Online Activation Strategies
Your Experience Alone Doesn't Create Opportunity. Your Market Activation Does.
Online Activation Strategies - Part 1
Online Activation Strategies - Part 2
Online Applications: What Every Executive Needs to Know
For some executives, online applications can be a useful channel. However, before you invest significant time here, it's important to understand how executive hiring actually works.
First: Understand the Reality of Executive Hiring
The more senior you become, the less effective online applications tend to be.
Many executive and senior leadership roles are filled through networking, executive search firms, referrals, board relationships, and direct outreach long before a public posting appears.
By the time a role is posted online, organizations may already have internal candidates, referral candidates, or existing relationships in the pipeline.
This doesn't mean you should ignore online applications entirely. It simply means they should be one component of your search strategy—not the centerpiece.
My goal is to help you invest your time where it will generate the highest return, rather than spending hours on activities that create the illusion of progress without producing meaningful results.
Second: Use an ATS-Friendly Resume
If you plan to apply online, you will need an ATS-friendly version of your resume.
Applicant Tracking Systems continue to evolve, and improperly formatted resumes can create parsing issues that impact how your information is captured and reviewed.
Please note that your ATS-friendly version is typically finalized at the end of our engagement once all revisions are complete. If you intend to begin applying before that point, refer to the ATS Guidance Sheet (download below).
Third: Tailoring Matters
One of the biggest mistakes executives make is submitting the same resume to every opportunity.
When appropriate, your resume should be tailored to reflect the priorities, requirements, and language of the target role. In many cases, small strategic adjustments can significantly improve alignment.
Note: Some executives require minimal customization; others benefit from more targeted positioning.
Some of you have invested in "Done-for-You-Tailoring" where I will be tailoring for you and we will discuss and strategize accordingly throughout our engagement.
For others that are tailoring on their own, refer to the Tailoring Guidance Sheet (download below).
Fourth: Avoid LinkedIn Easy Apply
If you are serious about a role, do not use LinkedIn's 'Easy Apply' feature.
Instead, visit the company's careers page and submit your application directly through their website.
This ensures your materials enter the organization's primary hiring workflow and for numerous reasons I won't go into right now, will result in greater visibility.
Fifth: Pay Attention to Cover Letter Requirements
Some organizations require cover letters, while others do not.
At the conclusion of our engagement, you will receive templates that can be customized for specific opportunities. If a company requests a more detailed submission package, pay close attention to the instructions and requirements before applying.
Bottom Line
Online applications can support your search, but they should not be your only strategy—especially at the executive level.
The most successful searches combine multiple channels, including networking, executive recruiters, referrals, direct outreach, thought leadership, and targeted applications.
Use online applications strategically, not exclusively.
Tier 2
The 3-Month
Accelerator Advantage
This is a truly immersive partnership program, where I work with you every step of the way over the next 3 months, helping you clarify your goals, build your executive brand and positioning, and accelerate traction in the market.
Stage 1 – Foundational Work
First, we start with your completion of the prep work (Blueprint for Success + Thought Starter Questions) coupled with 2–3 (45-min) Strategy Sessions to get crystal clear on your career direction, curate your achievements, identify your competitive levers and unique value proposition, and pull forward your leadership capabilities for executive roles.
This is the foundation — without it, everything else is less effective.
Stage 2 – Brand Assets & Portfolio Development
Once we have that clarity, we move to Stage 2, taking everything from Stage 1 and build your resume, LinkedIn, executive (or networking) bio and other brand assets to showcase your story. This ensures your impact is visible and compelling to the market — so decision-makers immediately understand your senior-level value and where you fit into their organization.
Stage 3 – Targeted Go to Market & Market Activation Strategy
Then, we move to Stage 3, which is critical in today's market. Here we refine your ideal target buyers, complete messaging and positioning frameworks, and review the go-to-market strategies that will generate traction fastest. This includes recruiters, hidden job market, direct outreach, thought leadership, and other tactics that put you in front of the key decision-makers and generate the right interview opportunities, faster.
We build a roadmap to execute this strategy, which includes the initial (45-min) GTM Strategy Consult, and 2 additional (45-min) flex strategy calls over 3 months, which can be used for GTM execution or interview prep. This stage ensures you become the candidate of choice and are clearly understood in the market — which is critical for a corporate unicorn profile.
Tier 2 also includes 5 hours of tailoring support. This builds directly on the foundation from Stage 1 and gives you extra leverage in the market.