How to get hired without looking for a job!
When you are in the midst of a job search and are looking for a new work opportunity, you’re considered an active candidate. You are actively looking for a job. Makes sense, right? You refine your resume, check out available opportunities, interview with potential employers, and hopefully land your next position. This is how most people define a job search. Do you know that a growing trend is to identify and then hire new employees that aren’t actually looking for a job? These people are called passive candidates, and they are seen as very valuable in the job market. They have skills and experience, and in most cases, are gainfully employed. How can you, as a passive candidate, attract the attention of a potential employer? The key elements are recommendations, reputation, and social media.
What makes a recommendation so impactful? It’s the fact that a professional, a person you already know and trust, is willing to advocate on your behalf. That is significant because when hiring new people, you never know who they are until you really get to know them. Many people can appear perfect in interviews, only to have significant flaws that can affect their professional performance. With a recommendation, you have inside information about that person and that lessens the risk involved with making the hire. Some organizations offer current employees finder’s fee bonuses for recommending other professionals, which can motivate them to tap into their professional networks to help their organizations strengthen their hiring pipelines. As you build your professional network, consider how you can recommend other professionals to advance both their careers and your company’s initiatives.
It takes years to build a stellar professional reputation and just a few seconds to destroy it. That’s how powerful a reputation is. If you are someone that possesses a great reputation in your industry, the odds are that other companies will be interested in your talent. You should build and then cultivate an effective professional network, which will allow you to both share and receive information about your field or industry. As you do that, look for ways to help others and showcase your skills and knowledge. Employers seek candidates that are proven entities; that have produced tangible accomplishments. A popular saying is, “It’s all about who you know.” In actuality, and when it comes to getting a job based on your reputation, it’s really all about who knows you.
Do you remember life before social media? Many people can’t! It’s pervasive across all facets of society, especially the professional world. Do an internet search on yourself. What comes up? Is the information relevant to your professional goals and aspirations? Are there aspects of your online profile that are red flags to potential employers? Not all employers conduct an internet search on potential employees, but many do. Make sure your social media presence reflects you in a positive way. It’s critical to know that many employers use software programs that interface with social media to find, you guessed it, passive candidates. One incredibly relevant platform is LinkedIn. You should create and maintain an active LinkedIn profile that showcases your skills, experience, and professional accomplishments. Be proactive when managing your social media presence and be mindful of your social media activity. Employers are watching, and looking for you, on social media.
A job search isn’t all about circulating your resume in hopes that you’ll catch the eye of a great employer. In many cases, professionals are sought out for positions based on recommendations, reputation, and social media. Do all that you can to build and maintain a professional presence, for that will put you in a position to be successful and sought out by potential employers.
