Everyone has his or her own version of this scene: sitting in front of the computer and scouring through sites, such as Monster, Careerbuilder, and The Ladders, for opportunities, copying and pasting a carefully-authored cover letter, addressing it to the right person, attaching the resume, sending out the e-mail, and feeling the frustration of knowing that thousands of others are answering the same postings. The responses are few and disappointing, but you find it difficult to break out of this repetitious, passive, and unimaginative approach to your search.
We believe that tapping into the less competitive, unpublished executive job and board seat market is essential and that highly targeted direct mail and follow-up is the fastest and most effective way to reach decision-makers. This does not mean blindly canvassing your business cards and sending resumes to everyone in your community. It does, however, mean obtaining contacts from those who may be able to help you find a suitable placement. One of the greatest advantages of networking is the access you have to the “hidden” market. We believe that custom direct mail, supported by a compelling cover note, succinct resume and a follow-up voice message, directly to the decision maker, is the fastest and most effective method of generating interviews.
Hidden executive jobs and board seats are obviously more difficult to uncover. Consequently, there are typically fewer applicants for these openings than for advertised positions. Contacting the person, to whom you would directly report, affords you the opportunity to get ahead of the game by applying for the position first.
Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of all openings are unadvertised or hidden. Employers and boards are too busy to advertise, do not want to screen large numbers of resumes, are unsure of their needs, or do not find advertising to be cost and time effective. There are many other reasons why employers may not post a vacancy in their company: timeliness, lack of funds, a backlog in human resources… the list is endless.
Our success derives from our commitment to generating, for you, an extremely focused list of contacts in companies where your skills and talents will most likely generate interest. We isolate industries where your experience is likely to be in demand, create a compelling resume and cover note, and ensure it gets in the hands of the person with the power to hire you for an executive position or appoint you to a board seat. It is critical that you get these people to share your biography with other key decision makers. You can achieve this through diligent and well-planned follow-up calls. We offer instructions on how to deliver your information, get past the “gatekeepers” on the telephone, and make effective follow-up calls. In addition, we will act as your personal coaches throughout the process.
The “reverse search” methodology generates results. We provide a powerful tool that can be difficult and time-consuming to develop on your own. The rest, however, depends on your motivation, enthusiasm, and level of commitment to securing and smoothing your executive transition.
