Savvy employers are sizing you up from the moment they lay eyes on you. They instinctively know that what they DON'T know about you can be more persuasive in the final analysis than what shows up on your resume.

Of course, your work history and educational credentials can be verified. However, it's your unwritten level of maturity that can make all the difference to an employer. . . and to the ultimate success of your pursuit of executive jobs.

So they will be carefully checking you out. They may not ask direct questions about your maturity, but you can be sure they will be observing how you handle yourself to see if you qualify.

Here are 5 questions our experience tells us you should be prepared to demonstrate as part of your search for executive jobs:

1. What kind of judgment have you shown in your business affairs?

2. How have you revealed your concern for the well-being of other people?

3. Are you living within your means and handling personal financial decisions with maturity?

4. Have you pursued your career in an adult manner and with consideration for your employers?

5. Are you goal-oriented with a history of completing anything you've undertaken?

Typically, executives make the mistake of focusing on their work history. Traditionally they feel that they will be judged on the basis of what they used to do for someone else. Nothing could be further from the truth. Employers' expectations for executive jobs go way beyond your resume.

In fact, in the final analysis, a savvy hiring decision-maker is really interested in finding the answer to TWO questions only . . . what can you do for my bottom line? . . and what can you do to make my job easier?

If you fail to answer those two questions effectively, you're out!

Behind those two critical questions are the unspoken concerns about your maturity to handle executive jobs. No one will drill you on these issues. So it's up to you to weave them into your presentation so that they are resolved in the mind of the person who could be your next boss.

The most satisfying way to do that is to come to the table prepared. That means you've done your homework. You've discovered and analyzed the needs and expectations of both the organization and of the person you'll be talking to. And you have proposals to show hoe you can make a difference going forward. Executive jobs are a lot less tricky when look like a pro!