Executive ChairWelcome to a new series by Queercents called “Gay Executive Life”. What’s it really like to be an executive at a global corporation? What are the perks, the trials, the cloak-and-dagger politics? How does reality stack up to the myth and legend? Most importantly, what are the lessons learned that can help others interested in climbing the corporate ladder?

One of the best tips I ever got was from a boss years ago, who said “At this level Rich, you should never apply for a job again.” It’s true–if an executive is doing the job properly, it means he or she is in the public eye. By “public” I don’t necessarily mean front page of the newspaper or daily talk shows, but I do mean networking, noting emerging trends, and gathering best practices in the field to help your company succeed. And by doing so, you will also be attracting the attention of headhunters, or more properly “executive recruiters” whose job it is to fill open executive positions with top talent. You should NEVER apply for a job: let the headhunters bring precisely screened job opportunities to you.

Even if you are a first-level manager or a junior executive, it’s not hard to get yourself noticed. Trade shows and conventions are a perfect venue, and usually your company will pay for your attendance and travel. Whether you are in sales or finance, legal or technology, scientific research or journalism, there is at least one conference a year where senior specialists gather, share best practices, and schmooze over dinner and drinks. Often, by writing to the organizers of conferences, you can successfully volunteer yourself to present a paper, lead a discussion, or join a panel; the important thing is to get your name and contact details into the program. Headhunters attend these things, too, or manage to get a copy of the participants and especially the list of speakers. And then you are on their radar.

Another easy way to get on the headhunter circuit is to subscribe to trade publications in your field. In my case, that includes Chief Learning Officer magazine, Training magazine, T&D, etc. Again, in many cases, your company will pay for your annual subscription because it is to the benefit of the company that you keep abreast of new developments. Executive recruiters can often buy or rent the list of subscribers, and there again your name can enter their contacts folder. Even better is to write to the editor of the trade magazine and offer to write an article, a column, or a case study. And then your name is in the headline and searchable on the Internet.

A third way to get on headhunter radar is simply networking. Join any professional associations in your field that you can, and again it is likely your boss will pay the dues. Even better if you can volunteer yourself as an officer or board member of the local (or national) chapter, because your name will be public information.

However you get on their radar, treat your relationships with headhunters as even more important than keeping your resume up to date. Rather than selling yourself by applying for a job, let a recruiter speak for you. Far more eloquently than your resume, and in person, an executive recruiter can sell your potential next employer on all your many qualities.

Besides, these folks know your field better than you do. They know about executive positions that are vacant and being actively recruited; they know about positions that are about to be vacant (maybe because they are about to poach that person!), and they know about emerging new positions that aren’t even created yet. Let them bring those roles to you.

Once you have a role you are really interested in, a headhunter is excellent because you can tell them confidential things that won’t get back to the potential employer. For instance, you can share your real reasons for leaving your current post, and how much salary and bonus you are ideally looking for, vs. the minimum you would be willing to accept. This will help them scout appropriate possibilities for you. Meanwhile, they can give you inside information on a potential job that you could probably never get on your own: the history of the role, the political situation in the company, the personality and reputation of the person you would be reporting in to. This is crucial information that allows you to focus on a few roles that really are suited to you, passing on opportunities that don’t feel right. All without going on a single interview yet.

The best part is how headhunters are paid: not by you! Either headhunters make a salary, and their firms are retained by companies looking for talent, or they are paid on commission when they place a candidate (usually 20% to 30% of that position’s starting salary). Either way, it’s not a dime out of your pocket. You will occasionally see recruiters making big promises if you pay them a fee, but these are pretty close to scams. Good recruiters are paid by the company looking for candidates, and not the other way around. Likewise with resume-writers: executives should not pay for this. A good recruiter will help you polish your resume, because it’s in his/her interest that you look your best, so they get paid.

So the ideal situation for an executive, or aspiring executive, is to be on as many recruiters’ lists as possible. As the months and years go by, you will get many calls (as many as one or two a week if you are really out there leading in your field) with possibilities that you may choose to pursue yourself, or refer to a trusted colleague, or pass on entirely.

In my experience, it pays to wait for just the right opportunity, and when the time comes, to be completely open and honest–and out of the closet, so that you can feel completely comfortable and happy in your new role. In fact just this spring I did all of the above, and have landed a new job in the midwest. It’s an absolutely terrific role for me, a significant bump in salary in a much cheaper place to live, and my new employer is paying all my relocation costs, including corporate housing in the new location, and all the closing costs on a new home. Stay tuned to hear the details!