Thinking of DIY’ing Your Exec Search?

Early in your career you’ve been able to find jobs online.  But, as you get more senior, roles increasingly aren’t posted.   Most GTM executives don’t find their next role on job boards. They get pulled in through networks, backchannel intros, and private searches you’ll never see online.  This means the tactics you’ve used in the past don’t always work.

Searching by yourself will find you a new role… eventually.  The article below shares playbooks you can use for free.   But by plugging into Whispered Pro, you can accelerate your search with insights, introductions, unposted roles and advice.

📍 Before you get started, it is critical to have clarity on your next steps and know the strategies you will leverage in your search. 

How to attack your search

Your network is stale. Here’s how to wake it up

When you are heads down operating, your network often goes quiet. Then, when it’s time to search, showing up with asks feels awkward. Your first outreach will likely yield some intros, but you can’t keep tapping the same people again and again.  Here are ways you 

• Make sure you invest in your network before you need it.

• A great best practice is to keep your network updated

• Connect with leaders at your target list companies

• Use your network for backdoor introductions

At some point, you will find that it is hard to keep tapping the same people again and again.  To help, we’ve built the Whispered Network™️.  We plug the networks of hundreds of Whispered members and alums together to allow you to get connected to virtually any company.

Be clear when engaging with recruiters

If you have the right background, recruiters can be an amazing resource in your search.

• Understand how recruiters evaluate talent

• Make sure when you connect with them you are clear in your message

• Learn how to connect with and engage recruiters and talent partners

• Don’t just start working with recruiters when you are searching but build relationships with them when you are in roles

But it can be hard to get plugged in to recruiters quickly.  With Whispered Pro you can:

• Access our recruiter and talent partner databases

• Get wired in to VC/PE talent teams with PortCo alerts

• Collaborate with our team on connections to top recruiters

Focus on Breakout Companies (and avoid toxic ones)

Picking a breakout company is key for your career but the hot companies from your last search may not be the ones to choose today. With rapid technology change, companies are breaking out (and collapsing) faster than ever.  

Whispered’s Company Insights helps you spot breakout companies and avoid the toxic ones.  You can use our Company Insights for free with contributions.   With Whispered Pro you can get complete access to our company insights and leverage our network to diligence companies you are speaking with.

Be strategic about how the rest of your career will unfold

If you aren’t thinking strategically about your career, you can make mistakes that - as you get more senior - can be harder to overcome.

• See our playbook on career strategy

• Know the right questions to ask as you evaluate your next role

• Make sure you are picking the right boss and CEO

We share our playbooks for free but there are many times when you personal guidance.  The Whispered team doesn’t coach in the traditional sense - that is why we can keep our cost so low - but when you have questions or need support our team and the community are there to support you.

Tap into the flow of unposted roles

We all know that most senior roles aren’t posted.  We built Whispered… to help executives navigate this hidden job market.

You can spend 4-5 months rebuilding your network and taking calls with recruiters to get plugged into the flow OR join Whispered Pro and access the deepest database of unposted roles anywhere.  

Ready to accelerate your search?  

If you’re a GTM exec tired of slow searches and missed opportunities, Whispered Pro puts you on the inside track.  Let’s make your next role happen faster and smarter.