Why are you applying for a senior position?

By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

EP 3124 I can’t understand why you would think of applying online for a senior position.

Mastering Executive Branding: A C Suite Professional’s Guide

Timestamp

• 00:00 – The logic of “applying” for senior positions is flawed.

• 00:38 – Where advanced applications die: black holes.

• 00:56 – Why the “best person for the job” rarely comes from applications.

• 01:28 – Confessions of a Recruiter: “We don’t respond to applications.”

• 01:42 – How about top companies actually Fill senior positions.

• 02:14 – Breaking Down the Recruiter’s Handbook: Headhunting and Referrals.

• 02:33 – Change your strategy: from “better applicant” to “get discovered.”

• 02:48 – How to get the attention of top headhunters.

• 03:11 – Turn your LinkedIn profile into a discoverable magnet.

• 03:30 – Run a “visibility campaign” for your next steps.

• 03:42 – Final takeaway: Stop applying and start getting hired.

Okay, let’s talk. If you’re a senior professional, you’re probably targeting a top job, right? You’re doing what you’ve always done – perfecting your resume and hitting “apply” on all the big job sites. But what if I told you that this entire approach—the one we all think is the right one—is actually completely wrong? Yes, you heard it right.

That’s a bit of a bombshell, isn’t it? This is really the core of what we’re going to explore today – applying for senior roles is a waste of time. I mean, it sounds crazy. But it comes from someone who has seen it from the inside, and it might change the way you think about your career.

Does this sound familiar? You spend hours or even days crafting the perfect application for a really great senior position. You hit submit and…crickets. there is nothing.

You’ve just fallen into what we call an application black hole. Did you know? Many senior leaders know this place well. We all have this picture in our heads, right? Once a company posts a job, it receives tons of amazing applications and they only choose the best ones.

This seems completely logical, this is how the system should work. But here’s the thing. For senior positions in really big companies, this is a complete myth.

So how do we know this? Well, a corporate recruiter who has worked for some of the largest companies in the world has basically pulled back the curtain on how executive recruiting actually works. What’s her secret? Well, that’s what we’re going to unpack now. Let’s understand this.

One top recruiter put it bluntly that they don’t use job boards or even LinkedIn applications to find senior talent. The reason you’re not hearing back is not because you’re not qualified. This is because they don’t look at where you applied at all.

Is that recruiter legitimate?

So if they’re just ignoring the mountain of applications, how on earth are they filling these super important roles? Well, they don’t wait for talent to come to them. No, no. They go out looking for it.

This is a completely different game. When you see it side by side like this, the difference is, wow. It’s obvious.

On the one hand, you have what we think of as the reactive, reactive world that they use, job boards, screening applications. But on the other side is reality, a super-positive, targeted approach built on relationships. It’s all about headhunting, networking and getting referrals.

That’s actually their script. They don’t sit there sifting through a bunch of digital resumes. No.

They are actively seeking out the top talent that already exists and killing it in their field. They go to their trusted contact and ask a simple question. Who is the best person you know who does this? Okay, what does this mean for your strategy? The whole goal changed.

It’s no longer a matter of being the best applicant. It’s about becoming the person they found when they set out to hunt. So the real question is, how do you get on their radar in the first place? It’s really about shifting your energy.

So stop spending endless hours tweaking your resume for every application. Instead, focus on getting your name out there. You know, maybe that means speaking at industry events, publishing some articles in your field, or just becoming well-known online.

Be intentional about broadening your network. Yes, you absolutely need a killer LinkedIn profile, but for reasons you might not have thought of. You see, your LinkedIn profile is more than just a digital resume attached to an application.

Think of it like a magnet. This is a discoverability tool. You need to wrap it up with the right keywords, showcase your biggest wins, and tell a truly compelling story.

So when headhunters start looking for the talent they really need, you’re the first one to appear. Therefore, your search for a new job, especially a search for a senior position, isn’t really a search at all. It’s more like a movement.

A campaign to raise awareness. It’s all about positioning yourself so opportunities find you. Right here.

This is the most important point. You have to stop thinking of yourself as a positive applicant. Instead, start seeing yourself as an asset to be found.

Someone so valuable that top companies want to hire you. Your job, your network, your entire online presence. That’s what will get you hired, not your application.

So I’ll leave this question for you to think about. Based on the strategies you use today, will you need to apply for the next big job? Or are you going to put yourself in the position of being asked? The choice is truly yours.

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About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman

People hire big game hunter Jeff Altman to provide no-BS career advice around the world because he’s done so much in people’s careers Easier. These matters may involve job hunting,

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