Executive job search tips can make or break your chances of landing a leadership role, especially when working with executive job search firms and experienced recruiters.
We’ve written advice on how to best prepare for, maximize, and manage meetings during a search process, whether with a search committee, a board of directors, videoconferencing, or a conference call.
Understanding executive job interview tips and showcasing qualities of professionalism are essential steps in setting yourself apart from other candidates. After all, professionalism in the workplace isn’t just about appearances—it’s about ensuring your actions align with your words and reflect your capabilities as a leader.
How to Lose Jobs and Alienate Interviewers
Generally, most successful senior executives are adept and experienced at the executive search process, but not all. And the exceptions have stood out vividly. Here are a few real-life examples of executive behaviors that have left these executive search professionals less than impressed.
Four Insights to Help You Succeed in the Executive Recruitment Process
- Match your talk to your walk.
- Little things make a big impression.
- Where was I? Oh, yes…Stay on point.
- Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Match your talk to your walk.
How you conduct yourself during the search process speaks volumes about how you engage as a professional and business leader. It is an opportunity to “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk.”
A Chief Operating Officer may say that he is “highly analytical, data-centric, and impeccably precise,” but if he repeatedly asks for schedules and agendas to be re-sent, does not remember the names of people he has met with, product lines, or critical business metrics; and (despite multiple corrections) continues to bafflingly mispronounce the company’s two-syllable name—your actions are speaking louder than your words.
Likewise, if you’re
- a Chief Information Officer who has never used FaceTime, WebEx, or Skype;
- a Chief Communications Officer and your resume is one solid block of text with mismatched fonts;
- a Chief Accounting Officer and can’t work out the calculations on a travel reimbursement form,
you aren’t projecting the level of functional expertise commensurate with your profession.
Little things make a big impression.
Details matter, and making sure the fine points and “little things” are covered and done correctly is essential for success—as a Chief Executive Officer candidate recently learned. Having spent days and weeks flawlessly preparing, she called in a panic two hours before her final meeting with the board after realizing she had mistakenly flown to the wrong city. She was not selected for the role.
We recognize that many employers no longer require regular formal business wear in the office. However, it was clear that a candidate was not ready for prime time when he arrived to interview in a suit that had been out of use for so long that dusty coat hanger creases were permanently etched into the shoulder blades.
My colleague Jane Howze describes a search committee search she ran a few years ago: “The committee was deadlocked between two outstanding candidates. What broke the deadlock was that one of the candidates answered questions with ‘What WE need to do,’ while the other candidate responded with ‘What YOU all should do.’”
Small stuff? “Absolutely,” Jane agrees, “but one candidate had already aligned herself with the organization.” She was offered the position. Demonstrating business professionalism means being detail-oriented and prepared, ensuring that even minor oversights don’t overshadow your otherwise strong candidacy.
Where was I? Oh, yes…Stay on point
While the best leaders in their fields have a clear and tangible passion for their work, savvy executives also know how to express that passion in proportion to the receptiveness of their audience and the purpose of a discussion. Do not frantically whiteboard ideas like Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind” to explain your vision. Instead, be nimble and calibrate your message to your audience.
Relatedly, it’s always important to remember to stay on point—especially if you tend to go off on a tangent. If the visual representation of your response to a simple question looks like this…
“I arrived at the firm to lead a significant turnaround; revenue was down 20 percent.”
“I joined on the same day as the firm’s new General Counsel. She had come to the firm from IBM. My brother once worked for IBM. He lives in Wyoming now. I’m headed to Wyoming in two weeks for a vacation. Three years ago, my wife and I vacationed in Paris. It was a nightmare getting there. Our original flight out was canceled, etc.”
…then, your ratio of digressions to relevant points needs inverting.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Scheduling meetings between hyper-busy executives is always challenging. Most of us have calendars and schedules bursting at the seams. However, offering a 45-minute window of availability during June does not demonstrate priority, flexibility, or your willingness to participate in the process.
Along the same lines, constantly demonstrating to a company that you are “pleased where I am,” that it would “take something extraordinary for me to leave,” or that you “could not imagine a better situation than I currently have,” rather than demonstrating why the organization needs you, will not motivate a company to take those “extraordinary” steps.
As we have said before, it is always crucial to “stick the landing.” Sending thoughtful thank you notes to follow up after meetings can be a differentiating touch. Just be sure you have the correct email addresses and that the note to Phil Jones, Firm X, Managing Partner, doesn’t accidentally go to Phil Jones, Firm X, Database Intern.
Mastering Executive Job Search Tips for Success
The executive job search process requires attention to detail, professionalism, and strategic preparation. Avoiding these common missteps ensures you present yourself as the polished leader organizations seek.
While the best executive job search sites can provide helpful tools, partnering with experienced executive search professionals like The Alexander Group offers personalized insights and guidance beyond what online platforms offer.
For more executive job search tips, follow The Alexander Group on LinkedIn and explore our blog for additional resources to advance your career.