Passive Job Seeking (Even When You Love Your Job!)
Recently I read an article, Passive Job Seeking (Even When You Love Your Job!) by Eileen Hoenigman Meyer, that had a reminder for all of us:
Jobs are not like romantic relationships. It’s not disloyal to keep one eye open while we’re happily engaged in a professional role.
We should all prioritize our own career trajectories. Whether we’re in a job we love (or sometimes not), that is no guarantee that we’ll have the same job security that keeps us in love. Consider passive job searching like window shopping — you may never try on what you see, but it’s helpful to know what’s fashionable and widely available right now. And if you’re made to feel disloyal, that’s a great indication you should find a place that doesn’t make loyalty a job requirement.
The author Eileen Hoenigman Meyer offers the following tips for the passive job-seeker:
Take Stock of Where You Are Now
“Reviewing and revising your materials offers an opportunity to take stock of where you are in your current role, noting what you’ve learned, what new responsibilities you’ve assumed, what committees you’ve served, and any new roles or responsibilities you’ve absorbed.”
Update Your Social Media & Network
“[R]evisit your LinkedIn profile and to reach out to colleagues and contacts with whom you’ve been working. Maintaining your network is especially important during the isolation of quarantine when you don’t have the usual social outlets that come with working in the office. Finding ways to stay engaged and involved is helpful. Networking is important among these.”
Get Ahead and Organize
“[O]rganize your search by 1) preparing documents ahead of time, 2) reading through job descriptions to find those that are a good match with their education/experience, 3) researching whether the institution would be a ‘good fit’ for them, and 4) dedicating time in the week to solely focus on the job search.”
One benefit I found by window-shopping jobs was learning that I didn’t have current technology skills — like using social media apps or design apps. Taking the time to add this skill took the pressure off learning the skill mid-search and added to my current position.
Continue reading Passive Job Seeking (Even When You Love Your Job!) by Eileen Hoenigman Meyer, from HigherEdJobs.com
Additional Reading
If you are considering a job change, or just want to be prepared for one in the future, check out these Medium.com articles that I’ve written on the topic.
- Four Tips for Doing Your Homework Before a Tough Interview
- Four Questions to Ask in a Job Interview Right Now
- Four Ways to Know When It Is Time to Move On
I can’t say why I am obsessed with giving four hints to do something, but apparently that has been a thing for me!
Joseph Rios, Ed.D., publishes on Medium three times a week; follow him here to get each post in your email — and if you’re not a Medium member, you can join here.
Joseph works in non-profit workforce development, after 20 years working in higher education administration. He has a background in diversity, equity, and inclusion education, professional development, training, and leadership development. He’s the author of Tales of a Displaced Worker and The SAGA Facilitation Model.
