Get out of the queue … and get the job you REALLY want!

Do you like queues? I don’t – I hate them!?

So why wait in an online queue when you see that job you REALLY WANT ... only be added to a long list of people to be reviewed (and reviewed some more), contacted, screened etc??

?I’m sure you get my point.

I’ve now been an Executive Recruiter for 15 years, working with senior managers and professionals, and I know that there are much more effective ways to get a new role than just responding to job ads.?

How many times have you looked at a job ad and thought about whether you should apply or not? Then you decide to apply, but you need to tweak and update your resume and write your covering letter, so you think some more and wait some more, applying a few days later.?

But guess what? There are 357 other people ahead of you, all applying for the same job.

Good luck!

What if there was a way of going right up to the front of the queue, having the right conversation and asking the right questions to get what you want?

?I’m here to let you know that there is. Whether you are excited or feel challenged by this possibility, you can save yourself a lot of time, so choose to swim against the tide and stand out from the pack.

? Step 1: Reach out to your LinkedIn network immediately

People work with people they know, like and trust. Use this to your advantage.

People know people and that has a compounding effect for your network and its reach within the industry, whether you remain in your current role and industry or change to something new.?

It's OK to feel awkward when you ask people for a favour ...

If you’re like most people, you will feel some degree of resistance to asking others for help. This can range from minor resistance (where you do it anyway) to major resistance, where you procrastinate and don’t do it.

Let me ask you to consider this question – would you invest $1 on the odds that you could get a $2 return? Or maybe, to up the value, would you invest $1,000 on the odds that you could get a $5,000 return? I know I’d say yes.

Now if I said, ‘Would you invest in an action that has a discomfort level of two, three, four or five out of ten to get a return of seven, eight, nine or ten out of ten?’ Surely you would if there was a low risk investment to get a high-return and high-reward outcome.?

So, just do it – ask people. At worst they will say no or not respond. At best, you could get the job you want.

? Step 2: Reach out to the hiring manager and influencers at your target company

First of all, it's OK to reach out to strangers when you have something that benefits them.

The way we communicate for work has dramatically changed over the last decade. People are far more accessible than before, which is good news for you because you may not have to deal with the formal ‘gate-keepers’ any longer.?There is almost always a way (if there is a will) to contact the person you want to connect with.

LinkedIn is your path connect to anyone in the world of work!

The simplest way is to identify who in that company needs to know immediately, that you are interested in the role .... my guess is..

1. The hiring manager
2. The people who are key stakeholders (to the success of this role)
3. The HR and Corporate Recruitment team
4. Anyone you may know in the company

Start by sending a LinkedIn connection request. From my experience coaching Executives on this strategy, 40% of people accept invitations from people they don't know within the first week and this can go up to 60-70% within the next few weeks.

?? Message 1: The connection request

Say something like

"I help SaaS vendors scale in APAC by building teams, recruiting partners and acquiring new customers ... we should connect for future, mutually beneficial opportunities".

You should also mention people you know in common or anything interesting you have noticed on their LinkedIn profile

?? Message 2: The value proposition

Once they accept the connection request, follow up with another message like:

"Hi John,

I want to make you aware that I'm selectively considering new opportunities.

Over the past five years I have helped:

1. SkyWaker start-up and scale from $0 - $10M in APAC

2. Quantifiable and desirable result 2

3. Quantifiable and desirable result 3

If this helps you achieve your goals in the year ahead, we should have an introductory conversation.

James"

This strategy has helped over 50 executives I know personally secure meaningful conversations and jobs they really wanted.

If you are willing to go beyond the discomfort of asking, you are going to experience the joy of receiving!

In summary, Social Networking and Social Hiring are two sides of the same coin. If you learn how to reach out and ask people for what you want ... you are more likely to get jobs you really like and a career that you will love.

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Pree Sarkar?is an Executive Recruiter and Career Advisor to Managers and Professionals at Start-Up, Scale-Up and Publicly listed global technology companies.

He is the Managing Director at Switch - a leading firm in the areas of Recruitment, Executive Search and Career Advisory across the APAC region (Singapore, Hong Kong and ANZ).

?? Message Pree for Executive Search and Recruitment support in ANZ and APAC.