Challenges executives face while job hunting

While new entrants to the job market face the threat of obscurity amongst thousands of their peers all applying for the limited number of available positions, there is a different variety of challenges that executive-level job hunters may experience. Higher up, the number of jobs-to-applicants ratios is even tighter, and when a senior executive has been employed for a long period of time, the stakes are much higher when they find themselves in the job market once again.

Here are just some of the challenges that executives may experience while job hunting:

The discomfort of being unemployed
Rising up the ranks to a senior position takes years of commitment and dedication, and often comes with having to sacrifice valuable family or social time. When a senior executive is let go – due to company restructuring, the end of a contract, or for political reasons – they may find the sudden change of scenery quite uncomfortable. It's important that they do not allow this discomfort to affect their self-confidence or sense of purpose, but to rather see it as the opportunity to find a new course of action.

The out-of-date CV
It takes many years to nurture a career that peaks in the CEO's corner office. The approach to compiling a CV or resume may have changed significantly for CEOs who find themselves available to fill a new vacancy, so they will either have to completely redo their CV or find a unique way to put themselves back out there and promote their value to new employers.

The nuances of the executive job market
Senior-level positions aren't advertised in the same way that junior positions are, and the recruitment process for seniors and executives is substantially more time-consuming and expensive than for juniors or even management positions. Very often, executive positions are offered to internal staff as promotions; or external candidates are very specifically head-hunted based on their explicit suitability for the company's strategic direction. It's very difficult for an outsider – or someone not on the HR department's or decision makers' radar – to apply for, motivate, and fill a company vacancy at the executive level.

The decision to not be too selective
The number of unemployed executives far outweighs the number of available vacancies, and because the application and recruitment process can take up to 12 months (or more), executives may have to decide whether to take the first thing that comes along or to stoically wait for the perfect position. This will remain a very personal choice for each executive in this position, and will also hinge on the number of opportunities and interviews they've encountered. Executives would do well to be reasonable about their prospects, especially if they want to retain their executive lifestyle.

The importance of authentic networking
Executives who have strategically grown their professional networks throughout their career lifespan (and not only when they've learned they will be losing their jobs) may have an easier time finding employment than those who have simply clicked "Connect" on each vaguely important person on LinkedIn.

Those who have offered a helping hand, referenced important job candidates for industry partners (who have subsequently benefited from hiring that candidate), opened their own networks to newcomers and to those with significant business influence, may find themselves on the receiving end of the repayment of those dues, and very quickly re-employed. Even if the executive's carefully honed network does not immediately provide an opportunity, the people in it will be primed to share the news that the executive is available (and highly qualified and capable) with their own networks.

The practical and emotional consequences of losing a job at the executive level should be approached logically and realistically. Executives may gather comfort from their business connections and networks, or they can approach a specialized executive recruitment agency to help them get placed once more. The key is for these executives to stay busy (to consult independently or even to volunteer) while they work at finding employment again.

If you are currently a job seeker and need some assistance in job hunting, we can help. Communicate Recruitment is a recruitment agency with specialist consultants that will assist you in finding an exciting new job, whether it's Finance jobs, IT jobs, Engineering jobs, Freight jobs or Supply Chain jobs. Check out our vacancy page and apply now.

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