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.
