5 Job Search Tactics for Executives Using The R.O.T.H Method

When a frustrated client who is in a job search tells me something like, “I have submitted my resume to over 300 job postings, and I have only received one interview,” I want to scream:

“Joel, get off the job boards!” a-la-Risky Business - where Joel’s mom tells him to get off the babysitter with the house surrounded by police.

Seriously, get off the job boards.

Stop spending all of your time on the job boards or the job search police are going to be coming for you.

I hear job seekers complain that HR never calls them back, but these job seekers never try to reach out to anyone else.

These job seekers say that sending their resume to the job boards is like sending it into a black hole - but then they keep on doing it.

And these job seekers wonder why they are frustrated!?!?

Effective executive job search tactics in today’s economy embrace both the use of technology and tried-in-true traditional methods - they use The R.O.T.H. Method.

What is the R.O.T.H. Method, you might be asking yourself?

Simple.

The R.O.T.H. in the R.O.T.H. Method means to Reach Out To Humans.

Get away from submitting to job postings and ATS systems.

Stop waiting for recruiters to call.

Get on the phone and talk to a human.

Find the email address of a new contact on LinkedIn and send an email.

Identify where your hiring manager's audience congregates both online and offline.

Then, send consistent, proactive messaging to those individuals in the audience, with or without a job posting present, to receive serious interview traction.

And just to get the ball rolling, here are 5 job search tactics you can start using TODAY that leverage the R.O.T.H. Method:

1. Propose your own position to an organization.

Don’t wait for the right job posting or a recruiter to call with an opening. Research the company’s needs and connect with prospective bosses using The R.O.T.H. Method. Propose how you can add value in a diplomatic way - don’t assume the company has a problem in this area. Outline how you can contribute directly to their bottom line.

2. Introduce yourself online. Develop the relationship offline.

CEOs and C-level executives embrace social media now more than ever to communicate news and demonstrate influence. Executive job seekers can use this news as leverage to reach out and make an introduction. Network online to make an introduction and then take it offline to develop the relationship - this is really the essence of The R.O.T.H. Method.

Savvy executives use social more precisely and deliberately for branding and lead generation. They are not on social media just to be on it.

3. Passive is the new active.

Taking an active approach on social media attracts talent managers. When a hiring manager/recruiter seeks out an executive candidate, that is called passive recruiting. However, the more effort an executive candidate puts into branding, they increase the likelihood of being found.

The Harvard Business Review states C-level executives attract talent using social media. Retained recruiters are also attracted to executives using social media. They want to recruit leaders who are using progressive tools to communicate a consistent message and attract talent. Therefore, taking an active approach to being a passive candidate generates results.

4. More executive roles are virtual in this global mobile economy.

High-level contract roles and executive freelancing are becoming more prolific in today’s job opportunity landscape as this arrangement allows for company resource flexibility. Candidates who are open to this type of work find work faster. Creating positions and proposing them to companies using The R.O.T.H. Method versus applying through job boards or responding to posted positions can often get an accomplished executive in the door faster - leading to direct hire work in the near future.

5. Participate in online and offline events and land interviews from the engagement.

Attend your profession’s yearly conference, make contacts, and follow up after the event. Participate in a Google chat or Periscope session by your potential next leader, then reach out to the presenter offline after the chat. Comment on blogs and then email the author with additional insights and questions to land interviews.

Each of these tactics have landed executives interviews.

The trick, though, is to be ready when opportunity knocks, so get your resume and LinkedIn Profile to confidently and concisely communicate your wins and achievements during the interview.

Sign up for our no-cost "How to Design a Powerful Executive Resume & a Fail-Safe Job Search Strategy" master class, and learn how to optimize your job search to land interviews for the positions you're targeting.