Yahoo Finance How to Get a Job Without Applying for It
"2017 was a banner year for my firm," confided a recruiting firm owner to your author. "We made more placements, at higher salaries and commissions, than we've seen since before the Great Recession," he boasted.
In today's economic environment, people with valuable skills in leadership roles are likely to be receiving more and more calls from recruiters. Even if you are happy with your current job, it is important not to blow recruiters off and to have a resume at the ready.
You never know if the opportunity that will be presented will be more attractive than your current role. And, you can gain a boost of 15 percent or more in your compensation by being willing to make a change, likely far outpacing the raise you can expect in your current role.
[See: The 25 Best Jobs of 2018.]
Recruiters are particularly zealous about seeking a prized "passive candidate" -- someone who is open to new opportunities but not actively seeking them. Why? The psychology of hiring managers and recruiters often goes like this: If someone is good, they are already working for a competitor, and if they aren't employed or are submitting their resume actively, there is often some kind of problem.
Alternatively, even if there isn't a problem, they can go all the way through a long and expensive hiring process only to find that the candidate has a competing job offer from another company. However, if they are dealing with a candidate who isn't looking elsewhere, that risk goes away.
So, how do you take proactive steps to be seen as a passive candidate without tipping your hand to either your current boss or recruiters? Here are some things to do:
Join appropriate professional organizations. Often, recruiters -- or the people who source potential candidates for them -- will obtain membership listings and start sorting through names based on positions, localities, et cetera. You might get calls asking you to "nominate" key leaders who do such and such for a search they are conducting. It's a recruiter's way of asking for you to respond: "I might be interested. Tell me more." And then you are off to the races!
[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]
Attend professional conventions and meetings. Sometimes, all it takes is just showing up to get yourself on the radar screen. Recruiters frequent these events, and often will just strike up conversations hoping to keep themselves aware of "the field" and to build their own contact databases for current and future searches.
Even if they don't attend, their researchers can utilize sophisticated Google Boolean search strings to locate attendee lists after the events. Then, they just start calling through them to figure out who is who, who knows and recommends others and networking their own way toward passive candidates.
Don't neglect social media. Depending on what survey you consult, you'll find that the vast majority of candidates are initially found or contacted via LinkedIn. If you don't have a profile there, you just aren't in the game. LinkedIn offers many ways through which you can be found: a keyword search for job titles, your current or former companies, skills, degrees earned, colleges attended and more. The more complete and succinct your profile, the better your chances are of being found.
Join LinkedIn Groups. In particular, look for groups of people clustered around your industry and skill sets. Take the time to write simple comments on other people's posts within the groups that will demonstrate your knowledge and add value to the discussions. You gain both visibility and credibility as a thought leader.
Keep your certifications, skills and awards up to date. Recruiters often scan LinkedIn profiles to search for these things.
[See: Tips for Surviving a Career Transition.]
Remember that you are rarely a recruiter's only candidate. Don't be lulled into complacency just because a recruiter finds you and recommends you to his or her client. Typically, recruiters will submit panels of five to 10 candidates to their client companies. Depending on whether it is a retained or contingent search, they will submit more or less detailed summary information or reports about each candidate. Employers are enabled to grade each person on a level playing field, as the same kinds of information will be provided regarding each individual.
Whatever information you gain about an employer and its priorities from the recruiter will also be shared with your competition. In the end, the recruiter's loyalty is to the client company that pays them a hefty commission check when any of their candidates are hired.
Being found and recommended by a recruiter can be a real boon to your career advancement prospects. But you still need to keep your interviewing skills sharp and do your own research to rise to the top of the pack.
Happy hunting!
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