Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
It can be an exhausting, but necessary, process to search out several hundred job opportunities through networking, job boards, company websites and newspapers, when only a handful will lead to actual job offers. What if there was a way to have those of influence seek you out and make offers to you? If you are visible, then this becomes a more likely scenario.
What do I mean by visibility? Well first, let me explain what I do not mean. I do not mean posting your resume on a big job board (if you have seen national advertisements for the website on a national television show, this is a major job board). In most cases, this will lead to a large increase in your spam email box and not yield many favorable opportunities.
Creating a LinkedIn.com profile is getting a bit warmer. When one goes beyond just signing up for the site and listing their areas of expertise, relevant skills and experience as well as several appropriate recommendations, it is possible that they may be found by an employer looking to hire or a recruiter seeking to fill an job opportunity.
To really be visible in your field, you must be seen as an expert. There are several ways to do this. Here are three to get you started:
1) Blogging is a way to demonstrate your expertise in your field of interest. It is easy to start and you never know who will find you.
2) Publish. Write an article for a scholarly journal or trade publication in your field.
3) Speak. Research what conferences would benefit from your knowledge. Send a proposal to give a talk.
When you are acknowledged as an expert, others will seek you out. There may be opportunities for full time employment, part time work or even on a consulting basis.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com