OPPORTUNITIES

Always Listen to Opportunities

Even if you are not looking

In previous articles, I had mentioned that recruiters do not look kindly on candidates who are “not really looking, but just want to see what is out there.”  As I mentioned, we are not the Sears Catalog of Job Openings.  If you send us your resume, we will be more than happy to work with you in finding a new position if you are serious about making a change.  But if you are just checking out the market I’m afraid that I cannot be of much help.

But the rules are different when we recruit YOU.  Generally, we recruit the top candidates for our clients as these candidates are the ones that our clients will be attracted to. One of the methods we use is LinkedIN.  We will send an introductory letter explaining our opening and ask them to either contact us or provide a reference.  What amazes me is the number of people who respond with the following: “Pete, thanks for reaching out, but I really would not be interested.”  My typical response is:  “That’s okay, but how do you know you are not interested- I haven’t told you anything yet.”  What if the position is a career or life changer? What if the opportunity would rectify one of your biggest roadblocks in your career?  What if it were the opportunity you’ve been waiting for all of your career but you simply did not want to listen? It does not make sense.

Look, I understand that not everyone is ready to make a change, or they are too engrossed in their current job or up for a promotion.  But what is the harm in listening?  The time to explore opportunities is when you do not have to.  That way, you can take a candid and unbiased look to see if you can better yourself. Some of the best career moves are made when a person is not looking to make a career move.  But they took the time to listen when recruited. So should you.

We would love to hear your comments and suggestions.  Please feel free to contact us at any time!