Preparing for the job hunt.

• Author: Raver, William J.
• Position: For financial executives - Includes related article - Careers

A jungle out there? Maybe not. This financial executive moved from one top company to another in just one month--with a simple strategy.

When Cadbury Schweppes reorganized last year, Vice President and Treasurer Bill Raver faced the choice of moving his family to England permanently or taking a severance package and moving into the job market. Raver chose the latter.

Unlike many out-of-work financial executives, however, Raver quickly landed a new job: "The position at Young & Rubicam opened up just as I started looking," he explains. "I interviewed with the company over a period of six weeks and was very fortunate to be hired."

Raver joined Y&R as senior vice president and treasurer on March 30, 1992. His new position has broader resposibilities and a wider geographical reach than his old job had. And he didn't have to move his family. Here's how Raver approached his successful search.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

When I discovered I needed a new job, I was very fortunate. I had time to prepare for the search. I did some reading and I took notes. I was looking for topics I could use in job interviews and a theme for my resume. I wanted to understand how I should market myself and what skills were in particular demand. After all, I was measuring myself against some very good competitors and I hadn't made an employer change for almost ten years. The whole process gave me great insight into the role of finance in today's corporate world.

One of my favorite business books is Educating Financial Executives, published by Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) in 1990. The authors, from The Gallup Organization, say a financial executive needs three skills for success: interpersonal skills, or the ability to get along with people; communication skills, or the ability to express oneself; and productivity skills, or the ability to organize a group of people to get a task done. I cited this study frequently when I was interviewing. While companies' needs change--and you end up talking to many different players in different industries when you're interviewing--all companies are looking for strong general-management skills and a proven track record with people.

Another useful book is The Quest for Value, by Bennett Stewart, a partner at the New York consulting firm of Stern Stewart & Co. It's very relevant to companies today after a decade of high leverage. The book is written in layman's terms and is probably the best primer for any financial executive...