Passive Job Search: Find Jobs When You’re Not Actively Looking | FlexJobs

In an era when job hunting has become largely virtual, one of the advantages is that it’s become easy to be a passive job seeker. A passive job seeker is one who isn’t actively on a job search but who is open to hearing about interesting opportunities that might be a good fit.

To help you keep feelers out in the right direction toward a position that might be too good to pass up, though, you need to find ways to stay on the radar screen of recruiters, hiring managers, and people in your network. The goal is to stay visible to decision-makers and other professionals, and to take the steps necessary to increase the chances that people will reach out to you with awesome jobs.

In other words, being a passive job seeker doesn’t mean doing nothing; you need to take specific actions to maximize the chances that people will think of you in association with the types of positions you might jump at. Here are some ways to be a passive job seeker by leveraging your online presence and your connections effectively.

— Leverage LinkedIn

Some people create a LinkedIn profile, log off the site, and never look at it again. This hands-off approach might do you more harm than good if a recruiter or other hiring professional comes across your profile and it’s outdated. If employers can’t tell what role you currently hold or what your recent employment history is, then they won’t be able to match you appropriately with open posts.

Treat your LinkedIn profile the same way that you would a resume. Each time you change positions or accomplish something meaningful in your profession, record it in the “experience” section of your profile. Add new courses taken and skills learned, as well as memberships and associations that you belong to.

You can also add an objective that tells recruiters (and others who may be looking for talent) what types of opportunities you’re open to hearing about. Stay connected with others in your industry by writing or posting relevant content in your feed.

— Tend to Your Network

Having connections on LinkedIn and through other forums will be less effective if you don’t keep them current. Create relationships through common interests, and stay in touch with people who work in areas that you’re interested in.

When others in your professional network ask for reasonable favors, help them out. And if you’re not actively searching for work but would consider an opportunity from a particular company or industry, build your network to incorporate contacts who might have leads.

— Keep an Eye on the Right Sites

Just because you aren’t conducting a full-on job search doesn’t mean you can’t maintain awareness of what’s out there—you never know when circumstances might shift with your current employer, or the perfect job might be posted that would make you jump ship.

For example, if you work in an office and want to work from home, FlexJobs can help you stay informed about remote, flexible, and work-from-home opportunities through a personalized online search that vets positions to match what you might be interested in, even when you aren’t formally looking.

— Stay Engaged in Industry Events

While you may not be pounding the pavement and attending networking events to try to land a job, there are plenty of virtual conferences, courses, and other professional events that can keep you in the loop about what’s happening in your line of work without leaving your living room.

By keeping your name front and center at these types of meetings and actively engaging in them to meet people, you’ll be top of mind if someone you met has an opportunity you could be a fit for.

Search Passively but Productively

The key to passive job searching is to stay active enough that recruiters, hiring managers, and professionals in your industry think of you when jobs come up. By taking actions to ensure your online presence works for you and being visible in the right places, you increase your chances of hearing about a job you might decide you want—even though you weren’t looking for it.