They always say it’s easier to find work when you are already employed. But advertising that you are open to new opportunities doesn’t look good to your current employer, and can have negative repercussions on your existing work situation or lose you a referral in the future. Interestingly, the professional networking site LinkedIn has found a way to work around this problem. Their new Open Candidate feature allows members to privately signal recruiters you are open to new job opportunities. Here’s how that little feature can help on your job search.
Search for Jobs Without Burning Bridges
Most employers know for their workers to continue building their careers, they are always on the lookout for new and exciting job opportunities. That’s simply the way the job market works these days. In all likelihood, they are doing the same thing for their careers. But there’s a difference between actively looking for a new job and being open to future opportunities. LinkedIn provides an interesting tool that connects recruiters with the prospective candidates who would be open to looking at changing jobs for the right opportunity. More importantly, it does this while not advertising your availability to your co-workers and your manager, which helps you maintain current working relationships should you choose to stay with your employer.
Master the Passive Job Search
This feature also allows you to specify what types of companies and roles you are most interested in. Your information is added to a searchable database which the recruiting community can use to find the right fit for existing job opportunities. Of course, if you are contacted, you don’t need to accept the offer to apply, but it can be a nice way to let online recruiters know what sort of positions would tempt you away from your current gig. This saves everyone time and effort, and inevitably leads to greater job-search success with minimal effort.
But Keep in Mind…
While LinkedIn says your company won’t see your interest, be careful. As you should always be aware, nothing on the internet is ever guaranteed to be private. And without knowing how your employer, your manager or your co-workers are connected online, you might end up sharing more information than you would like. Even the act of updating your LinkedIn profile can result in your employer getting the hint that you are on the hunt for something bigger and better.
In conclusion, LinkedIn’s Open Candidate feature can potentially help you on your job search, but tread carefully because privacy is not guaranteed. If you think the repercussions of your employer finding out are too great, chances are the risk is not likely worth the reward.
Work With a Leader in Power Generation Recruitment
If you are interested in help finding your next gig, but are too cautious to throw open the doors to recruiters on LinkedIn, a great solution is to connect with a real recruiter and contact Energy Services Group International. As a leader in recruitment in the energy industry, we work with you one on one to help find the job that’s right for you.