The Captivators

Strengthen market signals to improve Executive Branding

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

Is blind recruiter outreach or mass resume distribution the Executive equivalent of AI mass application tools? In each scenario, you have zero intel - zero relationship - zero quality control - zero ability to customize your resume, bio, and outreach to speak to priorities for a potential opportunity. There may not even be an opportunity, just you creating more noise. I recently chatted with an Outplacement Expert, formerly at a top Executive Search firm, who shared: "We

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

Being overqualified is one of the muddiest concerns among job seekers. It means different things to different people and the strategies to address the screenout factor will vary based on your goals. You want more. The position is too low-level and your capabilities far extend the expectations for the role. You would feel underutilized and frustrated to limit yourself to the existing scope. WHAT TO DO — Target a higher-level role. Reframe your resume and LinkedIn profile for

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...

As more AI tools hit the market, it can be tempting to test Job Search AI tools to accelerate the job search process. While an ever-expanding list of tools have launched, there are still several risks involved with leaning too heavily on AI. So what are currently the best use cases for AI tools in a job search? Getting Past Writer's Block AI can be helpful to generate early drafts of your resume, LinkedIn profile, bios, and letters. Many users of generative AI appreciate that

You may want to revamp your job search strategy and career collateral (resume, LinkedIn, bios, etc.) during an election year as policy chang

Salary transparency was long heralded as a key milestone in achieving pay parity for underrepresented groups. Is it working? As multiple states and cities implement salary transparency laws, we are seeing more job descriptions listing salary ranges. This not only helps job seekers and recruiters start the conversation in a more fruitful place, it also sets expectations for roles that do not provide a range. Jacob Warwick, Negotiation Coach and Founder of ThinkWarwick, an

Understanding the state of the market can help you position yourself as top candidate when navigating a competitive job search. Pre-Pandemic Before the pandemic, many hiring authorities were looking for disruption. In a time of rapid development, high demand, and consumers hungry for innovation, many organizations were following the mantra, “If it’s not broken, break it!” Every company was in a frantic race to launch and release FIRST. First to market meant a great deal when

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

Your resume and LinkedIn profile CAN position you for specific levels of leadership roles. Showcase Your Leadership Style First of all, know your leadership style. Many people WANT a leadership role, but it is difficult to advocate for yourself to take on a leadership role without knowing how to clearly articulate your leadership style. Leaders are VERY different from each other. Think about how you thrive. Do you lead by example? Are you a servant leader? Do you make tough d

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

First impressions matter and preconceptions pop up in a flash. How can prescreeners decide so quickly that someone is not the right fit?...

Not sure what’s missing? If you just can’t attract any interest , consider your approach to finding opportunities. 1) Are you relying on...