Executive Positions: Secrets to Landing Top Jobs

When your career sights are set on a high-level position, navigating the job market can be a daunting task. The competition for those positions can be fierce, so it’s vital to know how to find executive jobs, differentiate yourself from rival job seekers, and convince employers that you’re the best candidate for the job.

In this article, we’ll explain what executive positions are and examine some of the top secrets successful executives use to identify these types of high-level leadership opportunities. We’ll also provide some key tips that you can use to ensure greater success in your C-suite job search.

What are executive positions?

Executive positions are often referred to as “C-suite” or “C-level” jobs and are the highest positions within most companies. The “C” in “C-suite” stands for Chief – the first word in most executive position titles.

For example, most people are familiar with common executive titles like Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. However, the C-suite can also include upper-echelon employees with titles such as:

Chief Analytics Officer
Chief Compliance Officer
Chief Green Officer
Chief Human Resources Manager
Chief Information Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Security Officer
Chief Technology Officer

However, companies may also use other titles for those high-level positions. For example, the title Director of Operations is sometimes used instead of Chief Operating Officer. Other companies may refer to that COO as President.

For positions just below the C-suite, companies may use a hierarchy of Vice Presidents to define middle management positions. It all depends on how each company is structured and the executive title system that its leaders choose to use.

Why are C-suite positions so attractive?

For career-minded people, knowing how to find executive or upper management jobs can be vital for obtaining an influential and lucrative position. But why are these jobs so attractive? A quick look at the median salary of many C-suite positions can quickly answer that question.

According to the most recent estimates, the CEO position can command a median salary of $754,713 a year. Other C-suite roles can provide you with a median salary ranging from roughly $230,000 to nearly $450,000.

How to find executive jobs: seven essential tips and secrets

If your plan is to simply wait for executive-level positions to appear in job advertisements, think again. According to estimates, roughly 70 to 80% of all executive positions are never found on job boards. To gain access to this hidden executive job market, you’ll need to do more than just search through job listings. You’ll also need to be proactive about uncovering unadvertised opportunities.

Below are seven tips and secrets that can help you learn how to find executive jobs and expedite your career advancement.

1. Search executive job listings

While seven or eight out of every ten executive job opportunities never get advertised, you can still find those crème de la crème positions listed on job boards. That’s why it’s important to include standard job search techniques in your strategy – to ensure that you don’t miss some of the most obvious opportunities that appear online.

Below are just a few of the best executive job search sites that you should consider reviewing when you’re looking for potential C-suite opportunities:

You can also find upper-tier executive positions listed on some of the more familiar job boards, of course. However, the five sites we’ve included in this list specialize in bringing companies and top executive candidates together, making them great resources for any serious executive-level job search effort.

2. Be proactive about targeting employers of choice

It’s also important to know what you’re trying to accomplish. You should consider your end goal first and then determine the best way to reach that objective.

What specific job role are you seeking?
Can you do that job in your current industry, or will you need to make a change?
Are there any specific employers that you want to work with?

Develop a strategy and action plan you can follow to move toward your goal, periodically assess your resume, and modify your approach as needed.

Once you begin to identify target companies and job roles, it’s time to do your homework. Research everything you can about each firm, including the most relevant contact people you’ll want to interact with as you explore available opportunities.

It can also be helpful to focus not only on your primary industry of concern but other growing sectors of the economy. You may have your sights set on a CFO job in your current industry, but those same financial skills can qualify you for a similar role in a variety of other job sectors. Some of the fastest growth in C-suite job openings is expected to take place in industries like health care, investments, construction, technology, and professional services.

3. Rely on your network

Networking plays an important role in many job searches but can be especially vital when you’re seeking an executive position. By the time you’re ready to pursue a C-suite opportunity, you should already have a well-established network of professional contacts. Now, it’s time to activate that network to help you identify potential executive opportunities and secure vital referrals that can lead to interviews and job offers.

Related post: How to Ask Someone to Be a Job Reference

4. Develop your online brand

How visible are you within your chosen industry? If you haven’t taken the time to cultivate your personal brand, then you may struggle to make the right impression on key decision-makers who can make or break your executive job search. To avoid that prospect, make sure your personal brand effectively conveys your strengths, values, and skill set. The sooner you start building that brand, the better.

Naturally, you’ll want to create and maintain a strong presence on sites like LinkedIn – a professional social media platform that should play a vital role in your networking efforts, too. Focus on regular updates of your profile, securing strong connections with like-minded professionals, and posting or reposting content that your contacts will find useful. The more visible you are, the easier it will be for recruiters to find you when great executive positions are available.

5. Don’t forget your offline brand

Your personal brand also needs to extend outside the digital realm. To boost your chances of gaining access to executive position opportunities, you'll need to make sure you have high visibility in the real world, too. You should try to become a recognized thought leader in your industry by attending conferences, seminars, and other professional events. If your sector is represented by professional organizations, make sure that you’re active in those groups.

6. Contact executive search firms

To further strengthen your job search strategy, you may want to consider reaching out to one or more executive search firms. These companies provide executive placement services for companies and individuals – and are often aware of existing or upcoming executive openings in the hidden job market. If you can develop a working relationship with one of these firms, they may be able to help you figure out how to find your next executive job.

7. Consider internal promotions

Too many job seekers forget about their own company when they’re learning how to find executive jobs. Sometimes, your current employer may be able to provide the career advancement that you’re seeking. If your career goals include rising to the C-suite, make sure you treat every job as though it’s a potential stepping stone to the upper-crust of leadership. As you do, pay attention to company news to ensure that you have an early awareness of potential job openings within the firm.

How to find executive jobs – and secure a job offer

Learning how to find executive jobs is just part of the challenge. To make effective use of that knowledge, you need to know how to land interviews and secure job offers. The following tips can help you ensure that you’ve done everything possible to prepare for success.

Create a professional resume

At some point, every company is going to want to see your resume, so take the time to create a unique and personalized document that highlights your unique value proposition. Remember, your resume is more than just a box-checking list of qualifications. Instead, it’s a marketing piece that needs to sell your qualifications to the reader.

If you’re seeking your first C-suite or upper-management position, you may want to consider starting from scratch to ensure your resume delivers the most compelling message to prospective employers. Done properly, your resume should tell a clear and convincing story about your career progression, track record of success, and quantifiable achievements demonstrating the value you bring to the table.

Research the role you’re seeking and identify the core skills and qualifications you’ll need to include in your resume. Then, create a structure that separates distinct types of information into sections, including:

Contact section, with your most key contact details
Resume headline, including your desired job title and language describing your unique value
Resume summary that summarizes your experience, skills, and measurable achievements in three to five sentences
Core competencies, including a bullet list of 12-15 of your most relevant skills
Professional experience, documenting the last 10-15 years of work history and notable achievements
Education section that includes information about your degree, college, and graduation date

You can also include additional sections if you want to highlight notable projects, professional affiliations, or other information that might strengthen your presentation.

For more information on creating a resume, check out our post, Beginner’s Guide to How to Write a Resume.

Present a consistent image across all platforms

Even with the best resume in the world, your job search may encounter stiff resistance if your other job search tools are sending a different message to employers. For example, consider your LinkedIn profile. Does your profile page align with your resume narrative? If not, then you should optimize it to ensure that your LinkedIn visitors are seeing the same type of message about your career, abilities, and goals.

But the need for consistency doesn’t end there. You should also make sure your social media accounts, email addresses, and other communication tools share similar alignments. Try to use the same basic name structure for those addresses to present a unified brand to anyone who sees your name or message.

Invest in your personal image

It should go without saying, but image is everything when it comes to making a great first impression. If you’re not yet in the C-suite club and haven’t started to look the part, now’s the time to make those changes. Consider a change in your wardrobe scheme, a new hairstyle, or other alterations that help declare your readiness for the upper echelons of the business world. As an added benefit, that personal upgrade may even increase your confidence and help you shine in interviews.

Prepare thoroughly for every interview opportunity

Speaking of interviews, make sure you’re adequately prepared for those opportunities. Take time to research some of the most common interview questions to ensure you have a well-conceived response that highlights your fitness for the role. Whether you’re asked to explain what motivates you or need to answer questions about where you see yourself in five years, being properly prepared is essential for acing any interview.

To reach the C-suite, learn how to find executive jobs and land the position

Achieving success in the executive job market can be a real challenge, but the right strategies can help simplify any job search. Knowing how to find executive jobs is essential, especially when so many career opportunities never get advertised on job boards. Fortunately, you can use these tips and strategies to expedite that process and help you land the interviews and job offers you need for continued career advancement.

Are you confident that you know how to find executive jobs but feel as though you need a little help crafting a great executive resume? Let the resume experts at ZipJob provide the assistance you need by getting your free resume review today!