BY VANESSA ROGERS ON BEHALF OF EXECUTIVE PLACEMENTS

Persistence is powerful – here's how to stay focused in your 2025 job search:

Not everyone kicking off a job search has an executive coach or mentor in their corner. And, that’s okay – these individuals come with a hefty price tag. But if you’ve had any career coaching in the past, you’ll know exactly what a high-level coach would tell you as you set out on this rewarding journey.

Here are five pieces of executive coaching advice to take on board during any high-level career move:

• Searching for the right job, when you’ve reached executive level, can take time. To succeed, you’ll need to remain positive. This requires a holistic approach that includes sufficient sleep, physical activity, and downtime – particularly if you are on the hunt for that picture-perfect engineering job, for example, while simultaneously contracting or even working full time somewhere else.

• Track your progress on a spreadsheet, so that you have a record of every one of your efforts to date. Remember to note down the pros and cons of that job in Cape Town, the company culture, salary and perks it exudes, whether you’ve attended an interview yet or not, and what the HR manager said when you followed up on any of the above.

• Do a polished refresh on your personal brand. “This is particularly important when signing up on a jobs board, as well as when updating a profile such as LinkedIn,” advises director at Executive Placements, Charles Edelstein.

“A hiring manager, or executive search firm, may even look as far as your Instagram and Facebook pages. So – be sure that any content intended just for your best mates has been hidden via the appropriate privacy setting; and that you have a professional image in place and are presenting the very best aspects (career, interests, etc) of yourself.”

Marathon runner on the weekend? This will show dedication to a healthy – even competitive – cause. Plenty of previous rants about colleagues/bosses of the past? Rather delete these; especially from the public domain. “It’s all about presenting the very best version of yourself in the run-up to an important interview opportunity,” advises Edelstein.

• Give your CV a jumpstart. The best way to do this is to print it out, read it over, sleep on it – and, the following morning, to start writing it up all over again from scratch. “You could also get a professional CV writer to assist you. This is money well spent,” suggests Edelstein.

• Hit a rough patch? Be sure to have an arsenal of self-help and networking strategies up your sleeve. Have a read of all the job information about yourself that you’ve ever posted online – is this information up to date? Consider a recent career highlight, and be sure to add this into every covering letter you send out going forward.

“And ask yourself: am I attending industry events – either in person or virtually? Am I contributing towards these networking opportunities in a way that could bear fruit in the near future? Am I putting myself out there in the most efficient and confidential of ways?,” advises Edelstein.

The reality is that there are countless ways to empower yourself, as you set about improving your life by seeking a desirable career opportunity. It’s never going to be easy – but once you find the position that you truly want, you’re sure to reap all the benefits.

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Preparing for the world of work after matric

Persistence is powerful – here's how to stay focused in your 2025 job search