Resumes should be clear and concise, but they must also be compelling evidence; – evidence that you are a good investment.
Every hire in an organization is an investment of capital. And in the church world, that’s capital that comes out of offering plates and widow’s cupboards. Particularly in a lean economy, this makes every hire at the same time questionable and precious.
So how can your resume justify you as a good investment of precious resource? There’s an old adage in management that says, “the best predictor of future performance is past performance.”
“the best predictor of future performance is past performance.”
Showing your prior successes will encourage interviewers to believe in your future success. It’s almost a Jerry McGuire way of “showing me the money.” Try incorporating the following into your resume, and it will become a competitive advantage for you:
- Show ways you have met or exceeded the expectations of your job.
- Show an initiative you started or helped lead
- Tell the results of your leadership
- Show something you did that you weren’t asked to do.
- Show the ultimate profit margin in your church work.
When you show me these things, you are essentially showing your interviewer the money. If you will remember that every hire is an investment, and show how you are a good investment, your resume will stand out, and may even be a difference maker in the hiring process.
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The Vanderbloemen Search Group is pleased to announce a new search for a large, vibrant church in the midwest.
Christian Fellowship Church in Evansville, IN has retained our firm to help find their new Pastor.
Christian Fellowship is a non-denominational congregation with a strong vision and track record for reaching the unchurched and building people up through outstanding biblical teaching. The church was founded 35 years ago and has grown from a bible study into a vibrant, 7 day a week church with over 2500 in attendance.
CFC is housed on a beautiful campus of approximately 55 acres, with buildings completed in 2001, 1981 and 1978. CFC is currently planning a building that will be used by their high school ministry, and has successfully launched their first venture into multi-venue worship. With nearly 2000 seats in the main auditorium, and additional venue options throughout the campus, CFC is poised for growth and new levels of effectiveness in the years to come.
The position is opening with the pending retirement of the founding Senior Pastor, David Niednagel.
The new Senior Pastor will have the opportunity to continue a legacy of engaging teaching and communication, and will be the key visionary as CFC steps into a new chapter of their life and mission.
If this position interests you or if you know of anyone who might be interested, contact William Vanderbloemen directly at william@vanderbloemensearch.com. All correspondence is held in strict confidentiality.
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Great interviews hinge on one key component: great questions. And most great and wise people are always on the lookout for good questions. Have you ever noticed how often the Bible says, “Jesus answered them by asking a question….”
Most churches we have studied have about a 50% success rate with their hires working out over the long haul. Interviewing the right way is a real difference maker in improving the likelihood of a long term match between candidate and church.
“You can know a man’s wit by his answers. You will know his wisdom by his questions.”
Among most of the top executive search consultants in the world, the trend in interviewing these days is toward a form of questions called “behavioral competency.” Questions center around a candidate’s ability to articulate their work in their most recent jobs. Many psychologists who write on this say that this method is the single best way to get to the root and true acumen of a candidate.
Below are what the Vanderbloemen Search Group consider to be four great topics/questions for assessing behavioral competence. They’re not original; – very few good questions are.
And they’re not just helpful in your work. If you tag on the phrase “in my spiritual life” to the end of each question, you’ll see that these can be great measuring sticks for your own spiritual development. If you’re looking for a job, walk through these and prepare yourself to answer them. If you’re running a business or church, you may want to put these on file for future interviews.
1. What constructive criticism have you received in the past that surprised you the most?
2. Tell me about an initiative that you conceived and were responsible for executing. What challenges were expected? What challenges did you not foresee, and how did you overcome them?
3. Describe the cultures of your last few job or church settings, how they differed, and which one fit you best.
4. Tell me about a time when you had to get people with different viewpoints to the same level of understanding.
We hope that this post and future posts resource you and your ministry with tools to go to an even higher level as an organization.
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Ever wonder what an executive search firm really does, or what it can do for your church or ministry?
Recently, I had the to outline just that. I recently sat down with David Middlebrook of The Church Law Group in Dallas for an interview about our firm, and what we do. David’s law firm represents the very best in the church world on matters big and small. If they were to publish their client list, you’d be amazed.
David and his partner helped us incorporate our firm, and have become trusted friends along the way. Read more about them here, and take a listen to the podcast. We would love to hear your feedback about it, as we are always looking for ways to become even better in our executive search work.
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Why should you hire a firm like The Vanderbloemen Search Group? Why pay money when looking on your own is “free?” Why outsource such a spiritual and important leadership task? In the words of one of our clients, “Our church can’t afford not to.”
It Really is That Serious
Finding a key staff person for your church or ministry is serious; – as serious as an organ transplant.
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Frequently, highly competent people end up coming to me for career advice. Sometimes they are at the beginning of their career. Other times, it’s a person who is entering the latter stages of their run. Regardless of where they are, the question is the same.
How do I know what I should try to do next?
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