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What if I told you that one of the best ways to get noticed by recruiters is to network with your competitors and let them be your advocates.
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And by your competitors, I mean the other people in your profession who are approximately at your level and doing a job similar to your own.
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I know, it seems like bad advice.
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How will cozying up to your competitors actually help you?
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Aren't they trying to get noticed by the very same corporate and executive recruiters that you are?
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I am gonna tell you why you don't need to worry about the competition.
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You don't need to worry about your competitors, because they don't want the job.
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Let me repeat that.
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They don't want the job.
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I worked for several years as a senior recruiter at a top executive search firm filling quite a few attractive roles in my industry of focus.
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And the funny thing about it was that the vast majority of the potential candidates I reached out to, they just weren't interested.
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You don't need the most expansive imagination to figure out why.
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Here's some of the most common reasons the people I reached out to gave for saying,"No thanks." I have a great job now and I'm not ready to leave it.
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I think I'll be up for a promotion soon, and I'd like to get that title on my resume first.
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My spouse or my partner has a job they really like, and they wouldn't wanna move right now.
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My teenage kids have good friends and are doing well in school, and I just don't want to upset the apple cart.
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I wouldn't wanna move so far away from my parents who are getting older and may need my help.
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That sounds like a great opportunity, Doug, but it just doesn't feel like the right one for me.
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You get the idea for one or more of potentially countless reasons, the competition won't be interested in what a recruiter has to offer.
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Here's why your competitors will gladly be your advocates in that kind of situation.
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Think about what happens when they're not interested.
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The recruiter as a next step pushes for referrals, and your competitors will want to provide those referrals to be helpful.
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After all, they want the recruiter to call back again at some point.
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Things may and probably will change at some point down the road, and all those reasons your competitors currently have for turning down the recruiter's opportunities may evaporate.
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Your competition, may want or need a new job at some point in the future.
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And they value the relationship with the recruiter, so they naturally see the benefit of building some goodwill now when they're in a position of strength.
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And the best way to build goodwill with a recruiter is to provide a solid referral or two, or maybe even three.
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And when your competitors are making those referrals, you want to be one of the first people that comes to mind.
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And the only way you will be is if they, number one, remember you, and number two, know that the recruiter's opportunity is one you might be interested in.
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So your assignment is a simple one.
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Develop a manageable networking strategy that's focused on your competition.
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Cultivate a list of colleagues who are likely to be on a recruiter's contact list when the recruiter is filling roles you'd potentially be interested in.
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These colleagues should be in similar roles to yours and in the same or similar industries.
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Shoot for both reach and frequency, just like an advertising campaign, and make sure you get the messaging right.
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In terms of reach and frequency, how many people do you think you'd be able to stay in touch with on at least an annual basis?
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Staying in touch can mean grabbing a meal, a coffee or a drink, a 10 to 15-minute phone or Zoom chat, a substantive email or text exchange.
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You name it.
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The frequency and mode of communication will vary by person and the nature of your relationship with them.
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Find a secure place to maintain that list of people and, at a minimum, set a regular reminder to be in touch with each of them on a cadence you think makes sense and is practical given your work and life obligations.
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Your system doesn't need to be overly complicated.
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In terms of messaging, be sure to weave three key points into your conversations.
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Role, context, and impact.
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This is what your competitors will need to know about you in order to refer recruiters your way.
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And here are the specifics on each.
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The first is what kind of role would you consider next?
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If you don't know the exact titles, what are the key activities you'd want to be engaged in on a daily or a weekly basis?
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In terms of context, which one is the right one for you?
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What kind of product or service do you want to be working on?
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What is the company's ideal size or stage?
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Where is it located physically, or is it distributed or entirely virtual?
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What kinds of people do you work best with?
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Don't worry about having a target list of actual companies.
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A lot of people get hung up on this one.
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Just provide enough context so that your competitors will be able to make the connection to you when opportunities are presented to them by recruiters.
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And finally, what impact do you want to have in your work?
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As a recruiter, I was usually looking for someone who would have a specific kind of impact or help a client organization overcome a particular challenge.
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What kind of impact do you hope to have in your next role?
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Do you want to push the boundaries with a new technology?
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Do you want to help an organization be more effective and efficient?
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There aren't any limits here.
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Just make sure whatever you communicate is authentic and reflects the work you'd actually like to do and the life you'd like to live.
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Of course you don't wanna arrive at a networking conversation with an obvious list to present.
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That could be more than a little tedious, let's face it.
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Instead, incorporate these ideas that I've suggested into your vision when you're talking or musing about your future with your contacts.
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And don't forget reciprocity.
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Make sure you have an understanding of these same three points about your competitors, or let's start calling them your colleagues.
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Ask your colleagues where they see themselves in the future and the kind of work they might be doing.
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Take a few notes during or after the conversation.
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After all, the next time a recruiter calls, you might not want the job, and you'll want the goodwill earned by offering up a few solid referrals.
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If you're not entirely sure what your ideal role, context and impact might be, consider signing up for a Career Strategy Session with me at careernarratives.com/strategy.
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I work one-on-one with a limited number of ambitious professionals, helping them craft their narratives and advance their careers.
