CMO Job Search Success Stories

1) What was the source of the job?

A former colleague was contacted by a third party recruiter. They thought it was a better fit for me, sent me the JD, and I contacted the recruiter directly. And actually - The original posting was for a different role (VP of Product Marketing), but they decided they liked me for this one instead.

2) How long was the process?

I first reached out to the recruiter in December, so it was about 5 months.

3) Were there any surprises during the interview process?

The early phases of the process moved very slowly. Like 3 weeks between each round of interviews. But the end moved very quickly, including a flight out to meet in person with the execs. Also surprising was that they didn’t require a big presentation or test or written case study. They were really hiring for leadership experience, change management, transformation, culture, etc. They trusted my marketing ability.

4) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started your search?

Good question. I didn’t think it would take this long, even though everyone told me it would. I probably would have taken more time in the beginning to really nail my LinkedIn profile and resume, instead of rushing it and constantly refinng it.

Also - I was trying to aim for a bigger step in my career growth, but this job is extremely similar to experiences I’ve had. (But in a bigger, growing, more successful organization). Definitely a round peg / round hole situation, as you’ve mentioned.

It really helped to be in a group like the CMO Huddles. And even your excellent programming and webinars gave me something to think about or even talk about in interviews and networking. Thank you so much for the support!

Total search time: 6 months

Job landed time: 1 month, 5 interviews, no projects or presentations.

Lead source: “A former colleague recommended me.”

Lessons learned:

• Network - “Expand beyond my normal go-to network connections. It is almost pure luck that I got this connection.”
• No news is no news - “I sent thank you messages after each interview and never got any responses (I found this disconcerting) but it didn't mean they didn't like me.”
• Emotional rollercoaster - “I went through emotional swings and felt beaten up by the job search process. It is not like it used to be. Companies used to fly you in and have interviews in-person. Companies used to pay to relocate VP-level talent. Those days seem to be gone.”

How long was your transition period?

Transition was from Nov 1 - May 15 so 6.5 months.

How did you hear about this opportunity? (recruiter, network, etc)

I got this from one of the VCs that backed my last company.

How long did it take from 1st contact to securing offer for this one?

It took me 4 months to secure an offer as the company needed to be fully ready.

Did you have to do any presentations like a 30/60/90? Any lessons learned from this experience?

I didn’t do a formal 30/60/90 to get this but did an informal one and am doing the formal one now.

Any lessons learned from this experience?

Biggest lesson is to hustle, hustle, hustle and keep chasing. You have to really sell yourself hard in this market.

How did you find this opportunity?

My friend is the CEO and a relatively new one (7 months). We happened to have brunch a few months ago and they were just about to fire the CMO who they and the board weren’t fans of. 

Total search time: 6 months

Job landed time: “Over 5 weeks I met with key execs and multiple board members. 10 interviews total. No presentations this time around.”

Lead source: A recruitment agency

Total search time: 2 months

Job landed time: “The process was super quick since I started in an interim role”

Lead source: “A friend in my network introduced me to the incoming CEO.”

Lessons learned: “I wish I had built up my network before I left my last job.”

How did you get the role? 

Long story short is I got recruited by my CEO from my previous role. Not sure how applicable that is to others’ job search sadly.

What was your job search experience like?

I did get really deep with two other processes, both of which had a lot of stages (11 hours of meetings in one case, and I was flown into Atlanta to present for the other one). Overall it was a grind and i found the market tough.

The irony is that there seems to be jobs at the $5m-$30m revenue level but the nature of these companies are that they - understandably - incredibly picky when hiring. At that level, mis-hires are so costly and extremely difficult to absorb. CEOs are also under so much pressure from PE firms (I am a PE-backed company guy) and it’s making them scared to be decisive.

1. How long was your job search?

My search was 5 months from layoff to hire. I searched full time and worked fractional gigs during that time. 

2. Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew earlier?

As part of our program, I wished I’d known more PE talent sources. The board at my job I was let go from were very helpful with intros. I just wished I’d known several more connectors like them. 

How was your job search?

It took me a solid 9 months and was quite brutal indeed. I went through 16 rounds with one big healthcare tech company that would have been my dream job, only for them to be incredibly disrespectful the entire time the process unfolded, over the course of four months. Not sure I'm your poster child for this but I'm happy that I did eventually land something that aligns with my areas of strength, even if I had to switch industries.

Switching industries is a success story in itself these days. How did you make the case that your past experience was relevant to this new category?

My new company's customers were all staffing agencies so switching into staffing wasn't a hard sell, since I already understood and had lots of relationships within the industry.

Focus: They became interested in employee-owned companies (EOCs)

Networking: To better understand EOCs, they called an accountant friend who ended up introducing them to the company that hired them

Networking: They strongly encourage TT members to invite others into your journey – don’t go it alone!

Coach: They worked with a coach to help them refine their value prop and prep for board interviews (investment: around $5k)

Backdoor: Initially they were interviewing for a board position and it was through those conversations that the CMO role became an option

Time: It took them about 9 months to secure their new position

Learn: They also advise taking advantage of the time off to learn something you always wanted to learn more about (they got certified in an area that interested them)