Yesterday, I hosted a live training on how experienced professionals can turn their experience into more interviews and job offers.
We had a great group of Managers, Directors and other experienced professionals, and the chat was incredibly active!
At one point, I walked everyone through five areas of a job search where things can start to break down:
Target: Knowing exactly what role you’re pursuing
Positioning: Communicating the value of your experience
Opportunities: Creating opportunities beyond job postings
Pipeline: Turning activity into real conversations and opportunities
Conversion: Turning interviews into offers
Then I asked everyone to share which area they felt needed the most attention in their own job search.
And something interesting happened.
The responses were quite different.
Some people knew they needed to work on how they were positioning their experience. Others were struggling to generate opportunities. And some were getting interviews but weren’t getting the offers they wanted.
It reminded me of something I see all the time in my coaching practice.
Two people can have similar levels of experience, be targeting similar roles, and both be frustrated with their results.
But the reasons they’re not getting traction can be completely different.
And yet, what do most people do when their job search isn’t working?
They try another resume rewrite.
Apply to more jobs.
Spend more time on LinkedIn.
Ask AI for another strategy.
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those things.
But what if you’re putting all that effort into fixing something that isn’t actually the problem?
I know how easy it is to fall into that trap.
When I was laid off mid-career, I had over 20 years of corporate experience, including senior leadership roles. I had hired people, interviewed candidates and built successful teams.
I thought I should be able to figure out my own job search.
Six months later, despite having outplacement support, I’d landed ONE interview.
I was doing plenty. I just wasn’t getting results.
And it wasn’t until I invested in getting professional help that things started to change.
That’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about helping experienced professionals look at their job searches differently.
Because sometimes the most valuable thing you can do isn’t another round of applications or another resume revision.
It’s getting clear on what’s actually holding you back, why it’s happening, and what needs to change.
And that’s not always easy to see when you’re in the middle of it yourself.
If you’re a Manager, Director or VP who’s ready to make your next career move but you’re not getting the results you want, I’d love to have a conversation.
I’ve opened up a few complimentary Get Hired Strategy Calls for experienced professionals who are serious about making their next move and open to investing in professional support if we’re a fit.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening in your search and where you may need a different approach.