Too many leaders think their next role will come from a resume. It won’t. It will come from being seen as the solution BEFORE the problem is posted.

By Christine C. Graves

Executive Career Advisor & Coach | SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Helping revenue-producing leaders land their next role and build a brand that attracts future opportunities.

The Game Has Changed. Have You?

The rules that got you here are not the rules that will get you there.

I’ve coached hundreds of high-performing leaders through career transitions. And what’s crystal clear? The executive job market operates on a completely different playbook than most people are using.

This week, I’m breaking down the top 5 insights that have surfaced again and again in client conversations, coaching sessions, and poll results. If you’re ready to skip the job board noise and start showing up as the invaluable leader companies find, not filter, this is for you.

1. The Hidden Job Market Is Not a Myth. You’re Just Not in It Yet.

In the last 3 weeks, three of my clients landed new roles. Here’s how they got there:

• One was tapped by a former colleague.

• One was recruited after commenting on a post.

• One hadn’t touched their resume.

Not one of them applied online.

What does that tell you?

The most valuable opportunities don’t sit on job boards. They circulate in trust-based circles of influence, passed hand to hand between decision-makers. If you’re not in those rooms—real or virtual—you’re invisible.

📊 Vote in this week’s poll: How did you or a colleague land a new role recently?

👉 Insight: If your strategy still centers around applications, you’re operating with outdated assumptions. Time to reframe.

2. Resumes Don’t Get Hired. Value Does.

Yes, I said it.

Spending hours rewriting your resume for every new application is a strategic error.

Your resume is not your strategy. It’s a receipt. A reflection of the value you’ve already clarified and positioned elsewhere.

When you’re seen as a must-have, your resume simply confirms what’s already known. If it’s your primary tool for standing out, you’re already behind.

✅ Do this instead: Before touching your resume, define your executive value proposition. Then position it across your LinkedIn, network, and interviews.

3. Unfocused Networking is the New Procrastination

I’ll say this with love: coffee chat culture is out of control.

Catching up with everyone who says yes isn’t a strategy. It’s a stall tactic. Unless the conversation is with someone who can make or influence a decision, your time is better spent elsewhere.

Here’s what does move the needle:

• Targeted outreach to relevant leaders.

• Building relationships inside your industry’s power nodes.

Sharing insights publicly that generate inbound interest.

4. Generic LinkedIn Activity Doesn’t Make You Memorable

Posting random thought leadership without a clear positioning strategy is like tossing pebbles in the ocean and hoping they make waves.

If your content isn’t tied to how you solve high-level problems, you’re missing the point of LinkedIn as an executive brand tool.

LinkedIn should act as your 24/7 positioning platform. You’re not just building visibility—you’re building preference.

🔍 Checklist: Is Your LinkedIn Working For You?

• Does your headline speak to your business value, not your last title?

• Are you sharing strategic insights, not just personal updates?

• Do your posts attract the right conversations and inbound recruiter messages?

If not, it’s time for a Career Strategy/LinkedIn Audit. Schedule yours here: https://ChristineCKidderCareerAdviserCalendarLink.as.me/LinkedInAuditStrategy

5. You’re Not Behind—But You Might Be Off Track

The #1 thing I hear from leaders after they land?

“I wasted too much time doing what everyone told me I should do... but none of it got me closer to my goal.”

From last week’s poll results, here’s what leaders wish they’d done sooner:

🚫 Spent less time rewriting resumes 🚫 Spent less time having conversations with no ROI 🚫 Spent less time trying to be “perfect” on LinkedIn

✅ Spent more time clarifying their value ✅ Spent more time getting visible where it matters ✅ Spent more time nurturing strategic connections

🧠 Mindset Shift: Job searching is not about checking boxes. It’s about showing up where the decisions get made; clearly, confidently, and consistently.

Final Thought: Be Invaluable, Not Invisible

The market is noisy. Hiring is shifting. AI is changing how talent is found, assessed, and hired. But here’s the constant:

Leaders who know their value and show up strategically don’t chase roles. They attract them.

#ExecutiveCareerStrategy #LeadershipBranding #InvaluableLeader #LinkedInForExecutives #JobSearchStrategy #CLevelCareers #FutureOfWork