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The Hunt for Talent
Q: Are you seeing any trends regarding careers that international public affairs professionals are pursuing after they stop this line of work?
A: A career in international public affairs draws upon and develops numerous skill sets that can be transferable. An effective public affairs professional must be a polished communicator, skilled advocate, manager of talent and savvy business leader. They often also become subject matter experts in specific areas of legislation or regulatory matters. All these skills can be parlayed into other careers. I’ve seen public affairs professionals successfully transition into professions as diverse as investor relations, diplomacy, management consulting, communications, external affairs, and trade association or foundation leadership.
Q: What makes a search fall apart at the very latest stages?
A: Although it is a rare occurrence, it could be due to a hiring manager deciding to change direction or a candidate deciding to withdraw. A number of factors can cause either scenario to occur. For example, there might not be adequate upfront consultation with all stakeholders to agree upon the right candidate profile. After meeting with candidates, a hiring manager might also discover that what they initially thought they wanted in an ideal candidate is no longer the case and that they have to go in a different direction. Sometimes there isn’t adequate discussion upfront with candidates around compensation expectations. And other times a candidate is not able to relocate. Bottom line – open and constant communication with candidates and clients is the best possible prophylactic to a search coming apart.