Finding A Job When You Really Aren't Looking

stumble upon the dark mountains, a photo by cdrummbks on Flickr.

You’re finally in the zone at your job, perhaps for the first time ever. You’re engaged in the work you do and while you’re doing, it you’ve shed the old habits of clock watching and politicking because you’re---content.

But you should still be aware of new career opportunities around you. If you’re wondering why you should bother when you’re already happy, it’s because there are some opportunities around you that you don’t want to miss.

We’re in strange economic times. The truth is that everyone these days should be a passive job seeker. The amount of energy you invest in a mild job search will vary over the course of your career, but it behooves all of us to take these steps:

Update your resume within the first month of getting a new job.  This exercise does two things. It helps you discover your own definition of your new role. Don’t cheat by cutting and pasting the job description that was sent to you when you applied to your job. It’s your chance to put the sexiest parts of the role front and center on your resume. And if you find yourself in the unpleasant situation where you have to look for a new job, the important task of creating a resume is already completed.

Don’t network—have career “conversations”. Talk to leaders on other teams within your company and speak to outside organizations as well. Walk the fine line of passively job seeking by showing that you are intellectually curious about your industry and how you could best contribute.

Have these conversations with one or two trusted recruiters.  Don’t play games. Give the appropriate signals that there are specific roles and companies that you are passively open to.

If you do interview passively, be honest throughout the process.  Be clear about your level of interest and carefully answer the question about what it would take for you to make a change. Nothing will burn a bridge faster than giving clear signals you would accept an offer if the job was based at home, for example, and then declining the offer once they give you the telecommuter role you’ve asked for.

You might be surprised when a passive interview reveals a job you’d be truly interested in. You might find out that your current salary is worse than you thought. Or it might be better than you thought. You might even discover through the process that your current job is exactly where you should be.