TIME was that being downsized or right sized or laid off or fired was a call to action.
It was a time to fire up the old resume, do a little updating and start banging on doors, looking for a new job.
That was then, this is now, and today if you start updating your resume on the day your employment status changes from "in a relationship" to "looking for new opportunities" you are far behind where you need to be.
According to Paul Hill, author of The PanicFree Job Search (www. transitiontohired.com/panicfree-job-search) the time to start thinking about your next job is right now, even if (and especially if) you are gainfully and happily employed.
The digital age has changed how we are hired and how we find jobs as much as it has changed the face of work itself. Our experience is now far less important that it once was in finding a new job, not that we don't need that experience and the skills that come with it.
Instead, to be even considered for a job we now require some online credibility. Where our resume experience before was a huge factor for opening doors, now it is our profile, our reputation and our network that will open the door and allow the experience and talent we possess to finally win a new opportunity.
When there is a job opening, companies are inclined to look to less traditional paths to fill vacancies, so the big job boards or online and newspaper ads and even a company's own job postings on their website are becoming secondary to social media for finding candidates.
It is all about social media now, as companies are asking employees to recommend candidates, sometimes rewarding them for successful recommendations. And so employees peruse their friend list in Facebook and LinkedIn to see if there is a good fit for the opening. Even if they have only passing familiarity with a potential candidate, they can offer an introduction that benefits both employer and candidate. Social sites (especially LinkedIn) become a terrific recruiting tool, so the broader your network the more likely you are to have a person in your circle of contacts who will represent an opportunity, either as candidate or job opportunity.
As the techniques for finding candidates have changed, so have the way we are noticed.
Instead of just doing your job well and getting recommendations from managers, a savvy professional joins discussion boards in their field of interest and posts thoughtful and pertinent comments. They keep their reputation squeaky clean, and avoid getting into controversy. They keep their online profile up-to-date and make sure it represents a positive professional image.
By being a part of these communities you meet new contacts online, garner respect and build a personal brand. Then when the time comes that you are looking or forced into a move, you have currency in the marketplace to leverage into the opening of doors that may lead to a better situation.
You never know when you are going to need to look for a new job, or when a perfect new job may come calling. Building a personal brand online is a must do for all professionals, in a way it is the best unemployment insurance one can have.
Steve Dotto is host of Dotto Tech, 6 p.m. Wednesdays on AM650. E-mail your questions and comments to questions@ dottotech.com. Visit him online at www.dottotech.com or at www.facebook.com/dottotech.
