A Guide to Passive Job Seeking

When we think of job seekers, we imagine people who are unhappy with their current job, or who are looking for a higher salary, or better perks and benefits. As strange as it sounds, those who are currently employed can sometimes be more attractive to prospective employers, even when they’re not looking for a job. Today, we’re going to talk about active and passive job seekers, as well as some tips to help you become an effective passive job seeker. Let’s begin.

Active and Passive Job Seekers

It’s fair to say that most job seekers fall into the “active” category. Active job seekers are either unemployed or looking for a new job while working at their current company, their resumes are uploaded onto job search platforms such as Indeed or Monster, and they regularly apply to jobs. In addition to this, active job seekers leverage social media platforms such as LinkedIn, and in many cases, they seek out and attend networking events.

Those who are happily employed but open to learning about new and exciting jobs may fall into the “passive job seekers” category. Passive job seekers are proactive when it comes to updating their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and will also attend networking events from time to time; however, unlike active job seekers, passive job seekers aren’t as focused on networking as a means of finding a new job, and attend such events in a more casual manner.

One might say that active job seekers are often more “reactive” when it comes to their job search. Most times, they decide to update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles when it’s time to look for other avenues of employment. On the other hand, and whether intentionally or not, passive job seekers are often better prepared in the event they’re suddenly forced to find a new job since they’ve been proactive with their resumes, portfolios, or LinkedIn profiles. Let’s go over some strategies that will help you be a better passive job seeker.

Leverage Your LinkedIn Profile

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, take some time to set yourself up. LinkedIn is a great way to feature your education and work experience, along with your skills and any certifications you might have. Next, look for LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your career and interests. LinkedIn groups are great for networking, getting advice, and for viewing job listings, among other things.

LinkedIn lets you write recommendations for your network connections. The advantage here is that if you write recommendations for the people in your network, they’ll be more likely to do the same for you. These recommendations can go a long way, and will make your LinkedIn profile much more attractive. As a passive job seeker, you won’t have to get too crazy with checking your LinkedIn profile all day long, but be sure you make the effort to interact with your connections while also seeking new ones from time to time.

Research Companies

Even though you’re already employed, it doesn’t hurt to scope out other companies once in a while. This could consist of checking out the news and blog sections on their websites, keeping up with their social media platforms, and even following them on social media if you so desire. Newsletters are another great way to keep up with a company’s activities, so you may want to sign up for them where they’re available. Having prior knowledge of your favorite companies is a huge advantage in the event one of them reaches out to you in the future.

Check Out Job Listings

Along with our last entry, you should set some time aside each week to casually peruse job listings. You could search job listings on your favorite companies’ websites, or through job search platforms such as Indeed. The intention here is to maintain an awareness of which companies are currently looking to fill roles similar to your own, while also keeping tabs on how in-demand your role is at any given time. Further, you’ll get a better idea of what other companies are currently offering in terms of salary, benefits, and perks.

Plan Ahead

Our main goal here is to be prepared, and one of the biggest problems people run into when they haven’t actively pursued a new job in a while is being unfamiliar with the interview process. If you’re one of those people who hasn’t interviewed in a few years, consider conducting some practice interviews to keep your skills sharp. You might want to go as far as to have an interview outfit prepared just in case, since you never know when the need will arise.

Having a steady, fulfilling job is great, but don’t let it stop you from building and maintaining your professional network, attending events, and being proactive about your resume and your overall online presence. By making new connections and getting your name out there, you’re greatly increasing the potential for new and exciting opportunities, and you’ll turn yourself into an effective passive job seeker.