As we do with all our clients, Magellan began the Career Compass process by meeting face-to-face with our client to validate the industry drivers for his unique M&A skill set. The goal was to select the most likely firms to approach by finding a network connection we could use as our advocate for each target firm on our list.

Our client had deep industry connections as well as deep M&A connections. We also reviewed open positions we found on job boards and target firm websites. We then combined this with our professional network to create a target list for reaching out to.

Disruption in the M&A sector overall drove a need for an "issues-based advocacy" approach for initial conversations. Focusing on common issues with our network, we created interactions and meetings that were more than "just job" conversations.

• Re-visioning our client's career through personal conversations and narrative development
• Converting "contacts" into "advocates" and "advisors" to permanently improve our client's network
• Combining who you know with what you know to protect your resume asset value long term.

Our client stuck to being at the right level and consistently made a clear business case for his value add in M&A - in selected industries. We did not apply to everything. We managed visibility and sent consistent and engaging follow-up messages every 6 weeks to our best network advocates (not all connections are equal, we learned). Many great relationships came out of this beyond just the terrific role our client now has.