I posted this question at Linked In, and received some very interesting responses. I thought my blog readers might like to join in with their thoughts as well …
The overriding theme by internal recruiters at the recent Kennedy Conference was the desire to primarily (and preferably) recruit passive candidates (those who are happily employed and not looking).
So my question is, if you knew that your marketability as a candidate would spiral the moment you became unemployed (even through no fault of your own), what would you do differently today to manage your career for the future?
Cindy, I was on the Netshare Conference call yesterday. While it might seem unfair to some people, you are absolutely correct. If you are currently employed you are much more attractive to a recruiter/search firm than when you are unemployed, no matter what the reason. So, the ongoing, never changing rule of survival is: Build a network, nurture your network and never, never, never stop networking.
Thanks for your response, Kay.
This question really touched a few nerves at Linked In. But it also drove home my point. If you know (whether or not you like it or agree) that passive candidates are the preferred candidates, what do you need to be doing differently in order to better manage your career so you don’t find yourself unemployed.
the secret to career success is to be found. There are, according to the US Census Bureau, 159,732 recruiters in America. so leverage them. It’s easier to be found by the headhunting horde than for an individual to ferret out all the opportunities by themselves. Be active AND visible in the associations that support your industry. Write. Start a blog. Give a speech. Organize a talk if you’re too afraid to do one yourself – you’ll still be visible as an expert. Do something constructive which puts you on the map with others and yes be in ZoomInfo and LinkedIn. Are you Zoomable? It’s critical.