Self-Initiative Is Key To Successful Executive Job Transition
- Brainz Magazine
- Jan 7, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 8, 2025
Harvard Group International has been successfully helping clients fill critical and strategic hiring needs for three decades. As consultant in this field, HGI regularly provides analysis and advice to executives and professionals who seek the firm's assistance. The door is always open to employers and individuals for courtesy discussions.
It happens – unexpectedly, expected and even planned. “Between jobs” can be tough, even when there is some financial security provided by an employer. Though it needs to be addressed, this is not an article about the psychological challenge of job transition. There are other sources of advice about coping with the uncertainty and stress.
Still, the advice here does take a particular mental confidence. The executive who finds themself needing to open a new door, a new chapter in their career must call upon the same energy, focus and grit that has driven their career success so far. In fact, it’s often said that finding a job is the most demanding job one ever undertakes. The process all begins when the individual whole-heartedly takes personal responsibility for achieving the goal. It is most always shortsighted to expect some other person or service to find the executive-in-transition a new job.
Preparation
Reading this article probably indicates that some research into the subject may be underway. There are a lot of articles about this subject. Networking to make known one’s need to find a new employer. Networking to find hidden jobs. Reminders about resume style and content. Updating and improving online personal profiles. Pros and cons of engaging some means of professional help. Maintaining or expanding your “usual work hours” during this job search. HGI is contacted near daily by executives in job transition, and advice of the nature these articles provide is extended, to include seeking such advice from multiple sources.
To the point
Initiative…is just what Webster implies. It coincidently begins with an “I”, a pronoun referring to oneself. Job hunting is probably the toughest job one ever has, and the advice of this article is that it cannot be delegated. That does not mean one does not network to find job opportunities or leads toward such. It does mean one cannot depend on others to achieve the next chapter in one’s career. Only self-initiative can! That is the core point of this article. All built around what HGI has shared with those inquiring; that is to say “networking” into HGI, throughout the past decades.
The recommendation of this article is built around the reality that almost all hiring managers both respect and admire initiative.
A reality that can be leveraged.
Demonstrating initiative is a strong step toward the best next job.
Counter intuitive
Isn’t it illogical to expect an Executive Recruiting Firm like HGI to respond to someone who is sending their resume to the firm in hopes of falling into an ongoing search project, or fitting one of those “hidden jobs”, to be advising an exec in transition to depend on self-initiative? HGI, like many executive recruiters, does have ongoing projects occasionally into which an unsolicited resume fits. “Seldom” might be more accurate in the previous sentence than “occasionally”. That is not at all to imply that HGI will not offer to be of help; even a source of advice and sounding-board encouragement – absolutely the case, as evidenced by this article. The well-known and above inferred “long odds” is the recognized motivation behind networking, and networking big time. Spread the word, along with solid recognition of why one is the exceptional hire, for sure. Just don’t depend on “the network” to grow awareness with the right employers of one’s job search very much at all – beyond those contacted by the job searching exec. The executive recruiter may know a client who might be interested, just as the fellow employee or business/professional contact might as well. The odds, however, require that one sews a whole lot of these network seeds. That’s the advice of most articles as well as most whom one consults with as they ‘network’.
Direct vs indirect initiative
Recall the old saying that in seeking a job one has only a single item to sell, themself. Again, unusual as it might seem, this article by HGI, an executive recruiting firm, is advising this. A job searcher can sell “the one item” either through an intermediary, as in a distributor (in this context a recruiter), or directly. HGI knows the executive recruiting business very well, and that it is all about connecting a hiring manager with a great… an exceptional candidate. The reality is that the recruiting firm can never sell the great candidate as well as the candidate can sell themself. Successful conclusion of a candidate search project by an executive recruiting firm always depends on the candidate selling themself to the hiring manager. So, this article is suggesting that an executive-in-transition should take the initiative to sell themself directly to the employer and hiring manager. Instead of, or at least in addition to networking, Go Direct.
Make a list of desired employers, find the contact information and say hello; apply self-initiative and introduce yourself.
HGI will still help
Most good executive recruiting firms have clients as well as a few other “open doors” available to facilitate them “further networking” executives in transition. Slim odds, but that’s the networking job search game. It takes quantity, and making contact and conversation with ten executive recruiters might expand one’s job search network 10x10-fold in search of “the hidden job”. Usually worthwhile. Still, the team at HGI knows what other great executive recruiting firms know; that if a job searching exec asks them, “who do you know at XYZ Corporation?”, a name and contact assistance just might be provided. Then, the farsighted executive recruiter will always help in facilitating a connection. HGI will, however, remind the exec in transition that self-initiative is most always seen as a positive qualification and that a simple email or phone message from the exec to the employer, that highlights a couple key qualifications, is more likely to open that door.
Remember, hiring managers respect self-initiative as an attribute, and that can be leveraged.
Initiative centered, direct job search
Broadly network as one sees fit, or as being advised by outplacement or similar, as part of the overall job search. It is the current responsibility of the exec in transition, which cannot be delegated. In conjunction with that, however, build a list of target employers, and keep building it. From ongoing contacts with executive recruiting firms and other executives one knows, add to the list while also obtaining hiring manager or similar target employer contact information.
Blind cold calling; take a stab! Via phone or email, be very brief; assemble an introduction around the old Elevator Speech advice.
Briefly mention a couple of achievements that define ones past career advancement. Then inquire as to their interest.
Following a lead uncovered, identify a likely hiring manager and drop a note or call. Same approach, be brief to be respectful. Let the recipient become curious and ask for more information.
Consider job postings as leads not application points: watching job boards can add to one’s target employer list, while at times may represent an actual job opening. The chances of being considered are probably better for those executives who don’t apply but do make direct contact in the way noted above.
Job boards can also be a way of adding to one’s list of recruiting firms and making contact with a specific person at such.
Don’t lead with a resume. “Knock on the door” in the brief way described above. Let the employer express interest and then follow up with the resume when they do.
The second contact, prompt response to the request, further firms up the budding relationship.
See HGI’s article on how execs can distinguish their resume.
And remember, don’t count much on delegating the job search to an executive recruiting firm.
They can be a lot of help, for sure, but opening doors for executives is most often done best by the exec themselves.
So; it takes time, personal commitment and energy
There are a number of estimations and sources of statistics on how long the job transition period is on average for executives. Some relate to industries, others to months per $10K in salary. Ignore such as it can too easily become a scale against which one evaluates their job search efforts; even becoming cover for not succeeding… yet. Like any project or goal, the more resources of time and effective energy applied, the likely more successful the initiative. In this case the resumption of salary and financial advancement. Focus on success not justification measurements. Conduct a multifaceted campaign…that primarily depends on self-initiative.
Identify ‘doors’ and knock on them directly.
And don’t wait or depend on being discovered!
That’s not to say don’t facilitate such via networking and putting up a great online profile.
Oh, yea, one more thing
Taking “time off”, a vacation, after separating from one’s employer:
Not recommended.
Finding a job takes full commitment of time, along with immediate priority.
In the event one decides to “rest before working hard”, it is best not to mention having done so… to anyone contacted in the process of landing that “next chapter”.
Read more from Harvard Group International
Harvard Group International, Executive & Professional Recruiters
Harvard Group International was founded in 1997 with a primary focus on automotive manufacturers and tier-one suppliers. From its beginning, the culture has been one of providing help and advisory services to clients and candidates alike. As the firm grew, the practice evolved more of a generalist focus, covering almost every industry segment across finance & investment, medical, technology, consumer, and more, to manufacturers and suppliers; US and International. With that history, HGI has helped many of the largest corporations in the world as well as private businesses and start-ups. The key to success is grounded in the firm's process of thoroughly understanding the clients' needs as well as hiring managers' preferences to enable effective 'digging' into likely sources; and identifying accomplished candidates that require actual recruiting before presentation to clients. Along the years, HGI has become known for professional courtesy, confidentiality, and focused urgency. The associates and directors of the firm have reviewed many thousands of resumes, placing thousands of candidates across a broad spectrum of titles, roles, and diversity.
