When You Don’t Want to Be A Senior Executive

Climbing the corporate ladder and becoming a high profile senior executive or industry leader is not for everyone.

There is a great deal of pressure being at the top and sometimes, candidates are content to stay in a mid-level position.

How do you know when you don’t want to be a senior executive and what can this mean for your career?

1. Are You Senior Executive Material?

Before you begin applying for those big promotions and senior executive roles, you should consider if you are really senior executive material. You will need to seriously think about whether you can handle a large amount of pressure, constant demands, important decisions, long hours and mammoth responsibilities. Most high-end executives are dedicated to their jobs and are often accountable for millions (or billions) of dollars.

If you gain more satisfaction from the day-to-day running of the business rather than making vital strategic, corporate decisions, you might be better suited to an intermediate management position than a senior leadership role.

2. Integrate Yourself Into the Business

Just because you don’t want to sit in the CEO’s chair doesn’t mean that you can’t be highly valuable to a business. Integrate yourself into your company by becoming a specialist in local operations, developing your expertise in processes and product knowledge, and establishing yourself as an indispensible asset.

Becoming a company expert will ensure you can go far in your job and career, without necessarily having to climb further up the corporate ladder.

3. Develop Your Transferable Skills

Being an exceptional manager or mid-level executive is all about knowing where your skills and values lie. You may not want to increase your salary by climbing the corporate ladder, but you will probably be able to improve your remuneration by changing companies or even industries.

Developing transferable skills is crucial in progressing your management future, and will give you the flexibility to shape your career despite not wanting to step up into senior leadership roles.

4. Tailor Your Professional Resume

If you do find yourself wanting to change companies or even industries, your resume will be a significant tool in taking you where you want to go.

You should ensure that your professional resume highlights your transferable skills, emphasising your talents in mid-level management, and your capacity to successfully transform business operations. As a general rule, avoid any terminology that will portray you as a rising executive or an experienced senior leader; this can confuse employers about your intentions, or convey that you are over-qualified for a mid-level role.

5. Be Clear In Your Goals

Finally, be clear about the fact that you want to remain in a mid-level position and that you prefer not to accelerate your career upwards. This should come across in your professional resume, your job applications, and also in your interviews and your career strategies.

Are you keen to be a mid-level executive?

Resumes Australia provides expert advice to many candidates who are keen to develop their management careers and strive for success without climbing the corporate ladder.

Regards,