need a better job

1 ©2015 Recruiter.com | Need a Better Job?

Matthew KosinskiAnne St. Hilaire

Better Job? Here’s How to Get It the Right Way.

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What’s Inside

Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Are You a Passive Job Seeker? . . . . . . . 5

The Curse of Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

When Is It Time to Look for a New Job? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

What Steps Should I Take to Maximize My Passive Job Search? . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Is Hiding My Job Search from My Current Employer Wrong? . . . . . . . . . . 14

What Should I Look for in a New Employer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15



It’s amazing how much of a difference five years can make.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that at this time in 2010,

the unemployment rate in America was 9.8 percent and rising every

day; today, the nation sees itself at a more comfortable 5.6 percent.

But this drastic decrease does not exactly mean that those who

are employed are happy to be so. In fact, 63 percent of employed

citizens do not feel engaged in their roles, while 24 percent

pretty much hate their jobs. If you are part of this population

of employees that are unsatisfied with their current job,

it may be time to consider making a career change.

However, before you decide to pick

up and leave for good, we’ve got

some effective and easy

pointers for you on how to

get a better job the right way.

The Recruiter.com team has

come together to help you

identify just what kind of candidate

you are, what you need to know about

finding a new job, and how you can find the

best position and employer for your career.


According to LinkedIn’s 2014 Talent Trends

report, 75 percent of working professionals identify

as “passive candidates.” But what are passive

candidates — and are you one of them?

In recruiting terms, a passive candidate is someone

who currently has a job but is also open to new

career opportunities. The passive candidate is a

candidate who is not actively seeking a new

employer, but who would be willing to consider

new opportunities if they arose.

Generally, a passive candidate likes their job well

enough, but also feels like it’s not quite perfect.

Maybe they’d prefer to work for a manager with a

slightly different management style. Maybe they’d

like it if their employers’ values aligned a little

Are You a Passive Job Seeker?

better with their own values. Maybe they feel like

they’re starting to stagnate in a role they’ve held

for a long time, but they’re not quite certain that

leaving their company is the best or most

desirable option.

If any of this sounds like you, you’re probably a

passive candidate. Maybe you knew that about

yourself already, or maybe this is news to you.

Whatever the case, as a passive candidate, you’re

in high demand: companies see you as the most

desirable type of candidate, and many recruiters

are on the prowl for you. That’s good news, but it

gets even better: you can leverage this situation to

your advantage by becoming what we like to call a

“passive job seeker.”

Like the passive candidate, the passive job seeker


is already employed, but open to new oppor-

tunities. Unlike the passive candidate, the pas-

sive job seeker doesn’t wait for recruiters to

come knocking. Instead, the passive job seek-

er puts in a little footwork, quietly looking for

new opportunities while still coming to work

every day (and performing to their utmost

capabilities!).

The passive job seeker isn’t quite the same

as the active employed job seeker, either.

While both are looking for new opportunities,

the passive job seeker is more deft in their

touch. The active job seeker sallies forth into

the market; the passive job seeker tiptoes

their way to a new employer after conducting

a careful and considered search.


Perhaps while reading this ebook, you’re

thinking to yourself: “I don’t really need to know

any of this stuff — I love my job!” If so, you may

have to ask yourself a difficult and

seemingly paradoxical question: “Am

I too comfortable in my job?”

Comfort seems like a good thing,

right? You don’t want to be stressed

out or anxious every day. You want

to feel good at work, and comfort

should be a good way to feel, right?

While you don’t want to be a stress-

stricken mess, you do want to be

challenged by your job, which isn’t exactly the

The Curse of Comfort

same as being comforted by your job. Your job

should push you to grow and improve. That’s how

you advance through the ranks: we develop our

skills by overcoming challenges, and,

ideally, our ability to overcome chal-

lenges should show our employers

that we’re ready for a promotion, new

responsibilities, new opportunities, etc.

Your job should not just let you stag-

nate (comfortably!) at the same level

for years at a time.

But a lot of companies don’t work this

way. A lot of companies don’t push

their employees to grow, leaving them

comfortable but stuck in the same role for what


feels like eternity. And even if your employer does challenge

you, there’s no guarantee that it will recognize your

achievements and reward you accordingly.

If you are too comfortable — or simply realize your

achievements go unrecognized — you may want to start

looking for a new job, one that will challenge you to grow,

one that will help you advance your career in new and

exciting ways, one that offers better opportunities for your

personal and professional development.

Have you been languishing in the same role since you started

at the company five years ago? Maybe it’s time to look for an

employer who will give you a chance to rise to a new level.

Maybe it’s time to ditch your middle-management job for a

shot at the executive ranks.

• Challenge yourself to grow.

• Advance your career in new and exciting ways

• Find opportunities for your personal and professional development.


So, You’re a Passive Job Seeker — Here’s What You Need to Know


If you currently have a job, you probably feel pretty lucky. Sure,

the economy is improving these days, but plenty of people are

still out of work and struggling to find employment. This may

make you wonder when it’s appropriate to start passively seeking

new employment. Whether or not you’re open to new

opportunities is an entirely personal decision. Given that most

passive job seekers enjoy their jobs to some degree, it can be

especially difficult for them to really decide that jumping ship

and heading for another company is the right career move. If

you’re wondering whether or not it’s time for you to start quietly

looking into the job market, there are some important things

you should consider.

There’s plenty to think about when debating whether or not you

want to make a change in your career, and no one can make the

decision for you. However, if you feel that your current job isn’t

meeting all of your important needs and/or desires, then you

may want to think about looking for a position that will.

When Is It Time to Look for a New Job? How long have you been in your current

position? Are you growing tired of it?

Are there opportunities for career

advancement at your current employer?

Do your employer’s values and goals

align with your own? Could you find

an employer whose values and goals

are a better fit for you?

Is the corporate culture really right for

you? Do you feel that your managers

truly appreciate you? Do they show it?

Are you rewarded and/or compensated

fairly for your skills and contributions?

Will this current job take you where you

want to go in your career?

Are you being challenged at work?

Do you feel your job encourages you

to strive for your best at all times?


So, you’ve decided to put out your feelers and

look for new opportunities — great! However,

as a passive job seeker, you face a

slightly more complex job search than

the average person. After all, you’re

still employed, and you probably

don’t want your employer to find out

that you’re thinking about leaving.

A successful passive job seeker needs

to conduct thorough research and

make themselves available to new

employers while still flying under their

current employer’s radar. This can seem like a

daunting task, but these tips may help:

Keep Your Social Media Profiles Updated

Social recruiting is big: 93 percent of recruiters say

they review their candidates’ social

profiles, and plenty of recruiters use

sourcing tools that scrape social

media sites for relevant information.

If you’re in the market, you want to

put your best foot forward.

Make sure your LinkedIn is completely

up-to-date, and make an effort to

share career-relevant content across

multiple sites, like Twitter, Facebook,

GitHub, and StackOverflow. This will show potential

employers that you are passionate about and

What Steps Should I Take to Maximize My Passive Job Search?


engaged with your industry. Remember, however,

that you don’t want your current employer to catch

wind of the fact that you’re open to leaving. Don’t

publicly advertise that you’re looking for new jobs

on your social media platforms — but don’t shy away

from connecting with people who may help you land

those jobs, either.

Is Your Resume Online? It Should Be

Recruiters do plenty of online sourcing, and it

doesn’t all take place on social media. To that end,

you should post your resume on job boards, where

recruiters may have an easier time finding it.

If you’re worried that posting your resume online

could lead to your employer finding out that you’re

passively looking for a new job, you may want to

post your resume to job boards that will let you do

so anonymously. You may also choose to create a

personal, professional website that hosts your

resume and/or work portfolio. Think about using a

site like about.me to create a professional Web

presence for yourself. Employers likely won’t see

this as a sign that you might leave: plenty of

professionals maintain online portfolios as a way

to track their work and accomplishments. It’s

common enough that it probably won’t raise any

eyebrows while still spreading word about you to

prospective new employers.

Tap Into Your Network

This goes hand in hand with keeping your social

media profile updated. Reach out to people who

may be valuable

contacts in your

passive job search.

Building connections

with the

companies you’re

interested in will

boost your

visibility. You may also want to reach out to any

close, personal confidants whom you can trust to

keep your job search secret. They may be able to


put you in touch with valuable contacts as well —

or, if these confidants work for employers you’re

interested in, they may be able to help you

get your foot in the door quietly.

Take Your Time

The passive job search is a slow burn, not a rush

to the finish line. This shouldn’t be too much of a

problem: you’re already employed, so you don’t

need to scramble for a paycheck. As an employed

job seeker, you have the luxury of taking your time.

Use it wisely, and carefully consider all of your

options, in terms of career moves, potential

employers, and your long- and short-term

goals, before making any decisions.

Remember: You Are Still Employed

Even if you are open to leaving, you still work

for someone. Make sure your passive job search

does not interfere with your duties or

responsibilities as an employee. Don’t conduct

your job search while on the clock, and continue to

perform to the best of your abilities. The benefits of

keeping your job search and your work life separate

are twofold: first, you minimize your chances of getting

caught by a manager

who just happens to

walk past your desk

while you’re scrolling

through a job board;

second, if you’re a

valuable employee to

the very end of your tenure, your employer will look

fondly on you. You’ll be able to leave on good terms

and won’t burn any bridges in the process.

Also, try to schedule any interviews you land

outside of your normal workday. If you keep calling

in sick, coming in late, or leaving early, your

employer will probably grow suspicious. At the

very least, your manager won’t be happy that

you’re suddenly absent all the time.


With all this talk about keeping secrets,

growing suspicions, and hiding your job

search, you may begin to look at the concept

of passive job searching as a negative thing.

After all, to look at new employment while

remaining dedicated to your current position

is technically “hiding information” from

your company and boss, and could

potentially make you feel like you are

doing something wrong.

However, passive job seeking is not

something to feel guilty about. The goal

of searching out new opportunities while

Is Hiding My Job Search from My Current Employer Wrong?


staying active and meaningful in your current

role not only benefits your career and your life,

but also shows that you care about your present

employment. Instead of quitting and leaving your

company with an open position and no one to fill

it, you are showing respect by remaining

dedicated. You are maintaining a healthy

relationship with your boss and team, and are

simply moving on to bigger and better opportu-

nities. There is nothing “wrong” with that whatso-

ever. More importantly, passively job searching is

doing a huge favor for yourself. Not only does it

allow you to keep your position and the financial

support that it provides, but it also is a chance to

advance within your career and make a better life

for yourself.

As mentioned above, passive job seekers

have the luxury of time: they can afford to

deliberately mull over their choices and really

pursue the opportunities that most interest

them. As a passive job seeker, you must take

advantage of this luxury! A good way to do so

is to figure out what you really want out of a

new employer.

What Should I Look for in a New Employer?


Craft an Ideal Employer Profile

Try to create a profile of what your ideal

employer would be like. Include everything that

is important to you. Some things to consider:

What is the company culture like?

What industry is the business in?

What is your specific job in the company like?

What sort of management style do

supervisors use?

How many hours do you spend at the

office every week?

Are there any flexible work options available?

What is communication like within the business?

Would you work on a team? Alone?

What kind of perks or benefits will the

employer offer you?

What are career advancement opportunities like?


The list can go on and on. Basically, what you

want to do is describe your dream job at your

dream employer. Be reasonable: for example, if

you’re currently working in an entry-level role,

you won’t be able to jump straight to CEO. The

ideal employer profile should make sense for

where you are in your career at the moment.

Make a List of Employers You’d Like to Work For

Research companies that might fit the bill of your

ideal employer profile. See how they match up to

what you want. You may not find employers that

perfectly match your ideal criteria, but you should

be able to find some that come close – unless your

expectations are totally unrealistic, that is. Reach

out to contacts who work at each company to get

a feel for the company’s culture and office environ-

ment. If you have no contacts in the company, try

to network your way to them!

Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and

industry-specific social networking sites are great

ways to connect with people. Do any of the

companies you’ve researched have openings to

which you’d like to apply? Go for it!

Evaluate All Employment Opportunities Against Your Current Situation (and Each Other)

Spend some time searching for and applying to

employment opportunities at companies that hold

up according to your “ideal employer” criteria.

Compare each employment opportunity against

the other opportunities you have. Which one(s)

comes closest to what you’re looking for in your

career? Which offers the right perks, culture,

advancement opportunities, salary, etc.? Put

your all into landing the job (or jobs) that are

most attractive to you out of all available options.

Passive job seeking may seem like a risky situation

to put yourself in, but in truth it is a great step

to take in your career, especially if you are

unsatisfied or unfulfilled at work. You

will find great rewards while passively

job seeking if you do your research,

evaluate your opportunities, and utilize

your resources. As recruiters, trust us

when we say that you WILL find a great

new job, and it will be much easier

than you think. If you can’t find any

opportunities that match what you want

at first, keep looking. Remember: you

have time on your side, so you don’t

need to apply to any jobs out of need

or desperation. Now go out there and

take the job market by storm!

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You’ll love working with this Recruiter.



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