When was the last time you had to conduct an executive job search? Have you ever received any guidance on how to do it effectively? It can be daunting, especially when your first impression is your CEO resume. Introducing yourself without knowing the person on the other end or without a face-to-face conversation can feel almost impossible. We’ve come up with a quick start guide to kickstarting your executive job search.
- Define Yourself. Identify your executive job search goal. Think about previous and desired job titles, functional roles, companies, and industries you are interested in. Try to narrow in as much as possible; too broad of a target will make your job search more challenging.
- Brand Yourself. CEO resumes and cover letters that are visually similar portray a unified image and a professional candidate. The information must be consistent across your documents. To take it a step further and increase your competitive edge, go beyond a cover letter and a resume, and harmonize your LinkedIn profile, executive biography, and endorsements as well.
- Organize Yourself. You’ve designed executive-level organizational strategies before; now, you can develop an executive-level job search strategy for yourself. Map out a plan of actions you can take on a daily and weekly basis that will move you towards your goal—track which ones are effective and which ones need to be adapted and make changes accordingly.
- Devote Yourself. Carve out a manageable window of time each week to commit to your job search activities by scheduling specific days and times when you will implement your well-organized job search strategy. Keep in mind that by automating parts of your search, you can increase the efficiency of your actions. To find out more, review our hidden market DIY kit.
- Surround Yourself. Enlist the support of your family and friends to share in your success and excitement when you experience a win! You may find individuals in similar situations through your networking efforts; connect with them and share your tactics. Make sure you have at least one person who can hold you accountable in your job search as an objective participant and offer helpful critique and advice.
Your motivation will wax and wane as you go through your executive job search. Take advantage of days when you are feeling extra motivated by committing more time to your job search. When you are feeling less motivated, reach out to your support network to lift you up. To see how we can help your kickstart your executive job search, book a complimentary and confidential call with us here.
