About a year ago, a woman who had lost a job she had enjoyed for many years sought me out for career-transition assistance. She told me she had visited my website and believed I could help her find new and fulfilling work.
I thanked her for her confidence in me and then got down to business. After gaining clarity regarding her career aspirations, I told her I was confident I could help her find a new position if she was willing to follow the plan I would outline for her.
She said, “I will do the things you ask me to do. I want to find another meaningful job.”
I presented to her the same plan I have used with countless other people. When I came to the subject of networking—which is often an important factor in the job-search equation—she listened intently. I suggested she reach out to her close contacts on social media, tell them about her current situation, and request any assistance they might be able to offer.
She did that—and every other thing I asked her to do. In less than a week, she was interviewing. In three weeks, she had landed a meaningful job (making more money than she had previously made) and was turning down additional interviews.
Contrast that story with that of a man who engaged my services at about the same time. He had been an executive in a respected company. I presented the exact same plan of action to him. When I got to the topic of networking, I encountered severe pushback. He said he didn’t want to lose stature in his industry by letting people know he had lost his job. He told me it was important to maintain appearances. He said he wasn’t going to tell extended family, friends, or business contacts about his situation “until absolutely necessary.”
When he finished, I invited him to consider a few points:
- What were the chances that word of his current situation had already spread among his professional contacts, friends, and even family?
- What control do any of us really have regarding how people choose to perceive us? (Many consultants make a living by trying to convince us that we have a lot of control.) I am convinced otherwise. As long as we live, each of us will have to contend with a “peanut gallery”—people who will judge us, put us down, and minimize our accomplishments and potential.
- I asked him to consider whose opinion of him ought to be the most important in conducting his life (his own!).
Well, long story short, the last I heard (months after I had worked with him), this man was still looking for a new job.
I have found—both in my personal life and in working with others—that when we humble ourselves and ask for assistance, many people will open both their hearts and their minds to assist us.
And when it comes to finding a new job, engaging the assistance of others can “supercharge” your search efforts. It’s like having a virtual sales force helping you find your next opportunity. So, “Stealth Job Search” or “Assisted Job Search”—the choice is yours!