Making connections within the executive search community can dramatically increase your professional options and skyrocket your career trajectory. But understanding the intricacies of executive networking can be a stumbling block for many executives.

If connecting with recruiters is your New Year’s Resolution, here are our top tips on how to put your best foot forward to make valuable, long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

1. Build Your Network Before You Need It

There’s a question you haven’t asked yourself yet as you look ahead to the New Year. You may have asked yourself, “What could go better this year than last year?” but Kevin Sealey, VP of Operations, EPOCH Student Living, believes there’s another important question you may be forgetting to ask:

"What were your greatest successes? Did you ever take time to understand why they were a success and the work that lead to it being successful? Take these positive experiences and incorporate them into your plan for 2019.”

This is an excerpt of AESC's report Leading Transformation: Shaping the C-Suite for Business. In the excerpt, AESC member executive recruiters how they believe the C-level leaders will need to evolve to compete in Business 4.0.

You have probably accepted at least a few job offers by this point in your career, but how often have you negotiated for a higher salary before taking the job? If your answer is “not often” or “never,” you’re not alone. Negotiating is tricky, and how much difference can that extra few thousand dollars make, anyway? The answer is, a hefty difference. According to one study, assuming an average annual pay increase of 5 percent, an employee whose starting yearly salary was $55,000 rather than $50,000 would earn an additional $600,000 or more over the course of a forty-year career. So clearly, it’s worth negotiating, every time—even when you’re switching careers.

Recent U.K. employment figures show, despite economy uncertainties, wages are still rapidly growing and unemployment rates are almost at their lowest levels in 44 years. These conditions allow for a strong job market for leadership-level job seekers looking to advance their careers, with hiring organizations and executive recruiters having to vie for candidates.

What does it require to advance from a management position to an executive role? When you’re a manager, you do the hands-on work of ensuring that your team’s day-to-day operations run smoothly. You’re a team super-user, versed in the systems and operations that enable your unit’s daily efforts. You oversee that work and keep those who execute it motivated, engaged and fully operational. It’s a complex undertaking and handling it well can be the ideal preparation for new challenges. 

This is an excerpt of AESC's report Leading Transformation: Shaping the C-Suite for Business. In the excerpt, AESC member executive recruiters how they believe the C-level leaders will need to evolve to compete in Business 4.0.

CEOs Must Drive the Culture Change

I'm not sure if I'm a typical executive recruiter in saying this but I receive thousands of unsolicited resumes. Thousands. What does that mean for you? How can you stand out?

Retained executive recruiters work for companies to help find great talent for senior roles. At any given time, I am unlikely to be working on the exact role that you are looking for.

Given those realities, what part should executive recruiters play in your search for your next career chapter? Here's how to think about it:

First of all, consider a relationship with a recruiter as one that should play out over the course of your career, not just when you are in transition. Secondly, know that direct networking is often the most productive route in looking for a job.