Executive Search & Recruitment Firms

If you are qualified for upper management positions (not necessarily executive level) and have a specific set of unusual, in-demand skills, you might do well to work with an executive search or headhunting firm. Many top jobs, in particular, are not advertised. Instead, recruiters often rely on word of mouth and professional networks to identify promising candidates for a job opening or new position.

Executive-search firms tend to specialize, so you should find the ones that specialize in your sector of the business world. Often they'll post job vacancies on their websites, which is a good way to gauge whether a firm is a match for you.

Use your connections

But if you've reached this level in your career, most likely you know people who know people, as they say. Reach out to your professional network to identify recruiting firms that do business with your targeted companies. Try to get specific contacts at these firms, as you would for a company where you're applying for a job. You can also meet headhunters at industry conferences.

Then write to your contact with a cover letter and resume, as with a job application. Unlike the job app, however, you're not discussing a specific position but rather your professional goals. Try to be as specific as possible about the kind of position you hope to obtain, and show how your experience would make you a good candidate for this type of job.

But remember, although a recruiter can be a middleman between you and a hiring company, they are not your career coach. Do not indulge in soul-searching about your career path or express any negativity -- you're still selling yourself.