Episode

Dan Perez on Executive Search, Career Psychology, and Why Generalists Don't Get Hired

Podcast
Forward-Looking Leadership
Published
Jul 15, 2025
Duration seconds
3166
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://zencastr.com/z/Ws52ZDkV
Audio
https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/68765ce24bd143537765bed3/size/75993453/audio-files/64aff89f6e7cce741d1eae8a/f8aa26fe-625e-4e54-b2e3-5ea79caecac9.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/forward-looking-leadership-6473861/episodes/dan-perez-on-executive-search-career-psychology-and-why-generalists-don-t-get-hired
Markdown
/podcast/forward-looking-leadership-6473861/dan-perez-on-executive-search-career-psychology-and-why-generalists-don-t-get-hired.md

Actions

  • POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/forward-looking-leadership-6473861/episodes/dan-perez-on-executive-search-career-psychology-and-why-generalists-don-t-get-hired/transcription-requests
    Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
  • GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/forward-looking-leadership-6473861/dan-perez-on-executive-search-career-psychology-and-why-generalists-don-t-get-hired.md
    Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

Summary

Dan Perez (linkedin.com/in/perezdan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perezdan/]), SRI Executive's Director for North America, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://lion-lobster-zhsx.squarespace.com/home]) to share insider advice on standing out in the job market, especially for leaders in the international development space. Drawing on 20+ years of experience in executive search and strategy consulting, Perez outlines the three capabilities executive search firms like SRI prioritize: strategic acumen, team leadership, and external partnership-building. He also unpacks how current funding disruptions, especially around USAID, are impacting hiring trends, and how resilient organizations are adapting. Beyond tactics, the conversation explores the emotional side of job searching that Dan is exploring in his forthcoming book, including imposter syndrome and the "paradox of choice." Perez shares practical guidance on storytelling in interviews, writing a 'greatest hits' résumé, and connecting with recruiters effectively. Recommended reading: "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport and the writings of Mark Manson [https://markmanson.net/articles]. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com/].