The Larsen Group

Circles of Change:  Conversations with Dr. Zara Larsen

 on Change Leadership and Career Fulfillment

June 29, 2008

“It’s not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You”

Guest:  Dave Opton, CEO and Founder, ExecuNet

Anchoring Points: 

1. ExecuNet grew out of my deeply personal experience of job loss at age 48, and despite my corporate HR background, confronting a very difficult, emotionally challenging career change process.

2. We focus on connecting executives (over $100,000 salary) and talent professionals, creating a high quality community in confidence, and with confidence.  We bridge two parallel questions:

• What do executive candidates want?  Opportunity to compete for real jobs, at a time that is meaningful, treated with a reasonable amount of dignity.
• What do executive recruiters want?  Qualified candidates, at a time that is meaningful, confidentiality, and to not fight over if someone is qualified or not (respecting subjective nature of the process).

3. ExecuNet was founded 20 years ago to offer membership (not subscription) to a community of leaders and talent acquisition professionals.  Average age of 49, compensation over $200k, and commonly join based on referral of existing or former members and search professionals.

4. Resources include:  Newsletters online and hardcopy mailed, online thought pieces and white papers backed by research, results of executive community surveys and employment trend reports, secure online roundtables for group exchanges, one-on-one dialogue with experts (ExecuNet staff and noted authors, academics and affiliated consultants, webinars, “On-Boarding Central” for advice on successful assimilations, monthly face-to-face networking meetings at over 50 cities around the US.

5. Executive Trend “Headline”:  First time in over 15 years that Energy is in the top five industry sector for opportunities, proceeded by:  High Technology and Defense, Healthcare, Business Services, Pharma/BioTech and Medical Devices.  In 2000, Energy was 14^th, reflecting shift towards resource development, sustainability and green.

6. Number one frustration is credentials “fall into the internet black hole” without response.  Candidates must shift their expectations, as the career transition game is played totally different than in prior days of responding to advertisements, applying, common courtesy responses and follow through – power of cooperation and networking is essential.

7. Reality for most executive job changing today is that you will not be stepping across into a similar size organization with similar size position; instead, many are finding the most rewarding and challenging roles in joining smaller, growing organizations ($10 to 50 million) that desperately need the leader’s years of experience and seasoned skills, plus offer breadth and challenge in new roles – a new fire for personal fulfillment.

8. The highest leverage point is working your networks:  Companies surveyed get the right candidates 57% via networking; for search firms, 56%.  11% of positions are filled through job posting.

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9. The ExecuNet forums have a very strong affinity for the kindred spirit – supportive, advice, counsel.  Members often remain active beyond their transitioning to a new opportunity.  There is a lot more unselfishness out there than conventional wisdom may convey in our competitive world.

10. Effective networking is giving NOT about getting.  All of us do it in every aspect of our lives.  Job networking is very personal; yet, it should not be what’s in it for you.  If you give, the results will flow your way.

11. Effective networking is not a part time thing; it is not a full time thing; it is an ALL time thing and should be part of who you are. 

Additional Points from Dr. Zara Larsen:

1. Auditioning and rejection are a part of life, but the right PROCESS and accompanying documents (resume, reference list, cover letters, thank yous) can allow those in change to get through to the new “how” to the “what’s next”.