she or he have an engineering background? What schools did they go to? Where did they work before?

3) What kind of people has he/she hired before?

LinkedIn is a great resource for seeing where present managers and staff have come from. Managers do hire in their own image. If the job is a replacement job and the past incumbent had been there a few years(they kept her around), then it’s likely that the next hire will look like her.

Some firms like to hire from select firms like GE, Siemens, ….

See if the description for the job in question matches the existing staff’s background.

4) What’s the current job description?

If the process involves replacing an existing person or someone who’s just left, the chances are good that the job definition is the same.

If it’s a newly created job, the chances are good that “the job definition is a moving target.” As managers seek to fill a newly created position, they learn from the interviewing process what might work, what might not. They also learn what types of candidates are in the marketplace.

Sometimes, even Human Resources staff has a hard time keeping up with the manager’s current thinking.

So, find out the latest.

5) What’s the best way to introduce yourself to the hiring authority?

Company size has a lot to do with this. Larger firms try to have all initial contacts come through the Human Resources department. Or, if the contact is made initially with the hiring manager, that manager is generally asked to send the resume to Human Resources so that there is a record of the applicant.

Whenever possible, we recommend direct contact with the hiring manager, even if he/she sends the resume to HR. If you’re using a recruiter to approach the firm, he/she will know the best method of introduction.

The worst way to introduce yourself to a firm is to send your resume to the corporate website. You seldom hear back, and no one takes ownership of your application.

If you don’t approach the hiring manager, try to deal with a specific person in Human Resources. Depending on HR’s staffing levels, you can get a very crisp, professional response.

In talking to the hiring manager, you might even ask if he or she is the supervising manager. You could be talking to the wrong person.

6)What information do you provide about yourself in the initial approach?

The right answer is “as little as possible,” particularly if you don’t have a great deal of information about the process and status of the job that’s open.

Moreover, what if you don’t know if there’s a specific job available but you suspect that there might be a position available.

Ideally, you do what sales training might suggest–“An initial benefit statement” that is relevant to the hiring manager. Even a weak initial benefit statement is better that saying bluntly that you a wonderful potential employee.

An example might be: ” I understand that your firm is seeking new accounts in the commercial & industrial account sector. If this is the case, I have a strong track record of new business generation and would like to talk to someone about what your firm’s sales approach is. It might benefit from my experience.”

(Discussing how best to craft an initial benefit statement that’s likely to be relevant is beyond the scope of this article. Since the Xerox Personal Selling Skills course first introduced this term, there have been many improvements. Check the concept out on the internet.)

7) When do you send a resume?

At some point in the discussion, you will be asked to send a resume. Some important things to consider:

1) is it just an excuse to get you off the phone? Is there a really a job, is the hiring manager really interested in hiring someone soon, how many people are already being interviewed?

2) before you send a resume, you have to get a) more information and b) a commitment from him or her to review your background and talk with you about it in the future. If you get no commitment, you don’t send anything.

Or, you might send a follow-up note citing your general background (with accomplishments relevant to the possible job.) Then you go back and tackle the hiring manager at another time.

What about your LinkedIn profile? Should you refer to it? If it’s very general, has no achievements, has no particular relevance to the job in question—-it’s better not to refer to it. Companies can use it to eliminate you from consideration. How one deals with LinkedIn profiles is another topic too long to discuss here.

Why Move For A New Job?

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 14:21:36 GMT

The Hidden Job Market--Can Yield Gems In Your Own Backyard

Recruiters hear this phrase from candidates every day: "for the right job, I'd consider relocating."

Really?

Would you uproot your family, move across the country to a new town, leave your elderly parents behind with no support network?

Certainly, there are many good reasons to move: move CLOSER to family and friends; move to a new town to attend a school; move BACK to a favorite community. Also(and thanks to Tom Lord) moving might be a way to break into a new industry or to get started after college.

But, if it's not something you truly don't want to do, don't waste your time.

The ROCKWOOD CAREER PLANNING process suggests FIRST DETERMINE WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE AND WORK.

Just because you don't see jobs posted for your desired location doesn't mean they don't exist. There is a hidden job market out there from firms that don't advertise, that might have a job that has the wrong title but really is a fit for your background and interests.

If you want to know more abour our career planning, visit the Resources Page of our website.

Job Networking-Why Would A Manager Want to Hear From You

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:44:55 GMT

Networking-Part Two. Some Managers Want To Connect

In the prior post, we suggested you connect with people at least one level above you. That's because they're in a better position to help you in your job quest than a peer.

But why would they want to connect with people BELOW them in the corporate pecking order?

1) their firm might be looking to fill a job, even if it's not posted.

2) they like helping people.

3) they liked the way you approached them--respectfully with a straight-forward message.

So, Go For It!

#energyjobs
#solarjobs
#energycareers

Job Search Networking---Where To Start

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 17:38:09 GMT

What Would Any Good Sales Rep Tell You?

Deciding Who Can Help You In Your Job Search

There are 10 steps in Rockwood's approach to finding a new job. Networking generally comes later but you can start now if you KNOW What Type Of Job You Want.

Any good sales person would tell you that you must know who will influence the sale of a new product at a client company.

A job search is no different. You need to know who can be a good influence in getting you a job at a specfic company or in a sector of the business. For example, the California Utility-Scale solar might be a target of yours.

So, who can help you?

They need to be at least one level above your present role. In effect, they would be the kind of person you might report to.
Or, they could be a peer of that person.

So, look on LinkedIn for managers in the utility-scale solar business.

While managers are harder to network with, they give more realistic feedback, might recommend you to another manager in the same or different company.

Friends who are not managers are NOT terribly valuable. They don't bring the same critical eye to a resume that a manager will.

Also, going too high in the corporate structure isn't ideal. For example, many job seekers write the president of firms. Most of those resumes are referred immediately to Human Resources.

Finally, don't forget Headhunters. They are approachable, particularly if you're realistic about your next job and have a good work record.

The Beat Goes On

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:04:48 GMT

The Solar and Energy Storage Business Responds

It’s hard to maintain a sense of proportion these days as the rolling contangion of the Corona Virus moves across the US.

However, the solar and energy storage business is adjusting to deal with short-term issues while trying to keep the longer term focus in view.

I’ve had a few conversations which indicate:

Residential solar is obviously affected since many homeowners don’t want strangers in their yard.

Utility-scale projects already underway (with panels delivered and EPC contractors at work) move ahead.

Behind-the-meter storage/solar has some problems since developers need access to some building electric panels. Some buildings are empty, others are full. So, it depends on where you are in the project.

Business development people seeking to secure offtakes for projects 18-24 months out are keeping their focus on those opportunities since construction is well-beyond the expected peak of the virus.

Recruiting continues . Companies are interviewing by phone while onsite interviews are on hold for some weeks.

Real Career/Business Networking

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:16:22 GMT

It's not just about social networks

Setting aside time to do real business/career networking

It’s never too late, nor too early.

As a professional recruiter, I hang on to relevant contact information forever and do my best to keep in touch in some personal way. I encourage college students to start good habits in making contacts DIRECTLY with people that they can help or be helped by. I say the same to senior execs. That should be every one’s goal.

Too many people depend on the internet, Facebook or Linkedin to do the heavy lifting associated with keeping in touch.

As the size of these networks grow, they get more crowded and impersonal. Connecting via a social network is better than nothing, but not the equivalent of a direct email, or better yet---A PHONE CALL.

Test your network by trying to call people and catch up. If they don’t return your call within a week or so or send a text or email, that tells you something. They either don’t remember you, or don’t consider you a valuable contact.

What essential ingredient is missing from most resumes?

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 14:04:23 GMT

Don't bother sending a resume if this element is missing

It is simply “Why I as a candidate am valuable to your firm.”

Hiring Managers are busy people. So are Human Resources staffers. If you can’t capture their attention to your cover letter and resume, then you’ve lost your chance.

Don’t depend on the cover letter and resume to stay together, either—as your resume gets forwarded in internal emails.

Good resumes show achievements that relate to the target employers business.

For example:

“Shortened the time to construct 10 MW solar installations by 10%, thereby saving a total of $5 MM/year for my firm.”

“Increased revenue to corporate energy buyers by $5MM/year during first 2 years of my most recent position as senior sales executive.”

“Reduced early design time for solar sites by 20% though the use of automated Excel templates used by myself and our engineering team.”

Be Direct.

Dear Mr XX.

Based on my review of your company's operations it appears that I can bring value to your sales force through my focused sales skills and experience—which are detailed in the attached resume.

But what if you don’t know what’s of interest about my background.

A. Don’t bother sending a resume.

B. Find out. It will help you build a better resume and interview better.

Resumes Are Rotten Career Marketing Tools

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:46:04 GMT

Sending out volumes of resumes yields few useful results.

I recently was asked by a good client to help the son of a friend find a new job. Not in the energy business, but very well-educated, hard-working and motivated. Not only has a job but simultaneously working on a small startup idea.

He said that he had sent out 700 resumes over the past year and had not received any useful responses.

I was not surprised, since I have been lecturing our candidates on the futility of using resumes as a marketing tool for years.

There an article on Inc Magazine’s website that captures my feelings on how to effectively conduct a job search:

www.inc.com/jeff-haden/your-resume-is-a-waste-of-time-8-better-ways-to-get-hired-for-the-job-you-want.html

Read that and then go to our website and read about the energy job market on our resources page:

www.rockwoodenergysearch.com/resources

The energy job season is starting up again in December, so be ready.

Deal Lists For Your Resume

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 18:58:35 GMT

Make Your Resume Relevant With a Deal List

For many years I recruited traders and structurers for Wall Street Energy Traders.

Every hiring manager on the trade floor wanted to see candidate deal lists—what they have worked on, what were the challenges to be overcome, how was the deal structured.

Now, in helping clients find good candidates in Solar and Wind development/business development roles, I find that deal lists are great extensions of a resume. They don’t have to be very long, maybe 5-10 deals. The amount of detail can vary.

They add authenticity. They show achievements. .They show connections to things that the hiring manager might be working on.

Hiring managers like them because it tells them a bit about what their competitors are doing (Don’t disclose truly proprietary information about your present employer). It’s also easier for them to ask questions about the deal than digging into the resume.

As a result, they provide a natural list of talking points for you during an interview.

Put them at the end of the resume, but refer to the deal list in your summary, early in the resume.

Some examples:

Example Project list 1:

● Team Leader – xyz Solar Center – 600MWac multi-phase PV development project in Salinas, CA

● Senior Project Developer – 65MWdc/50MWac Texas Portfolio

● Lead development and COD sale to long–term owner of 6 PURPA QF Projects to . local Muni.

● Senior Project Developer – 50MWdc/38.5MWac Texas Portfolio

● Lead development and NTP sale to long–term owner of 4 PURPA QF Projects in Brazos County..

Example Project list 2:

Project Role Type MW Location Responsibilities

X-01 Owner’s Rep Roof-top solar 2.8 Alabama Summer intern,analyzed
Equipment cost, acted as owner’s rep thru
construction.

X-02 Construction Coord Ground Mount Solar 5.0 New Jersey Represented Managing Contractor, attended
all status meetings.

How to Blow a C-Suite Presentation

crbamford@rockwoodenergysearch.com (Charles Bamford) — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 17:47:30 GMT

Having been trained in the Xerox Personal Selling Skill era, I too have have to change to get potential clients’s attention,

That approach, which is the basis of many sales training programs, talks about an initial benefit statement early in a presentation or client meeting. In effect, it’s what you and your firm can do for the client.

Unfortunately, it’s the same message that your potential client has heard from ever so many sales people.

At that point, it’s likely that you have lost his or her attention unless you’re there to talk about a specific problem that the client has already acknowledged. Even then, you might want to repeat the problem.

The better way, according to a number of sources, is to start by describing a problem or industry change that threatens the well-being of firms in the industry, specifically those in audience.

Here are three links that address how a presentation should be built for the C-Suite.

Two are found on the Harvard Business Review website, the other comes courtesy of a skillful senior rainmaker friend in the energy consulting business. I borrowed the headline of one, that by Sabina Nawaz, as mine.

They are:

How to Blow a Presentation to the C-Suite How to Blow a Presentation

How to Present to Senior Execs How to present to Senior Execs

The Greatest Sales Deck I’ve Ever Seen The Greatest Sales Deck

Good Selling!

Charles

Revisiting Your Value Proposition

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 15:00:14 GMT

Periodically, I review my firm’s value proposition. Each time I do, it seems that there’s a great deal of room for improvement. In addition, if you have several sales themes---as I do—you may need to have several flavors of a Value Proposition.

You should think about your own Value Proposition since the energy industry and your business is changing. This typically creates a gap between your Value Proposition and your current mix of products and services.

In addition, client needs have changed, and a good Value Proposition should reflect what your clients are interested in buying.

Sources Worth Reviewing

You can go to Wikipedia or google for “value proposition” and get many “broad gauge” definitions from mass marketing gurus,, but I prefer to get definitions and comments from true, on-the-ground sales veterans/trainers. The two sources that resonate with me are:

1) Jill Konrath, whose book “Selling to Big Companies” is truly excellent, has a website at

https://www.jillkonrath.com/

In addition to general comments, she has two downloads for creating Value Propositions. You have to sign up for free emails to get to these downloads. They are well-worth the time to read.

2) the Rain Sales Training Group at: www.rainsalestraining.com .

A specific blog is: 3-rules-for-building-a-value-proposition

Some Definitions Worth Reviewing

Jill says in her book and in her download called “Irresistible Value Propositions”:

“A value proposition is a clear statement of the tangible results a customer gets from using your

products or services.

It is focused on outcomes, and stresses the business value of your offering.”

She also says “ Use your Value Proposition in your phone calls, emails, voicemails and presentations to help customers understand why it’s worth their time to meet with you. ”

Mike Schultz of the Rain Group says:

“the collection of reasons why a buyer buys; in essence, factors that affect whether they purchase, and from whom.”

But, he goes on to elaborate about the “3 legs of the value proposition stool.” It’s a little elaborate, but really makes sense from a sales rep point of view in trying adapt the value proposition to a specific client and product.

Where Does The Value Proposition Fit In The Sales Process?

In the beginning—in the sales planning phase when you decide on which firms you call on.

Jill makes the point that if your Value Proposition is a good one, it informs you as to what type of firm is the right customer and who will likely to respond to your Value Proposition.

I also think the value proposition is a good tool to use in discussions with your sales management about the firms they want you to penetrate, and whether your company’s Value Proposition actually fits the potential client.

Examples of Good Value Propositions

They should include metrics , e.g., reduce electricity costs by 20%, reduce your firm’s carbon footprint by 30% within 2 years.

These examples come from Jill’s “Value Proposition Generator,”, one of her website’s downloads.

Web Marketing Example: “We help retailers increase their online sales conversation rates up to 58% and their average order size by 25%.”

Sales Training Example: “We help companies crack into big accounts and shorten sales cycles. One of our recent clients had an 87% success rate in getting into the largest companies in the US.

Let Me Hear From You

If this blog has been of interest or if you have comments, drop me a note.

Please send along to others as appropriate.

Good Selling!

Charles

Job Seasons in Energy

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how the job calendar works for our energy clients.

It’s important to know about when certain types of energy jobs are more prevalent during the calendar year. It allows you to pace your job search, understand why jobs are available, and what to ask recruiters about your chances for a new job.

Rockwood’s search activities are confined to the “downstream” part of the energy business . Think of energy firms that interact with corporate or residential customers. –as opposed to the upstream an d mid-stream businesses that deal with just other energy companies.

There is a strong seasonal effect to job activity, and this seasonality is typical of not just manufacturing firms, but most other types of firms as well—with one exception,—consulting firms. These are a bit different, since their bonus and promotion year tends to go from June to May, as opposed to the calendar year approach.

For most energy corporations (like utilities) financial budget and personnel budgets are formed in September through December, with the final numbers being stamped out in early December. So, management looks at staff expansions or changes, and begins the process of internal promotions and transfers in January.

Typically, these firms have an annual bonus program that pays out in March or April after the financial books are closed for the prior year. Wall Street energy trading jobs get bonuses in late December or early January.

After bonuses are paid, people leave for other jobs, heightening the urgency of filling key positions by company management. By late March, most departures are visible and the true size of the recruiting problem is known. By June, the bulk of the jobs is filled.

Exceptions

The large consulting firms (Accenture, Deloitte) have energy groups. Their recruiting year is normally June to June as with the rest of the consulting industry.

Propane firms that sell to residences and farms try to avoid recruiting during the heating season (October through May), so they move a little faster, starting in August and trying to finish hiring by November.

The Summer Slowdown

After June, the general job market slows down, so depending on which segment of the energy business you’re in, you may see fewer openings.

What remains are jobs that are new to the organization or expansion jobs. Think of firms that are launching a new product.

Energy efficiency firms can have jobs later in the year, since if they get a new contract, they may not have enough professional staff to implement projects on time.

How To Plan Your Job Search

If you need to seek a new position outside your current employer, you’re now a bit late, but you can catch up. Find out what the cycle is for your industry by asking an industry veteran or a recruiter who specializes in the energy business.

You can reach us at resumes@rockwoodenergysearch.com .

What If You Need A New Job In The Wrong Season?

Consider a contract job until the cycle is more favorable if you must.

Expand the scope of the kinds of firms you’re looking at to other industry segments that are growing more quickly.

In fact, we recommend networking all year, since it’s difficult to reach the right exec, the best recruiters, and get a true feel for the market precisely when you need a job. Start early, keep it up.