It didn’t matter which teams made the Super Bowl. There’s one thing they all had in common no matter how impressive the individual talent may be – it took a team effort to move the ball down the field. I know someone will point out the amazing running QBs, RBs, and yards after catch by receivers. But none of those amazing plays happen without great throws and/or timely blocking by teammates.
“Success takes a team effort.”
Those were the words of Randy, a manufacturing EVP who has been working with an ExecuNet Career Strategist to find his Next Great Next.
Randy came to us filled with what I call “anticipointment.” He’d anticipated finding and landing an amazing opportunity within a couple of months of being laid off due to restructuring at his last company. That anticipation soon turned to disappointment when nothing was really coming of his search.
This is a common malady for executives. Job search at the executive level is different than at the manager level. What got Randy this far won’t get him where he wants to go next…not in terms of job search strategy.
Just like for the teams in the Super Bowl, there are some common plays that everyone uses, and there are plays that you select because of individual talents. An executive job search is no different. There are some plays every executive must make because they are solid, foundational, and even expected. The plays that distinguish the ones who get offers, the executive version of touchdowns, depend on those executives’ strengths, experiences, and goals for the future.
ExecuNet has written the playbook for executive search. Our team identifies the combination of plays each executive we work with needs to reach the end zone.
To move down the field/career path, the first thing everyone needs to do is identify their Value Story and how to effectively articulate that Value Story. That takes a team with experience who you can trust because they have been there before.
Randy discovered he was just too close to his own career to actually see his real Value Story. He was focused on “look at this great experience I have” instead of “look at all these very specific examples of making a difference.” Randy thought people would connect his experience with making a difference, but he lost every time to candidates who did a better job presenting their value.
All he needed was a coach to teach him the right plays. In his case, it was learning all about his Value Story and how to effectively present it. He’s another example of someone who learned being “optimistic and in the market” isn’t a strategy.
Fortunately, Randy made the first move to reaching the end zone when he became ExecuNet Premium and gained access to the team who could help him. As one ExecuNet Premium person recently said after hearing what one of our Career Strategists had to say, “This is NOT commonly known or understood information.” If Randy’s story resonates with you, I’m sure we can help you transform from one of many candidates into the one of a kind they’ve just got to have.
