Career Consultant Diary: Not hiring potential, but exact profiles
Being a Career Consultant for Executives is often misunderstood or romanticized or both. Sandra Bichl, founder of Career Angels and experienced international Career Consultant, decided to bring more transparency to her/our profession by sharing random days of her work in the form of a “diary” – the delay (sometimes of a year) ensures confidentiality. Below is a comment from a frustrated job seeker.
It’s all about the right positioning
Here is a fragment of what Sandra shared on her LinkedIn profile, “This is how busy & varied a day of a Career Consultant can be: […] Email from a frustrated manager whose job search methods are not working, blaming external factors: “companies are not hiring potential, just exact profiles” […]”
Tips & recommendations
Is that frustrated manager right? Do companies hire exact profiles instead of potential? When it comes to experienced managers and executives in times of COVID-19, the answer is definitely: YES. Companies want – NEED – to lower the risk of hiring wrong in key roles – hence they look for so-called “plug & play” candidates: professionals who don’t need 3-6 months of training, who “hit the ground running” and are able to deliver whatever they’ve been hired to do within a short time!
What does that mean for the candidate – at least for the time being? For the majority of active job seekers, this will help:
- Choose “the path of the least resistance” – identify roles where you are the exact fit
- If you don’t fully fit, choose the elements from your background that do fit and highlight them in your CV / profile
- Define your job search goal as precisely as possible (don’t be vague about it!)
Last, but not least: manage your expectations! Understand the following aspects and adapt your job search efforts accordingly:
- How many candidates like you are out there? Tip: put yourself into the shoes of a recruiter and search how many people have the same job title in the relevant geography.
- How is the job market doing in your country (unemployment levels vs. available opportunities on the visible job market = job ads)? Tip: check out the data for your country on our Market Signals page.
If you want to know how to structure your job search, review our Job Hunting Strategy for data, concrete tips and practical pieces of advice!
Are you an experienced manager with at least 10 years of experience? Would you like to discuss your professional situation confidentially? Contact Bichl.Sandra@CareerAngels.eu who will match you with the most appropriate consultant.
