The Invisible Professional: How to stand out in today’s job market

By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

This Article was named a top job search blog post by Jobmob.co.il.

“To do such a thing would be to exceed magic. And I saw, unclear with doubt, a magnificent vision of all that invisibility can mean to a man – the mystery, the power, the freedom. Disadvantages? I saw no one.” – HG WELLS, The invisible man

Griffin, the protagonist of Wells’ book, may have thought that there were no disadvantages to being the invisible man, but for planning a career, to be “invisible” should now be considered malpractice for any serious professional.

After all, the person who comes ahead is not always the smartest or the one who works hardest, even if it is great qualities to have. People move on by paying attention to the opportunity. Sometimes they are internal in your organization. Usually they are external.

Unless you plan to hover from job search to job search, apply for jobs (is not so fun!) And wades through the applicant’s tracking systems and AI that decides whether to interview, take proactive steps to cut the line and become “the selected” proactive.

Move to the front of the line

One of the most comfortable and surprising experiences I have ever had was to land in Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow with my wife and recently adopted son. Hundreds of people waited to pass through immigration, but when we were noticed, we were waved to the front of the line because we had an infant with us. The encouragement to go to the front of the line does not evoke indignation and name calls of people, we went ahead, as it could in most other places.

It was a delight after our 7 p.m. 08:00 from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Moscow had to make an emergency landing at an abandoned aircraft base, waiting for seven hours for a replacement plan to flew in and be maintained by a soda in an unheated terminal building. In the United States, we would all have been stoned face in line waiting for our trip.

Unfortunately, most people wait for their trip to be called to the next option instead of creating the conditions to be called. How can you change your circumstances?

1. Works marketing extremely well. Whatever your field, no matter what your business-and-white collar, blue collar, it makes no difference — there is a shortage of labor in the United States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Tending Survey, there is less than an unemployed person available to each job opening in the US, down from a highlight of more than six in July 2009. New hiring has been exceeded separations from the workforce since 2011.

2nd volunteer for work that is significant. Volunteering can be an important way to develop your visibility both internal in your organization and external. Before I accept a task, do you have to ask yourself the questions: Who can I meet? What can I learn? If none of the answers excite you, don’t go up. Let others do it.

3. Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Both business and third-party recruiters spend thousands of dollars a year seeking LinkedIn for profiles of people who match skills to open jobs. Keeping your profile up to date allows them to search and find you to suggest new opportunities for you. Check in on LinkedIn daily to respond to messages you receive with options. Download the app and check and answer your messages.

4. Write articles. Who would publish what you have to say? First, LinkedIn has a blog platform that you can publish to that allows what you write to be placed by Google. You can share your articles with your connections. There are sites that specialize in what you know may be willing to publish what you have to say. In addition, interviews with others are a good vehicle to write an article.

5. Create content for YouTube. Interview with people to YouTube is an improved version of writing. It enables you to be recognized as an expert because your guest is asked quality questions by you. Soon LinkedIn will roll LinkedIn live for everyone (it’s still in beta when I write this). You will also be able to do live interviewer there.

6. Become a speaker. Public speakers have many forms. You can talk to trading groups at conferences, be interviewed by others for their podcast as well as for YouTube and LinkedIn Live. If you are afraid of being a speaker is the best way to overcome this fear of attending local toastmasters meetings and making your mistakes in front of a supportive group. It helped me – and now, more than 8,000 videos and 2,800 podcasts later, I know I help others.

When you chase the opportunity because you are aggressively looking for a position, it’s like being in a pond with thousands of fish that all jump after a hook. Instead, you will be the person they reach for opportunities. By being in this place and developing your celebrity through visibility, over the course of time, a better class of work will present itself to you.

Like your 401 (K) and IRA, an investment today, tomorrow and the next day can pay massive results in the future. It doesn’t take much time. It does not require much effort. It requires consistency. Remember that you are CEO of your life and your career. Don’t outsource it to others so they make decisions that affect you without your conscious consent. Taking these simple steps can put you back in control for many years to come.

The post The Invisible Professional: How to stand out in today’s job market first appeared at Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter.