For Senior Level Managers, This is Where the Jobs Are

It's a truism of the job search: The higher up the career ladder you go, the fewer openings there are. But a new survey by CareerBuilder shows that despite the lousy economy, a fairly high proportion of companies are on the lookout for new executive-level talent. The big question: Where will they find it?

• Wherever they can. Overall, about half of companies are placing equal emphasis on internal and external candidates in the search for senior managers, department directors, vice presidents, and C-level officers.
• At home. A third of companies are concentrating on internal candidates.
• At other companies. About 18 percent of hiring managers seem to have exhausted their internal options, and say they're looking solely outside of their company to fill the highest-level slots.

• Technology. Some 35% of tech companies said they're looking to hire top people in the next six months.
• Healthcare. Twenty-five percent of these companies are looking for high-level talent.
• Sales. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers say their sales forces could use new leadership
• Professional and business services. Some 23% of companies in this field are looking for new high-level talent.
• Financial services. Even though this industry seems to have taken a beating, 23% say they're looking to hire executives.
• Leisure/Hospitality. You'd think the recession would have dampened expectations here, but 23% of hiring managers in this industry are looking for new head honchos.

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