Heading out for the holiday weekend disgruntled about your current job, but wondering where you'll find the time to hunt for a new one during the inevitable fall busy season that plagues most industries?
You're not alone.
With office-induced stress emerging as a leading reason people leave jobs, and 50% of jobs never advertised at all, it can feel as though the deck is stacked against job seekers. And with an already packed agenda at work, it's tough to imagine shoe-horning in the endless networking, furtive pre-workday breakfasts, database searches, emails, dropped leads, and phone calls made from down the block so inherent the modern job search.
"Many of our users are way too busy to be engaging in a full time job search but could be interested in the right opportunity if it presented itself," says Maisie Devine, CEO and cofounder of "covert job search" app Poacht.
As you (hopefully) leave the office behind for Labor Day, here's three quick tips for making sure the perfect next job is hunting for you.
1) Start attending industry meet-ups.
A quick way to get in front of the right eyes in your field--without embarking upon, or advertising, a formal job search--is to mark your calendar for periodic industry events.
"Recruiters are networking within a vertical," says Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing and recruiting firm LaSalle Network. "They're calling and recruiting people they get referred to, and if somebody's happy and doesn't want to move, they're going to say, 'Well do you know somebody else who's got industry knowledge?'"
Gimbel recommends joining the local chapter of the professional organization associated with your occupation. Most aren't expensive to join and meet monthly, or even quarterly. Additionally, notes Devine, it's an efficient way of checking in on what the latest tools and skills are for your field--and making sure you measure up.
"Not only does it let you network with people in your industry, but it's also a chance for you to learn new skills and new technology," says Devine, "and prepare yourself to get poached if you, for example, notice people in your industry are using
You know the Sunday afternoon or Tuesday evening you block out for updating your resume,
Don't wait. Do that now, and update each time you complete a project or step into a new role.
Gimbel says a great way of positioning yourself as an attractive find without officially moving into job search mode--or alerting your present employer that you might be--is to focus on your achievements.
"You don’t want to make it look too much like you’re marketing yourself," says Gimbel, "but return on investment, special projects, Six Sigma, certifications, things along those lines--you want to make sure you have that on there."
And, Devine notes, don't just stop at LinkedIn. Recruiters now rely on your entire web and social presence, so make sure any information you have on platforms like Facebook,
As we reported last week, job seekers want to strive to become the most attractive needle in a recruiter's haystack.
3) Actively cultivate your passive job search toolbox.
LinkedIn is an excellent resource, but a host of other resources are available to professionals who aren't actively searching for a new job but would be willing to consider a great opportunity. In addition to the recently-launched Poacht, a host of apps cater to the so-called "passive job seeker," including many focused on jobs in specific industries.
"Recruiters are using a variety of different tools to find people," says Devine. She compares passive search apps to having "a high-end headhunter in your pocket who doesn't barrage you with calls or emails with positions that may or may not be at their disposal.”
The time to start passively letting recruiters actively hunt for you is now.
