Your next senior role won’t be on LinkedIn… Here’s why

Why Networking Isn’t Optional at Senior Level

If you’re a senior leader looking for your next role, here’s the truth: sending off LinkedIn applications isn’t going to cut it.

At this stage of your career, networking isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the strategy.

And here’s why.

You’ve Built a Career - Now Leverage It

You’ve spent years building your career, moving through different roles, industries, and companies. Along the way, you’ve worked with talented people (colleagues, managers, mentors, even clients) and many of them have gone on to do incredible things.

Some are now in global leadership roles. Some have started their own businesses. Others are decision-makers in the very kinds of companies you’d love to work for.

That network you’ve built up over the years is more powerful than you think. Most of us underestimate it. But the truth is, it’s one of the most valuable assets you have in your job search.

Senior Roles Rarely Get Advertised

Here’s the other reality: the more senior the role, the less likely it is to ever appear on a job board.

These positions are often too specific, too high-stakes, and too strategically important. Companies don’t want to roll the dice on a stranger from a LinkedIn application when they could fill the role through a personal recommendation.

Instead, these roles are filled quietly. Through networks, people they already trust and recommendations that come before a job ad ever goes live.

A Real-Life Example

One of my clients recently landed an amazing senior role this way. She reached out to someone she hadn’t spoken to in 16 years, just a quick reconnection over coffee.

That single conversation uncovered a role that wasn’t advertised anywhere. No job post. No LinkedIn listing. Just a door that opened because she had nurtured that connection years ago.

She never would have known that role existed if she hadn’t sent that message.

Nothing Beats a Personal Recommendation

At Senior level, the most powerful advantage you can have is when someone vouches for you.

If a hiring manager hears your name from someone they already trust, you’re no longer just another CV in the pile. You’re the candidate with a personal endorsement. That can move you straight to the front of the line.

This is why coffee chats matter. This is why reconnecting matters. Your next role might not even exist on paper yet. But someone in your network knows about it.

Your Next Step

Here’s my challenge for you this week:

• Make a list of 10 people from your career you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Reach out for a coffee chat (virtual or in‑person).
• Re-connect - hear about how they have been
• Offer to help them (it's a two-way street)
• THEN share what you’re looking for - and listen for what they know.

Your network is more impressive than you think. And your next opportunity could already be sitting in it.

If you want to network like a pro and uncover the hidden job market, come and join the Creative Career Level Up.