How do I find a job when I’m busy at work?

Question

I have 15 years’ experience in my field. My company is stagnating and there’s no upward path for me. I’ve been talking to other companies, but it always seems as though I am either over-qualified or under-qualified. I’ve worked with headhunters and have networked through friends and business associates, but it’s very difficult to search for a new job when I’m very busy at work. Is there anything else I can do?

Nick’s Reply

I appreciate your situation: full-time job and no time to job hunt. However, if you do it the right way, it shouldn’t interfere much with your current job.

Most people turn it into a time-consuming numbers game because they waste their time with the traditional approach: reading the job boards, writing cover letters, filling out endless online forms, sending resumes to people they don’t know (and who don’t know them), and going on the wrong interviews. (“Look! I’ve applied for over 400 jobs!”) This can tie up a lot of time with little reward.

Don’t waste your time; invest it

The headhunter’s approach (I’m referring to good headhunters, not those who are “dialing for dollars”) is quite different, more powerful, and it works. You don’t send out lots of resumes, go on just any of interviews, or spend your time on the job boards.

Instead, you invest your time talking with people who do the work you want to do. That helps you focus on just those jobs that are right for you (rather than jobs for which you are over- or under-qualified), and it lets you leverage your contacts. Moreover, it can take less time because you choose companies to pursue rather than try to chase any “opportunity” that comes along.

Choose, don’t chase

Here’s roughly how it works.

• Pursue a small handful of companies — ideally, one at a time. It’s more manageable and more fruitful.
• Base your chosen targets on the actual research you do on a company, not on whether it’s running a job posting.
• Approach only companies that are absolutely right for you, based on your research. Don’t be lured by “what’s available.”
• Don’t use resumes to introduce yourself — develop personal contacts instead.
• Talk only to the hiring manager, not to HR.
• Be prepared to talk about the manager’s business, not about a job. This will distinguish you from the competition.

Good contacts are all around you

Now for the key: How do you find the right people to talk to? (Hint: you won’t find them in the job postings!)

Use your professional contacts — people you talk with every day. You need not tell anyone you’re looking for a job in order to explore opportunities in your industry. Be discreet, but start talking!

Good contacts are all around you. Your vendors, customers, members of professional associations you belong to — all are people you can talk to with little risk. Don’t ask for job leads. Instead, ask for insights about their companies, the industry, advice about how you can learn more, and how you can meet others who do the work you want to do. Let them bring up the issue of new jobs.

When it’s done right, job search isn’t drudgery and doesn’t take a lot of time during your work day. It requires careful research and talking to a small handful of the right people — people who are affiliated with (or do business with) the company you want to work for.

That’s how you get introduced to your next boss.

When you’re looking for a new job, how do you avoid having your time wasted? What are the most productive steps you follow?

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