Source: The Muse
Did you know that 80% of jobs don’t get posted?
“They’re filled via word of mouth,” writes Ashley Stahl who advices that there’s need for serious job seekers to expand the people in their networks in order to increase their number of opportunities.
How can you do that? Here are the steps you can take to secure job opportunities without actually asking for them.
1. Reach High Up
Your first step is identifying who to talk to. Employees at your level may perceive you as a threat to their promotions, so direct your networking efforts to land informational interviews with people who have jobs in their pockets for you, or people who know people who can hire you.
You should also look for meetings with people who can give you unbiased career-specific advice, even if they aren’t in a position to hire you or help you meet your immediate goals. This could mean meeting with someone who has had a long career in your field of interest but has since moved on to a new position or even retired, or a person who doesn’t work in the field at all but is well connected to industry insiders.
2. Reach Out
Email serves as a great channel for this, unless you can find someone in your network who can broker an introduction.
Don’t worry about the fact that the people you’re emailing won’t recognize your name—just be sure to let them know you’re interested in learning more about them as people—their careers, their growth, their insights
3. Know Your Elevator Pitch
As soon as your emails and networking efforts land you that coveted meeting, it’s time to start polishing your elevator pitch. After all, your new contact is bound to ask you about yourself, and your response is the easiest way to quickly get across who you are and why you’re worth staying in touch with.
The “tell me about yourself” prompt also provides a unique opportunity to ease any doubts that may be looming in the mind of the person with whom you’re meeting.
4. Ask Passive Questions
Before the meeting, you’ll want to give some thought to what you want to get out of it, as well as what you have to give, so that you can walk out with more than just a laundry list of the person’s reflections and opinions. Devise some strategic questions that can help you get the insights and offers you want (and make it clear that the person will benefit from helping you).
For example, if you are meeting with someone who has close ties to a company where you’re dying to get a job, try asking: “Do you have any advice for how I can stand out as a candidate?” If you’re lucky, your contact will see this question as an invitation to offer to pass your CV along to HR.
Another great question to follow up with is, “Do you have any suggestions on other companies I should be looking into?”
5. Don’t Forget Your Goal
Finally, go into the meeting with a clear idea on how others can support you, whether that means keeping an eye out for open positions or making connections to other companies. Done right, this isn’t pushy—by letting people know your goals, you’re allowing them the space to decide if they want to step up to the plate.
So, start now. The relationships you build in these meetings will form the foundation of your professional network and ensure that you land the jobs you truly want—without ever having to ask.
The post How To Ask For a Job – Without Asking For a Job appeared first on Career Point Kenya.Click on the TITLE link for the original.
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