One of the most rewarding things I did in my job search was to tell the interviewer about someone I had recently met at a network meeting. The person I had met was more qualified for this job than I was, and I made an introduction. When I got home I emailed the other person to make sure he followed up.
He did, and he got the job I interviewed for.
Don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t anxious to give away the opportunity, but at that point in my job search I had changed my idea of what my “competition” was. Previously I keep job leads a secret… I didn’t want other job seekers going after similiar jobs to know about it.
But I realized I needed to reconsider these competitors, for two key reasons:
- If they got the job they could be terrific influencers and keep me in mind when a new job came open. Go back to the last three posts on the hidden job market – how powerful is it to have an evangelist in place? VERY.
- We’re all job seekers, all the time. I’d rather develop relationships that can help me in my career, and have a strong network, than to create relationships of animosity and competition with my peers and industry companions.
I’m not saying to always tell others about jobs you are going after (if you do that perhaps you should be a recruiter?), but many times you’ll find opportunities to share openings with contacts – let me invite you to do just that!
