Executive Career Search

The beginning of a new year brings its share of excitement, anticipation and hope for everyone. For those of you who will be embarking on an executive job search, the New Year really symbolizes the opportunity for a new beginning.

​

But before you start reaching out to your personal contacts, friends, and recruiters, make sure that you have the right tools. If you have not conducted a serious job search in more than five years, you’ll be surprised by how much the job search has changed. Competition for the best paying jobs is intense, and you will need to represent yourself distinctively on paper.

​

Making a commitment to yourself to pursue your passion and explore new career opportunities is exciting and stimulating, but not without challenges. Charting the course to a new career requires careful planning and preparation to ensure smooth navigation.

​

So are you finally ready to step out on faith and try something different? Well here are a few steps that you need to consider before making your move.

​

Where to begin? For starters, you need to secure a well-written, branded executive CV -- that is the first document that every recruiter and hiring manager will request from you. If you’re making a significant career move into a whole new industry or functional area, you’ll need a serious CV makeover; a strong marketing document that maximizes your past achievements and reinvents you for a whole, new career.

​

Before you dive into a CV-writing frenzy, do your homework. Visit comprehensive websites to review current executive jobs in your target areas. Take a close look at about five to ten opportunities and identify the required qualifications, experience, and expertise; use that information along with the following techniques to transform your ordinary CV into an attention-grabbing document.

​

Have You Conducted A Self-Evaluation?

​

It is very important to know who are you and understand the unique value you bring to employers before strategising a career change. This is an area where doing the work to identify and develop your personal brand will prove to be very essential throughout your entire job search and long-term career management. As you reach out to new contacts, you will need to be very clear about your leadership skills, management capabilities, and transferable skills that will benefit future employers. Key questions to consider include:

​​

• Where do your greatest talents lie?

• What are the most valuable things you have to offer a prospective employer?

• What is your professional reputation?

• What do others say about you?

• What do you consider to be your differentiating value over others doing similar work?