SEEK, Recruiters or Direct Approach: Where Finance Manager Roles Are Really Filled

When most Finance Managers start looking for a new role, they open SEEK. They search, apply for anything that looks close and wait.

That is not wrong. SEEK is a big part of the market for Finance Manager and Financial Controller roles in Australia and New Zealand. But it is only one part. Many roles at this level are filled through recruiters, referrals and direct approaches, some of them before a job ad is ever written.

If you only use job boards, you are competing for a fraction of the market, and often the most crowded fraction. This article explains where Finance Manager roles are really filled and how to use each channel well.

The four main channels

Finance Manager and Financial Controller roles are usually filled through one of four channels.

• Job boards, mainly SEEK in Australia and New Zealand, plus LinkedIn Jobs and some niche boards

• Specialist recruiters, working on behalf of the employer

• Referrals and networks, where someone recommends you

• Direct approaches, where an employer or recruiter finds you, or you approach an employer

Most people rely heavily on the first. The strongest candidates use all four.

Job boards: useful but crowded

SEEK remains the biggest job board in both countries, and many Finance Manager roles are advertised there, either by employers directly or by recruiters.

The advantage is volume and visibility. The disadvantage is competition. A well-paid Finance Manager role in a major city can attract dozens or even hundreds of applications. The employer or recruiter will screen quickly, and a resume that does not stand out in seconds is unlikely to get a second look.

Use job boards, but use them selectively. Apply for roles that genuinely fit, and make sure your resume and cover letter speak directly to the ad. Ten targeted applications are worth more than fifty generic ones.

Recruiters: a major channel

Specialist finance recruiters fill a large share of Finance Manager and Financial Controller roles. Employers use them to save time, reach candidates who are not actively looking and manage confidential searches.

Some recruiter roles are advertised on SEEK under the agency’s name. Others are never advertised. The recruiter searches their database and LinkedIn, calls people they know and presents a shortlist.

That means building relationships with two or three good specialist recruiters is one of the most effective things you can do. When a suitable role comes in, you want to be one of the first people they think of. For more, see how finance recruiters screen applications.

Referrals: often the best route

Many roles are filled through people. A CFO asks their network for recommendations. A Financial Controller mentions a former colleague. An auditor suggests a strong candidate they worked with.

Referred candidates often have an advantage. They arrive with some trust already built, and they may be considered before the role is advertised at all.

You build referral opportunities by staying in touch with former managers, colleagues, auditors, bankers and recruiters. Let a few trusted people know you are open to a move. You do not need to announce it widely. For practical approaches, see networking for senior finance professionals.

Direct approaches: being found

Recruiters and employers regularly search LinkedIn for candidates. If your profile is strong and matches what they are looking for, they may approach you directly, sometimes for roles you would never have seen advertised.

This is why your LinkedIn profile matters so much. A clear headline, strong keywords and a complete profile make you visible. For more, see how recruiters search LinkedIn for finance professionals.

Direct approaches: finding them

You can also approach employers yourself. This works best with businesses you know well, such as a supplier, a customer, a competitor or a company in your industry.

A short, professional message to the CFO or Financial Controller, explaining who you are, why their business interests you and what you bring, can open a conversation. It will not always lead to a role, but it can put you in mind when one comes up.

This approach works particularly well in smaller markets such as New Zealand, regional Australia and specialised industries, where finance communities are closely connected.

How the mix changes by level

At more junior levels, job boards fill a larger share of roles. As you move up to Financial Controller, Head of Finance and CFO, more roles are filled through recruiters, referrals and direct approaches.

That means the higher you aim, the less you should rely on job boards alone. A Financial Controller who only applies through SEEK is missing much of the market at their level.

How the mix changes by market

In large cities, recruiters and job boards dominate. In smaller cities and regional areas, referrals and personal networks play a bigger role. In New Zealand in particular, the finance community is small, and reputation travels quickly.

Adjust your approach to your market. If you are in a smaller market, invest more time in relationships.

LinkedIn Jobs and other boards

LinkedIn Jobs has become more important for finance roles, particularly with larger employers and multinationals. Some roles are posted only there. It also shows you who posted the role, which can help you find the right person to contact.

Some industries and sectors have their own boards. Government roles in Australia are usually advertised on state and federal government job sites. New Zealand public sector roles often appear on individual agency sites. Not-for-profit roles may appear on sector-specific boards. If you are targeting these sectors, include those sites in your search.

The hidden market is real

People often talk about the hidden job market as if it were a myth. At Finance Manager and Financial Controller level, it is very real. Roles are filled internally, through referrals, through a recruiter’s existing network or through a direct approach before any ad appears.

Sometimes a role is advertised only as a formality, after a preferred candidate has already been identified. That does not mean advertised roles are not worth applying for. It does mean that relying on ads alone gives you access to only part of the opportunities at your level. For more, see the hidden job market.

What to do when a recruiter calls

When a recruiter approaches you about a role, treat it as an opportunity even if the role is not quite right. Be clear about what you are looking for, share your salary range and ask them to keep you in mind for the right role.

A good recruiter will remember a candidate who was helpful and clear. The next call may be for exactly the role you want.

Timing your search

Finance hiring in Australia and New Zealand has seasonal patterns. Activity often picks up early in the calendar year and again after the end of the financial year, as budgets are set and teams are reorganised. December and January can be quieter for advertised roles, although recruiters are often still briefed.

Understanding these patterns helps you plan. For more, see hiring seasons in Australia and New Zealand.

Building a balanced job search

A strong Finance Manager job search usually includes:

• A strong LinkedIn profile, so you are found

• Relationships with two or three specialist recruiters

• Selective, targeted applications through job boards

• Conversations with your network, letting a few people know you are open to a move

• A short list of target employers you might approach directly

This mix gives you access to far more of the market than applications alone.

Keep track of what works

Track where your interviews come from. If most of your applications through SEEK go nowhere but recruiter introductions lead to interviews, spend more time with recruiters. If referrals are producing the best conversations, invest more in your network.

For more on measuring your search, see the numbers to track in your job search.

Quality over quantity

A common trap is measuring your job search by the number of applications sent. Fifty applications can feel productive, but if none are well targeted, the result is usually silence.

A better measure is conversations. How many recruiters, hiring managers and contacts have you spoken to this week about roles that genuinely fit? Conversations lead to interviews far more reliably than applications do.

Where your resume fits in each channel

Every channel eventually leads to your resume. A referral, a recruiter call or a LinkedIn approach all end with someone asking you to send it. Make sure it is ready before you start, so you can respond quickly when an opportunity appears. For what a strong one looks like, see the Finance Manager resume.

Common mistakes

• Relying only on job boards

• Applying for every role that looks vaguely relevant

• Registering with too many recruiters and losing track of where your resume has gone

• Ignoring your network because asking feels awkward

• Leaving LinkedIn incomplete

• Not tracking which channels produce results

Your next step

This week, do three things. Update your LinkedIn headline. Contact one specialist recruiter you trust. Send a short message to two former colleagues letting them know you are open to a move. That starts a balanced search that reaches far more of the market.

If you want your resume and LinkedIn ready for every channel, my Gold package covers your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn and positioning strategy.

If your job search is busy but not working, book a complimentary Clarity Session.