No one wants to play from behind. Whether in sports, projects for work, and especially in their job search. Think about it like this: in IT, it’s encouraged to approach systems proactively. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to approach your career the same way? Too often, Jobspring Partners has seen extremely competent candidates unexpectedly laid off, from no fault of their own, who come through our doors desperate for a role that fits their skillset. At that point, the candidate is playing from behind, when they could have been proactive and taken the power in their own hands before becoming unemployed.
Had this candidate simply considered working their network and remaining connected with their closest peers to stay updated on openings in the market, they could have positioned themselves a bit better in case of the emergency that ultimately did happen. Like most things in life, the best time to prepare for the worst is before the worst can happen.
If you need more convincing, below are a few of the reasons why you should be looking for a new role while you are still working for your current employer:
The Benefit of Time on Your Side
Think critically: how long could you truly support yourself and your dependents without a reliable income? Is that two months, six months, one year? Regardless of the length, this is the maximum amount of time you will have to find a suitable replacement position once you’ve left your current role. However, if you begin looking while you’re already gainfully employed, your timeframe for finding a new role increases exponentially. Without being taunted by upcoming bills without an income, you can focus your search on a position that excites you or will drastically improve your career trajectory rather than just attempting to make ends meet.
Get Busy Working or…
Time and time again we’ve been told by hiring managers that the best candidates are the ones who are actively working. After all, employed candidates are continually proving themselves as assets to their current company. A notable quote from “The Shawshank Redemption” says, ‘Get busy living or get busy dying’ and the job market is the same way. If you’re not showing yourself in the day-to-day as employable and beneficial to a company, you will be making it harder on yourself to find a new job as time goes on!
Not Under Pressure
Have you ever wanted or needed something so badly that when you were put into a situation wherein you could get whatever it was that you wanted or needed, the pressure was simply so much that you botched your attempt to get it? Unfortunately, this happens quite often during interviews when one is facing unemployment. Contrast this with interviewing while you already have a comfortable employment situation: you will be taking a significant amount of pressure off yourself and will ultimately lessen the likelihood of self-sabotage while interviewing for the new role!
Get What You Really Want
If you interview as a passive candidate, don’t forget that you can now be considered the suitor! You will be interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. To use a sports metaphor, “the ball is in your court”, and potential employers are more likely to ‘roll out the red carpet’ for you. Additionally, you have a baseline – is this new job you are interviewing for better or worse than your current situation? If you find it to be worse, there’s no need or reason to proceed! With the luxury of choice, your skillset will hopefully land you a role that will be a step in the professional direction you’ve always wanted to go, a field you’ve always wanted to work in, or a specific JavaScript library you’ve always wanted to work with – the possibilities are endless. As a more passive job seeker, you could be more selective with the companies and roles for which you’d prefer to interview. You are now in control of your commute, the tool sets you’d like to work with, or any other potential employment factors that are important to you.
What You Really Really Want
Finally, if you’re interviewing while currently employed, you’ll have more control over dictating your final offer! The same factors apply here as they did above, but the final offer now needs to be better than your current for you to leave your job. This doesn’t have to come down solely to money, but everything in terms of compensation should line up – focus on the total package that the company offers. Not only will you have the upper-hand to hit that higher salary number, but you can also potentially leverage your current job to get additional vacation time, flexible hours, stock options, equity, or a myriad of other perks that can be included when the offer is extended!
So, if you find yourself in a position that isn’t perfect or you feel the winds of change approaching, make sure to keep your eyes and ears open to all new and exciting opportunities. With the benefit of time, it may even be correct to call your localized and specialized recruiter, and make an appointment with them. They may open doors for you that you never thought possible!