Search Like An Executive
Steven Kneiser
1-minute read
Serious question:
how do CEOs get jobs?
Did they send in a good resume?
To who? The Head of HR?
Don’t they promote from within?
See that’s what I thought!
“Of the 198 replacements Challenger tracked in January [2020], 107 of them came from outside the company, while 91 were internal candidates.”
Executives play by different rules
Wow
Color me shocked
Never saw that coming
Did the 3 Teslas give that away?
So ask yourself: WWCD
What would CEO do?
Expectation: 9 - 18+ months
First things first, they’ dont rush:
patience is a virtue
They’re not thinking:
“who pays most?”
The only on their mind is:
“Am I willing to invest in this company?”
- in this market?
- in this angle?
- in this team?
- at this time?
We’re not talking money either,
but their attention: time & energy
…also their reputation
“if I go through with this
–invest my next 5-10 years here–
& everything falls apart in the end,
will it still be worth it?“
*6 months later*
This is how they end most chats:
“Not today, but keep me in the loop!”
“Let me know how I can be helpful!”
They may’ve walked away from a verbal offer,
but things are getting serious…
Aha! They’ve found a serious opportunity!
Were they scanning job boards?
…with their world-class resume?
If the team didn’t already recognize them,
their reputation preceded them
Often a quick google search says enough
They’re not trying to find work convenient for them, but convenient for the company (or even the broader market). “Where can I get a job?” isn’t as important as “what does this company need right now? If not now, is something likely to change in the next 6 months to justify my help?”
Don’t search like a student
Search like an executive