Melissa’s Memos
Momentum doesn’t start until action does
You’re not stuck in your search. You’re busy avoiding it. There’s a version of job search activity that feels productive but creates zero forward movement. I see it constantly — especially in senior leaders who are disciplined, high-achieving people in every other area of their lives. It looks like this: Avoiding in a senior search…
Read MoreUncertainty in a Career Pivot
Late 2025, I walked away from a full-time corporate career I’d spent 30 years building. That’s not a humble brag. It was genuinely disorienting. I had built something substantial. A reputation, a network, a track record inside organizations that I was proud of. And I chose to leave it. Not because it stopped working, but…
Read MoreExecutive Presence Isn’t Charisma
Executive presence isn’t charisma. It’s not a firm handshake, a powerful wardrobe, or the ability to command a room. Those things can exist alongside executive presence. But they are not it.In 20+ years of talent acquisition, hiring at every level, from manager to C-suite, here’s what I’ve consistently seen distinguish leaders who have it: They…
Read MoreHaving to Prove You’re Great at Your Job
Nobody talks about the specific exhaustion of being great at your job and still having to prove it. That’s the part of a senior job search that doesn’t get enough airtime. You’ve led teams. You’ve driven results. You’ve navigated the hard stuff — budget cuts, reorgs, underperformers, ambiguous mandates. You’ve done it with your name…
Read MoreStop Over-Explaining
Most senior leaders don’t lose offers because they’re underqualified.They lose them because they over-explained. I’ve sat on the hiring side of thousands of interviews over 20 years. And the pattern at the Director level and above is remarkably consistent. The candidates who don’t move forward aren’t the ones who lack experience. They’re the ones who…
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