Job Hunting Strategies For C-Level Executives

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There is a misconception that senior executives (CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, etc.) are immune to the challenges and vagaries of a job hunt. The outsider perspective is the top of the top are masters of their universe and slipping into a new role is an effortless, almost automatic process. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are there fewer opportunities, but when plum jobs become available, they are hyper-competitive in a way foreign to other exempt employees. It’s indeed a different game played on a different field.

If the letter “C” is in your title, it’s often the Board (or owners) who must be convinced you will bring the greatest return on their investment. For example, in a typical search for a CEO or President of a publicly traded company, the Board of Directors is the hiring party, whereas in private companies, private equity firms, or venture capital, it tends to be the owners. Once that executive is in place, he or she is tasked with building their executive and management teams, but the Board (or owners) still play an advisory and approval role.

That said, while Boards and owners ultimately make the hiring decisions, chances are they are often not involved in the mechanics of the search process, as key decision makers tend to jump in at the end when the slate’s been trimmed to two or three prime candidates.

Many, but not all, Fortune 500 companies have dedicated in-house recruiters who specialize in executive searches. Their contact list is full of executives with whom they’ve built professional relationships, but it’s executive search firms that are on speed dial. Smaller and/or private companies that do not have the resources for recruiters with executive search expertise on their payroll (or choose not to employ them) are beholden to these search firms as well.

What exactly is an executive search firm? In short, the executive search firm is the C-suite’s professional matchmaking service, and executive search firms like Korn-Ferry, Robert Half, and Spencer Stuart have the keys to the entrance. Boards, owners, recruiters, and senior executives know these firms and will answer their phone calls when actively engaged in an executive search. Note: You can find Forbes’s list of Top 100 Executive Recruiting Firms (2023) here.

So, what does this mean for the executive looking for a new role? Here are some tips for the C-level job hunter.

• If you’re a senior executive looking for a new position, dipping your toes in the executive recruiting pool is a great first step. Ideally, executives (or future executives!) take care to nurture relationships with multiple executive recruiting firms throughout their careers and not just when they need a new job. Do the research and leg work to become a known top-tier commodity in the hallowed halls of the top firms so that you’re front of mind when a potential role opens up.

• Executive search firms recruit across industries, but individual recruiters specialize in specific areas. For example, if you’re a CIO it’s great to have general relationships with executive recruiting firms, but it’s more beneficial to go a level deeper by ingratiating yourself to the recruiters who specialize in tech. You may be disappointed if you rely on the person answering the phone to transfer your call to the right person if that person has no idea who you are.

• It is easy to be an island when you’re at the top. Your network may shrink as you climb the ladder. The best thing you can do to accelerate relationships with executive recruiting firms is to be found – pay attention to your existing professional network, be an active and helpful connection to others, and help open doors.

• Nurture a positive public presence. Google yourself. What’s out there? How much positive press do you have? Are there any erroneous characterizations you need to counter or attempt to purge? Recruiters and high-level hiring authorities (like a Board of Directors) want their senior executives to be known as thought leaders in their field (and not potential liabilities). Elevate your profile. Do interviews with leading publications. Nudge your way into giving a TED Talk. Cultivate press releases, which can be personal or company-centric. Create online and traditional media content, or even write a book. Speak at a college graduation. Launch a charity. These types of professional endeavors collectively convey your professional brand and may separate you from the pack. On the other hand, if you have a reputation for playing with companies like they’re toys without regard for people’s livelihoods, you may find yourself in a compromising position of your own making. If you inspire the best in people, the best people will want to work for you.

• Don’t forget the basics. Your LinkedIn profile needs to be flawless. It will be put under a microscope. Don’t underestimate the importance of professional groups and colleague referrals. You’re a big dog. If you have professional referrals from other big dogs it helps. Statistically, LinkedIn has a low content creator-to-subscriber ratio. Be one of them.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Resume Fundamentals For Senior Executives

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Executives require a bit of a different approach to building an effective resume than other job seekers. It’s lonely at the top because, in comparison to other jobs, there are far fewer C-suite job opportunities in what could be accurately described as a hyper-competitive environment for those positions.

Like every other job, however, when a company, or board of directors, launches a search for a CEO or some other top executive the first thing they ask for is a resume. Even if you plan to hire a professional to write your resume, an understanding of the essential elements will help you communicate your expectations and enable you to properly evaluate the final draft.

Bear in mind – other candidates for the jobs you’re seeking are often just as impressive as you, also career senior executives with laundry lists of achievements. How you communicate your achievements may be the difference in your job search, so the first thing to understand is an effective executive’s resume tells a story about who you are and what you can contribute to a company.

• What is your superpower? There are many types of executives with many types of specialties, but they all set a vision for an organization and move it toward that vision. Are you an expert in launching new companies? Increasing the value of an existing firm? Can you turn around troubled companies around? Or in guiding stable ones into new areas. It’s important to know what kind of executive are you, and where in the lifecycle of a company you deliver the biggest bang for the buck – this is your through line and should run from the header on down.

• Where do you come from? There are many types of organizations. Privately held. Publicly traded. Venture capital. Private equity. Government. Education. Research. Non-profit. Each is a distinctly different environment with its own relevant ownership structure, investor relations, and compliance requirements, and being able to thrive in one setting doesn’t necessarily mean you will be talented at the other. Setting a strategic vision for a tech start-up is different than taking your successful family business public. Who you are is intertwined with the world where you learned your chops.

• What is the essence of your leadership style? There are many types of leaders. Servant-leaders. Thought leaders. Strategic. Transactional. Transformational. Solution-based. Autocratic. Are you giving TED talks or quietly working behind the scenes? According to Robert Smith, your leadership style is, “your approach to leading and interacting with others,” and “is composed of four key elements: theory, attitude, guiding principles, and behavior.” Just like your identity, your leadership style should be embedded in your work history.

• Can you sell and deliver against your vision? Regardless of your specialty, your type of organization, or your leadership style, when you’re in the C-suite you should be engaged in high-level long-term strategic thinking. That’s what a vision is - but anybody can have a vision. The ability to turn a vision into reality is what separates a manager from a senior executive. For example, let’s say you were hired to be the CEO of a small regional business that wants to move into new markets. Your vision is to create a national footprint through a series of mergers and acquisitions. Your resume should focus on how you set this vision, and then worked through your organization to guide it from concept to reality. Details matter, of course, but an effective C-level leader motivates his crew to achieve, without getting too stuck in the weeds.

• Do you have other credentials that can put you over the top? Just like any other resume, you will list your school(s) and related degrees. In addition, include any type of executive or leadership training, certifications, and relevant professional organizations. Yes, leaning on prestigious school names and program rankings helps.

• Be mindful of your tone. It’s the management team YOU put into place and countless employees that YOU are responsible for guiding to a successful outcome. There is a fine line between what you did and what you were able to get your company to do. Take credit for what you were able to get your company to do, but absolutely share that credit as appropriate. 

•  Use power language and metrics. Active verbs (i.e., orchestrate, direct, vision, pioneer, innovate, etc…) in your resume illustrate the difference between a photo of a bivouacked army and one charging into battle. Use language to affirm your level and experience and back it up with hard numbers of top-line and bottom-line business results you were able to deliver, in addition to the culture and “softer” initiatives you’ve effected.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

6 Essential Facts About Job Hunting For Senior-Level Executives

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Life as a senior-level executive certainly has its perks. CEOs, COOs, and Senior Vice Presidents hold an important role in the strategic day-to-day functioning of a major organization, the status of such a position carries a great deal of social capital, and the salary and benefits are pretty darn good.

But most jobs have a life span. A decline in revenues, an uninspired presentation to the Board of Directors, or a difference of opinion on the strategic direction of the organization can result in a highly successful C-suite leader being unexpectedly – and inexplicably – unemployed and having to mount a job search. Here are six essential facts about job hunting senior-level executives need to be aware of as they pursue new career opportunities.

1. Prepare for the job search to take a while. One human capital and search firm's recent data indicated the median length of their executive job searches over the past six years averaged 6.3 months. There are several reasons for this – there are fewer C-suite jobs available, companies tend to take their time filling these critical roles, and they often seek the buy-in of numerous individuals – including the Board of Directors, members of the executive leadership team, customers, strategic partners, and other key stakeholders.
    

2. Most executive opportunities won't be posted on job boards. True, you'll find a few listed, but most companies tend to shy away from posting senior-level executive opportunities on boards such as Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn.
    

3. Employers generally prefer to engage executive search firms to take on the burden of vetting tens of thousands of applications. Executive search firms typically work on a retainer, receiving from the employer a fee in the neighborhood of 33% of the candidate's first year total compensation plus expenses, and managing the search on behalf of the company from beginning to end. Although search firms are pricey, companies utilize them because they have an extensive database of existing contacts, and a major firm's prestige alone will usually merit a return phone call by a busy C-level candidate. Such firms are often tapped to quietly handle confidential searches (i.e., the company is looking to replace their existing SVP of Marketing).
    

4. Networking will be your most important job search tool. You'll receive the highest ROI by building and working your network. Proactively reach out to peers, mentors, and others who may be positioned to provide you intelligence on the job market and refer you to opportunities. Likewise, use LinkedIn to identify and reach out to executive search firms' Practice Leaders; these are the individuals who specialize in identifying talent and managing searches within specific verticals and disciplines.
    

5. Your resume needs to read like an executive resume. Balance high-level, strategic language with tangible, high-impact accomplishments. Consider how you established or delivered against a vision, and the ways in which the organization realized gains and created shareholder value as a result of your efforts; and context around these accomplishments matters. It's also important to address how you influenced the culture and created a pipeline of leadership talent.
    

6. It's important to be mindful of your tone during all interactions. Anyone with whom you come in contact during the job hunt will be in a position to help your candidacy – provide them with good reasons to do so. Demonstrate an abundance of assertiveness, positive attitude, and gratitude.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.