Strategies to Secure Director Roles

Executives: If you rely on job boards to land your next role, you may undermine your search. I know... it feels productive: tailoring résumés and hitting the "apply" button. But for most executive-level roles, this approach doesn’t move the needle. Here’s why: 1. You’re invisible in a sea of applicants. Executive roles attract hundreds, sometimes thousands, of candidates. Your experience may be impressive, but if it doesn’t match the algorithm, it won’t make the cut. 2. Your broad, cross-functional background may be penalized. Executives often have rich, varied experiences. Ironically, that complexity doesn’t always score well in automated systems designed for narrower roles. 3. Many jobs are already filled before they’re posted. Job descriptions are frequently written after a preferred candidate has been identified. The listing is often a formality to meet compliance requirements. 4. Applying online creates a false sense of momentum. It feels like progress, but leadership roles are secured through conversations, not clicks. 5. Job descriptions don’t reflect what hiring managers truly want. Many job listings are “wish lists” that don’t reveal the actual challenges of the role. You need to speak with someone inside the organization to learn the real story. 6. Lack of salary transparency wastes valuable time. Without a clear compensation range, you could spend weeks pursuing a role that doesn’t meet your expectations. So what should you do instead? Executives who land faster—and better—roles aren’t applying more. They’re positioning better. • Consulting as a bridge: Stepping into fractional or project-based work helps companies see your value before a permanent role is available. • Thought leadership: Publishing, speaking, or participating in industry conversations raises your visibility and authority. • Referral networks: Most executive roles are shared through trusted introductions long before a listing is written. I break all of this down in my latest Forbes Coaches Council article: 6 Ways Job Boards Are Slowing Your Executive Job Search (And What You Should Do Instead). 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gPdFJur2 If you’re serious about shifting from passive to strategic, now is the time to rethink your approach. The right executive role won’t come from applying, it will come from aligning, positioning, and being seen before the search begins. If you need help with your strategy, please reach out to connect with me. #QualfiedIsntEnough #CareerVelocity #jobs

Searching for senior executive roles is an entirely different game than most career moves. At this level, the right strategy goes beyond updating your resume and LinkedIn profile. Some insights on building a targeted approach that gets results: 💲 Define Your Value Proposition Senior roles require clarity on your unique impact—think about the transformation you can drive. Reflect on your leadership strengths and the core expertise that sets you apart. This will form the foundation of your story. 💲 Target Specific Companies Don’t wait for opportunities to appear in job postings. Identify 10-20 companies where your experience would add specific value. Tailor your outreach to these organizations, emphasizing the problems you’re uniquely equipped to solve. 💲 Activate & Expand Your Network At the executive level, most roles are filled through connections. Connect with leaders in your target industries and companies, attend relevant events, and leverage connections you may have overlooked. Cultivate relationships—not just for job leads, but to understand industry needs and pain points. 💲 Build Your Brand Thoughtfully Position yourself as a thought leader in your space. Publish articles, comment thoughtfully on industry news, and consider speaking engagements. This isn’t just about visibility; it shows prospective employers your expertise and strategic thinking. 💲 Work with Executive Recruiters & Firms Build relationships with executive search firms that specialize in your industry. They can be invaluable resources, but remember, they work for the hiring company. Stay in touch, keep them updated on your progress, and be selective in who you approach. 💲 Be Prepared for a Lengthy Process The search for executive roles can take longer than anticipated. Focus on keeping momentum and staying positive. Your strategy will yield results if you remain consistent and committed. 🌐 The path to a senior role is nuanced and requires intention, patience, and resilience. Commit to a proactive strategy, and remember: the best roles often come through the relationships and trust you’ve built over time. #executivecareers #careers #jobsearch #strategy

I’ve spoken to several Heads of and Director-level candidates this week, and a recurring theme keeps coming up: They’re getting to final stages, coming in a close second… but not quite crossing the line. Here’s the honest truth: There are a lot of senior leaders in the market. The people securing roles aren’t necessarily “better” they’re either: *Better connected *More visible *Or happened to have a specific bit of experience a client wanted. Some things you can control. Some you can’t. But what is in your control: *Volume, don’t wait for roles to land in your inbox. Reach out directly (email, call, DM). Cut through the noise. *Relationships, the market’s still relationship-driven. Many businesses hire people they know or who come recommended. *Your Interview Energy, the most common client feedback we hear: “they just didn’t seem that bothered” or “lacked hunger and scrappiness.” *Recruiter relationships, build connections with recruiters who work exclusively with clients. Be front of mind when the right brief lands. The first person spoken to goes in the first shortlist. *Interim roles, some clients take ages to recruit. If you’re immediately available and see a relevant job live, reach out to see if they need interim support. Right now, senior role briefs from clients follow a pattern: *They want leaders who are entrepreneurial, creative, resilient, and can navigate difficult stakeholders. In interviews: *Show your numbers. Prove your ideas. Back up your strategy with results. *Demonstrate your scrappiness and how it turned into revenue, cost-saving or market share. And a lesson for your whole career - not just now: A Digital Director I spoke to was made redundant unexpectedly. Within 1 month, she used her agency connections to secure a consulting role. Shortly after, a past employer recommended her for a critical post. Relationships are everything. Your network isn’t for when you’re job hunting. It’s something you nurture consistently. It’s a safety net you build while you don’t need it - so it’s there when you do. Lastly, don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t control. If a client wants beauty sector experience and you’re from fashion - that’s their choice. Move on. Focus where you can win. Build a target list of competitors and similar businesses. Contact them for both perm and contract roles. Stay hungry. Stay sharp. Stay visible.

Most Director-level roles aren’t filled through job boards—they come from relationships. Instead of solely applying online, focus on building connections with the teams you’ll eventually work with. How to Build Relationships Before You Get the Role: 1. Engage with company content: Comment on posts from team members in clinical development, medical affairs, or pharmacovigilance. This shows you’re paying attention and interested. 2. Reach out to future colleagues: Example Message: “Hi [Name], I noticed your team’s recent work in oncology trials—impressive progress! I’d love to hear more about how your group is approaching patient recruitment challenges.” 3. Join virtual events or webinars: These are opportunities to meet key stakeholders at your target companies and follow up with them after. Why This Works: Relationships open doors. By connecting with future colleagues, you position yourself as a trusted insider even before the hiring process begins. Identify 3 people today at your target companies and start building relationships—your next role might come from the conversations you begin now.

Most people wait for promotions to happen to them. High performers engineer them. If you're tired of hoping someone will notice your work, it's time to build a promotion timeline, one that makes your next move feel inevitable, not accidental. Here's how to do it: → Define your target role with clarity Don't just say "I want to be a Director." Get specific: What scope? What team size? What problems will you solve? Action: Write down the exact title, responsibilities, and impact you want to own in 12 months. → Reverse-engineer the gap Compare where you are now to where you need to be. What skills, visibility, or relationships are missing? Action: List 3-5 concrete gaps, then prioritize the ones that matter most to decision-makers. → Build proof points every quarter Promotions aren't about working harder. They're about creating undeniable evidence. Action: Each quarter, deliver 1-2 wins that showcase leadership at the next level, cross-functional influence, strategic thinking, or owning high-stakes initiatives. → Schedule the right conversations early Don't wait until performance review season to talk about your growth. Action: Every 6-8 weeks, have a casual check-in with your manager. Share progress, ask for feedback, and reinforce that you're thinking long-term. → Make your work visible to the right people Your boss's boss needs to know your name and what you're building. Action: Send a monthly update to key stakeholders. Keep it short: 1 win, 1 challenge solved, 1 area of focus. → Set a decision deadline Timelines create urgency. If you're vague about timing, so is everyone else. Action: Pick a realistic promotion window (e.g., Q2 next year) and work backward. Hold yourself and your manager accountable to it. You don't need luck. You need a system. When you stop waiting and start building toward your next role with intention, the promotion becomes a formality, not a surprise. Follow me for more career strategy insights that actually work.

Did you know most Director+ hires in big tech never even apply for the role? Here’s the playbook hiring managers don’t tell you. I’ve talked to hiring managers at Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, and here’s the truth: You can’t just land a Director+ role, even with years of experience under your belt. It’s about understanding their playbook and playing the right game. Here’s how you can do it: — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 Most successful Director+ candidates don’t apply cold. They’re recruited. Here’s what that means: Hiring managers trust internal networks more than any recruiting pipeline for such roles. Example: → A Google Director “intentionally” spent two years writing blog posts about scaling engineering teams (which Google values), which even caught their hiring manager’s attention, and he got hired. Actionable Steps: → Focus on showcasing your expertise in high-impact areas like scaling, decision-making, and cross-functional leadership. → Build relationships within your industry before you even think about applying for a role. — 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 Your profile is your first impression and it needs to scream scope, scale, and credibility. What This Means: Hiring managers want to see specific evidence of your impact. Example: → A Meta Director highlighted their experience leading initiatives at scale: "When we hit 100M users, I wrote about it. When we had a major outage, I spoke at conferences." Actionable Steps: → Update your LinkedIn with quantifiable results: team size, budget, user growth, or revenue impact. → Publicly share your work — updates, blog posts, talks, and even internal wins (if possible). — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 They don’t just assess what you’ve done; they also assess how you think and lead. Three ways to win: 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 Your stories need to shift from execution to strategy. → Example: Instead of “I led a team to redesign our app,” frame it as: "I identified mobile as a strategic gap, grew a 50-person mobile team, and drove 60% of company revenue from our mobile-first strategy." 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Numbers matter but not just any numbers. Example: "Grew the team from 20 to 100 while reducing time-to-hire by 40%" stands out more than product-level metrics like engagement rates. 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 You’ll face intentionally tough scenarios to test how you handle ambiguity and pushback. → Example: One Amazon candidate was grilled about a delayed launch. He stayed calm, explained his reasoning, and stuck to data-driven answers and got the job! — If you want the full guide, check out the comments!

Your manager just excluded you from the C-suite strategy meeting. Not by accident. By design. You earned your seat at that table. But they're keeping you in the shadows. Here's the truth: Your growth became a threat. I watched this unfold with Chen, a Director of Product at a Fortune 500 tech company. For two years, his VP championed every idea. Invited him to executive briefings. Praised his strategic thinking publicly. Then Chen started getting direct recognition from the CEO. Everything changed: → His 1:1s got rescheduled constantly → His proposals sat "under review" for weeks   → He stopped getting invited to senior meetings → His VP started taking credit for his frameworks Chen wasn't failing. He was succeeding too visibly. When you outgrow your manager's comfort zone, they don't usually sabotage you openly. They just quietly remove your oxygen. Here's how to protect your trajectory: 1. Document Everything → Keep records of your work, ideas, and impact → Use email to confirm verbal agreements   → CC relevant stakeholders on key updates → Your manager controls the narrative until you create your own 2. Build Relationships Above Your Boss → Volunteer for cross-functional projects with executive sponsors → Offer to present your work to senior leaders directly → Share insights that help them hit their priorities → Your value needs visibility beyond one gatekeeper 3. Make Your Boss Look Good Publicly → Credit them in meetings → Frame your wins as team wins they enabled → Reduce the threat by making them feel secure → The less threatened they feel, the less they block you 4. Create External Options Quietly → Update your network outside the company → Take calls with recruiters   → Build your personal brand → Having options changes how you show up 5. Know When to Escalate → If they're actively undermining you, document it → Request a skip-level meeting with their boss → Sometimes the only move is an internal transfer or strategic exit Chen did all five. He built relationships with two other VPs. Started presenting product strategy directly to the CPO. Made his boss look brilliant in every meeting while quietly building external options. Eight months later, a VP role opened in a different division. The CPO recommended Chen directly. Your manager doesn't own your career. They just control one pathway. When that pathway closes, build three more. 🔔 Want my complete Political Navigation Blueprint that's helped 10770+ leaders handle difficult manager dynamics and accelerate past roadblocks? Join my inner circle. Link to my newsletter below.

"Why aren’t your ideas getting approved?”😭😭😭🙌🙌🙌 When I took on my first director role at the age of 26 I was certain I was smart, prepared, and performance-driven. I brought bold, thoughtful proposals into the boardroom. And..then....... silence.😭😭😭 Or polite deferrals. Or “let’s revisit this next quarter.” I thought results would speak for themselves. They didn’t. It wasn’t until my coach said: “You’re playing chess, but you’re only looking at the board not the players.”😭😭😭😭😭 That’s when I learned: Organizational politics isnt dirty . It’s reality. And ignoring it doesn’t make you principled it makes you ineffective. I learnt then that being Politically Savvy is actually a leaderboard Competency for C- Suite leaders. Here are 10 aspects of organizational politics that I have learnt over my 22 years of working that no leader can afford to ignore : 1. Informal Power Brokers Some of the most influential people don’t have big titles. They have trust, access, and networks. Find them. 2. Gatekeepers Every room has people who control the flow of ideas and people. If you don't have them onside, you're not getting through. 3. Timing & Influence Even brilliant proposals fail when they land at the wrong time or haven’t been seeded properly behind the scenes. 4. Don’t Surprise the Boardroom If your idea is being heard for the first time in the meeting, it’s already in trouble. Pre-socialize. Test reactions. Secure allies.People won't attack your ideas if you have them a chance to add their thoughts beforehand. 5. Hidden Agendas Everyone has priorities. Some are declared, some aren’t. Don’t be naive—figure out what really drives each stakeholder. 6. Alliances & Coalitions You can't drive change alone no matter how smart you are . Have people who are willing to go to bat for your idea when you're not in the room 7 .Narrative Control You may have the numbers, but do you have the story?🥹🥹 Decisions are made based on stories people can believe in. 8. Loyalty & Trust Boardroom influence is built outside the boardroom. Over coffee, in quiet crises, through shared wins. Relationships matter. 9. Change Resistance Is Political, Not Logical Silence, delays, and vague pushback? That’s not confusion it’s calculated resistance. Learn to see it for what it is. Politics doesn’t mean playing dirty. It means playing smart with integrity. It took me a while to embrace that. But once I did, everything changed: My ideas got traction. My confidence grew. And I finally understood how to lead not just with intention but with influence. To any leader especially women—feeling stuck at the table: You don’t need to change who you are. But you do need to understand the game you’re playing. If you are not navigating the politics the politics is navigating you . Winfield Strategy & Innovation #Leadership #OrganizationalPolitics #WomenInLeadership #ExecutivePresence #PowerAndInfluence #strategy

I blundered through my promotion to Director at Amazon. I didn’t understand how to control my own promotion process. By the time I was working to be a VP, I learned to do better. Here is how I did better the second time around: The main shift between my promotion to director and my promotion to VP was in understanding that “doing my job and asking for a promotion” was not enough to be successful in a competitive promotion process. I was able to get promoted to director due to good timing and standing out with a strong business decision, but it is not a reliable strategy. The reliable strategy that I used to get to VP was: → Actively work to understand the promotion process and standards → Work with my manager to meet them → Intentionally line up my stakeholder feedback This way, I was able to ensure that I had met the necessary standards and secured the necessary support to be promoted when the time came. Key actions to do these three things included asking others about the promotion standards, asking my manager and stakeholders to identify my areas for improvement, and building my team throughout the years to have 800+ people. This ensured not only that I had done the necessary work for promotion but also that I had the right scope of responsibility and peer support to justify an executive role. If I had not been so intentional in building the pieces of this promotion, I likely would have either not been promoted or had to wait longer to be promoted to VP. Luckily, I learned this lesson after relying on luck to become a Director. I am sharing this with you so that you can take control of your promotion process, raising the chances that you will be promoted and hopefully lowering the time it takes to get there. To read about the details of implementing these steps into your process, check out this week’s newsletter: https://buff.ly/3F7xZ6M I go in-depth about how and when to apply each of these steps so that your promotions can be under your control, not based on luck. Readers- How have you taken your promotions into your own hands? Do you have a friend who is stuck or struggling you could help out by sharing this post?