Executive Job Search in Private Sector or Executive Coach

[Anonymous]

I am in the fed. Senior Executive Service and am fairly new about two years in and I am young (about to be 40 w a JD but not attorney).

Aside from networking, how do you find or search for executive positions in the private sector? Is it worth working with an executive coach and how to find them? Are there executive recruiters I can reach out?

I am an immigrant from a poor family and my world view is limited to federal government, but I’d like to try the switch to private sector or at least prepare myself when the economy is better. I saw posts saying these jobs are based on connections but I am starting from 0, and I am hoping you can guide me to resources or share stories from your experience.

[Anonymous]

You need to build your network. Join associations, go to conferences, join LinkedIn groups for Women in x,y,z.

[Anonymous]

A coach is good to help you know where to look and prep your resume but they won’t do the work for you. A lot of the exec recruiters have lists of active searches. Search for those and reach out if you’re a fit for any of the positions.

[Anonymous]

I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to build your network. Join associations, go to conferences, join LinkedIn groups for Women in x,y,z.

OP here i do…that’s why I caveated the networking. My whole SES network and mentors are retiring in droves and not actually going back in the private sector so I need to expand my network for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

PP here - Forgot to add RSUs are usually not included in the base salary estimates listed in job postings for most public company roles.

So if you see a salary range of “$200-$250K, you can assume there’s (significant - like $100-200K) annual RSUs on top of that. Plus a cash bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

OP here thank you for the advice - I honestly don’t know what any roles mean I’ve seen the range with our contractors and not sure what to search for, why I was wondering if a coach or site could help. SES was and is easy to search for and understand the scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

This is very much company and industry specific. I worked at multiple F50s and make 3x what I was making as a director at a B2B tech company. I always assumed that larger companies had better comp, but that’s jog true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

This is very much company and industry specific. I worked at multiple F50s and make 3x what I was making as a director at a B2B tech company. I always assumed that larger companies had better comp, but that’s jog true.

*just not true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve posted this before but in case it’s helpful - one thing I also didn’t realize until way late in the game is that big title does not always equal high pay.

Eg public companies like Amazon have “Managers” managing 20 people making $500K+ before any stock appreciation, whereas a local fed contracting shop will have “EVPs” managing 5 people making $200K.

If you’re looking at public companies, don’t write off roles with “lower” sounding titles - many times the pay will be multiples of that at a smaller firm with a bigger title.

This is very much company and industry specific. I worked at multiple F50s and make 3x what I was making as a director at a B2B tech company. I always assumed that larger companies had better comp, but that’s jog true.

This is sometimes true. Smaller companies can be much more flexible with compensation, particularly for key employees.

[Anonymous]

Coaches are useless but recruiters are typically helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to build your network. Join associations, go to conferences, join LinkedIn groups for Women in x,y,z.

OP here i do…that’s why I caveated the networking. My whole SES network and mentors are retiring in droves and not actually going back in the private sector so I need to expand my network for sure.

Network will help you learn how the industry works and what kind of work they do. But they are rarely helpful in landing a new role. It’s about timing, fit and skills. Need to build relationships with reputable recruiters so they ding you when there is an opening.

[Anonymous]

OP, I made this jump a few years ago, those some of my details were different, so I'll share them for your benefit.

Me at the time of the jump:
- 20 year career in tech, mostly in cyber
- 10 years in the private sector with good pedigree before going fed
- Good experience as a fed with some high profile roles - or at least roles that resonated on my resume and in discussions
- Was tired of being a fed for many reasons, and wanted to go back to the private sector

My network was absolutely key. Despite a strong resume/experience, I received few interviews outside of where I knew people. Where I did have connections, the interviews were easy to get. I was focused on VP-level positions, though, and landing one without equivalent private sector experience is a tall order. I eventually took a Sr Dir role with an onramp for a VP-level. That promotion happened about 6 months after landing.

A couple key take aways for you, IMO:

The network that served me well wasn't people I met at professional seminars or networking events. They were people I had worked with previously and who knew me reasonably well - either through my main job or through industry orgs in which I held a position. IMO, the breadth of the network matters less than the quality of the connections.

You should be open to roles that aren't the dream job, but that give you the opportunity to grow. As a lifelong senior fed, you're missing a lot of private sector experience - activities, culture, etc - and whoever hires your is going to be taking a gamble. That risk they're accepting may need to be reflected in a less senior position than you expect.

As others have said, the trifecta of title, responsibilities and comp often don't align across employers, and you'll want be aware of this as you hunt for your new role. If comp is the most important factor, a director role at a F500 is likely to pay more than a VP role at a small consulting firm. Get your priorities clear in your head before you go hunting.

Finally, I'll add that recruiters can absolutely help, but that most private sector recruiters don't know what to do with Fed experience. You'll need to really work hard to translate how your experience is relevant to the private sector. It won't all be, so be humble and know that you're starting from a deficit compared to peers in the private sector with the equivalent years of experience.

Good luck. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

OP here thank you so much. I have roles at some really good agencies in acquisition space so hopefully it translates.

Money is the only factor that matters plus - the experience of being in the private sector that comes with any role, so money will be deciding factor. I’ve adored my work and know I can’t replicate it in private sector, I have no expectations of loving the work.

I’ll do more research on the roles and reassess my network - I work closely with private sector vendors so maybe start learning from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coaches are useless but recruiters are typically helpful.

Recruiters work for organizations not individuals. You can form relationships typically through being recruited for a specific opportunity but recruiters generally don’t want to be bombarded by individuals when they aren’t a match for current opportunities.