Moving to the next level: Senior Manager to Head-of
If you’re a Senior Manager considering the next stage of your career, you’ll be pleased to know that role opportunities at Head-of level have grown for marketing and digital professionals. There is plenty to do when preparing for this next level and you may have already made great strides towards this. We hope the following hints and tips will help you get there:
If you haven’t already, seek mentorship either internally or externally. There is plenty of expertise and insight you can gain from Heads-of within your organisation and a cross-functional approach might provide an interesting angle for you to expand your skillset. For example, budgeting is a key priority for senior marketing roles, so why not seek ideas and experiences from finance leaders that might benefit your next role.
Improve your decision-making and negotiation skills in order to gain influence. Great leaders are confident in their ideas and their ability to communicate them clearly and effectively, so working with your team to demonstrate this will help you when taking the next step.
Show that you can manage resources effectively, providing confidence in your abilities within a Head-of role. From managing budgets to reaching deadlines, delivering high impact activities to acquiring the right talent, it’s important to show that you can meet objectives with relative ease.
Take an interest in company initiatives or project groups to show that culturally and strategically, you’re more widely invested in the organisation’s success. This kind of contribution goes a long way both internally and externally – senior leaders want to see this level of interest and involvement.
Expand your external network by attending industry events and conferences, and consider joining a professional association and/or investing in a professional qualification. By expanding your contacts and skillset, you will raise and enhance your profile among the wider industry.
Collate examples of your track record by sharing information on LinkedIn. You can also comment on company page posts and respond to posts from influencers within your industry to both expand your reach and demonstrate your knowledge.
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.
