Contributed by $100K+ Executive-Level Career Karen Armon
Mistake #1: Using the Wrong Executive Job Search Model
Most female executives, when looking for their next career opportunity, fall back into old models that we learned early in our careers. These tactics keep us in the mainstream but that is where all the competition is! What we want to do is stand out, break through, and move up in our career.
During a recession, this is particularly true because women traditionally tend to make less than men and pressure to reduce our salary requirements just to land a position are strong. But that is a surefire way to keep our career circling the airport and never landing on the runway of executive leadership!
First, let’s look at the traditional method of finding a job:
- Create a list of target companies for which you would want to work
- Contact your network to find people who work for those companies currently
- Call your network and ask for an “informational interview”
- Continue the process until you find a position
But there are real problems with this approach:
- This entails using a “front-door” approach, and there are many gatekeepers whose responsibilities include keeping you out.
- Many female executives abandon their networks, sometimes for very legitimate reasons – such as child care, elder parent care and long hours. And, many of those in one’s network that are actually active are just peers. It seems like we are networking, but in reality, we are keeping ourselves in our comfort zone and not moving forward with new, upward-level power brokers. Regardless of how well intentioned they are, peers are often unable (or unwilling) to help you.
- The informational interview approach is practically dead. Although your network may want to give you ten minutes of their time, in most cases they simply can’t afford to accommodate you. I know that if I granted every informational interview request that was asked of me, I’d have no time to do my real job! What is the answer to this traditional model of finding a job?
The Solution: Use a New Executive Job Search Model
The model I suggest using when looking for your next C-Level executive position is the one I teach in my MarketOne™ Executive system. It moves you from an “activity-based” approach that the traditional model employs to a “synergistic-positioning” approach that:
- Positions you as a top thought leader in your industry
- Leverages your current job, network and career for greater momentum
- Utilizes marketing and sales strategies to turn strangers into interested parties
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