Drafting to find your next exec role

Most job search strategies focus on how to directly find roles at companies hiring (i.e. by networking into them, spotting postings…)

Another strategy is “drafting”: cultivating peers in your target roles who pass along recruiter opportunities.

This strategy is powerful because it:

• Eliminates the need for cold outbound

• Builds lasting, reciprocal relationships

• Positions you directly with recruiters and companies

Our founder landed his last fulltime role through drafting.  When recruiters pinged his peers, they shared the roles with him. That experience inspired Whispered, and today, contributions from top execs remain the engine behind our unmatched database of unposted roles.

Tactics you can use to draft

Drafting is harder from a cold start, but even if you haven’t nurtured your network, you can still make it work by following a few steps:

• Get clarity:  Define your target role and company size before you start—drafting doesn’t work without it.  See all of our playbooks on career clarity.

• Map peers:  Use LinkedIn to identify 50–100 1st/2nd-degree connections in your function at the right stage of company.

• Build genuine relationships:  Reconnect creatively without asking for help right away. Effective entry points include: 

  • Dinners: Say “yes” to vendor-hosted small-group executive dinners.

  • Events: Join intimate executive forums or speaker sessions.

  • Communities:  Every function has its go-to communities (playbook coming soon)

  • Advisory:  Leverage advisory calls as natural touchpoints to reach peers.  

  • Writing:  Publish content and invite peer input or feedback. 

  • Curiosity: Show genuine interest—ask questions, share insights, engage personally.

“I've always been interested in what books those individuals are reading, who they're learning from, and the content they consume. I observe how they position their experience on LinkedIn, how they quantify successes in their resumes, and how they share their experiences with the world - whether it's through podcasts, webinars, or LinkedIn posts.”  Clark Dixon

• Make the ask clear and memorable:  Clarity and memorability is what makes someone referable. A peer won’t forward every role, but they’ll remember you for the specific ones you fit.  

  • Be Clear:  Tell them what you are focused on succinctly.  “I’m targeting VP roles at late-stage SaaS companies (500–1,000 people).”

  • Know your ask: The ask is simple… “If recruiters reach out to you, I’d love if you could share or introduce me.”

  • Spark action:  If you can get them to take action on the call you will better activate them “Any recruiters pinged you recently?”

  • Have a leave-behind:  We love the power of a clear one-pager

Whispered is Drafting at Scale

Whispered has engaged thousands of executives to share roles.  By becoming a Whispered Pro member, you are able to collaborate with our entire community of top execs.  

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