Written by Chris Gregg, Partner – Executive Search & Interim

Looking for your next role can quickly become a full-time job.

For senior retail leaders, the process can be particularly difficult. The number of genuinely relevant opportunities is limited, competition is strong and many roles are never advertised publicly. Add in confidential searches, changing business priorities and job descriptions written quickly at the side of someone’s desk, and it is easy to lose direction.

The biggest mistake is treating your job search as a numbers game.

Sending your CV to as many people as possible, applying for every role with an attractive salary and relying entirely on recruiters is unlikely to produce the best result. A more structured and honest approach will usually give you a much better chance of finding the right opportunity.

Here are a few things worth getting right.

1.  Start with what you actually want from your next role

This is where many people waste the most time.

A search that should take two months can easily become a two-year process if you are unclear about what you want, what you are suited to and what the market is likely to value.

The first step is to look at yourself honestly.

Try to think about your experience from the client’s perspective. You may have had a successful career and delivered strong results, but you are still one person in a shortlist of people who may also have impressive backgrounds.

The key question is not simply:

“Could I do this role?”

It is:

“Can I demonstrate why this business should take the risk of hiring me over someone else?”

That distinction matters.

One of the biggest coaching points we make is the difference between transferable experience and simply not having the right experience.

Read the job description carefully and ask yourself whether you can give a direct, credible example for every major requirement. If you cannot, you should expect someone with more relevant experience to be difficult to beat.

For example, a Marketing Director role in a DIY retailer is likely to attract other Marketing Directors from DIY retail. If your background is primarily in another sector, you need to explain clearly why your experience is relevant and what the client gains by hiring you instead.

Everyone on a shortlist represents a risk. The client is trying, consciously or otherwise, to appoint the person who feels like the least risky option.

That does not mean you need to have done every part of the role before. It does mean you need a well-articulated reason for the client to take the risk.

At Head of and Director level, you should also think about the role through the eyes of the team you would be leading.

Would they respect your experience? Would they trust you to lead them through difficult trading conditions? Could you answer their questions with confidence? Would you understand the pressures they face?

Board backing is important, but it is not always enough. If the team does not believe in you, the role can become difficult very quickly. In some cases, this can lead to a premature exit, even when the board remains supportive.

This is not about disrespecting people or suggesting there are absolute rules in recruitment. There are always exceptions. However, there are certain boxes that need to be ticked, and candidates should be honest about where they are strong and where they may have gaps.

When joining a business from outside its sector, the client is usually looking for a better or different way of working. They are not necessarily looking for experience that is simply different for the sake of being different.

You need to show what you bring that is relevant.

2.  Understand your market value: more than your salary and CV

Your market value is not determined by your current salary alone.

It depends on the situation, the role and the value a business believes you can bring. Factors such as your time in role, number of career moves, size of P&L, complexity of the business and the demands placed on you during the week can all influence how you are viewed.

Most importantly, it comes down to breadth.

Breadth is a word that is used frequently in recruitment. So is “agile”. Both can mean different things to different people.

At the same time, businesses still need specialists. That can make the market confusing. You may be told that a client wants someone with broad leadership experience, but the successful candidate may still need deep expertise in one particular function.

Consider a Commercial Director in a food retailer. Depending on the business, the role could cover food trading, marketing, commercial operations and potentially commercial and technical finance support.

A good Food Commercial Director may be highly experienced in category buying and trading. An excellent Food Commercial Director understands how all of those functions fit together and can confidently lead across the whole area.

You do not necessarily need to have held every Director-level role in the structure. You do, however, need to understand the functions you are responsible for well enough to lead people, recognise what good looks like and understand the decisions and risks involved.

Watching someone else do a role does not mean you can do it yourself.

If you assume you can lead a function simply because someone you know can, that can come across as blind arrogance rather than confidence. You need to demonstrate your own understanding, including the mistakes you have made, what you learned and how that has shaped your leadership.

This is particularly important for higher-paid candidates.

If you are expecting a significant package, you should be able to explain why you are worth it and what the business receives in return. The answer should not simply be that you have been paid that amount before.

Your value comes from the knowledge, judgement, breadth and leadership you bring to the business.

Your CV may show that you have held senior roles. The interview needs to show why you should be in this particular role.

That means having an example for every important point in the job description, listening carefully to what is being asked and responding to the question behind the question.

Many job descriptions are written quickly. Some are produced with the help of ChatGPT. Others are put together at the side of someone’s desk and do not fully explain what the client is really looking for.

You need to get the client’s thinking into the room.

If you are being interviewed by an HR Director and a Managing Director, consider what each person is likely to want to understand. One may be focused on leadership, culture and succession. The other may be focused on trading performance, commercial judgement and operational delivery.

You need to be able to answer from both perspectives.

If a question is vague, ask the interviewer to be more specific. Good interview preparation cannot always compensate for a poor interviewer, but asking the right follow-up question can help bring the conversation back to something meaningful.

Also, look beyond the title and salary.

A £150,000 role in a complex, high-pressure business may be very different from a £150,000 role in a smaller or less complicated organisation. Understand the size of the business, the scale of the P&L, the complexity of the operation and the expectations of the board.

Finally, remember that half of what you say is how you say it.

Leadership is not always the person who steps forward first. It is often the person everyone automatically looks to.

That comes through in body language, clarity, directness and the ability to make a point without taking five minutes to get there.

Leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about having the confidence to make a clear point, the experience to back it up and the judgement to know when to listen.

Your CV gets you in the room. Your leadership gets you the job.

3.  Get your CV and LinkedIn profile working for you

Your CV and LinkedIn profile should make it easy for someone to understand what you do, where you have operated and what you have achieved.

At senior level, a list of responsibilities is not enough.

You need to show the scale and complexity of your roles, the size of the teams and P&Ls you have led, the markets you have operated in and the results you have delivered.

Be clear about the difference you made.

Rather than simply stating that you were responsible for trading, explain what happened under your leadership. Did you improve margin? Grow sales? Restructure a team? Improve availability? Deliver a turnaround? Build a new capability?

The same applies to LinkedIn. It should support your CV rather than simply repeat your job titles.

Make sure your profile reflects the type of role you want next, but avoid making it so broad that it becomes meaningless.

4.  Build a targeted approach to the market

A senior-level job search should be targeted rather than reactive.

Applying for every role that appears online can create a lot of activity without producing much progress. The better approach is to identify the businesses, sectors and leadership teams where your experience is genuinely relevant.

Think about:

• Businesses of the right size and complexity
• Sectors where your experience is credible
• Roles that match your strengthsLeaders you know or have worked withBusinesses going through change, growth, transformation or succession
• Organisations where your experience could solve a clear problem

Your own network is particularly important.

Former colleagues, previous clients, suppliers, customers and people you have worked alongside may know about opportunities before they reach the open market.

Staying connected does not need to be complicated. It can be as simple as sending a message on the way to or from work.

The important thing is to keep your network warm before you need it.

5.  Work with recruiters, but do not outsource your career

This is where I should acknowledge my own bias as a recruitment consultant.

There is nothing better, from a candidate’s perspective, than having someone fighting your corner, coaching you through the process and, where necessary, helping the client understand your value.

A good recruitment consultant should be more than someone who sends your CV.

They should help you understand the opportunity, prepare for the process, challenge your thinking and give you an honest view of how you are being perceived.

Sometimes they will also need to coach the client through the process. Not every client is clear about what they want, and not every interview process is well managed.

However, a recruiter should be a tool in your search, not the only solution.

This is especially important when you are out of work or approaching redundancy. There has been a lot of uncertainty in the market, and being out of work does not mean that you are a poor candidate or that you are alone.

But relying on a recruiter to send your CV everywhere while you sit back and wait is not a strategy.

You still need to be active.

If you are a Head of Finance and you know the Finance Director at your target business, contact them yourself.

If you have worked with someone for ten years, do not assume that a recruiter should make the approach on your behalf.

If you do not know the hiring manager but know someone who reports to them, that person may be a useful reference point. You can contact the hiring manager directly and explain that someone suggested you reach out.

The recruiter should cover the businesses you don’t have a strong enough relationship with.

It is also reasonable to ask a recruiter about their relationships and the businesses they genuinely work with. No recruitment business is on every preferred supplier list, and no consultant has a meaningful relationship with every company in the market.

At senior level, the fee involved in hiring someone can be significant. You should therefore expect the consultant to understand who they are introducing you to, why the role exists and what the client is really looking for.

The best process is one where the recruiter gives you enough information and support to make your own decision.

People are generally more comfortable making decisions when they feel they have reached the conclusion themselves. If they feel pushed or steered into something, resistance can quickly appear.

Your recruiter should give you the information, challenge you where necessary and help you make a strong case. They should not be trying to convince you or the client through pressure.

6.  Do not overlook cultural fit

A role can look perfect on paper and still be the wrong move.

Salary, title and scope matter, but so do the people you will work with, the way decisions are made and the culture of the business.

Ask yourself:

• How does the leadership team behave under pressure?
• What happens when performance is poor?
• How much autonomy will I have?
• Does the board genuinely support the role?
• What is the attitude towards challenge and disagreement?
• Is the business realistic about what it wants to achieve?
• Will I enjoy working with the people around me?
• Does the organisation value the type of leadership I bring?

Cultural fit does not mean finding a business where everyone thinks like you.

In fact, the best businesses often need people who will challenge existing thinking. It does mean understanding whether your leadership style and the organisation’s expectations are compatible.

A strong candidate in the wrong culture can still fail.

7.  Review your efforts with your trusted recruitment consultant

A job search needs a process.

That does not mean becoming obsessed with spreadsheets or measuring every conversation. It means being honest about what is working and what is not.

Review your progress with a trusted recruitment consultant and ask:

• Am I targeting the right roles?
• Is my CV positioning me correctly?
• Am I being considered for the right level of opportunity?
• Are there gaps in my experience that I need to address?
• Am I explaining my value clearly?
• Am I relying too heavily on recruiters?
• Am I making enough direct approaches?
• Am I being realistic about the market?

The right consultant should be willing to give you honest feedback, even when it is not what you want to hear.

Equally, you need to be willing to listen.

If you are a senior candidate, there may only be a relatively small number of genuinely relevant opportunities each year. Missing one or two because you were not prepared, did not follow up or assumed someone else would do the work can make a significant difference.

You cannot control the market, but you can control how you approach it.

When should you start looking?

There is no perfect time to start looking.

Retail is unpredictable. Businesses restructure, leaders leave, acquisitions happen and priorities change quickly. A role that looks secure today may look very different in six months.

The best time to build your network is when you are happy in your role and feel that you have learned enough to consider what comes next.

Keep your ears open. If a recruiter contacts you, do not automatically tell them to go away. You may not be interested in the role, but it is still worth hearing them out and connecting for the future.

Keep in touch with your own network too. Staying connected is not a part-time job. Sometimes it takes five seconds to send a message.

If you are out of work, the approach needs to be more structured.

Block out the noise, focus on targeted opportunities and do not allow anyone to take advantage of the situation. Being unemployed does not automatically mean that your salary expectations need to collapse. Your market value is still based on the value you can bring, although the market, timing and circumstances will always influence what is achievable.

The important thing is not to panic.

Final thoughts

The strongest candidates do not simply wait for the right job to appear.

They understand what they want, know what they are good at, recognise where they have gaps and can explain why a client should hire them.

They keep their CV and LinkedIn profile in order. They stay connected to the market. They use recruiters intelligently but remain active themselves. They prepare properly for interviews and understand that leadership is judged through more than a career history.

Most importantly, they take responsibility for their own search.

A good recruitment consultant can make a significant difference. They can help you access opportunities, prepare for interviews, navigate difficult processes and present your experience in the right way.

But the relationship works best when both sides contribute.

Before you get going, think about what YOU actually want from your next move

Before you start executing your job search, take a proper moment to think about what you actually want from your next move.

It is easy to fall into the trap of simply wanting to be chosen. This is particularly true when you are out of work, frustrated in your current role or have been rejected from a few opportunities. You can become focused on securing an offer, proving that you are still wanted and getting someone to say yes. But getting chosen should not become the objective in itself.

The objective should be finding the right role, in the right business, at the right point in your career.

Not every role in retail and FMCG is the same. Some businesses offer greater flexibility, while others demand more personal sacrifice in return for stronger progression, broader exposure and, hopefully, more money. A role may look attractive on paper, but the reality of the job could involve longer hours, more travel, greater pressure or less flexibility than you have become used to.

That does not automatically make the role wrong. It simply means you need to understand the trade-off.

Hybrid working has become a major factor since Covid, and understandably so. For some people, the ability to work from home is essential to their personal circumstances. For others, it may simply be a preference because it is more comfortable or convenient. Those are two very different things, and it is worth being honest with yourself about which one applies.

Two days in the office or five days in the office should not automatically determine whether an opportunity is right for you. Equally, you should not automatically pursue a hybrid role just because that is what the market appears to be asking for. If working from home is important to your life outside work, then it should form part of your decision. But if it is simply the easier option, ask yourself what you might be giving up in return.

There can be real benefits to spending more time around colleagues, leaders and other functions. You may learn faster, build stronger relationships, gain greater exposure to the wider business and put yourself in a better position for future progression. That will not be true in every organisation, but it is worth considering rather than dismissing office-based roles immediately.

The same applies to salary. More money is attractive, but it may come with greater responsibility, more travel, longer hours or less personal freedom. A bigger title may provide better exposure and progression, but it may also mean that the role takes up more of your life. Some people are happy to make that trade-off, particularly at certain stages of their career. Others may decide that their priorities have changed.

Neither approach is automatically right or wrong. The important thing is understanding what you are choosing.

Think about where you want to be in three to five years’ time. What do you want your career and personal life to look like? Are you looking for progression, broader commercial exposure, a bigger team, more financial reward or the opportunity to work with a particular type of business? Or are you looking for greater stability, more control over your time and a role that fits around your life?

Those priorities can change, and they should. The role you wanted five years ago may not be the role you want now.

You should also pay attention to what the business gives you in return for what it asks of you. If the salary is tight, is there stronger progression, better exposure, greater flexibility, additional benefits or a genuinely attractive culture? If the role requires more time in the office, does that come with better access to senior leaders, more collaboration and a clearer route to progression? If the business expects a significant personal commitment, is it offering something meaningful in return?

The recruitment process itself can also tell you a lot. How has the business treated you? Have they been organised, transparent and respectful of your time? Have they communicated properly and given you enough information to make an informed decision? Or have they been vague, inconsistent or difficult to deal with?

That behaviour is not always a perfect reflection of the wider organisation, but it is still useful information. The way a business treats candidates can provide an early indication of its culture, leadership style and how it operates.

An interview is not simply an opportunity for the company to assess you. It is also your opportunity to assess the company. You are not just trying to convince them that you can do the job. You are deciding whether you want to work there, work for that leader and make the required commitment.

It is important to separate capability from desire. You may be capable of doing a role, but that does not necessarily mean you want it. Equally, a company wanting you does not automatically mean it is the right place for you. Do not allow rejection, or the desire to be wanted, to become a referendum on your value. One business deciding not to hire you does not change what you have achieved or what you are capable of.

The better questions are:

• Will this role make me happier?
• Will it give me what I want, both in and outside work?
• Will I still be motivated in three to five years’ time?
• What am I being asked to give up, and what am I getting in return?
• Does the business offer the progression, exposure or financial reward I am looking for?
• Do I genuinely want this role, or do I simply want to be offered it?

Ultimately, your next move should not be based solely on whether you can get the job. It should be based on whether the opportunity makes sense for you.

It is just as much about the company selling to you as it is about you selling yourself to them.