It was a pleasure to interview Matt Miller on the second episode of the Hiring Insights Podcast. Matt is the Chief Legal Officer at Uptake. If you aspire to be an executive or find yourself in the midst of searching for your next role, listen to Matt’s episode for his candid insights into landing a c-suite role and how to manage a non-linear career path.
We were fortunate to be introduced to Matt through one of the recruiters in our network. When we met Matt, he had the goal of becoming a Chief Legal Officer. We knew that, just like our other executive-level clients, networking was going to be essential to his search. You have to be an active networker. “Light up your neural network,” Matt said. If you want to work at company XYZ, you have to dig until you find a connection to XYZ and then try to connect. We foster connections daily and encourage everyone to do the same. If you’re consistent in your approach and effort, you will ultimately realize the benefit.
When Matt was ultimately presented with an opportunity to become a Chief Legal Officer, the timing wasn’t ideal. He had only been in his role for less than a year. This is not an uncommon situation, and we are frequently asked how long someone should stay in a role and what factors into a decision to leave one role for another?
Loyalty in 2022 is no longer based on dedicating yourself to one organization for your entire career. You must remain loyal to yourself. Reference your charted career path. When opportunities present themselves that get you steps further on your path, take them, but do so gracefully.
Matt also shared some insights into compensation negotiation that we fully agree with... you need to know what you are worth in the market. There is research and strategy involved in compensation negotiation. Having a clear understanding of your market value is an imperative. It is also important to remember that salary isn’t the only thing that can be negotiated... there are many elements to an executive's compensation package. Some of them include:
Signing bonuses
Stock options and awards
Annual and long-term incentive plans
Relocation packages
Severance and change of control provisions
One of the most common questions we are asked is how someone can distinguish themselves in an interview process. Matt distilled a few salient points from his experience interviewing both legal and executive talent. “Be yourself and be candid and comfortable with who you are. Don't try to be what you think the interviewers are looking for because one, your guess is probably going to be wrong. You're going to interview with different people who bring different personalities to the table. So, I want somebody who's coming and they're bringing their whole genuine self to the process.”
If you are thinking about a career move, let's have a conversation. Leverage our network of recruiters, hiring managers, business leaders, and our personalized advocacy to get noticed and carve your personalized path to success.
Stay tuned for our conversation next month when we speak with Robert Jones of the Gavilon Group, a global commodity management firm. Robert serves as Gavilon's Chief Administrative Officer and is the former Chief Administrative Officer of Enron. Robert will share tips for how to secure your next executive role, how to prepare for an executive interview, and tips for how to negotiate your compensation package.
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