Why grey is more than just a pin-stripe suit
There are essentially three ways of being in a job hunt – actively
looking for a job, not looking for a job, and inactively looking at
what's out there. Most time and attention is spent on the first two, but
it's the third – inactive job seeking - that can yield the best, most
surprising and awesome job opportunities.
Of course when you're unemployed, laid off, in a bad work situation, or
in a train wreck industry you should be actively seeking a new job. This
is the time you're registered on job boards, writing and rewriting your
resume, tailoring cover letters, and constantly scanning options. Then,
there are those of us lucky enough to be in good jobs, happily
employed, or those who have decided to be out of the work force, or
given up the search. These people are not looking for a job, even if
they sometimes fool themselves into thinking they are.
So who are the third type of job hunters – the inactive seekers? These
are people finishing up their first or second or third year in a first
job, those who have hit a ceiling in their current jobs but still want
to grow, or those who feel bored by now doing the same job again. Many
are happily employed, but would welcome an opportunity to do something
new if the opportunity presented itself.
But opportunities rarely just pop up out of the blue, so how do people inactively seek a job? A few ways:
Regular Scanning of Job Listings. Even after I became
employed in my latest position, I never stopped all the automated job
feeds that came to me via email. When I was actively looking I got
several feeds daily. Now that I'm happily employed, I get 1-2 of my
favorite feeds weekly. The exercise keeps me sharp about what's
available, the currently requested skill sets, and how I need to
continue to grow in my current position so I'm always employable should
the worst ever happen.
Selective Networking. When unemployed, active job
seekers go to many networking events. Once employed, smart career
professionals continue to network, just less aggressively. They can be
more selective on the networking sessions, and pick the more expensive
seminars that truly help them improve themselves,
provide skill training or updates. This again positions a person to
have a stronger network when and if they become unemployed and need to
start actively asking for references, leads, and ideas on new
employment.
Association Profiles. Recruiters look for employees
several ways including association rosters in both professional and
trade associations and by digital profile searches. Smart employees keep
their profiles up-to-date including latest wins on major projects, and
make sure they stay affiliated with active clubs and professional
groups.
Seminar Attendance. Similar to Networking and
Associations, seminar attendance puts you out in the world speaking to
people interested in the same things. It helps keep you fresh in your
current job, and sometimes even leads to a new one. I once lost one of
my best young employees when he went to a seminar in Philadelphia on a
detailed programming topic. After asking a few pointed questions, a few
managers from a hot publishing firm made sure to swap business cards
with him. Several phone conversations and one interview later he was
offered a new job that paid much more and gave him new challenges that I
couldn't match. He didn't go to the seminar looking for a job. He went
to improve his skill sets, but his passion for the field and thirst for
knowledge made him stand out in the crowd to his next employer.
Opening Side Comments. When you meet someone at a cocktail party, networking event, or any type of meeting, engage
with your fellow participants. Just by commenting to someone that their
job "sounds interesting" can lead to new opportunities. Frequently the
other person might respond, "Wow, I had no idea you even liked this
stuff." Just by admitting that you're happy but interested in new things
can open doors you never thought existed.
Taking the Meeting. One friend was recently asked to
consider a job at a competitive company. He's happy where he is, but he
took the meeting, because as he admits, "You never know." He quickly
stopped the interview process when he confirmed the competitive company
was not for him, but not before exploring what they might offer and
thanking them for the consideration.
The old saying remains that those employed are in the best position to
be offered the next job. The unsaid part is that the next job offer is
likely to go to someone who wasn't even "officially" on the market,but
was curious enough to hear about a new challenge. In some fashion, they
were inactively keeping job ideas and opportunities in their peripheral
vision.
Job hunting, like most things in life, is never just a black and white
endeavor –not looking at all (black), or actively looking (white).
Instead, many jobs are found in the grey areas -- meetings, seminars,
through unexpected, dropped comments, or a reference by someone who just
sees you in a new spot they've seen. Never ignore the grey areas.
Sometimes the rosiest and most amazing positions are hidden and can be
found there.
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