The Captivators

Executives pursuing a return to corporate after years in entrepreneurship, advisory work, or consulting must take ownership of their own career narrative to address perceived risk. While consulting, advisory, and entrepreneurial experiences signal high-level strategic thinking, some hiring authorities view these candidates as high-risk. Recruiters and boards often question whether a candidate has drifted too far from hands-on execution or the realities of corporate life. Co

Executive-level layoffs today present radically different challenges from even a few years ago. With the U.S. jobs market gutting several layers of leadership, the market has shifted and few senior leaders are fully prepared to navigate a modern job search. Many executives have been promoted or poached for years (or even decades), often without conducting an active job search. Because of the scale of layoffs and hiring slowdowns, those who are now displaced often find best pr

Hiring processes are becoming more prolonged due to crowded applicant pools and increased risk due to market disruption. So how can you stay top of mind when the hiring process stretches for months? — PEOPLE — Keep in mind that you often need internal buy-in from more than one person. It is appropriate to speak with peers and those to whom you would report. In matrixed companies, this will mean more people. If the hiring process is very open and transparent, you can often

When your organization restructures, you may find yourself at a career crossroads. Before trying to target the same role in the same industry, take a beat and find out what you’re looking for next. Seek out colleagues who left earlier. Find out where they landed and what they learned while exploring the market. This gives you more recent intel on market interests and can save you time and energy avoiding false leads or poor fits. In some cases, your former colleague may wis

Many job search experts will advise Executives to continue contributing to their field at a high level when their careers are in transition. This can be accomplished through speaking engagements, earning relevant credentials, serving on boards, and through consulting or advisory work. Finding these opportunities will open up new conversations and set you up as someone making an impact in your field, even if you are not currently employed. Offering services or speaking engage

Executive layoffs bring distinct challenges. The process of regrouping to explore the market and land a new role has shifted dramatically...

After working in outplacement for decades, I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in outplacement. Here are a few things to consider...

How should I determine my expected salary range? Dramatic market fluctuations can rapidly expand and contract salary offerings. The...

Layoffs are uncomfortable. It’s one thing to plan an exit strategy and job search. Quite another to have it thrust upon you. Layoffs add another layer of confusion and emotional processing — Did I do something wrong? Should I have left earlier? Should I completely change course? Amid the overwhelm, it can be hard to know what to do next. With decades of experience in outplacement and as a job search strategist, I’ve seen my share of layoffs. I’ll share what I’ve seen wo

There are so many opportunities to hone your personal brand and it doesn’t have to be cheesy or overhyped. What it does need to be is CLEAR. Once you have that clarity, you can run with it! So where to? And how do you spread your message? Brand Your Email Consider creating a custom email domain and email address. Custom email addresses like Anders@Kumara.com or Sara@SaraJJones.com are less likely to be sorted into junk mail or nonessential folders, thereby increasing

Many job seekers have built networks in the past, but as your career evolves and the industry landscape changes, so do your networking...

High contributors/long-time employees will rock an organization with news of an exit and need to take extra precautions before resigning....