A Proactive Career Search vs. A Reactive Job Search
What’s the difference?
A reactive person waits for something to happen to them before they take action. Conversely, a proactive person thinks about what could happen and prepares accordingly.
Let’s say we have two drivers speeding down 95 North into Providence during morning rush hour. A semitrailer enters an on ramp and begins pushing into the lane (with no directional of course), in danger of hitting the commuters. The reactive driver will see the tires cross the dotted line, realize the impending danger, panic and swerve wildly to avoid the collision. The proactive driver will see the haphazard semi speeding up the ramp and calmly begin to change lanes before danger ensues.
The Reactive Job Search
“I applied to 50 jobs online this week, and I haven’t gotten a single call back.” Does this sound familiar? The problem with this strategy is, you’re throwing your resume in with hundreds of other applications. Competition is up and qualifications are down. Were all of those jobs really a perfect fit for your skills; or were you a little bit off the mark on their qualifications and you figured you’d just throw your hat in the ring anyway?
With this method, it’s impossible to stand out from the clutter. It’s also a very tedious and disappointing process. You invest all of that time repetitiously applying to one job and the next but you don’t get any return on your investment.
The Proactive Job Search
Proactive job seekers choose the job; they do not wait for the job to choose them. In a proactive search, you choose the company you want to work for and then do some research and leverage your contacts to make a meaningful introduction to the decision makers.
Research your top companies. Use Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and sites like Glassdoor and Monster to learn about the company culture. When you follow this company on Linked In, you can see if you have any connections there.
You need someone who can advocate for you and draw you a map. Someone who already knows managers in that company and the type of person they are looking for. Someone who can push you right past the clutter so you’re only competing with 3 or 4 other candidates instead of 100.
Take Action and Team Up
Have you considered working with a staffing agency to help you land your dream job at your top company? At Silverman McGovern, we are not just an agency of cheerleaders, we are the key to opening the door to a new career. Silverman McGovern has a very large client network consisting of over two decades of partnerships. Sure, every staffing agency out there has jobs to fill. We just happen to have authorized contracts with the largest companies in the state of Rhode Island. Not to mention a stellar team with years of experience connecting great people with great companies. Real professionals know how companies hire and what tools they use to source talent. Staffing and recruiting agencies are by far the number one resource for sourcing talent in the candidate pool.
We have the connections to make your job search a proactive process. We’re not just going to help you get your foot in the door, either. We want to partner with you for your entire career – from a foot to a hand and then a shoulder. If you want to be a proactive job seeker, team up with us!
