I speak with senior executives in Thailand every week who tell me the same story. Dozens of applications. Few interviews. Long periods of silence.
The reaction is usually frustration with recruiters, HR, or the market. The reality often sits closer to home (read: YOU).
After more than twenty years as a headhunter in executive search, I see the same four patterns again and again. They lengthen job searches, sometimes by months.
You apply for roles that do not match your real profile
Many executives apply for roles they believe they could do. That is not the same as roles they have already proven they can do.
Recruiters, TA/HR, and headhunters like me scan a Resume/CV in seconds.
If your work experience does not clearly match the role, your Resume/CV moves to the next pile (read: the black hole, return to sender). No creative wording changes that fact.
- A CFO who applies for a CEO role without PnL responsibility rarely gets traction.
- A regional commercial director who applies for a Country CEO role without leadership of full operations faces the same issue.
Look at your own applications. Do the titles, scope, and achievements clearly mirror the job description? If they do not, your search slows down immediately.
You compete in the most crowded part of the market
Most executives focus on advertised jobs. That feels logical. The problem lies in the numbers.
Large parts of the executive job market never reach job boards. Boards speak with search firms, investors call trusted operators, and recruiters approach candidates directly. The roles you see advertised represent only a slice of the leadership hiring that takes place.
Yet many executives spend most of their time applying for jobs that are advertised on LinkedIn and other job boards. Hundreds of candidates and applicants chase the same visible roles.
Shift your effort. Spend more time speaking with industry peers, recruiters, board members, and former colleagues.
The majority of senior roles move through these channels long before a job advertisement appears.
Your message does not match what the employer needs
Many Resumes/CVs describe responsibilities. Employers look for achievements and results.
A hiring company does not want to read that you “managed a regional sales team.”
They want to know that you grew revenue from 120 million dollars to 180 million dollars across six countries, while increasing margins by five percentage points.
Replace vague language with evidence. Numbers. Market share. Team size. Turnaround results. Product launches.
The closer your language mirrors the priorities in the job description, the easier the hiring manager understands your value.
You expect help from a network that has not heard from you
Networking only works when relationships exist before you need them.
You know I keep telling you and preaching: You have to network when you don’t need one!
Many executives build large contact lists. Then they disappear for years. The moment redundancy appears, they send messages asking for introductions, referrals, and advice.
Relationships do not work like emergency credit lines. They work like long-term investments.
Stay present in your network while you are employed.
- Share information.
- Make introductions.
- Help others.
- Keep contact alive.
When your own transition begins, people respond much faster.
A long job search rarely comes from a single mistake. It usually comes from several small habits that slow progress week after week.
Fix the targeting. Shift where you spend your time. Sharpen the message. Maintain the relationships.
Your search will move faster once these four habits change.
