So you are looking for a job/role change. It may not be the first change but a change after long & vintage relationship with your present employer. You may be asking yourself how you should approach or what strategy you should deploy to transition into a leadership role or make a move to a different sector/industry &/or job function.
Making a job search strategy is similar to developing a strategic plan for work. You should not only articulate clear strategy but also take concerted efforts to execute it carefully.
Some of the following pointers will assist you in formulating & executing a thoughtful job search strategy
1.) Research on what you want
Start with curating what kind of executive roles/positions interests you, what kind of opportunities exist in market & what kind of organisations can be a potential fit for you.
- Start compiling what excites you about a potential role, your personal preferences & must haves.
- Conduct detailed research about your dream organisations or where you wish to work.
- Identify current pain points/problem statement of the organisation & how you can create value for them.
- What kind of roles in the organisation align with your skill set, requirements & your long term career goals?
- How your expertise can bring improvements in operational efficiency/productivity/business operations?
2) What value proposition you offer?
To market yourself clearly define what value you bring to the table. How your skill set can create value for stakeholders of the organisation you are looking to be part of you? What expertise sets you apart from others? Communicate about your personal brand. What you are known for ? What achievements & results you have delivered in the past/what impact you have created for the organisations you have worked? How do you support your claims?
Clearly define how your offering can help your future employer make a compelling ROI, why you should be selected to head an important initiative? How you can help your future employer make money, save costs?
3) Social Networking Plan
More than 75% of job offers comes through referrals. Make sure that you are active on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter. Build your personal brand & prefer not to send direct/cold call email for introduction. The following would be a better way to build network. Before sending an email to a prospective networker explore,
- Common interest
- Something you’ve recently read about them or their company
- How you can support a challenge you noted in their business/department
- Show interest in learning more about their sector/industry
4) Explore the power of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is considered as the most powerful tool since 94% of recruiters look for talent pool on this platform. Build a robust profile including your key skills, achievements, value proposition & ROI.
Connect & outreach with decision makers relevant people with whom you share common interests, have been associated in industries you are targeting & can refer you to your dream organisations.
Be a member of various groups & sub-groups related to your preferred industry, job function. Take an active part in discussions in such groups, offer help & share ideas, knowledge & information. You can find more on how you can leverage LinkedIn & other social media platforms as a most powerful tool in my previous blog.
https://thesushantkumar.com/2019/06/16/leveraging-social-media-for-job-search/
5) Build strong career tools
Get all your job/career related communication in order. Specifically, keep the following documents handy:
- Compelling executive resume for direct distribution
- Biography which clearly captures career progression, value proposition and offerings
- Value proposition letter for networking and cold introduction
- Customized Outreach email for each individual
- Brand statement to share in quick pitches or introductions
Communicate what you are looking to explore, what value your bring & how organisation can benefit from hiring you
An executive job search demand lot of investment of your time, resources, patience level & dedication. Please do all the above mentioned tasks & keep all the documents ready. Consider this as an ongoing process throughout your professional career & not as a one off activity only during your transition/job switching period.
In case you’re looking for a executive job search consult, pls. feel free to connect.
