Moving to the next level: Head-of to Director
Moving from a Head-of to Director-level position is completely achievable within 3-5 years of working within a Head-of role. However, we recommend that you don’t wait until the end of that period before working on steps that lay the foundations and prepare you for your next move. We hope the following hints and tips will help you:
Firstly, look at the big picture. Start looking outside of your team at the organisation as a whole in order to gain in-depth knowledge of your organisation’s long-term objectives, competitor activity, and industry trends. This will help you to start developing the strategic outlook needed for a director-level role.
Work closely with other departments to develop those strategic skills further, benefiting from cross-functional expertise and strong data to back up your ideas. By demonstrating that you can solve complex problems in order to achieve growth, you will gain confidence and establish credibility with the senior leadership team.
Internally, make sure to show your interest in leadership by acting as a mentor and advocate for your team. Honing your leadership skills will not only encourage great overall results, but it will also prepare you for a much larger leadership role.
“People need to believe that you are genuinely invested in them personally, that you want them to succeed, to thrive, to do the best work of their life.” Ross Farquhar, Marketing Director, Little Moons
Keep a record of your achievements so that you have examples prepared before starting to look for your next role. An easy and visible way of doing this is by utilising LinkedIn to share where you have succeeded or exceeded targets or worked on impactful projects. This will have the added benefit of raising your profile on the platform within your sector and specialism, inviting opportunities.
Practice your presentation skills to help you to prepare for the role of Director by learning to share your strategic ideas and a compelling story. Directors require the ability to communicate ideas effectively with all stakeholders, so this is an area worth honing your skills.
And, last but not least, make sure to network internally and externally. This will have the obvious benefit of raising your profile, but it will also help you gain insights and ideas. Chat to other department heads and directors and get to know key figures in the wider industry by attending events and conferences.
If you feel ready to take that next step, express that ambition and find the right specialist recruitment partner to help you: get in touch or connect with us/send a message on LinkedIn.
Suzie Walker Executive Search is a firm of specialist headhunters with an expert team recruiting interim and permanent senior leaders for B2C and B2B marketing, digital and technology roles in FTSE 350 and private equity-backed companies. Find out how we can support you by connecting with a Consultant below.
If you’re ready to make your next move, we regularly post new opportunities on our LinkedIn company page. If you apply for a role on the platform, it requires a 1st connection for us to respond, so please make sure to connect with Suzie Walker. Our company page is also frequently updated with the latest hiring news, expert interviews, and candidate guidance, so well worth following.
