Rita Ashley, Career Coach. Field tested advice for executives.

Executives, are you using the same job search techniques you did when you were a manager or individual contributor?

Six figure income executives visit a different job search landscape from that of individual contributors and managers.

Over eighty percent of executive jobs are filled through some form of networking.  Thus, the tsunami of advice to job seekers to use social networking sites, job boards and resume submission-based recruiters is simply wrong.  Don’t get caught in a wave of desperation and give away your executive edge.

Here are just some of the errors I encounter weekly:

Executives send their resume to anyone with an email address. I am a job search coach yet half of the people who contact me to learn what I do send me an unsolicited resume.  I am not a recruiter, do not place people and have no direct access to employers.  I asked one sales executive why he sent his resume and his answer was, “You never know.”  Not a great strategy for an executive job search.

LinkedIn profile is the resume. Why would anyone call to ask for your resume if they have already read it?  There is no texture or color, just a resume.  The profile is an opportunity to create buzz; it is a marketing opportunity, not a biography.

Executives succumb to recruiters who cast gill nets for resumes on public forums.  How can you distinguish yourself with a mass resume acquisition process?  Recruiters who place executives have connections to those executives.  They expect to be introduced by way of their network; they do not use job boards or cattle calls to locate the “A” players their clients require.

Not knowing how to get an introduction, many executives resort to unsolicited email or even Federal Express to convey their resume.  As hiring authorities, when was the last time you responded to a spam-like email with a resume?  Bet you didn’t even open the attachment.   It is not unusual that subsequent emails will be blocked as spam.

And that resume you mailed, FedEx or not, will land on an admin’s desk and be forwarded to HR, not the manager.  Who knows what happens from there.

Cold calling the hiring authority sounds better than it is. Assuming you can even get through, making a pitch to an executive is typically seen as an aggressive intrusion.  Again, remember how you feel when someone pitches to you during your busy work day.  It is unlikely you will be invited to send your resume or interview, plus, the person you called is annoyed with you and will remember your name.  If you find another avenue to present your credentials, they are now seen as damaged goods.

When did you learn how to conduct a job search? Looking for a job is something most executives rarely do.  Most “A” players never have because they were always recruited.  They rarely had to ask for introductions, leads or find a recruiter.

So how do you become as expert at job search as you are at doing your job?  The successful look for advice from experts, ask for help and listen to any critique they can garner.  But there is so much bad advice out there, how do you know what will work for you?

Vet the advice the same way you would vet any vendor; check references.  Ask if you are the target audience.

Examine their credentials.

• Do they have experience hiring people like you or working directly with hiring authorities (Not HR)?
• Have they been an executive?
• Do they have a track record and time in service?
• Is that resume writer experienced with hiring people who do what you do?
• What do hiring authorities say about resumes from that service?

Be especially careful with advice you find on public forums. Most of it is directed towards people less senior in their career.  There are more of them and that is the sweet spot for most advice and employment service providers.  Much advice is offered by people who consider their advice, ‘giving back’ not realizing they don’t have the experience or world view to know if their advice is appropriate for others and in this job market.  It is akin to the CTO taking the advice of the product manager on how to architect an IT revitalization.

Take care to protect your brand. If you are a qualified senior executive, be selective in your job search techniques; you are judged by the company you keep and your process.  Vet the advice and vet the people who represent you.  Be as selective and careful in your job search as you are when you run your organization.

My solution: You wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t looking for job search advice.  You checked my bio or have read my blogs and LinkedIn comments so you know you can trust my insights.  Now it’s time for you to take aggressive action on your job search to get the interviews you want and the offers you need.  Deconstruct your job search process and rebuild it from the ground up.  Purchase Job Search Debugged to walk you through an effective executive-level job search. Learn from hiring authorities and an industry insider who tells you where the rocks are and how to avoid them.  The book is specific to executives and has received rave reviews from my clients as well as general readers.

Join my LinkedIn group, Employment advice for executives.  Use the search box under find a group and enroll.  Executives only, no recruiters or other service providers.  Just advice, discussions and job lead sharing.  Ask questions, tell folks what resources work for you and gather with peers for support.

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