# Whispered

> Whispered is a confidential job-search platform for senior go-to-market executives.
> Members share unposted roles, company insights and introductions with each other.

76 free playbooks on running an executive job search. Append .md to any
playbook URL for the article as plain markdown.

- [Playbooks](https://www.whispered.com/playbooks): the full library, searchable
- [How Whispered works](https://www.whispered.com/how)
- [About](https://www.whispered.com/about): why Whispered exists, from its founder
- [FAQ](https://www.whispered.com/faq.md): every question and answer, as markdown
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.whispered.com/privacy)
- [Confidentiality Policy](https://www.whispered.com/confidentiality)

## Career Clarity
What are you seeking in your next role?

- [Career Strategy](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career-strategy.md): People often focus just on the next role instead of thinking strategically about their career. Take a step back to gain perspective on your career.
- [Knowing your niche makes searching for a job easier](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/niche.md): People are anxious to find a new job but if you jump into networking without doing the research to define your niche you will struggle
- [Company and Role Clarity](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/careerfocus.md): Before you search for your next executive role, you should be clear on the type of company and role you are targeting
- [#1 vs. #2](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/onevtwo.md): Taking a #2 role is a strategic move, not a step down. The right #2 role will allow you to learn from a great leader, build your skills, and accelerate your path to a top leadership position
- [The title of your manager doesn't matter](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/reporting.md): The title of the person you report to shouldn't drive your next role. Learn how this is limiting and how you can approach it
- [Stage of Company](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/stage.md): Picking the right stage of company is important for your next executive role
- [Career Thesis](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career-thesis.md): Develop a roadmap to guide your search.
- [Ambiguous Roles](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/ambiguous-roles.md): Smart people love roles (like Chief of Staff, COO, BizOps) but the ambiguity of these roles can also be their dowfall
- [How to Make a Career Transition](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career-transition.md): Unless you are a career McKinsey partner or VC, odds are you will have a few career transitions between graduation and retirement. This article is focused on mid-career transitions (between 35 and 45), where we have seen many of our peer group make transitions, but the insights apply broadly.
- [Pivot Smart: Stay Grounded for Success](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/pivot.md): When you pivot your career, although be thoughtful about what you are changing and what should remain constant.
- [Working at a PE vs. VC portco](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/pe-vs-vc.md): Learn the differences between working at a PE vs. VC portfolio company

## Search Strategy
How do you focus your search on the right companies and people?

- [Monitor Posted Roles with AI](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/postedroles.md): Top 10 strategies to use AI to find posted roles
- [Search Strategies](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/strategies.md): There are many different ways to search for your next executive role. Find the best one for you
- [Drafting to find your next exec role](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/drafting.md): You can use "drafting" - cultivating relationships with peers - to see opportunities from recruiters
- [Thinking of DIY’ing Your Exec Search?](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/diy.md): Find free tactics for your next exec search and learn how you can accelerate it even faster
- [How to work with recruiters](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/recruiters.md): Recruiters see unpublished roles. Learn how to work with them
- [What is a breakout company?](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/breakout.md): Breakout companies can be springboards for your career. Prioritize them for your next executive role.
- [Polishing "B" Candidates to "A"s](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/polishing.md): Whispered works with A level executives but we also love helping executives with strong skills/background who need a little help in how they present themselves.
- [Optimize Your LinkedIn](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/optimizing-linkedin.md): Learn every strategy from top recruiters to position yourself well.
- [Master Your Talk Track](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/talk-track.md): Don't wing the interview. Create a narrative and stories to build a "talk track"
- [The power of a target list](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/companylist.md): A powerful hack for your search is to build a list of companies you are interested in. You will be surprised at how this simple tactic changes the dialog in your search and helps your network help you
- [Communicate your search in 1 page](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/1pager.md): Once you know what you are looking for in your next executive role, you need to communicate it clearly to others
- [Using AI in your executive search](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/ai-tactics.md): How to use AI to polish your profile, outreach and interview for executive roles.
- [GTM Communities](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/gtm-communities.md): If you are an exec (especially one looking for a job) being in the right communities can help you build your network … and see unposted roles.
- [Why don’t companies (and recruiters) post executive roles?](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/nopost.md): The more senior you get, the more frequently you’ll find that open positions are never advertised to the general public. As a general rule of thumb, the closer to the executive ranks a job is, the less likely you are to see it posted on an internet job board or in the classified sections.

## The Search
How do you leverage recruiters and talent networks, and keep momentum?

- [Networking (to find a job)](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/networking-job.md): Networking is critical for your career. Get strategies on how to network to your next job
- [The Exec Resume](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/resume.md): LinkedIn may be the modern résumé, but for VP+ roles, résumés are still a necessary part of the process
- [The importance of self-awareness in your search](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/self-awareness.md): Don't chase roles you aren't a fit for. It wastes time and makes it harder for your network to help you when it matters
- [Start with Your Network. Accelerate with Whispered.](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/networktoroles.md): Whispered has built a network of executives who help connect each other to roles
- [Searching while in a job (shhhh)](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/whisperedsearch.md): If you are in a job, it can be scary to look for a new role. Whispered helps executive candidates conduct quiet searches.
- [If you hear of any interesting roles...](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/ifyouhear.md): Vague asks for help in your job search are worthless. You need to do your homework and be specific
- [How recruiters evaluate talent (aka are you an "A" player?)](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/aplayer.md): Recruiters see so many candidates that they have developed pattern recognition to recognize which candidates to build relationships with. This page is based on conversations with experienced talent partners, recruiters and hiring managers about what they look for.
- [How to work with talent partners](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/talent-partners.md): Talent partners at venture firms are deeply connected to both recruiters and companies hiring. Learn how to work with them
- [The power of "working out loud" in your job search](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/workingoutloud.md): Working out loud helps you engage other people and accelerate your job search
- [The power of searching together](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/searching-together.md): Whispered's community is laser-focused on helping you find a job. Learn about the power of searching together
- [Keep your network updated on your search](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/updates.md): Keeping your network updated during your job search is one of the most powerful things you can do
- [The power of sharing roles](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/sharingroles.md): Collaborating with other execs is a powerful way to nail your next role
- [Unposted Roles aren't a "silver bullet"](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/silver-bullet.md): Whispered's list of unposted executive roles is just one component of an executive job search
- [Am I their top candidate?](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/whereami.md): One of the most stressful parts of a job search is waiting and wondering. Learn the signals to guide you
- [When do companies hire a recruiter?](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/hiringrecruiter.md): Executive recruiters are a key resource for companies. Learn about the best times to hire a recruiter
- [Applying through the backdoor](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/backdoor.md): Master the backdoor strategy of how to leverage your network to break through the noise of hundreds (if not thousands) of other candidates.
- [How to work with investors](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/investors.md): How to work with venture investors in your executive job search

## Evaluating Roles
How do you interview well, choose the right company and negotiate?

- [The Interview "Funnel"](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/interview.md): The interview funnel can be thought of just like a sales funnel
- [Case Study Strategies](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/case-study.md): Don't just dive into a case study. Be thoughtful about how you approach it
- [10 Tactics to Turn Silver into Gold](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/nomoresilver.md): Stop finishing as the runner-up. Learn actionable tactics to get the job
- [AI Fluency: How companies evaluate you](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/ai-fluency.md): AI has changed the game for companies and for hiring. It is not enough anymore to know how to use ChatGPT.
- [Make the right decision on your next steps](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/rightdecision.md): We know how critical the decisions you make at this stage are. They will affect the rest of your career and can either accelerate it or create challenges that you have to fight through. So take your time and make a thoughtful decision.
- [8 Ways to Diligence the CEO](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/ceo.md): When you pick a company, whether you are working for the CEO or not, they drive a ton of the culture at the company. Here are strategies from top execs on how to diligence the CEO
- [Take control of the interview](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/take-control.md): If you ask pointed questions to understand if you can succeed, you will send the message that you have other options and aren’t desperate
- [Who you work for matters... a lot](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/yourboss.md): Who you work for is one of the most important factors in your growth and work satisfaction. It is also something most people neglect to diligence as they fall in love with the role / company / compensation.
- [Evaluating an opportunity](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/evaluating.md): There are some basic questions you should ask yourself before accepting a role
- [Exec-level insights are whispered](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/exec-insights.md): The true story on company culture, performance and leadership isn’t posted. It is whispered.
- [Compensation Negotiation](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/compensation.md): How executives can negotiate compensation and how to have these conversations
- [How (and when) to pass on a role](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/passing.md): If you are job searching, it is scary to turn down a role. Learn how to make the call and communicate it
- [How Executives can rock references](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/references.md): References are another type of whispering that happens in exec job searches. Learn tips on how to rock them
- [Executive Re(location) Strategy](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/relo.md): How to think about relocation for your next exec role
- [How to research a company](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/research.md): What are the questions to ask when exploring a new executive role with a company

## Your Network
How do you build and use the network that actually opens doors?

- [The Power of Career Nodes](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/careernodes.md): Joining companies where high caliber people work can accelerate your career. Whispered can be another node
- [When recruiters ping you....](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/recruiter-ping.md): When recruiters ping you here is how to engage them...
- [Networking 101](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/networking-101.md): Building your network is critical to getting any job. Learn how to get started and keep your network warm.
- [The power of writing (and how to get started)](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/writing.md): Writing can build your brand and accelerate your career. Here is how to get started
- [How advising can help your career](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/advising.md): How advising great CEOs can accelerate your career
- [Resigning a Role](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/resigning.md): Resigning from a senior position can be uncomfortable, but it's a crucial part of career progression, so it's important to handle it well.
- [Getting the most out of your exit](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/exit.md): Getting the most out of your exit requires careful management of your work, communication, and available options.
- [Grow your brand by going on podcasts](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/podcast.md): How to use podcasts to grow your brand

## Career 2.0
What comes after the operating role — advising, boards, investing?

- [Career 2.0: Recruiter](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career2-recruiter.md): If you like connecting people and evaluating talent, becoming a recruiter may be appealing to you
- [Career 2.0](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career2.md): What will you do when you don't do a corporate role? Do you know what your "next career" is
- [Career 2.0: Search Fund](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career2-buyingbusiness.md): Buying a business sounds like an easy 2nd career. But it isn't that simple
- [Career 2.0: Investor](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career2-investor.md): If you want to become an investor later in career this article explores the pros/cons and how to go about it
- [Career 2.0: Boards](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/boardroles.md): Being on boards is something many executives consider. It is a great chance to collaborate with other senior executives and give back.
- [Career 2.0: Coach](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/career2-coach.md): If you like being a part of others’ success and have mentored or coached others, becoming a professional coach may be appealing to you.
- [Career 2.0: Fractional Executive](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/fractional.md): If you are a senior executive and wrap a full-time role, you’ll often hear from your network “You should go fractional”. Learn what that means, how to evaluate it as part of your career 2.0 strategy and what to watch out for.
- [Career 2.0: Operating Partner](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/operatingpartner.md): Learn what an operating role at a VC/PE firm looks like. What are the pros/cons and how to land one of these coveted roles

## More

- [Portco Role Alerts](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/portco-alerts.md): Whispered has the deepest database of unposted roles. We collaborate with investors to give them insights on their portco hiring.
- [Sharing Whispered with execs](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/sharing.md): Now there is an easy way to help candidates who need coaching.
- [Coaching Candidates](https://www.whispered.com/playbook/coaching-candidates.md): We talk to candidates every day and while many are A candidates, others need coaching to get there. Unfortunately we can't consistently invest the time - that is why Whispered exists... to help executive candidates on their journey.