"Reality Bites" Then What?

Many of the executives and managers who I have interviewed (and, who got hired by my clients) have been "let go" "downsized" or "victims of a corporate reduction in force."
They have been young, old and in-between; each gender; and, have worked in big and small companies.   Good news: I can recall only a very few people who have not been in new positions or new careers within a few months.  I have a few thoughts on the why's  and some advice from successful job-seekers.

Admittedly, my sample is biased, as I engage candidates who have been recommended to me, so they have proven themselves in character and in performance.  And, they stay  in touch and maintain positive relationships with colleagues and bosses.  My first piece of advice:   Make sure you are in the biased population; get recommendations, take the high road, and don't go into isolation in some outplacement office.  Executives who are in a new situation more quickly tend to have a few things in common.  They sell their strengths and experiences to buyers who can use them; butchers don't become bakers. 

They also recognize that experience does not equal industry.  Skills are transferable, and many industries are entering phases which others have gone through.  Another quality common to these execs is the realistic assessment of their experience, combined with the disposal of the vague value of "resume risk.". Nothing that a prospective employer enjoys hearing more from an unemployed exec than, "If this doesn't work out, this will seem like a sideways move."

Another positive attribute of great executives is the ability to be flexible and thereby take reasonable risk.  The really good situation with a great company which provides long-term growth, may outweigh a higher, more defined position with a smaller company; the key is to keep one’s mind open while looking at the trade-offs.  Successful executive job-seekers also very clearly recognize the factors, as geography, which may limit their search, and “price” themselves accordingly.  If a move doesn’t work, why waste time looking at relocation opportunities, unless there is a flexible approach that works. 

In any case, my experiences with top executives who are looking at new opportunities has been been very positive, even in recent difficult times, when these executives conduct their job searches in the same way they managed their units or functions.