The tools listed below went through multiple versions during my search. Each change driven by learning something new from a fellow candidate or when it did not fit what I needed.
Since launching my site, over 50,000 copies of these tools have been downloaded by people from over 90 countries. Before coming here, I shared these tools with college graduates through CEOs. If you have other tools or ideas, please contact me – be happy to post them under your name. You will see the example from my colleague, James Hockenberry, below.
Just right-click (Mac users Control-click) on the tool link to pull up a menu to download the PDF file (Budget tool is in Excel)
Getting Started:
1. Job Search Timeline & Related Activities (PDF)
2. Simple Home Budget (.xls)
3. Hiring Process – Possible Delays to Making a Decision (PDF)
Your Search Documents & Pitch:
4. Tips on Writing Your Resume (PDF)
5. How to Write a Marketing Plan (PDF)
6. Creating a Targeted Company List (PDF)
7. Alternatives for Presenting Your Background (PDF)
8. Elevator Pitch: More than Words (by James Hockenberry) (PDF)
Networking Organization:
9. Tracking Your Networking Contacts (PDF)
10. Organizing Your Search Week (PDF)
11. Daily Point System for Job Search (PDF)
Networking Tools:
12. Practicing the 80 Percent Rule of Networking (PDF)
13. Anatomy of a Networking Meeting (PDF)
14. 10 Questions to Understand a Company (PDF)
15. Using LinkedIn for Networking (PDF)
16. Networking Meeting Checklist (PDF)
E-Mail Templates for Networking:
17. E-mail To Set-up A Networking Meeting (PDF)
18. E-Mail for Initial Introduction to Recruiter (PDF)
19. E-Mail for Introduction between Your Networking Contacts (PDF)
Early Stage Company – Is a Start-up Right for you? / Basic Fundraising/ Building a Business Plan
20. Evaluating Companies (PDF)
This tool was created with Alan Bignall who has worked in several start-ups, it will help you determine if a start-up fits your style.
21. Basic terms and multiple round fundraising example for Early-Stage Firm (PDF)
For people who are considering a position with an early-stage firm and are trying to understand the capital required. Use this tool with #12.
22. Business Plan Snapshot (PDF)
I created this tool to solve my own problem – how to track and communicate all the varied elements of a business plan. I’ve now used it a couple dozen times and it works great. For an early-stage firm, the most important item is each team member understands the business (client need, offering, business model, etc.), but also how to solve the right issue at the right time – to accomplish this, it takes good communication. This is what this tool will help you accomplish.
Tool for fellow networking group organizers
23. Networking Roundtable (For Large Groups – tool to improve networking) (PDF)
In my networking group, we used ”go-arounds” often used in larger groups. People stand and gave a 30-second pitch. I discovered that the pitches blended together after the 3rd or 4th person, so my group was not getting much from the exercise. So I created a “Networking Roundtable” that broke the group into 3 rounds of small group discussions. The net result has been that people to get to know a bit about each other and still interact with a large number of people. The tool provides everything needed to run the small group roundtables.
For My Fellow Finance Colleagues (or anyone hiring a senior finance executive):
24. Comparison of duties for CFO and Controller (PDF)
Several of the Finance executives in my networking groups have run into companies which consider CFO and Controller as interchangeable terms, however, their duties and focus are different.So I created this document as a discussion tool to help define the role and expectations.
25. Requirements for CFO (PDF)
After meeting with several CEOs, I got some valuable feedback on what they expect/seek in their CFO – it may help in pitching yourself. This was started by a former AA&Co. colleague, Mark Eisenschenk.
26. Becoming and Staying a Company’s “First” CFO (PDF)
Several colleagues became their company’s very first CFO, but many left within a year – so I found out what the common causes were and how to avoid them both before and after accepting the CFO role.
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All of these tools are copyrighted by Notus Vis, LLC and The Candidate’s Chair and intended solely for use by individual candidates. The tools are not for replication or use by Outplacement, Recruiting, Professional Service firms or corporations without prior written approval. Thank You.
