I am Executive Recruitment Consultant

[Ownyourchoices]

I have been doing this for 20 years - well before LinkedIn. I have been in tough markets for employers, tough ones for employees, through the financial crisis and COVID. And I am still here - AMA

AS I don't really look at key words, its not an approach I'd recommend. YOu may need to take a side step to take a step up. I suggested to a PP that community engagement roles suit teachers - mainly due to the communication skills. I'd look at local Government, community organisations. Look at Position Description as a guide for what they want and tailor a new version of your CV and cover page.

Certainly doable - your best opportunities will come from previous clients. Think about those you trust and ask them to keep an eye out. Most people assume you are happy where you are and a lot of people stay in consulting. You should look at roles with the strategy or transformation title. But your network should assist. But can people make the transition? Absolutely.

A family business should always be able to be captured on a CV. You need to just treat it like it is. You can get stuck in the scenario you are in but I would be looking beyond that company and capture the reasons for taking on the role you did in the cover letter. It is possible to get typecast. Very frustrating but sometimes you just need to see it as a transition role and move on. Its not a mess-up, it was a strategic move that has served its purpose.

Thank you for your response! He’s an adult but as a parent it’s very hard to see him deal with this! He is hardworking and judging by his previous experience he is very good at the job - I can see him giving up and re training to do something else and effectively throwing away all that he has built - it’s so hard for this generation and likely to get worse I think! I’ll pass on your advice and hopefully something will come through. If anyone needs a creative director/ producer PM me! 😁

Thanks so much for replying and giving such encouraging advice, I really appreciate it. It’s made me determined to find a local version of you and have a proper chat 😊

This is very generous of you to do this thread and take the time to answer people individually. Thank you! I hope you enjoy your job? What do you find most satisfying?

Thank you, that’s very helpful.

I genuinely enjoy people, I like chatting to them and getting to understand their career journeys, I like getting people to understand that it is a journey - and can take many paths. I LOVE it when I meet someone winding their way back after a break - caring for parent, childcare, travel - and we set a path for rebuilding their career and it ends in their first CEO job. And they smash it! I also get a kick when someone who was not initially shortlisted or offered the job gets it and grabs the opportunity with both hands. And when the slightly lateral candidate gets it through a good, well researched interview performance.

If someone you place doesn’t fit or work out, do you have to give the fees back?

For the last job, I had a posh lunch with the headhunter after 5 months to “find out how things were going” so I’m guessing the limit is 6 months? Thankfully it was going well and we both had a stress free lunch.

our firm has a 12 month guarantee - but we don't return fees - we replace for free. Its rare though. I check in with people I have placed - at 3 times over 12 months and with the person they report to. I do encourage both to check in more if they need to.

. . . and yet your grammar is piss poor.

'I am an Executive Recruitment Consultant.'

Because you’ve never made a typo @ticktickticktickBOOM ?

Don’t be so rude to someone who’s giving their time to help others.

I did see that but could not see how to edit the heading. But whatever makes you happy.

Thanks for that. There is always someone, its MN after all.

If I was employing somebody to employ the perfect employee for me, I'd expect them to have a decent level of written and spoken grammar as a basic.

Given you have never spoken to me or met me or dealt with me in my professional life you have no knowledge of my spoken grammar or presentation skills or indeed anything else.

I came on here to offer advice after reading threads related to PP's experience of recruiters. If its of no use to you, stroll on by. I think other posters have found it helpful.

@Ownyourchoices, thank you for doing this AMA.

I am currently in a competitive process and just had an interview with the hiring manager, which I thought went very well (and I tend to be overly negative so this is a good sign). I got a check-in call the next day from the headhunter, who told me to expect a 2-3 week hiatus due to travel etc. on the client side. This sounded a bit unlikely to me, especially given the client is very keen to fill the role. Separately, I am concerned about referencing because I left a previous role due to bullying and have been badmouthed by the bullies since then (I did not disclose the bullying, I just chose to walk away and they attacked me at my new firm. Long story). There's no way I can / would raise this, I just need to hope it has blown over by now.

My question is whether this hiatus is likely to be stealth referencing? Or am I being put on the back burner? Or do you think it's actually the case that travel etc. is holding things up for 3 weeks? I do know there are other candidates in the process which is obviously a perfectly good reason for a holding period, but the head hunter also said 'no feedback yet' which was not the same as 'we want to move fwd when travel is done', which makes me think something had made them cautious despite a good interview. FWIW I am an excellent fit in terms of skills and experience.

My suspicions would be stealth checking or more likely, preferred candidate being checked. Travel is only a thing if one of the key people was away during the interview process and others want them to be part of the conversation. But hey, phones exist.

I prefer to tell candidates that someone is being taken to references but you are appointable (if you are) and so start some early checking/due diligence. Not every candidate takes the role if offered and I prefer having good other candidates in the mix. If you have a good background, one role that didn't work out should not be that important but if you think its possible others are undermining you and your sector is one in which that occurs then it might be worth a different approach

Thank you - what kind of different approach do you mean? My sector is 100% the kind where undermining happens and the players are all very close.

See, I thought this on seeing the title, but then I read the post and responded and decided the poster clearly brought value to the conversation. A little less of a surface level take and you too might find that.

which raises an interesting question- op, how tolerant are you of mistakes eg typos in an application or a cv? Does that rule people out for executive roles, is it irrelevant in the grand scheme of things or somewhere in between? Not oops I put the wrong degree in- minor ones like little editing or grammar mistakes!)

I moved from consulting to a global funds manager and in a 6 month review I heard how the only concern raised re hiring me was from our coo, who was very experienced and highly regarded in the industry (& frankly amazing!) and she was concerned that consultants can’t necessarily actually do anything. Legit as we’ve all known that kind. Not executive roles level though.

I meet very senior candidates that have minor typos or errors in their CVs all the time. I point it out and they apologise, correct and resubmit.

I spend far more time looking at their career as the candidates I deal with are generally very senior and their career achievements and background are more important. I have never ruled someone out of a process because of a typo or grammatical error. If a CV is badly put together with a few typos and they are looking to head a communications or marketing function, I would note that. But its the badly assembled CV that matters most - as communications is a key part of their skill offering. Much the same as we note candidates who are rude or dismissive to our administrative staff - in my experience, impressive leaders don't do that.

I'd address it in the interview - particularly if they ask why you left? Say the culture didn't align with the way I work. Or something like that - own your narrative

Very true. Or that they can't implement or aren't patient enough to work through a strategy with stakeholders. Or make it operationally feasible and adjust when it isn't working. I've seen both

I am a lawyer with about 20 years experience. I work in the city and am desperate to pivot into a different role - would be most interested in senior government, not necessarily legal. I have worked for a lot of my career in the public sector and would like to go Bann to it. Any tips? Thank you