One of my most favorite clients said to me recently, “Wow, I am glad that I invested the time to meet with your candidate even though we didn’t have an opening because we just had a guy put in his resignation today.” Likewise, I had a candidate say to me a while back, “I am glad I took your call even though I wasn’t looking because my boss resigned last week and I am now being assigned to another supervisor who I don’t see eye to eye with..”
Life offers us but one guarantee: Life is constantly changing. To keep ahead of this curve and not be blindsided, it’s in your best interest to always be open to new situations. If you are in a position of leadership then you know that there’s no guarantee that your rock star engineer will be with you forever so you need to anticipate that change can happen. It’s a good thing to always be interviewing talent even if you don’t have an “opening.”
Even if you love your job and your company, there’s no guarantee. Just ask someone who worked their entire career for URS. I am not suggesting that you remain in a state of chronic unease, but rather, remain open-minded and flexible. Life has a way of throwing us curveballs and when that happens and you find yourself being downsized or moved to another department and manager, it’s not the time to start networking. It also puts the power of decision-making squarely in your control and that’s empowering. Don’t fear change, embrace it.
What can you do?
Keep your network healthy: ask a former colleague or someone you know from ACEC out to lunch and see if there’s anything you can do to help them
Keep your resume updated: when the dream opportunity lands on your doorstep you can investigate it without having to spend your weekend scrambling to update your resume and project list
Interview even when you don’t have a need: when HR sends you a resume that looks like an A-Player, schedule a call to “meet” them or schedule a 30-minute coffee- even if you don’t have an opening
Keep your LinkedIn profile updated: connect with people you meet at conferences and meetings
Keep an open mind!
By working with The Smith Consulting Group as a candidate, we can assist you in your interview preparation. Click here for a short video on further interview preparation tips.