Executive job search: a practical guide for senior leaders

How senior roles really get filled, and how to run a search that matches it.

Senior roles are filled differently from the rest of the market. Many are handled by executive search firms or through board and investor networks, and a public posting, when there is one, is often the last step rather than the first.

That changes how an executive search should run.

Start with a target list, not a job board

Write down 20 to 30 organizations where you would genuinely add value: by sector, stage, size and the problem they need solved. Everything else in your search hangs off this list.

Work three channels at once

1. Your network. Former colleagues, board members, investors and advisors hear about roles before they exist. Tell a small circle, specifically, what you are looking for.
2. Executive search firms. Build relationships with the partners who cover your function and sector. Be easy to place: a clear story, a crisp resume, realistic expectations.
3. Company career sites. Many senior roles that are advertised appear first on the company's own careers page. Watch your target list directly rather than waiting for job boards.

Sharpen the story before the resume

At senior level you are hired for a problem you have solved before. Summarize your career as two or three of those, with results: a turnaround, a scale-up, an integration, a market entry. Your resume and every conversation should tell the same story.

Keep it confidential

If you're currently in role, discretion matters more than speed. Use personal devices and email, keep an exclusion list of your employer, its group companies, competitors and clients, and ask firms to confirm before presenting you anywhere.

Tailor for every conversation

Each opportunity deserves a version of your resume and a short note that lead with what that organization needs. It's the most time-consuming part of an executive search, and the one most people skip.

Expect a longer process

Executive processes often run several rounds with boards, investors and peers. Keep momentum by running several conversations in parallel rather than one at a time.