It is critical to use social media (LinkedIn for most in the world of medical sales) to connect with your network and tap into opportunities. However, as an executive resume writer, I can attest that your resume remains THE DOCUMENT that forms the foundation of a well-planned and executed job search.

Here’s are three things you can do to give your resume or CV a competitive advantage:

#1 Articulate Your Value From the Top – Concisely

Recruiters usually have a lot on their plates. This makes for skim rather than in-depth reads…especially during the first few rounds. Your summary or branding statement at the top must quickly inform the reader:

Whether supervising people or projects, leadership is not only time consuming but can be mentally and emotionally taxing. Navigating difficult situations, working with strong personalities or balancing life and work, being a leader isn’t just a 9-5 job. It requires well-honed skills (sometimes new ones), discernment, decisiveness and the ability to act under pressure.

I’m sure you hear about people securing jobs through their networks all the time. In fact, if you look back at your own work history, you’ll probably recall that some of the vacancies you filled in the past were brought to your attention by people you knew. As an executive leader, you may also know that when you are trying to fill positions you first look internally and then as close to internally as possible, drawing on referrals of current employees or maybe people you’ve done business with.

While the average tenure of chief marketing officers (CMOs) has remained relatively steady at the top 100 most-advertised brands (44 months in 2017 and 42 months in 2016), it’s worth mentioning that the early part of 2018 has proven to be quite extraordinary – and not in a good way. An usually high number of well-known brands that we track across a number of key industries have undergone a change in the top marketing role this year.

As an executive recruiter, I think about career trajectories a lot. When it comes to pursuing an advanced degree, most professionals wonder-will the output of time and energy be worth it? It’s a big commitment, especially for established professionals who usually have plenty to balance already. Inviting more work can seem daunting.    

There is a tectonic shift influencing the Hidden Job Market worldwide for transport and mobility solutions. China’s effort to the lead the world in electric vehicles, an industry which will account for 90% of vehicles by 2035. Let me highlight the top three:

Social selling – is a sales approach focused on the use of social media to identify prospects, develop and build relationships and, eventually, close a sale.

But can social selling get you closer to your career goal?  We believe that the principals of social selling are applicable to any executive job search strategy, making you simultaneously the sales person and “the product/ brand”.

With social recruiting at the center of any hiring process, your online presence has become more important than ever. That is why you shouldn’t leave anything to chance and take advantage of the social selling practices to reach your next executive position. Here’s how:

1. Build a strong, professional brand

You have probably heard most executive jobs are either found through networking or by being "headhunted" by executive-level recruitment firms, also called search firms. Both leveraging your network and building relationships with a few executive recruiters in your industry are methods that can be highly effective for winning new opportunities. Both are without a doubt critical for executive-level professionals to include in their overall career management strategy. Both, however, do take considerable time — the results don’t happen overnight.

CEOs and C-suite executives often identify failure to attract and retain top talent as their No. 1 business issue. The key to success is having the right leaders leading in the right way. Aiding in this are executive talent search and assessment providers, who can profoundly impact businesses. As President and CEO of AESC, I am often asked what hiring organizations look for before signing an agreement with an executive search firm from those looking to hire and candidates alike.

Here I share what hiring organizations want to know about an executive search firm and how it affects candidates: