Let Them Find You

After 23 years working for a company that I loved, one that blessed me with a lifetime of amazing opportunities, I was suddenly let go in 2012. At the time, a friend of ours was away on vacation and heard from her father that he was having difficulty getting the TV to work so he could watch the Olympics. I drove over to their house and fixed the problem.

Our friend's father thanked me and said with his thick European accent, "I heard that you lost your job." I responded with a long winded explanation about what had happened and what I was planning to do to find a new job. After I was done, he paused, looked me straight in the eye and simply said, "Let them find you." I drove home that night wondering what he meant but after months of looking for work I understood. Job search is less about looking and more about being found.

How do you get found? That's where LinkedIn comes in. Create a strong 100 character headline with specific job titles and skills. Build a powerful profile inclusive of important keywords that will allow recruiters to find you during their search efforts. Show measurable accomplishments. Develop a strong cross industry network. (I have 8,600 1st level connections, looking to get to 10,000.) Engage in conversations in your news feed. Publish articles. Give and receive recommendations. Add skills and get your contacts to endorse you. Follow influencers. Join groups. "Like" content.

Last week, I was told that starting on June 2nd I will no longer be employed by my current company, but I'm not overly concerned. Although I still have some work to do on my LinkedIn profile, I feel that I've never been in a better position to be "found" again. Do your stuff LinkedIn!