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Q: I have been consulting on economic development issues for a while and want to step into a leadership role as an Executive Director or a Chief Operating Officer. I have been applying for positions, but I am not getting call backs. What should I do?

A: Without knowing more about your background, it is difficult to pinpoint the cause of the low response rate. Assuming your materials are well-crafted and professional, and assuming the openings at your target organizations match the line-up in your current resume, I would have to review your substantive experiences to get an idea of what may be triggering low interest. However, there are some general themes you can review to see if they apply.

First, if you have been consulting without much formal management responsibility, this could be an issue. Typically, consultants work quite independently and can be perceived as “loners.” There may be fear that a consultant will be more concerned about completing the job than about building durable teams or driving consensus. This kind of logic may cause a hiring committee to think twice about hiring a former consultant for a full-time, senior-level role.

Also, because a consultant has worked for a variety of clients, there may be unvoiced concerns related to your loyalty and about your ability to effectively function when more formal reporting structures are in place. Even if you have successfully worked for a major, corporate entity where you maintained and cultivated excellent working relationships, your consulting phase might call the loyalty and function issues into question. If there is no actual need for a hiring team to question you in these regards, and if your resume shows ample management, organizational and relationship-building expertise, you may need to think about whether or not you have been presenting yourself as one who can generate resources and/or important relationships for a given organization.

Another issue to consider is with regard to your development experience. Although certain senior-level position descriptions may not explicitly outline, nor even require, development expertise, these skills, particularly in today’s market, are welcomed. In fact, they may make the difference as to whether or not you are asked in for an interview.

I would also investigate the lack of interest by making direct inquiries to the organizations in question. Sometimes, you will get a vague, non-committal response. However, you may have a lucky encounter with a recruiter or hiring manager willing to share more with you about the role you have pursued. Also, be aware that at certain organizations, the hiring and promotions predominantly come from within rather than the risk being taken of hiring (and having to train) an “outsider.” This dynamic may also be at play for you.

Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.

ExecSearches.com is a job board for nonprofit job seekers interested in fundraising, management and executive nonprofit jobs.

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Last updated on September 19th, 2012 at 12:26 pm

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