Executive Career Coaching - Job Search Debugged

Are you looking for a job or building a career?

By , February 21, 2012

“Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.”  Lao Tzu

Successful executive job search starts with your objective. Are you looking for that next big job? Is that the focus of your job search and your networking? Or have you taken the time to learn how to build your career over the long-haul?

What’s the difference? Most successful executives have rarely conducted a real job search. They have been invited to interview, been recruited or groomed and promoted. When time comes to conduct a real job search, they are defenseless in the competitive arena of executive job search. They jump at the first big title offered with no concern about the affect the new job might have on their career.

Example: One client of record took a very high paying technology job in the Mid West. The title was impressive, the money, excellent. He was isolated from any technology network that would advance his career and because the company rejected his plans to use the latest technologies, he set his career back five years.

How do executives make these career limiting mistakes? Since many successful executives have never had to acquire excellent job search skills, they rely on standard myths or worse, highly touted advice from those who have never hired executives and whose suggestions are really geared to those young in their careers.

Once an executive reaches the late thirties or early forties, the idea dawns that career planning is the only route to that ultimate goal, whatever that may be. And again, they are defenseless because no one has tutored or mentored them in career management.

So let’s do that now. It all begins with your objective. What outcome do you want? Do you want to break away from Corporate America and work for an upstart? Or perhaps you see yourself as a CTO in charge of all the products and technologies for a growing or grown company. Is a seat at the table in a large corporation on your radar? Where you want to end up long-term determines what your career plan needs to include today.

Step two is create a go/no-go list based on your objective. For instance, if your mid- or long- term goal is to run a small company, then your go/no-go list for the upcoming job would include but not be limited to:

  1. Company is a recognized leader in their field.
  2. Company has commitment to mentoring.
  3. An immediate manager is someone from whom you can learn.
  4. Company status is one that is seen in a positive light by investors and the market.
  5. Company is located geographically where you can maintain and build your network.
If your long or mid-term goal is the executive suite in a large corporation, your current job search go/no-go list might include:
  1. Company has track record of promoting from within.
  2. There is an obvious and available champion.
  3. Company has a stated mission to grow their executives.
  4. Company pays for and encourages coaches and outside mentoring.
  5. Company is in a strong/growing market niche’ where individual success is measurable.
  6. Job responsibility has clear metrics that are a direct indication of  efforts.
Perhaps your goal is to run a medium sized product-driven company. Look for a job that positions you for the big leap:
  1. Must be a customer-facing product line.
  2. Responsibilities include possible revenue generation in the $Billions.
  3. Company encourages media exposure and key-note speaker and other ‘personal branding’ activities.
  4. The role is one where transformation and innovation are valued.
Executive job search without career planning and no objective is akin to running a foot race with a cement bag on one foot. Sure, you can cross the finish line, but certainly not in front. In any executive job search the candidate who detaches from the interview and courtship long enough to be objective is likely to find a new job that fits career goals and where they can stay for more than four years, an increasingly important variable.
.
Once detached, the executive can then ask the hardest question of all. “Can I be successful here?” Ignore the hype from those courting, and especially the Board. Their agenda is to land the right executive hence they will say whatever it takes to convert the candidate to employee. Questions that can help define opportunity for success include:
  1. How are decisions made?
  2. Who has veto power?
  3. What role does the Board play?
  4. How was the last crisis handled?
  5. By whom?
  6. What are the latest innovations in product, IT or process?
  7. What did it take to get buy-in?
  8. What is done to limit turnover and what is the current rate?
  9. Is there Board visibility?
  10. Are the current investors and the Board respected in the industry?

Want more insurance you are on the right track with career planning? Many up and coming executives build a Personal Board of Directors. This Board is comprised of people for whom you have respect and who have achieved what you hope to emulate. They are not necessarily of your business niche’ nor are they necessarily people you currently know. Their role in your life is to offer career guidance. This is NOT the same as networking or job search connections. These are people with whom you consult periodically to manage your career; not people who offer or point to jobs, but people who help prepare you to meet your goals. They know where the rocks are and can ask you the hard questions whilst offering their point of view about how to achieve your goals.

And then there is always hiring an Executive Coach, but that’s a whole other topic.

 

 

Share

categories Ageism, Branding, career advice, coaching, Executive topics, Job Security, Uncategorized | tags , ,

Leave a Reply

Panorama Theme by Themocracy