5 Ways to Crush the Competition in Your Executive Job Search

Moving up to the corner office – or seeking a change in your executive role?

Start leveraging new practices and trends to outpace your job-seeking competition as soon as possible. 

A strong social media presence, keyword-rich executive resume, cutting-edge search methods, and intensive follow-up are now required to land a choice leadership position.

Here are 5-must-know executive job search, LinkedIn, and resume trends you’ll need to win your next leadership opportunity:

1 – Employ social media; it’s now a requirement for job search success.

Still ignoring LinkedIn or waiting to update your Profile? You’ll want to switch tactics quickly, whether your job search is looming over the next few months or you anticipate making a change in the future.

It’s been said by employers that if you aren’t on LinkedIn, you don’t exist.

Consider this: the average CEO now possesses more than 900 LinkedIn connections — and recruiters often spend HOURS assessing your digital identity before presenting you to their clients. LinkedIn in now in use worldwide, and with 610+ million registered users, it won’t decrease in popularity anytime soon.

Therefore, you’ll benefit from polishing your Profile, developing a powerful LinkedIn Headline, spending time choosing a professional photo for the site, writing a solid Summary, and injecting a solid mix of keywords to draw recruiter traffic.

2 – Be ready! Downsizing and mergers are now routine.

If you haven’t already faced massive changes in your company structure, an imminent merger could bring them home – fast. Depending on the source, some analysts predict M&A activity will continue to mirror recent years, while others expect changes among mostly smaller and privately held firms. In addition, companies are expected to continue announcing layoffs that could affect you and your colleagues.

While these changes bring uncertainty to nearly every employee, it’s often executives who experience the most disruption in their routines – with average job searches taking anywhere from several months to a year, particularly when seeking an ideal C-level position.

In other words, prepare! Build a sound social media strategy, list of target companies, and compelling executive resume… long before changes hit your industry or employer.

3 – Realize that recruiters now work globally, instead of limiting their practices to your city.

In the past, recruiters often “covered” an area bounded by geography and industry. Now, the recruiter you speak with is more likely to be active on social media and sourcing candidates from all over the world.

To find recruiters who specialize in your field, use LinkedIn’s Search function or run a Google search on “recruiter for COO” or other phrases relevant to your goal.  When getting in touch with a recruiter, remember that their compensation comes directly from client companies (NOT candidates) who task them with finding executives matching specific requirements.

You can use LinkedIn to send a note to a recruiter, including a message such as “I understand that you specialize in IT leadership candidates, and as an executive skilled in networking and IT operations, I’d like to find out if my credentials match your client requirements.” You can also place a quick call for an even better impression and personal touch when introducing yourself.

4 – Don’t neglect to prepare! Company research is more important than ever.

Reviewed the latest information on salary negotiation techniques, interviewing skills, company research, or industry trends? If not, you’ll need to catch up to your colleagues, especially those leveraging job search powerhouse Job-Hunt.org or recruiter business forecasts from sites such as the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC).

Don’t get caught lagging behind in your preparation for the job search, particularly when you can capitalize on a myriad of online resources to help you land that coveted leadership position.

Many employers will quickly reject a candidate who appears to have little knowledge of their operation, market position, or flagship product – especially when most of this data can easily be found via a quick Google search.

Websites such as Payscale.com or Glassdoor provide the opportunity for you to investigate salaries at various career levels. On LinkedIn, Premium Career account holders can also filter job openings by salary level, which may be shown on some postings. For interviewing advice, you can check out commonly accessed career sites (such as LiveCareer.com), as well as business resources including Forbes.com.

5 – Stay up-to-date on the hottest trends in executive resume writing.

If you haven’t caught on to the branded, comprehensive marketing used in today’s executive resumes, there are several ways to educate yourself on these best practices.

A quick Google search for “Executive Resume Samples” will yield samples of current resume documents, along with articles on best practices for writing about your leadership career.

Check out the Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) resume writing winners to see cutting-edge entries from resume writers worldwide. If you haven’t seen an award-winning resume lately, prepare to be impressed!

Here, resume experts are judged on the use of color, graphics, brand messaging, formatting, and innovation by a panel of recruiters and hiring authorities in an annual competition conducted by Career Directors International.

In short, executive job search has forever been altered by these new and emerging trends.

Your preparation, research, and understanding of these changes will be critical to your transition, compensation, and success as a candidate for Director, VP, SVP, and C-suite jobs.