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As you explore your career 2.0 , being on boards is something many executives consider.  It is a great chance to collaborate with other senior executives and give back.  Being on boards is generally a small part of a broader late-career portfolio rather than a full-time job.    Considerations Here are some key considerations as you think about being a board member: Pros Network:   You work closely with other top executives on important topics.  These collaborations are deep (often 1-2 days together at a time) so you build strong, lasting relationships Learning:  You see executive discussions and understand strategic company decisions.  You also get to see what it is like on the other side of the table.   Working with another CEO helps you appreciate how other executives approach complex challenges. Giving Back:  You get to share your knowledge and expertise Con(siderations): You aren’t likely to get cash rich:  Unless you are on the board of a public company or very large private company (these can pay in the mid-six figures), board fees for private equity companies generally range from less than $30k to $65k annually while VC boards are most often compensated with equity.  And many boards require you to make an out of pocket cash investment.  Don’t look at boards to fund your lifestyle, but if you pick the right breakout company  you could make great equity returns. Time Commitment:   Make sure you are ready to commit for 3+ years (typical board term) and can give a full day (+travel) at least 4 times a year.  Committee service may require additional remote and/or in-person commitment.  Boards are high-commitment and you should treat them as such.  If you are in a full-time job this commitment may be too much and you should clear with your company first.  Also be careful not to get stuck on a board of a company that isn’t going anywhere… leaving part-way through your term is not looked well upon. Your Schedule is no longer your own: When a company you are on the board of has a crisis (or there is a global crisis like SVB or COVID) you are on call and can't say no. There is nobody else to sub for you. If you value control of your schedule think deeply about this one. Legal regulatory risks :  Even though not frequent, directors can be held liable for issues with a company’s governance, reporting and other decisions.  Hence make sure there is D&O (Directors and Officers) Insurance, especially with public companies where any shareholder can sue.  Other Notes: If you are an investor, you can get added to lots of boards (it is part of your job) but be aware that you generally can’t monetize these boards or join boards not affiliated with your firm. For larger companies, you want to think about committee assignments as well.  Most companies have three committees at the minimum:  Audit, Talent & Compensation and Nomination.  Depending on the nature of the company, there can be ESG, Risk, M&A, or Capital committees.  Checking out director’s competency matrix – often available in Investor Relations site – is a good research.  Nike’s corporate governance site (link here ).  Also see Take 2’s director competency matrix at the bottom of the doc As you add more than one board, pick wisely for future boards.  You only have a certain number of slots.  In the US, overboarding is defined as serving at 4 public companies.  (Helpful resource here ) Come ready to serve, not just sit on a board.  One of the mistakes operators make often as they transition to advisory roles is to be too prescriptive and too focused on execution.  One experienced director once said, “head on, hands off.” “I have worked closely with two public company boards as a member of the senior management team and serve on a private company board. I am inspired by directors who show up to serve by diligently learning the business, remaining objective, leading productive inquiry, and fostering leadership in others.”   Kristin Anne Torres Mowat  from Board Members: To Serve or To Sit? What profiles do boards look for Boards are typically not something you do early in your career and increasingly (and for good reason) diversity is important.  Here are some of the key traits boards are looking for: C-Suite Experience:  There is a lot of pattern recognition that is important for boards.  If you have served as a CEO before this is valuable because you have worked with boards and lived the challenges boards and CEOs collaborate on. Diversity:  Only in recent years has this become a positive but if you are a strong senior leader with diverse background, this will make you an attractive board candidate. Industry Expertise:   It is important for private company boards to bring a deep understanding of their industry.  You should focus on boards in industries you know well.  Generalists will struggle here so unless you have specialized skills listed below, highlight your industry expertise. Specialized Skills:   Some committees on boards require specialized skills that are in short-supply in conjunction with the other traits above.  These include financial experience for the audit committee and cyber security experience.  In addition, companies may have specific strategic needs . Prior Board Experience:  Getting your first board role is difficult.  Once you have one, you can broadcast that and you pop up more on board searches.  So see below 👇 on how to hustle for that first board role. How to get on boards Getting on boards is NOT easy.  It takes hustle, persistence and focus.  Below are some tactics we have learned from friends on boards.  These are in (rough) order of how effective they are: Work in a high profile exec role:   Work in a senior role at a super hot late stage company that goes public or at a top tier public company and you will get on the radar for great board roles since you’ve lived through many of the key topics boards face. Meet other board members:  They get called for boards and can refer you. Build relationships with executive recruiters:  Executive recruiters  often have a side specialty in boards.  Board searches don’t pay much for them but they help recruiters build relationships with senior leaders. Build relationships with investors:   Companies often need independent board members with specific expertise.  Investors  are in great positions to nominate independent board members and increasingly under pressure to limit themselves on the number of boards they serve on. VCs with large funds will often pass off 2nd tier boards to venture partners who get carry and salary but don't do new investments. Build relationships with CEOs:   Advising  a company is a great way to start developing your first board role.  Start by asking “how can I be helpful”, then become an advisor and build a relationship with a CEO Board Diversity Organizations:  There are many organizations now that help companies increase diversity on their boards.  If you fit, get involved with them Let people know you want to be on a board:  This sounds simple but many people keep their desire for a board to themselves.  Here are some ways to broadcast your interest: Take calls with executive recruiters.  Even if you aren’t looking for a role, if their firm does board searches, let them know you are interested in a board role Share your board interest / current roles on your LinkedIn profile Articulate the value you bring to a board:  Be explicit in conversations and your LinkedIn bio to highlight the traits you have that are desirable to a board. Start with a non profit board, including industry groups:   While companies and executive recruiters don’t view these the same as company boards, if you are on a non profit board you can broadcast your board experience and build relationships with others who serve on both non-profit and for-profit boards.. Network:  Here is a great article on how to build your network by giving  first. Board bio:   Prepare a high level summary.  Note that it's a much more distilled version than a resume.  Helpful tip from Egon Zehnder here "Take the call. Even if it isn't specifically about a board role." Anna Binder on HR Heretics - "Board Seats and Beyond" Other Resources Here is a terrific article by Allison Pickens on how companies should hire for boards NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors):  website Stanford Directors’ College:  website WCD (Women Corporate Directors):  website Santa Clara University Women’s Corporate Board Readiness:  website   Struggling with your Career 2.0 vision? If you want help thinking through your options, we have partnered with some career coaches  who specialize in helping you get clear on your next step.

A company that is growing rapidly can be a springboard for your career. Companies of this type have found product market fit and have a GTM model that is clear, and accelerating. Image (and content) credit to Breakout List Why should you join a breakout company? 1) Good financial odds Most pre-traction startups fail. And stagnant companies may be a long way away from a profitable exit. Breakout companies have a reasonably assured financial outcome. The question is less “will there be an exit?” and more “How big will we grow?” Having a solid stock option payday can shift your financial trajectory. 2) Get a win on your record Startups with an unproven trajectory may end in failure that’s hard to explain or not attractive to future employers. Having a well-recognized company on your resume instantly gives you a permanent source of credibility. This reputational effect ripples out to affect your access to future opportunities, funding, and networks. 3) Promotion and experience opportunities When companies are very early stage, or very late stage the opportunities are limited - or “horizontal.” At a breakout company, there are lots of areas to show your skills off and lots of opportunity for promotion. In short, you’ll be building lucrative skills, and taking a shortcut to valuable experience. 4) Build a great network At late stage companies, the core founding team is buried under layers of employees. At large public companies, the team members may be more risk averse and unambitious. And at pre-traction startups, the odds of failure limit your ability to build a good network. At a breakout company, the founding team is accessible and has potential to become part of your permanent tribe. Plus, once there’s an exit, there will be a large group of wealthy, smart, ambitious, skilled people that want to work with you. How do you identify breakout companies? See Whispered Company Insights to understand company growth rate as well as confidential insights on business models and leadership teams. Whispered Premium Members get access to a list of "hot companies" tagged by executives. Leverage Linkedin premium insights to see a company's current growth rate. Don't however assume that future growth rate will be the same!;) Read our article on how to diligence a company . "It is hard to learn at a company that isn't growing rapidly. Target staying two years, after that the learning typically drops off." Keith Rabois on Turpentine VC podcast Do you know how to find your next role?

Companies, recruiters, investors and executives all need confidentiality to "whisper" information. This confidentiality is core to Whispered’s model. That is why we've written and are constantly refining our confidentiality policy (last updated 02/22/2025). Role Confidentiality We understand why companies and recruiters don’t post executive roles .   Whispered ensures confidentiality by: Giving submitters full control of how the role is shared, including options to share (see FAQ for definitions of each): Fully anonymous Just with Whispered founders Just with Whispered members (default) With Whispered members and anonymously with top executive community leaders Authenticating all users identity via Google Authentication Only sharing unposted roles with Whispered executives (unless submitter approves otherwise) who have agreed to this confidentiality policy. Insight Confidentiality People only share Company Insights when they know what they shared will be kept confidential. To protect this confidential nature, Whispered: Captures the identity of submitters via Google authentication solely to verify the quality of submissions (and block biased and inaccurate submissions). The identity of who submitted each Company Insight is never shared. Insights are a consolidated, anonymous summary of all submissions on a company. The Whispered Company Insights database is only accessible to paid Members and approved executives. Candidate Confidentiality Many executives looking for their next role are in roles today and don’t want the general public to know they are searching : Whispered never posts candidate profiles publicly Whispered doesn’t share the profiles of any candidate with recruiters or talent partners without their explicit approval Candidates have the option of collaborating with other paid Members or searching anonymously We delete all communication in our community after 90 days Commitment to Confidentiality Non-Negotiable We require all executives we partner with to agree to this confidentiality policy and respect confidentiality of all data shared with them via Whispered.  Any violation will result in immediate expulsion from the Whispered community.

“I think one thing I appreciated that my last mentor/boss told me is "you don't work for a company, you work for a person" and that really stuck with me. Finding an exec to report to who really cares about you and gives you the opportunity to grow/succeed is everything.”   Whispered Member Who you work for is one of the most important factors in your growth and work satisfaction.  It is also something most people neglect to diligence  as they fall in love with the role / company / compensation. While breakout companies  can accelerate your career, short roles are career killers.  And if you pick the wrong manager, you will pay for it. How to diligence your potential manager Having a boss who amplifies you and vice versa is an amazing feeling.  Here are some questions to help you evaluate your potential manager: Share your user manual:   Here is a great concept to articulate your style to your boss .  Ask them to review it and discuss it / how it fits with their style.  If they won’t invest this time that is probably a red flag Listen if they care about your career:  See what questions they ask you and if they thoughtfully respond. Talk to others who have worked with them:   They are doing background references on your.  It is great to do the same on them.  Generally we advise waiting to do these until you have an offer. "You want a boss who cares about their people. Beware of those who kiss ass to superiors and talk down to subordinates. They only care about themselves." Executive If a great manager leaves the company it can dramatically impact your career.  So take the time to research the risk they leave: How long have they been there?   If they have been 5+ years or <6 months dig in in particular. What is the reputation of the CEO?   You can learn about the CEO from interviews, Glass Door and Whispered’s Company Insights .  If the CEO is tough to work for it increases the risk your manager leaves. Ask your manager   If they are evasive when you ask how long they are planning to stay this may be a sign. Check LinkedIn Open for Work   If your boss is looking for work, you definitely would want to know.  If you have made friends with a recruiter, they can peek at this for you.   What to do if your boss leaves If you have a great boss and they leave, things will change.  Here are some tactics on how to handle this: Things will be hectic:  Assuming you are senior, they will probably not have a plan to deal with your manager’s departure The company will need you more than ever (at least in the short-term):  You will be even more valuable to the company while they are figuring out next steps You’ll probably pick up more responsibility:  Given the point above, expect to add additional reports  Get clear if they are backfilling your boss:  Feel free to ask the CEO directly if they don’t share.  If they are evasive, assume they are not backfilling.   If they are backfilling, you run the risk of a bad manager.  It may make sense to start warming up your network.  See our article on how to quietly search . If they aren’t backfilling, you may find yourself reporting to the CEO (see next section) Special Notes on Reporting to the CEO It feels good emotionally to report to the CEO.  You definitely have a seat at the table.  But this has pros and cons for your career: CEOs rarely have time for you:  They have too many obligations and need people who can self-manage fully.  If you aren’t ready for this, don’t report to the CEO CEOs are easier to diligence: The culture of the company comes from the CEO so you can ask it in interviews and find out about it online. CEOs aren’t going anywhere:   This gives stability but it also makes it even more important to diligence them. Don’t try to get the CEO fired. You disagreeing with the CEO about strategy and execution is natural but it’s more your problem than theirs. If you don’t like the direction the company is headed, that’s understandable. Then quit.  Sam Jacobs

Recruiters see so many candidates that they have developed pattern recognition to recognize which candidates to build relationships with.  This article is based on conversations with experienced  talent partners , recruiters and hiring managers about what they look for. Generally the first interview is focused on quickly determining if you are an A, B or C talent. These labels are arbitrary but if you are placed in a lower bucket, it can be impossible to change that perception.  What is "A" Talent? In the first interview, people are asking “Is this someone we want in our portfolio / to place in a search”. The following are things people are looking for in the first interview Your Leadership Ability Your executive presence Your EQ Your thought process The impact you have had at prior companies Was the company successful because of you or were you just on the ride How effective are you at driving cross-functional impact How good are you at execution The following are questions you should be prepared to answer that will help the interviewer understand if you are A talent “Tell me about yourself” Seeks to answer how clear you are in your career journey and assesses your leadership ability “What are you passionate about?” If you don’t have clarity here, it speaks to the drive and ability to execute “What is top of mind for you?” They want to understand what trends you are excited about. They are looking for people who know how the markets are evolving vs. just reacting “What are you known for?” / “Where have you done your best work?” Trying to understand your super-power and the impact you have on companies.  Be able to convey it through stories . “What were you biggest impact / challenges?” Typically comes in follow-up to the above question to understand your understanding of challenges and how you overcame them. “How can I help?” Clarity in the types of introductions and companies you are interested in helps them help you more. See our articles on recruiters and talent partners for how to respond effectively to this question. When you are answering questions, don’t just answer the question but also include a “why” "If someone asks if you’ve managed managers, for example, don’t just say yes and describe the project and the team size. Volunteer an explanation of why you built layers into your org and how you gave autonomy to those you led while still ensuring that product was reliably delivered. Share how you determined your objectives and how you met them. In other words,  always look to give your potential colleagues a deeper understanding of how you think." Bret Reckard , Head of Talent @ Sequoia If you come across as “A” talent, recruiters and particularly VC talent partners will try to help you in your search by: Inviting you to their talent portal Introducing you to a few great companies (in the case of VC talent partners they can also make intros to recruiters) Working hard to stay in touch and have another touchpoint (one top talent team at a VC has a KPI to have another touchpoint with top talent within 30 days) What Knocks you out? Below are some red-flags shared by recruiters and talent partners: Company history:   Lots of short stints, no recognizable companies, consistent lateral moves without growth (see more in our article on polishing candidates ) Lack of clarity on what you are seeking.  If the interviewer is coaching you on your career rather than interviewing you, this is a problem. See Whispered's guide on Career Clarity Lack of maturity around level: Recruiters look for candidates with self awareness around the right role/level for them Struggle with analytical questions An organized thought process is critical Can’t get specific on questions / evasive Having stories and examples is a great way to get specifics . Disorganized Lots of short stints. More than 2 short stints in a row is a problem. The interviewer will be working to understand “did you get fired and why?” Jaded/Broken:  It is ok to say you weren’t a fit because X but don’t complain. See Jason Lemkin talk about "broken/bitter candidates" (from 25:30 to 29:10) in this podcast You can hear it, see it, almost smell it from the first Zoom. They blame the last CEO. They blame the VCs. Worse, one way or another, they blame The System. It's all rigged against employees and in favor of others. There's some truth in all of this. Just don't hire them. They will be even more jaded when they join you. Jason Lemkin  on this classic post "What does "being negative" mean in interviewing? Many focus on the tone and words they use, but being negative also happens when you share what you "don't want" in a job. To be positive - lead with your "DO WANTS" Chuck Brotman , Leading GTM Recruiter Other Interviewing Tips Recruiters RARELY give you valuable feedback. It is unfortunate but they often get very little from their clients too.  Remember that interviewing is just storytelling. Your job is to distill your unique career journey into a compelling narrative… don’t just answer questions but have anecdotes that you practice and refine that will engage them . “Thought Process Questions” the questions asked by consultants / Google to “understand how you think”. The secret to these is to ask for more detail: Push your interviewer to define the specifics of the situation. This will allow you to focus on one aspect of the problem and it will show your interviewer that you know how to get to the root of the problem by asking the right questions. Additionally, these questions can buy you time to think and pushes the conversation back on the interviewer (better if they talk more!). What should you ask in an interview? Most job seekers make interviews about themselves. They don’t do a great job of making the conversation about the employer.   Do your homework and come prepared with  questions on their business . Be Proactive: If you really want to stand out, think about doing a proactive project Do you know how to leverage key nodes in your search? Learn from our guides on how to leverage recruiters, talent partners, investors and more

Keeping your network updated during your job search is one of the most powerful things you can do to: Stay top of mind with your network for opportunities they see Maintain contact so you can reach out for help with introductions You’ve probably experienced someone do this at a world-class level before and even if you weren’t able to help them, you appreciate their sincerity and approach. While the power of keeping your network engaged in your job search is obvious to most people, very few job searches do this because it requires a lot of effort to execute.  This article provides a guide on how to keep your network updated in your search… and beyond. Who to include and how to add them to your updates You don’t need to have a perfect list to start.  You can add / update your network list along the way.  The most important thing is to take the first step with a small group.  Some great buckets of people to add to your list include people who: Have helped you before in your journey You have worked with before Have strong networks where you have started to build a relationship "Who are those people that you have just clicked with over the arc of your career? They are much more likely to help you and ... and they probably have shared values with you so that they will be a decent proxy for you in the market. You might overlay that with 'are they relatively plugged in.' Once you have this list put these 10-20 people on a every 2 week rotation of where you are checking in with them" Adam Ward @ Growth by Design Talent ( see podcast ) You don’t want to add people to a mailing list without first asking.  Some great ways to engage them include: When you chat with someone ask if you can keep them updated on your search. Make sure when you connect with people you are clear in your focus and specific . Tickle them on LinkedIn and share you are looking for your next role Format for updates These updates don’t need to be long.  They can be quick.  Some tips include: Personal:  You will send these updates at scale (see below on how to do that) so make sure not to make them casual and informal. Reiterate your focus:   Clarity in your search  helps people help you.  Remind people of your focus role and superpower Progress:  People love to help people who are making progress.  Include quick insights on activity + learnings / progress Make it easy for people to help you:  Always include a link to companies you are targeting  that people can help with introductions NETWORK UPDATE TEMPLATE Hello xxxx , Here is a quick update on my job search for [role title] Since [we chatted / my last update…], I have [insert relevant activities here]. I have learned [insight / lesson]  Here are a companies [link to target company list] I’m actively targeting - if you know folks at any I love intros Thanks for your support - let me know if I can help in your journey too. Thank you – [Your Name] LinkedIn How to send updates We recommend you send an update every ~8 weeks.  While you can send manually this ends up being intimidating leading people to skip or delay updating their network.  We’ve evaluated different solutions to send mail merges from your gmail account and recommend Mailmeteor  based on: Security:  Most others require access to all your emails, Mailmeteor only requires the ability to send, not see your emails and limits their access to Google Sheets you share with them Price:   They have cost effective options. When you send updates you will get a lot of quick replies with support and learn quickly which people you can ask for help/assistance.  Always reply to those thanking them and if you have quick asks to make helping easy those work well. Once you have found your role This powerful way to leverage your network doesn’t just work for job searches.  It can be a powerful tool for your career.  Once you have found your job we recommend: Sending an update and thank you to your list Removing people from the list who you didn’t build relationships with / weren’t helpful Then you can continue to use the list to send annual updates - the holidays are a great time.  These updates are less about asking for help and more about staying in touch and finding ways you can give back to your network.

Recruiters are valuable in your search. This page describes how to work well with them (to help both parties) Connecting with Recruiters When recruiters aren’t a fit: Recruiters are great for folks with a clear career vision , with experience in the field they’re pursuing. Recruiters are typically expected to identify candidates who check every box the client is looking for. Therefore, recruiters are usually unable to “take a chance” on someone with a nontraditional background for the role because most clients expect to see the type of professional they asked for in the job description. Researching: Recruiting firms and recruiters themselves have focuses / specialties. Do your homework upfront and only reach out to ones that specialize in what you are focused on. Premium Whispered members can also leverage our Recruiter Database and introductions. Connecting: Ideally have someone intro you for a role before reaching out. Starting the relationship with an introduction from a candidate they thought highly of is a valuable way to start the relationship. The first call The first call will almost always be 30 mins. Recruiters are often back-to-back so make sure to be brief/respectful of their time Always take the first call even if opportunity doesn’t sound that interesting. You will get to build a relationship with the recruiter and may learn something that could change your mind Treat the first call as an interview. Recruiters are gatekeepers to the hiring company so be prepared for them to ask you detailed questions about your background. The first call is critical as they will put you in their database as low/mid/high priority and that will affect what opportunities they ping you on Sometimes candidates are cagey with certain information, and it always ends up hurting their candidacy. Be open about your expectations including salary and location Be clear in your focus for your next role . This will help them add you to their database so when they have a role that fits they will find you in their search Have a point-of-view on the sectors and trends that are driving your search / the problems you want to be solving Recruiters are NOT career coaches. Don’t complain, be desperate, be negative . If you need a career coach see this page . "The best recruiters are not merely matching candidates based on their past work deeds. They also want to understand your specific passions and career objectives, & how your past experience informs them versus constraining you. Being specific here helps too”. Chuck Brotman @ Blueprint. Good questions to ask the recruiter: The questions below can help you understand the search and also communicate to the recruiter you know how to collaborate with them. “What phase in the search?” Assuming the recruiter is candid it will help you understand things like the stage of the search, if the client is difficult, how you might be able to help (see below) “How would you describe the Founder/CEO/Hiring Manager?" A good recruiter will professionally inform you but you might have to read between the lines “What are you working on right now that I might be a sounding board for or even a networking help on?" This might not go anywhere but it can sometimes open an unexpected connection/door and show you're interested in helping them too. Passing on an opportunity Be thoughtful and candid with recruiters when passing. By understanding how they work with clients you can also add value. If an opportunity doesn’t initially feel like a fit, it is ok to investigate a little before declining. Generally, we suggest taking the first call but when you are going to be introduced to the client, be conscious that if you don’t engage sincerely, it doesn’t reflect well on the recruiter. A positive approach that also clarifies your interest is to offer “if you need a quality candidate / stalking horse I’d be happy to help”. This shows the recruiter you respect them and can also help them. They may have a client who needs to see different flavors of candidates to move to a decision. Decline based on what you feel (i.e. I know I don’t want to manage a team in India) vs. something subjective they can push back on (i.e. don’t like the CEO) Communicating during the search The more you communicate with the recruiter the more effective they are for you. A simple text / email to the recruiter after an interview is so helpful as it gives them (and the candidate) a leg up when communicating with the hiring manager. Recruiters can help candidates get information/access throughout the interview process so the more upfront candidates are about their hesitations, the better. “For example, I recently placed someone who really wanted to talk to a customer before getting to offer and I was able to facilitate it in an organic way vs. it being a "demand" at offer stage.” Although they might like you and advocate for you, recruiters are not decision makers on who to move forward in the interview process. They are, however, usually the ones to pass on the good or bad news. It’s not personal when they tell you it isn’t a fit. They don’t want to waste your time or set false expectations. "Heard from Bob that the call went super well on his end and you mentioned moving him forward to X" is very different from "How did it go with Bob?" Robynne Templin @ Will Reed Staying on Recruiters’ Radar Recruiters get paid by clients rather than candidates so understand that they are unlikely to ping you with new roles. That said, candidate networking is important for the great recruiters so they appreciate hearing from you respectfully. Here are a few ways to engage them, including: Introduce them to companies: It goes without saying but recruiters get paid by working with companies. If you see a C-Level person struggling with a hire, introduce them to a top-notch recruiter (see my database below). If you know of a hot company starting to ramp hiring, share that with your favorite recruiter. Introduce top talent to them: If you have someone you deeply respect who is searching and has an impressive background this is a great way to stay top-of-mind for recruiters. Have a high bar for these introductions. Stay in touch with recruiters, not firms: Have a board of good recruiters in your network. Identify 10 that specialize across different sectors and stay on their radar. Make them your priority to engage with. It's always the person not the company, so if that person moves, don't hand over to someone else in that company, just focus on that recruiter and follow them basically Other Strategies with Recruiters If a recruiter offers to introduce you to a company that they don’t have a search for, as long as they are reputable you should feel comfortable taking them up on this. While some firms send redacted resumes to "bait" hiring managers, it's not a great look. For most quality firms, sharing great candidates can help them build relationships with companies. It is not only cool but a great best practice to call recruiters you respect (even if they didn't work on the search) to ask for advice on compensation . This demonstrates to recruiters that you respect them, that you are getting legit offers and brings them additional information on comp. Always accept recruiter’s LinkedIn invites, even if you are in a role. You can message them when you start looking with a note like “You messaged me about an opportunity at [Company] back in [Month]. I wasn’t in the market for a new role then, but I am now. I wanted to reconnect to see if you had any roles aimed at [Insert Specifics]. If so, I’d love to connect!” 💡 Get Endorsed by a Recruiter: One of the best ways to get noticed by recruiters in Whispered's Executive Directory  is to have endorsements from them! If you know a recruiter who doesn't have access to the Executive Directory yet, share this page on how we partner with recruiters . We ❤️ introductions to recruiters via partner@whispered.com Do you know how to leverage recruiters, talent partners and investors in your search?

There are a number of search tactics you can use. We recommend spending 80%+ of your time on the top strategy for you. The right strategies for you depends on your background, connections and the types of roles you are looking for. For people we collaborate with on their search we are happy to advise on where you should focus: Back-Door: Use job boards to find open roles but don’t apply to jobs online. The noise is too much, you won’t stand out. Instead use these tactics . Drafting: Find the select few people doing the role you want today. Build deep relationships with them as they will get hit up by recruiters. You want them to refer you in to recruiters with “I’m not interested but you should really talk with (your name)” Your Network: Your close and broad network can help you connect with companies. Before you start, you need to know which companies you are targeting. Get clear on the company profile here and then use the Whispered Company Insights to target specific companies. Use your 1 pager to catalyze your network to make introductions. When you do, you can “ask for input on your search”, chat with them and then share your 1-pager as the leave behind to get them thinking about how to help you. Network . Studies show that moderately weak connections are the most effective for finding a role. So don’t just focus on people you know well but have a constant drumbeat of reaching out to weaker connections to touch base. Research target companies. Find the CEO and who you know in common. Send casual tickles to them and when they connect you can ask for intros. Searcher Community: Leverage the networks of other Whispered searchers via the community and introductions Understand the role you would work for if you are hired (i.e. Head of Revops —> CRO). Watch which companies have just hired that role and target them proactively. Connect with execs before roles are created to craft your role together. Give back: If you are building your network , you will also find others come to you for help. I consistently find that people I help end up helping me. Investors: Venture and Private Equity investors in companies have deep relationships with those companies and want them to succeed by finding the right talent. You can often meet with people who invest 1-2 stages earlier than you are focused as they will have companies that have blown up. Recruiters: Recruiters can, if you have the right background, be amazing source of actionable roles. Knowing how to work with both of the following roles and position yourself is something I’ve spent a lot of time researching / building tactics on Talent Teams at VCs Recruiters at firms Following mentors to another company: If you get a chance to work with a great team / manager again, jump at it because it dramatically reduces your risk and ensures you know what you are stepping into. But... often this strategy isn't available. "So many of my mentors have retired / gotten out of the game so following them is no longer an option." SVP of Sales Notes on Job Boards VC Job boards are typically just aggregations of their portfolio company job boards. You aren't likely to find executive roles there for the same reasons they aren't posted elsewhere Do you know how to find your next role?

The value of writing While many people encourage daily posting on LinkedIn to boost your followers, the type of writing I have found particularly valuable is longer-form articles. I believe writing is a great unlock for people’s careers and often advise folks who report to me or I mentor to start writing because it can: Create and catalyze dialogs with others who share your passion for a topic Think through ideas around a topic in a more structured way You share knowledge with others (in a scalable way) Establish you as a someone knowledgeable on the topic Build your reputation/personal brand My process People often struggle to create content.  Sitting down to create an article feels intimidating and often you don’t know where to start, so they just don’t do it. I have discovered that breaking it up into stages works well.  I use the following process 1. Inspiration:  Have an idea, add it to my board with a quick sentence Often when I am on a call, I will write down ideas to come back to later Podcasting is a great way to push yourself to articulate ideas in your head.  When your podcast is published listen to it and you’ll find a few great ideas Take a walk and listen to great podcasts while walking. It is a great way to clear your mind and get inspiration LinkedIn is a great source of ideas.  Read others’ posts and share a comment.  That comment could be an article 2. Ideation:   Create a google doc and add a few more ideas in adhoc way 3. Outline:   When the doc has enough content, set aside 30-60 mins to outline.  No pressure to actually write coherently, just structure my ideas "If you are going to write, make yourself a writing session. How long are you going to write? Don't just sit down with an open-ended session. You've got to control what your brain can take. You've got to know when it is going to end. You have to have an end time to your writing session." Jerry Seinfeld on creating a system for writing ( see full discussion on Tim Ferris' Podcast ) 4. Draft:   Set aside another 30 mins to write a rough draft 5. Post (Optional):   Share a short version of your article in a LinkedIn post.  The comments can provide new insights and also generate people for the next step 6. Refine with Input:  Engage a few people knowledgeable on this topic for feedback.  This provides a few benefits: Improve your article with input from experts Source great terrific quotes (makes articles more engaging) Reinforce your relationship with these people 7. Publish:  Publish the article (don’t forget to tag the people from the step above;). I don't have a strong view on where to publish (medium, linkedin....). I don't write frequently enough or on a single topic to do substack. Personally I like publishing long-term articles on LinkedIn  💡Tip:  I have found that AI is a powerful tool when you are drafting.  If you are having trouble wording something, try asking Chat GPT for suggestions.  Ways to leverage your writing I write articles on topics I speak about frequently and therefore regularly share these links with people including: People I advise :   Give a clear playbook they can build on Peers:   To continue to pressure test and refine my thinking People you manage/mentor:   Make advice on the soft-skills actionable Podcasts :   Frame the topics we can talk about Interviewing: Share a specific article related to a topic you discussed to really imprint on people how deeply you think about things Other Tactics Link between your different writings. That way when a person finds one of them, they can self discover the depth of your content Distribute through a newsletter / substack. It helps increase how many people see your content Feature your pieces on your LinkedIn profile. See our guide on optimizing your LinkedIn Other inspiring pieces on writing Article by  Nir Eyal  on  tactics to make the time to write  (time boxing, the importances of getting comfortable with discomfort) Podcast by  Sam Hinkie  around the  power of writing to help others understand your thought process  and engage with you Sarah Guo on  how writing led to an amazing new dialog Andrew Chen on how he met Marc Andreesen by writing Kyle Poyar's playbook for writing . If you don't subscribe to his content, do! Do you know how to build your brand?

We hear this constantly.  We've used it ourselves It unfortunately rarely works! Executives reaching out to their network often make a version of this ask. Unfortunately recruiters , talent partners and connected folks - while they generally want to help - virtually always tune this request out. “Make it easy on the other person.  When you talk to someone who has a lot of connections it is actually hard if you say ‘I’m kind of open to anything’ That is the least useful thing to say….. ”    Nick Mehta  on Who Got Me Here podcast Why doesn’t this work? Because it is too vague and doesn't give people a way to help you.  You haven’t: Been clear on what you are looking for Communicated the unique value you bring to a company Been specific on companies you are interested in Made the ask simple for your connection Been memorable What works better? You have to do your homework.   Get clear on the role you are focused on Understand the stage of company you are targeting Build a list of companies you are interested in Articulate your focus and unique value in a way that is memorable You need to be specific and make it easy for the person to think of connections they can make.  Some specific strategies include: Be clear :  Be clear in the role and type of company you are interested in Be specific:  Share a list companies you are focused on  - it will prompt ideas from people around connections they have at those companies Be memorable:  Niche down on your focus and nail the talk track  on your super-power.  Emphasize it with stories. Give first:  Try to figure out who you can connect the person with or how you can help them on their journey “It is really good to be specific because then people remember.  If you say to somebody ‘oh I’m just excited to work at a hot company’ that isn’t really helpful because… who isn’t?!”  Nick Mehta  on Who Got Me Here podcast Want to laser in on your focus? Whispered has a deep database of unposted senior roles . But roles are rarely a shortcut. You still need to put in the work to get clarity so others can help you. Check out Whispered's guide on career clarity and learn more about our proprietary resources to help executives looking for their next role.

Companies reach out to us regularly with help on roles.  As Whispered isn’t a recruitment firm (we help executives) we don’t do searches for them.  But we can help with: Introductions to Whispered executives Suggestions of other executives in our network Guidance on how to structure a role for success Introductions to recruiters specializing in their role / search We’ve observed that few companies immediately engage a recruiter but these are the key moments where it makes sense. When you start to think about a key executive role This is an amazing time to engage a recruiter.  This can help you avoid many of the mistakes described below.  Additionally they can outreach / find passive candidates and keep the search confidential (see all the reasons not to post an executive role )  When you lack internal capacity for an executive search During high growth times (i.e. 2020/2021) many companies were growing faster than their internal recruiting teams could keep up.  This was coupled with a lack of talented candidates on the market, limiting the quality and quantity of inbound executive candidates. When you want to fill a role fast Recruiters (particularly the big firms) have deeper candidate databases where they maintain relationships with active and passive candidates. They can move quickly and aren't constrained by internal deadlines. When you want to see a broader candidate pool Internal recruiting teams are often stretched then.  They are screening tons of inbound applications while at the same time trying to manage processes, close candidates and outbound at the same time.  When companies have unique roles and want to broaden the talent pool, recruiters excel here. “Recruiters are in the market every day, actively talking to candidates across their specialty and can give a good gauge on candidate sentiment and what they are seeing in the market currently.   Sometimes our clients have a very clear picture of what they need, what they think they need, or what their VC has told them they need. More often than not, they are surprised by a candidate they would not have even thought to look at. That’s where recruiters can be especially valuable, riffing off of the original idea of the perfect candidate to find someone who may be better in the end.”  Steve Leppert , Founder Collaborative Talent When you are hiring a new executive role If you are seeking a senior executive for a role you just created, it may be time to retain an executive search firm. When an executive search falls outside your area of expertise, an executive search firm can plug the knowledge gap with its domain know-how. When you have tried and failed Many companies try searching for executive candidates internally first.  If they fail to find and close the right candidate, this is a common time to engage a top executive recruiter.  Some of the reasons executive searches fail include: Compensation:   Companies want to pay lower than market.  Recruiters can help with benchmarks Over-restrictive criteria:  Some companies only want candidates who have worked at X and Y companies.  Recruiters can guide on other backgrounds.    Ineffective recruiting process:  When companies don’t know the problem they are solving with a hire they often design obstacle courses to assess candidates.  Recruiters can guide the requirements early and advise on the right interview approach. Unique executive dynamics:  Often there are unique aspects within your leadership that make it hard to hire.  Recruiters can hold top executive candidates hands through the process. Brand challenges: If your company has a bad reputation in the market it may be hard to source directly. Recruiters can reach out anonymously and engage candidates in a process. They can also speak positively about your company in a way that is difficult to do yourself. Run out of candidates:   If you have exhausted your network of connections for possible referrals, it is time to access another network. Executive search consultants are among the most well-networked people in the business. Are you ready to engage a great recruiter? Whispered maintains a directory of top recruiters by seniority and areas of expertise. Learn more about how Whispered can help your company find great talent .

Whispered has built one of the deepest databases of unposted executive roles. When people discover our list of unposted roles , they get excited and think it is a shortcut to finding their next role.   But a list of unposted roles is just one component of an executive job search and it rarely is a silver bullet. Why do people share unposted roles with Whispered? Executives, recruiters and companies contribute roles they can’t post elsewhere because Whispered: Allows recruiter/company to determine how their role is shared:  We understand that different roles require different levels of security .  Some roles are unposted just to avoid a flood of unqualified applicants while others are unposted because a confidential transition is in progress.  See all the reasons roles typically aren’t posted . Is Secure:   Whispered only allows paid members who have signed our confidentiality agreement to view unposted roles.  If we sold unposted roles without our vetting process, recruiters and companies wouldn’t trust us with these sensitive roles . Is Connected:  Whispered can anonymously “whisper” roles through connected leaders, allowing qualified / passive candidates to discover roles without sharing your company information. Why Whispered doesn’t sell roles ala carte? Whispered didn’t set out to build a marketplace for roles.  We deeply understand the challenges of executives looking for their next role (because our founders all lived these challenges) so we built a complete system to help accelerate executive careers. We have consistently observed that to be successful in finding your next role you need: Clarity in Your Focus: Many executives we speak with struggle to define their focus.  They want to keep their options open  but by doing so they hurt themselves.  If you are struggling with clarity, visit our free Career Clarity guide  and discover suggested coaches .  Clarity in How you Communicate: Once you have that clarity, communicating it with recruiters and your network is critical.  Find tactics in our free Search Strategy  Guide The Playbook:  Leveraging your network is challenging.  Whispered’s free guide on “The Search”  shares the right tactics for your search. Connections:   Top executives have been heads down operating.  Whispered’s premium membership accelerates you with connections to top recruiters, venture firms and companies. Visibility: Whispered's Executive Directory highlights your background for top recruiters. Information:  Picking the right company is hard.  Whispered’s Company Insights  provides confidential insights on the real story on companies . Support:  While you might take the first role, you need to make the right choice.  Most executive job searches take 3+ months.  To support you through the process, Whispered provides community support  and targeted advice. If you aren’t clear, connected and informed you will struggle in your search.  For this reason, Whispered only accepts paid members who: Have a clear focus:  They need to be able to articulate it effectively Can take feedback:  We provide deep feedback based on patterns we observe.  Those who can leverage our feedback can leverage Whispered well Appreciate the entire Whispered model:  We don’t take on executives who are transactional and just looking for a list of roles Pay it forward: Our community is powered by user contributions (both roles but also introductions).   There are rarely shortcuts.  For those who understand this, Whispered is built to accelerate you

This article includes tips on navigating the interview process. First Screening Call On the first screening call, you will want to come prepared with your Talk Track and some initial Diligence questions but also here are some good questions to ask when you first talk to the recruiter. What is the DNA of the company (engineering, product, sales/marketing)? Why is the role being opened? Is the role a backfill or a new role? What is working with the team right now vs. what problems are you looking to solve? Where is the process? Interviewers You should always be prepared with questions. Many executives leave room for you to ask questions and if you have none it is a big red flag for most as it highlights a lack of intellectual curiosity and engagement in the process. Do your homework and ask questions based on what you have learned and what questions you have. "Don't ever ask the CEO 'What keeps you up at night?' That means you literally did no homework for this interview and you are asking the most generic question you can ask to a leader". Nick Mehta ( see terrific podcast with Nick on careers and interviewing ) After each round of interviews Recruiters (both internal and those at the company) will ask you “How did the convos with X and Y go”. Try to have a prepared phrase or two for each person you met (i.e. one thing you learned from speaking with that person, be positive). Companies use each touchpoint to evaluate culture fit. They work to build rapport outside of the formal process and are looking to understand 'Is the person we are interviewing the same person who will show up the first day?' In-House Recruiting Leader Always follow-up with a thank you email summarizing key points and framing next steps. When a candidate doesn’t do this, hiring managers may question their ability to manage up . Follow up quickly. This highlights how proactive you are to work with Do you know how to leverage recruiters, talent partners and investors in your search?

You talk to candidates every day and while many are A candidates , others need coaching to get there. Some areas candidates struggle with: Can’t get clear on role  they are focused on Haven’t thought about stage of company  they want to work at Don’t know target companies Aren’t articulate in interviews Some candidates can’t be coached to success given their job history or how they present themselves but many can, with a little coaching.   “There are lots of candidates who on paper look great, but have never had to really sell themselves in an interview process.”  Top Recruiter Many recruiters and talent partners we’ve talked with attempt to coach candidates because they: Recognize the patterns that are easily fixable and want to help Want to build relationships with good candidates that can lead to long-term relationships and future searches Want to help candidates by sharing their experience Why you can't invest the time to coach But the payoff from this coaching isn’t there: You don’t have time Coaching a candidate to success can take a few calls You haven’t built the content to support coaching   Without the resources to share, you will need to spend a lot of time coaching people live You don’t get paid for it In fact, charging for coaching may actually be a conflict of interest with our clients In addition, given your role as gatekeeper for the role the candidate is interested in, your feedback often won’t be received well Since you are judging them, many candidates use feedback as a way to try to get a second chance and may argue over feedback rather than be in a receptive mood We’ve all had experiences where candidates were resistant to feedback and even responded with anger You can’t be as direct as you need to be as it could create more anger/resentment, which means to successfully coach someone will require even more time You don’t know how and when they like to get feedback Feedback can hurt your relationship with candidates, exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achieve with coaching Whispered was built to help candidates Now there is a better way to help candidates who need coaching. Share Whispered  which helps candidates by providing:  Free career guides and detailed action plans for every stage of the search A direct approach to feedback allowing us to give the soulful feedback candidates need “I think candidates who take advantage of resources and free coaching is the first indicator that you truly have a B candidate that can and wants to be an A.”  Top Recruiter With its free content and proprietary databases, Whispered can inflect a candidates career and polish B candidates into As .   Candidates will appreciate learning about Whispered from you.   You will achieve the goals you had with coaching candidates: Building a relationship with them Helping them on their journey

People sometimes ask " why does Whispered charge candidates ?"   We give away our content to help as many people as possible.  If you are early in your career, use our free guides to focus your search  and apply through the backdoor  for posted jobs. But as you get more senior, roles increasingly aren’t posted .  You need access to proprietary databases, career connections, and unposted roles to accelerate your search.   The amount we charge candidates allows us to: Invest our time in building Whispered Invest in building systems to amplify your search Purchase data to target your search and give you an information advantage Spend time helping our members (and giving free advice to others)  We work for candidates like you, rather than the companies evaluating you.   We believe executives need help in their search Our founders felt the pain of executive job searches and we’ve built the model that each of us would have paid for.  We designed Whispered around our beliefs that: You need data to excel at your job search:  When you leave your company you no longer have LinkedIn premium or tools to target companies.  We’ve built our company database with multiple premium data sources to help executives find breakout companies and avoid toxic ones. You can learn from experience:  We observe many mistakes executives make in their search from lack of focus to not leveraging recruiters , talent partners  and investors .  As you work out loud on your search, our team provides guidance at key points.  You search better with others:  Searching for your next executive role can be lonely.  Whispered has built the community to support your search and we work together to make connections for you. Connections can accelerate your search:  Our founders love connecting people and invest their time to connect you to connect you with others who can accelerate your career. You get what you pay for:   Recruiting firms get paid by companies and don’t work for candidates.  Most recruiters help where they can but can rarely coach candidates  beyond a single call. Execs don’t have anyone in their corner until Whispered who partners with you to accelerate your search. Executive ready to search for their next role Whispered drives value by accelerating your search The average tenure for a GTM executive at a VC-backed company is 17 months !   Every month you are out of a job or in the wrong job it is costing you.   “Not being in the right role isn’t just an inconvenience—it comes with real costs. There’s a financial toll, as you’re not maximizing your earning potential. Professionally, you miss out on growth opportunities that could set you up for future success. And emotionally, staying in the wrong position can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of fulfillment.”   Ashley Artrip Whispered’s model helps you: Position yourself: So many candidates struggle because they don’t have clarity and can’t communicate themselves succinctly.  Whispered helps you nail this Hit the ground running:  It can be stressful starting a new job search, particularly if you are in a role today .  Whispered helps you gain clarity early, develop a target list of companies, and leverage the right strategy for your situation.  Accelerate your search:   Whispered accelerates your search through introductions and unposted roles .   “Seeing a few extra opportunities and get connected faster, that alone is worth the cost of Whispered.  If I find a job 2 days faster because of you, at my level, that pays for itself.”  Whispered member Collaborate with other candidates:   Whispered’s community allows you to share opportunities and insights on roles with other candidates. “The power of seeing that other candidates are going after the same roles, offers a unique perspective from the candidate perspective.  It allowed me to get deeper understanding of processes I was in.”  David Zwerin Pick the right company:  Whispered helps you find breakout companies  and get connected to them.  Whispered also helps you avoid wasting interview cycles on the wrong companies. We know that cutting weeks (or months) off of your search, enabling you to identify more opportunities, and helping you find the breakout companies (and avoid the toxic ones), is worth much more than we charge.  We hear it consistently from members. We price our model to align with your success We only work with “A Candidates”  and those we believe we can polish into As  and we look for executives that we believe can be successful with our coaching and are looking to invest in their career. We charge a single one-time fee for Whispered which is good as long as your current search lasts.  We feel this model aligns incentives best because: We help you do your search better but don’t do your search for you:  Candidates who work-out-loud and hustle get huge value from the Whispered model.  But because your search success is ultimately up to you, we don’t work on a success fee approach like recruiting firms. We provide databases and (mostly) async coaching:  Whispered provides a complete system for executives looking for their next role.  This system isn’t about live coaching - If we sold live coaching, Whispered would be MUCH more expensive .  We help you find a role as fast as possible:   Often we help people find jobs with a single introduction (definitely not guaranteed).   W e don’t want to make more money by charging monthly if your search drags out .  "Not only did I find my role fast with Whispered, but the interview process was also expedited as I was able to use the Whispered network to come in as a trusted referral to the C-level.”  Hannah Duncan Wendt Bonus: We love keeping our alumni involved:  Many Whispered alumni are our best contributors and stay involved in the community after their search. Compare Whispered to…. Whispered is designed to accelerate executives' careers with tactics, databases, introductions, and async advice.  This allows us to keep the price low and help as many executives as possible.  Compare Whispered to: Exec/Career Coaching:  Coaches can cost upwards of $400-500 / hour to help you get clear and focused on what you want next but they don’t guarantee outcomes either. Resume Review:  Resume review services often cost more than $1,000 for several hours.   Communities:  There are lots of communities for job searchers.  These provide much-needed support during the search process. Networking with Recruiters  and Talent Partners :   Doing this is free and we give you the cheat sheet on how you can engage these valuable nodes.  While recruiters and talent partners are valuable, they aren’t working for you but rather the company.  Whispered on the other hand, is working to turbo-charges you with connections to these nodes, helping you position yourself well, and data to leverage them.  “Whispered is defining a new category.  It's democratizing access to information that previously is private in order to better serve the job seeker, which in turn benefits companies as well.”  Leading career advisor People pay for all of these models but none help you find your next role and accelerate your search.  That is what Whispered is designed for … and why we charge.

Before you start searching, you need to get clear on where you are focused.   It makes everything in the search easier. Company Stage of Company: Think through which stage is right for you and also if you are looking for a breakout company or something slower-growing. Space: What industries are you interested in? Which do you want to avoid? See Whispered's theses on different spaces informed by deep dialogs with venture investors. Location: How important to you is the company location? Are you interested in hybrid or remote work? Business Model: Are there nuances to a company’s business model that match the value you are good at creating? Finding this can help narrow which companies you’re focused on and help match your abilities to a role. There are a LOT more criteria to evaluate a company on but, at this stage, stay simple. You only need to identify a few high-level descriptors that will help you search with focus. Once you have your target company profile, put it into practice by building your target company list and communicate it to your network . Role If you can determine what roles you’re most interested in, it’s easier for your network and potential companies to understand what you’re looking for. Don't be a generalist. You should, especially as you become more senior in your career, focus on a role that plays to your super-power(s). "The other group that is tough for us to help is people who aren't specialists in the core areas - eg not VP Sales, VP CS, VP Product, etc. People who a jack of all trades may be amazing but it tough for them to get traction in their searches." Top VC Talent Partner You can have more than one target role, but we’ve found that it is effective to externally focus on a single role that you are best fit for. See the example 1 pager for how to convey this effectively to people If you are struggling to get your target role (either because of a competitive market, holes in your background, or coming off a less-prominent role) here are some tactics: Take a role that is one step down from your experience (in a bigger company) to get back in the game. Focus on emerging roles where there are less competition (i.e. ~10 years ago Customer Success was an emerging function and you could become a leader in it quickly. Similar with AI today;) The best path is not always linear. In this article by Bret Reckard , he talks about how sometimes moving from a larger scope role to a smaller high-growth company can be a great strategy. An Effective Format (w/ Examples) If you can get your company and role focus tight, it is amazing how it crystalizes the conversation and help with those you speak with. Here are a few effective examples: CS Leader RevOps Leader Don't know what you want in your next role?

If you are in a job, it can be scary and hard to look for a new role You don’t want your current company to find out You can’t talk about your search publicly It is hard to invest the time for informational interviews to refine your thinking about your next step It is difficult to take time off from your current role to take interviews "I've found in my current role, I can only engage in 1-2 interview processes at a time. The research, projects and interview scheduling around my day job is emotionally challenging. I'm using your company database to prioritize which processes I engage in and being decisive in opting out of processes I'm not genuinely excited about." Whispered premium member Don't take the first role you see Because of the challenges of searching, many people often end up taking the first role they see. To help candidates get perspective, we often ask people the following question. “Think hard about what % are you running away from your current job and what % are you running towards this new role”  Whispered co-founder Being in a current role, means that while it can be stressful, you have the time to think about what is next without worrying about a paycheck. Before you start your search, use your evenings / weekends to define: Your Search Focus: G et clear on your next role   Your Target Companies: Build a list of target companies Your Search Strategy: Understand the tactics you will use to find your next role Whispered helps you search quietly Whispered was designed to help executive candidates conduct quiet searches.  Confidentiality for candidates  is at the core of our community. If you know you need to move on from your current role, here are some tactics that can help you see more roles and make a better next career step: LinkedIn :  Turn on LinkedIn’s “Open for Work” option to let recruiters know you are open Introductions: Use backdoor connections and Whispered’s introductions feature to get to your target companies Leverage Talent Partners :  They see tons of roles and can connect you to recruiters. Whispered’s Unposted Role Database : Whispered Company Insights :  Make sure you don’t make a mistake and jump without doing proper due diligence Are you ready to start exploring your next role? The first step is to get clarity on where you are focusing

Once you start the interview process, the process is just beginning. See tactics on how the interview process works . Learn how to ask the right questions about a company . Understand how to negotiate compensation like a pro . Here are some great questions to ask yourself when evaluating a role: How many dealbreakers do you have? We suggest a maximum of 2 “dealbreakers.” Know what’s REALLY important to you and focus on that. Be ok with the fact that not everything has to be perfect. How is the company’s top-of-funnel? You can fix problems later in pipeline but if the lead flow isn’t there, it is hard. Do not take a role where the company does not have product market fit. If you are not starting a company yourself it is not worth banging your head against a wall at that stage. How does the person you are working for fit with your style? You can write and share your user manual as a great litmus test. Do they read it and understand it? Do they have one of their own? The key is to learn if they are a good communicator and if you have the potential to work well together. Is the product loved? If users love the product everything else is easier. Are you running towards the company or away? It’s important to listen to your gut. If you are feeling uncomfortable in any way, try to determine if you are worried about the new role or if it is just the discomfort of the search process. Does the company culture / leadership fit your style? Use Whispered's Company Insights to get the inside knowledge on culture, trajectory, leadership and more. How important is compensation for you? Whispered doesn’t typically help people evaluate compensation for specific roles, but we have developed strategies on how to negotiate - and what you can negotiate for. Finally, here is a great resource on evaluating your next opportunity Do you know how to pick the right company and role?