Why don't you see NT$1-million management jobs on job sites?
Most senior executive roles aren't advertised — not because of secrecy, but because advertising them costs too much: the incumbent hasn't left yet, competitors would learn your organization is shifting, and you'd get a flood of résumés with very few real fits. So these roles run on "a consultant proactively approaches a specific list," not "post and wait." For job seekers, that means scrolling job listings every day won't find them — what you need to do is get yourself onto that list.
First, a reality check: a NT$1 million annual salary isn't rare for managers
Many people think of "NT$1 million a year" as a distant label, but at the management level it's actually around the market median, not the top.
According to Taiwan's Ministry of Labor "ROC Year 114 Occupational Wage Survey" (published May 2026, with valid responses from 9,977 business units), average annual earnings for ROC Year 113 were highest for managers and supervisors at NT$1.317 million, followed by professionals at NT$1.062 million. In other words, once you reach a management role, a NT$1 million annual salary is the norm rather than the exception.
This number means two things. First, if you're already leading a team but aren't at this level yet, it's worth checking whether it's an industry factor or a matter of your own negotiation. Second — and more important — once you enter this salary band, the way you look for jobs has to change.
Why executive positions aren't advertised: four practical reasons
From the senior-level searches we've actually handled, companies choose not to advertise openings for one or a combination of these four reasons:
1. The incumbent is still in the role
This is the most common case. The company has already decided to replace a manager, but can't let that person know yet because of handover, project timelines, or legal risk. Such searches never appear in any public channel from start to finish, and no more than three people inside the company know about them.
2. Not wanting competitors to read the signals
A public posting for a "Southeast Asia Regional Operations Director" amounts to telling competitors "this company is entering Southeast Asia." For a company laying the groundwork, that information is valuable in itself and won't be given away for free.
3. Going public creates internal turmoil
If a company already has several senior managers waiting for promotion and suddenly advertises a role above them, those people will start updating their résumés that same day. Many companies prefer to search quietly and announce only once they've found someone.
4. The screening cost of public postings doesn't pay off
Advertise a role paying NT$2 million a year and you may get three or four hundred résumés, of which fewer than five are a real fit. HR spends weeks screening them, and most of those five still aren't the best in the market, because the best people are doing well where they are and aren't even looking at job ads.
This is the single most important point in executive hiring: the person you're looking for usually isn't looking for a job.
When we take on a senior search, the starting point isn't “open the database and pull résumés” but “map out who in this industry has done similar work.” That's usually thirty to fifty names, of whom perhaps only five to eight are willing to talk. Much of that list is built bit by bit from industry interviews, past collaborations, and word of mouth among peers—not from search results.
In other words: whether you get found depends on your visibility among peers, not how well your résumé is written. A résumé only does its job after you've been found.
Management roles are evaluated differently from regular jobs
Many people apply for management roles with "an upgraded senior engineer résumé," then can't understand why they never hear back. The problem is that the evaluation criteria have changed entirely.
| Aspect | Standard roles | Senior executive roles |
|---|---|---|
| Core issue | Can you do this? | Can you solve our problem? |
| Evidence considered | Skills, tools, years of experience | Decisions they made and the results they led to |
| Cost of failure | A few months, recoverable | One to two years, and it may drag down the whole department |
| Decision-maker | Hiring manager | The CEO, the board, sometimes shareholders too |
| Interview rounds | One to two rounds | Three to five rounds, possibly including a presentation and background checks |
| What makes or breaks it | Skill match | Fit — with the organization's current state and the boss's style |
The last row is the one most people underestimate. At this level, few people are rejected for ability; most rejections come down to "fit": the decision-making pace you're used to is too different from this company's, the scale of resources in your last job differs, or the way you communicate with your future boss doesn't click. None of this is about good or bad; it's about whether you match.
What your résumé needs to change isn't the format but the unit of your story
When moving from individual contributor roles to management, there's only one thing your résumé really needs to change: shift the unit of your story from "what I did" to "what I changed".
Specifically:
- Write about decisions, not duties. "Responsible for financial statements and tax" is a duty; anyone in that seat would write it. "Restructured approval authority across subsidiaries in three locations, cutting the monthly close from 12 business days to 6" is what you actually did
- State the scale so they can map it — how many people you led, how much budget you managed, how much revenue the unit generated. Without scale figures, they can't judge whether your experience translates to their organization
- Write about trade-offs, not just results. Senior interviews love to ask, "Were there other options at the time, and why did you choose this one?" A line on your résumé about the trade-off behind a decision is more convincing than numbers alone
- Be honest about failures — at this level, nobody's career is all wins. Having shut down a product line or cut a team, and being able to say what you learned, is more credible than a flawless résumé
Making the résumé as long as possible. We've seen executive résumés running over ten pages; the content was solid, but decision-makers won't read them.
In practice, two pages is a reasonable maximum. The first half page should make clear who you are and what kinds of problems you're good at solving; use three or four concrete achievements for the rest. Save the remaining details for the interview—that's what interviews are for.
What do senior-level interviews ask?
Technical questions and background checks are usually done in the first round. What really decides the outcome are the later rounds, and those questions generally fall into four areas:
- How do you see this industry over the next three years? — what's being tested isn't whether your prediction is right, but whether you think beyond your own seat
- What's the last tough decision you made?—this tests ownership. People who can't answer usually haven't really been a decision-maker yet
- How would you handle a senior team member who's underperforming? This tests your hands-on management sense. There's no right answer, but dodging the question costs you points
- Why do you want to leave your current role? — this tests how genuine your motivation is. Answers like “I want to challenge myself” are seen as unprepared at this level
One more thing many people don't realize: senior interviews go both ways, and the company expects you to ask questions. A candidate who never asks about strategy, the state of the team, or why the role is open will be read as "just looking for a job," not "wanting to solve this problem."
How do you get headhunters to find you?
Back to the opening question. If these jobs aren't advertised, what can job seekers actually do? Four things:
- Make your professional identity visible within your industry: public talks, industry communities, professional articles, and a clearly written LinkedIn profile. You don't need to become an influencer, but when someone asks "Who's good in this field?", someone should think of you
- Keep in touch with consultants who've reached out to you, even if you're not moving now—this is the most underrated point of all. Most senior placements don't happen on first contact; they happen two years later, when that consultant happens to have a better-fitting role. How to respond when a headhunter contacts you covers this in more detail
- Jot down your results as you go—when a major project ends, spend ten minutes writing down the context, your decisions and the outcome. If you wait until you need a résumé, the details will have faded
- Get clear on what you want first — a bigger stage, better pay, a shorter commute, or less office politics? When an opportunity comes, you usually have only a few days to decide, and people who haven't thought it through tend to miss out or choose wrong
One last, more realistic point: executive placements take a long time. That's normal, not a sign you're not good enough.
An executive search from mandate to start date often takes three to six months. It may pause because the company's strategy changes, or restart because the board changes. If you're being evaluated and hear "no progress yet this month," that's completely normal — it doesn't mean you're out.
By the same token, this is why we advise: don't put everything on hold for a single opportunity. Keeping up your performance in your current role and continuing to build a track record is the best negotiating leverage at this level.
FAQ
Is it worth sending your résumé to a headhunter yourself?
It helps, but not in the way most people think. Sending your resume won't make a consultant “start job hunting for you right away”; it puts you on their list so you come to mind when a matching assignment comes in. So the point isn't sending a lot but sending precisely: pick consultants who specialize in your industry or function, and include concrete achievements and the direction you want. That works far better than mass-mailing your resume.
Do I have to pay to use a headhunter?
Legitimate headhunting services are completely free for job seekers; the hiring company that commissions the search pays the fee. If anyone charges job seekers under labels like “guaranteed matching,” “priority recommendation,” or “profile registration,” be on your guard—that's a problem under Taiwan's employment service rules.
Will my current employer find out I'm looking?
Proper executive search is built on confidentiality from the start. A consultant won't send out your resume without your consent, and won't disclose your job search to any third party. Reference checks require your consent, are done with contacts you choose, and are usually arranged at the final stage. It's perfectly reasonable, and common, to state your confidentiality requirements clearly at the very first contact.
Does a manager role paying NT$1 million a year require a top school or big-company background?
Not necessarily, but your background affects how likely you are to be found. Experience at large companies has an edge because decision-makers can easily map the scale and organizational maturity you've handled. If you come from a small or mid-sized company, you can compensate by clearly stating scale figures and actual results. "Built a team of thirty from scratch" is, in many situations, more convincing than "managed ten people in an organization of a thousand."
When should you bring up salary expectations?
We suggest giving a range the first time you talk with the consultant rather than putting it off until the end. Budgets for senior roles are usually set when the search is commissioned, so aligning early avoids both sides discovering a big gap only after five rounds of interviews. When you give the range, also explain your current breakdown (base salary, bonus, stock, other) so they can compare on the same basis.
After a headhunter contacts me, how long until there's a result?
For senior roles, three to six months from first contact to start date is typical, and stalls of several weeks in between are completely normal. This usually reflects the company's internal decision-making rhythm (board schedules, annual budgets, reorganizations), not their opinion of you. You can ask the consultant for regular updates, but we don't recommend putting your other plans on hold for a single opportunity.
Senior executive openings available now
We are currently hiring for a Head of Operations Development (annual salary NT$1.2–2.5 million), a Group Head of IT (annual salary NT$1–2 million) and a Head of Finance (overseas assignment, annual salary NT$1–2 million). If you'd like to learn about the role's background and the organization before deciding, you can talk with a consultant directly. The process is completely confidential.
See all mid- to senior-level jobs →
Talk with a consultant on LINEFurther reading: A headhunter contacted you: how to respond? Ask five questions first · (For employers) Executive role open for six months and still unfilled? · Business Operations Manager opening
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