- Getting Ready: Get Organized and Develop a Plan of Action
- Develop Your Job Hunting Tactics: Timesaving Tips and Tools to Be a Smarter Searcher
- Fire Hose Technique
- Selective, but Out There
- Come and Get Me
- Go for the Kill
- Time to Decide: Are You an Active or Passive Job Seeker?
- The Plan Is in Place...Now Get Organized Before You Make a Move!
- Create a Tracking Sheet and Job-Hunt File
- Complete a Job History and Accomplishments Worksheet
- Define Your Transferable Skills
- Have a Basic Résumé and Cover Letter Ready
- Develop a List of Keywords
- Set Up a Special Email Account
Come and Get Me
You're hot stuff and you know it. You don't have to go looking for jobs, but you still want to keep your options open and maybe have some job opportunities come your way via your job search email inbox. You're in a good position, but that's probably because you've got your career future on the brain even when you're perfectly happy in a job situation. You're smart for keeping one eye open!
If you're in high technology, you might not even have to think the words "new job." An employer or recruiter might already have an eye on you, so it's best to be prepared for possible offers.
Regardless of your field, the "Come and Get Me" approach leaves you lots of time and lots of options to explore. Hopefully someday, we'll all be in your position, so count your blessings and take a peek at what's out there:
Start with industry-specific job posting sites and scan opportunities. Sign up for email notification of jobs that interest you and wait to see what comes your way.
Just for kicks, check out the mega sites and see whether there's anything that fits your fancy. Again, sign up for email notification of jobs that match your requirements and interests.
Keep up (or start) on your networking. Become an active member of discussion groups or message boards to meet people and share your experience and insight with others. Remember to keep a low profile, or at least don't allude to the fact that you might be looking for a job. The point here is establish yourself as an active and interested person in your industry. Here's a little secret: Some of the more savvy headhunters routinely monitor newsgroups and online communities to locate "intelligent" beings. They might just track you down if you prove yourself to be the hotshot you know you are.
Spend some time researching third-party recruiters and headhunters that specialize in your field. Send them a confidential résumé (be sure to read Chapter 17 before you do this) to be put on file for the right opening.
Relax, kick back, and see what happens.