I have worked as a process engineer in a medium-sized company since graduating two years ago and am now seeking new opportunities within a larger organisation. I appreciate that I should be grateful to have any job with redundancies and recruitment freezes dominating the headlines, but I’d still like to try to follow my intended career path despite the economic conditions. Do you have any advice about uncovering hidden opportunities or is this outlook completely naïve at the moment?
You’re right that current economic conditions and unemployment levels make finding work challenging (to say the least!) While it is certainly fair to say that a job search won’t be a breeze, there are still opportunities out there - you might just need to look harder to find them and invest even more time and effort into applying for them.
I’d recommend focusing on your business network. With at least a third of all job seekers finding work through business or personal contacts – up to 75% for the engineering industry – enhancing your business network could open up new opportunities. Advertising budgets are inevitably shrinking as a result of the recession so it’s not surprising that, when vacancies do arise, companies are keen to minimise the costs associated with filling them. Telling people about your accomplishments and letting your contacts know that you’re available for work could mean that they come straight to you before they pay to advertise the role.
You’re fortunate that - compared to those out of work who have bills to pay and families to support – securing your next role is not a matter of urgency, so you can work on extending your business network almost at your leisure. Take steps to identify existing contacts, making lists of different groups of people that you know and then decide who you would like to add to your network, engaging in the types of networking activities that will allow you to make contact with these individuals:
• Traditional networking events run by industry institutions are an excellent way to meet like-minded professionals whose expertise may prove to be invaluable. Use them as a way to exchange information though; don’t expect to walk away with a wealth of useful advice without being willing to share your own expertise and, conversely, avoid being too brash about your achievements – you should be looking to establish a careful balance between self-promotion and boasting!
• Registering with business-orientated social networking websites like LinkedIn can also help. LinkedIn is free to join and users start by creating a profile, like a mini CV, to describe their work history / areas of expertise and display testimonials from clients or co-workers. Users can also join groups for similarly-qualified professionals or people with a shared interest and use the discussion forums and job portals to expand their network. The site’s “Answers” feature can be used to obtain specific information – check how other people have used it for tips.
• As well as attendance at networking events and registration on social networking sites, you can also work on enhancing your relationship with existing contacts that could help you. Mention your job search to friends, former co-workers, clients and other business associates and ask around to see if anyone knows someone who could help you. Use recruitment consultants as an element of your network too: they are well connected and have a good overall idea of the opportunities that are available – and they’ll think of you when they hear about suitable vacancies if you keep them up to date with what you’re looking for.
So, while you’re understandably cautious about engaging in a job search at the moment, it is still possible to make people aware of your intentions and inform your contacts about the skills you have to offer. Take some subtle steps towards doing this as a starting point, which should give you time to consider opportunities when they do arise, avoiding hasty decision-making or an ill-advised resignation.
