I Dare You to Employ One of These Bold Job-Search Tactics Today

Be bold and ask, because nobody’s going to simply hand you the job you want.

Job search tools and tactics are evolving all the time. Not only do you need to stay up to date, but you should always have staples in your job search tool belt to help you efficiently gain traction in the labor market. If you wait to adopt new tools and techniques until to the moment you need them, you’ll be off the back and disappointed in their effectiveness.

The problem today is that most people are still using yesteryear’s job-finding methods.

Not only have job-search tactics evolved, but your network should be deeper and more expansive than ever, allowing you to leverage numerous contacts in the future in case you need to employ a bold strategy, or ask a bold favor, or make a bold move. Seize control of your job search and career trajectory. Hoping someone will hand you an opportunity is a surefire way to never find the job you want.

Use these strategies if you’re ready to take bold steps:

1. Use the “Connections Of” Feature in LinkedIn, and Actually Foster Conversations

Bob McIntosh, the founder of the Things Career Related blog, told me in a recent podcast conversation that this feature is one of the more useful new features of LinkedIn. By seeing who your connections are connected to, you can deepen your search, quickly make new connections, and ensure your search is focused on people who are related to your industry. Although we were all encouraged to treat LinkedIn like a Rolodex, it’s so much more. If you’re not taking full advantage of its power, jumping on now is likely to begin a new chapter of your career story.

2. Prepare an Entrance and Exit Strategy When Starting a New Job

We all know that making an impact in the first 90 days is essential. But what will you last 90 days look like? By writing a contribution statement, you not only challenge yourself, but you know exactly when it’s time to leave a job; when the job’s done. These days, when average employee tenure is a little over four years, it only makes sense to prepare to eventually move on from your position. It’s smart to treat your future employer more like a business partner and less like life-partner. And the biggest benefit of knowing when to leave is that you’ll be more conscious of constantly creating a demand for your skills. As a job seeker, you need to stay in demand and keep a pathway open to similar long-term employment.

3. Create Lasting Social Proof

Since your competition is global, you need to impress employers more quickly. Your competitors are posting their training trips, Toastmasters speeches and writing clips to showcase their expertise. Declining to demonstrate value through social proof diminishes your career story. It’s also a missed opportunity to show your network why they should refer you.

4. Be Bold: Ask Salary Questions of Your Network

The most powerful and tactical benefit of networking is gaining insight into organizations, their culture, and – should you decide to apply for a job – interview style. In fact, landing an interview is, in and of itself, often a result of diligent networking. You also want to learn about any potential employer’s compensation strategy and practices. And though compensation still seems to be a taboo topic when making contactsg, you might be able to learn about compensation at an organization you’re considering by asking your network.

Hannah Morgan, founder of the Career Sherpa blog says, “The only way that this is going to work is that we take the risk and ask the (salary) question, and help (interviewers when they’re asking us) that question.” More specifically, ask, “‘What is the pay range for this kind of job?’ That way, you’re not asking them for a specific number.”

Your job search becomes stagnant when you feel like you’re doing all the right things but achieve few-to-no results. When that happens, applying to jobs will become mundane, and your search will become ineffective. So be bold, and ask for what you want; your network will be unsure of what you want if you are not direct. It takes courage to do something extraordinary and unique, but sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to generate results. The above strategies are four of a million possibilities you can try to keep your job search moving forward.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

What the boldest thing you’ve ever done in an attempt to land a job, successful or not? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.