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You know about job boards and you know about networking, but how much do you know about recruiting for passive candidates? Some recruiters think that the best candidates are the ones who aren’t out there looking, so they use clever tools to find people who fit their search criteria, but who are likely still in a job. How do you make sure that they can find you when they’re looking for someone to fill a job for which you would be a perfect fit? Make yourself known in the places they search.

Recruiters hunting for the perfect passive candidate use search tools like Google and ZoomInfo to locate candidates at competitors’ companies who have the skills and experience they seek. Again, you need to make sure you can be found, and that might include actually building a web site and marketing it. Web summaries on sites like ZoomInfo, as well as blogs, provide personalized URLS that can be used as crawlable homepages on the Web and are good opportunities to showcase your work and interests (more about this later in this chapter).

■ DIGGING INTO THE WEB TO GET TO HIRING MANAGERS

When you’ve struck gold and actually see a perfect job advertised, or you’ve found the perfect company and no jobs are listed, the HR department isn’t the only avenue in. ZoomInfo allows you to click on its advanced search link and search by company. To refine the search, they offer an on-demand product where you pay per search to refine the target list by company, job title, location, and other areas of specialization. Make sure you open your search process to include all the tools available to you and take advantage of those that have already been used by leading employers; which of course means going to Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn to see:

• If the company has a corporate page and who’s connected that you may know

• What jobs they have listed there

• If they have an alumni page

Don’t forget virtual sites like SecondLife.com and the virtual job fairs like those held through the Wall Street Journal. You don’t have to get dressed up and you can visit the site on your own schedule.

WARNING

Only read the following section if you want employers and headhunters to find you and offer you the best jobs before anyone else. I am serious. You will always be one of the first people that they call when they have an opportunity. If you’re naturally shy and can’t handle being popular, don’t read any further. Here are 3 unconventional weapons to heighten your visibility. Building them is easy and there are lots of shortcuts for smart guerrillas:

1. Your personal web site

2. Your blog

3. MySpace and Facebook

I put them in this order because of their usefulness, ease of construction, and control. You can control the first three. MySpace and Facebook accounts, while free, are subject to each site’s particular terms and conditions, which, if you violate, can have your site taken down. I also find there are a lot of people who cannot stay off their MySpace and Facebook account once they’re on it, which will reduce the effectiveness of your job search.

GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE

Employment 2.0

James Durbin

As the wave of information unleashed by the Internet continues to overwhelm recruiters, your ability to stand out in the online crowd adds a new dimension to job seeking. It’s no longer good enough to be a good or great employee. Broadcasting your abilities in search engines and social media sites, even when you’re not ready to switch jobs, is something you’ll need to learn.

The good news is that small actions you take now can help insulate you from the turmoil of the job market. Building a comprehensive online presence now gives you the advantage in both current and future searches.

Here is your Must Do List for Employment 2.0:

1. Sign up for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social networking service that allows recruiters to search for you by title, school, company, and geographic location. Take the time to fully complete a winning profile, reach out to a few friends, and accept invitations when they