As an executive career consultant of 25 years, I am often asked: “Is this a good resume?” However, it is impossible to answer this frequently asked question without understanding the individual’s career context. An executive resume can be considered “good” for a variety of reasons. What really matters is if it is an effective resume, which is much harder to achieve.

Whenever I do a resume consultation, I always start by asking, “What is your goal?” The answer to that question is what guides how the resume is written. Your resume needs to be aspirational as much as it is historical to achieve its purpose. 

Executive compensation negotiation is often seen as a necessary evil for candidates navigating the interview process. With so many pitfalls, and high stakes with lasting repercussions, it can make candidates of all levels feel somewhat worried and uncomfortable. However, there are several steps that candidates can take to better prepare and alleviate some of the stress.

Step 1: Do Your Research

So you aced the interview!

It’s no wonder, really. You thoroughly researched the company, its challenges, and its competitors. You anticipated interview questions and tackled them with ease. You knew the core message you wanted to convey and you did so— effectively. You researched your interviewers carefully and were armed with excellent questions to ask. And, let’s be honest, you couldn’t possibly have looked sharper than in that dapper new suit. 

Like most of our leading companies, universities and research organisations are homogeneous at the leadership level. There are some great initiatives in Australian higher education and elsewhere to help promote equity and diversity in important target areas like science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM), for example the Athena Swan Charter in the UK and Australia’s SAGE pilot. There are still things you can do to increase the chances of success in developing your own career, and to help others.

Executives who want to move to a new geographical area sometimes complain that they don’t have any good contacts in the targeted area. They assume, therefore, that they don’t have a strong launch-pad for their job search and post-job-search career progress. 

As changes are occurring in the political and economic environment both globally and within Mexico, business in the country is embracing this change and is flourishing. Most multinational and multilatina organizations now have offices in Mexico and the country has its own thriving startup scene in the Jalisco State and Guadalajara. Financially, Mexico is also having a high-performing 2017 and, as of publication, the peso is the strongest performing global currency against the dollar for the year.

Once upon a time is the phrase which begins fairy tales and fabulous stories set in some unspecified moment in the past. Except the story you are about to read. There is nothing fairy or fabulous about this real-life experience of mine. I absolutely hated executive headhunters. My story starts like this: Once upon a time when I was a candidate myself.

As the world’s 11th largest country, 15th largest by GDP and one of the most open economies globally, business in Mexico is making it an emerging giant in the global marketplace rife with opportunity. Most US and European multinationals operate in Mexico, as do some from Asia. The country has produced its own multinationals and multilatinas and incubates flourishing start-ups from across Latin America.

As a new executive, how do you ensure your success and your organization’s success? Don’t rely on the company to do it for you.