How to land your next Customer Success leadership role
There are many more applicants for each CS leadership role than there were a few years ago, which makes hiring processes long and draining. In one of our community panels, a CS talent specialist and senior CS leaders who have recently found new roles shared what actually works.
Your CV has one job: getting you an interview
Keep it clear, concise and relevant. Recruiters said only around 5% of CVs stand out, so small improvements make a big difference. Hiring managers spend about 25 seconds on a CV, and what catches their eye is:
- a clean layout and a professional photo
- relevant experience and company names they recognise
- achievements backed by data, such as retention, NRR or churn improvements
- tenure, awards and recommendations
Don’t be put off by high applicant numbers. Volume is up, but quality is still low.
Contact hiring managers directly
Few candidates message hiring managers, so doing it gives you a real edge:
- Warm them up first by engaging with their posts.
- Tailor your message to show how you’d drive impact for their business.
- Use data to prove you’ve done the job before.
- Try a short video or audio message. These stand out far more than a plain InMail.
Applying above or below your level
Many senior people are applying for roles below their level at the moment. The panel’s advice was to apply at your current level unless you have a referral. Being overqualified can look like a flight risk, but there’s an exception.
At a startup or scaleup, pitch yourself as an early hire with leadership potential. Highlight your ability to scale CS and help build the team. Founders hiring their first CS leader want someone who can do the work now and grow the function later. If that’s you, read how to build Customer Success from scratch and how to prove the value of Customer Success to the board to sharpen your pitch.
Understand why they’re hiring
Ask why the company is hiring a CS leader, and whether there’s already an internal candidate lined up. It’s fine to step away if the process doesn’t look fair. If there’s a strong internal option, the odds are they’ll go with it.
Hear the full panel
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