While many senior executives look within their industries for advancement opportunities, it’s a good practice to step back for a moment and look at the bigger picture: Are you in the right industry for your skills and aspirations? Do you want to keep working in banking, retail or consumer goods for the rest of your career? Or would you be better off moving into technology, manufacturing or distribution sector?

Switching industries can pay big dividends for a senior executive who lacks advancement opportunities in his or her current field or has been "downsized" by a recent employer. Regardless of your individual circumstances, shifting gears can provide an excellent opportunity to take your career to a higher level.

This may seem obvious, but it bears repeating – honesty is the best policy. The executive job search process is difficult enough – you don’t want to get inches away from an offer, only to miss out on the role of a lifetime. Below are some of the factors you should consider when deciding what should and shouldn’t be disclosed to a potential employer.

Negative Behavior or Debt Show Up During a Background Check

Every January, millions of us resolve to go on a diet. But by the time February rolls around, we are back to our old habits, reducing the likelihood of making a positive change in our lives. That's because losing weight and keeping it off requires a sustained strategy that includes eating healthier foods, reducing total caloric intake and increasing your exercise routine. Like many lifestyle changes, it's a matter of self-discipline, and being able to delay personal gratification for the sake of achieving long-term goals.

It’s true that there is no guaranteed path to obtaining an international work assignment. In an increasingly competitive global employment environment, finding the right position abroad can certainly be challenging. However, it’s not impossible with a well-thought-out executive job search strategy and persistence. Below are some suggestions to help you through the process.

Leverage the professional contacts you already possess

If you're a senior executive considering a career change, you may be tempted to put your job search on hold until after the New Year. However, contrary to what you might think, the holidays are actually a great time to get out there and lay the groundwork for a focused job search in January. While most employers are not likely to hire a new senior executive in the next few weeks, there are still plenty of steps you can take so you'll be "first in line" once the business world gets back into full-swing action in January.
 

Working abroad has been a dream of many in the American workforce, and executives are no exception. An online survey of more than 200,000 people in 189 countries (published in October 2014) by the Boston Consulting Group, a management consultant, and The Network, a recruitment agency, generated these results: almost two-thirds of the people surveyed (ages 20-50) would contemplate working abroad—and that one in five already had. The surprising statistics were that barely one-third of Americans were willing to work in another country, and of those, 59% were in their 20s.

International executives perceive China as a land of opportunity, but also express concern about high levels of pollution.

A recent survey of global executives conducted by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) found 85% of senior executives view China as providing positive opportunities for career growth. However urban air quality could have a significant impact on the country’s ability to attract the best global talent, as 72% of international executives identified pollution levels as a core concern when considering a move to China.