Executive Job Search Preparation
Preparation is the main element in conducting an executive job search. This is doubly important if one is preparing to undergo an executive job search. Executive positions are harder to locate and opportunities shrink the closer the opportunity is to the apex of the executive pyramid.
Preparation should leave nothing to chance and should employ a “brainstorming” process in which every idea is committed to paper. Once the “brainstorming” process is finished the ideas should be reviewed. Ideas deemed as not practical should be eliminated. The remaining ideas should be categorised as to importance.
Some of the ideas that should be included in the list are: heavy use of the internet, frequent contact with colleagues, research on constructing a solid CV as well as attention grabbing cover letters, seeking out and obtaining the services of a professional recruiter, and periodic reviews of professional organisation web sites.
Obviously, your CV will be the instrument that will get you considered for a possible opportunity. If you lack the writing skill to organise your CV properly, we offer bespoke executive CV packages and CVs can be tailored towards specific interim / permanent roles for submission to executive job search websites.
Contact and interview as many recruiters as you feel is necessary. Many recruiters work with the same cadre of companies and even if they do not have a position to submit you for, they may know of opportunities that will be coming open in the future. A good point to remember here is that good recruiters will only want to work with the most marketable of executives as they need to ensure they are supplying their clients with the best talent.
Make sure you advise every one of your friends and professional contacts that you are seeking a position. This is a great way to find out about a suitable opportunity before it is posted on a professional site, given to a recruiter or placed in a news service classified section. With many people seeking key positions, it is always good to get to the table early!
Each time you locate a position that you are interested in, take as much time as needed to develop a concise¸ attention getting cover letter. Be meticulous in checking your cover letter for grammar and spelling. Read it over more than once. Ask yourself after reading it – if it crossed your desk, would you give it a second look?
Be creative and tireless. Finding a great executive position will take time, effort and nerves of steel. Don’t overlook any chance to get yourself noticed. Be open to each and every possibility to get yourself known in the right places. Get yourself known in professional organisations and get involved local organisations, especially charitable ones. Be open to consulting opportunities as they quite often lead to permanent positions.
Prepare, review, and act. Use all of your skill, determination and experience as an executive to conquer the task at hand, don’t get side-tracked or disappointed. Never be disappointed by a rejection letter. Even rejection letters have value. They let you know your credentials have been examined and they open the door to a follow-up opportunity.
Contact the person that sent the letter and thank them for the courtesy of letting you know what the outcome was. Then ask them for a consulting opportunity and see if they have a colleague that might be interested in your CV. Each and every contact represents an opportunity.
If your preparation is first class, you devote all your energies to the task at hand, you understand that timing and luck will also be factored in to your search, then your efforts will bear fruit.
