Maybe you don’t want to start a full-on job search. Your current job is busy enough and you don’t feel like sneaking around and setting up interviews around town that your boss will likely catch word of. Well, there are some things you can do, some might even be fun.

Industry Meet-ups

These are great opportunities to meet people. And don’t worry it’s not just hard-charging overachievers going to these things. It’s anybody who has an interest in advancing their careers and getting out there and meeting people. As you talk shop with different people, you’ll be surprised how much you can learn. Maybe there are new ways to use software or platforms that you never thought of. And recruiters flock to these events to grow their “passive pools”. Those are the pools filled with really talented people who aren’t actively seeking work (you?) but are interested in hearing about different offers. This is how many people get hired.

Spruce up the Personal Brand

Keep the resume and portfolio moving along with you. Be very thoughtful about what sort of return on investment you pose to prospective employers. Talk about achievements and use hard numbers whenever possible. Don’t forget to include all the certifications. And be sure to make all facets of social media shine.

Get on Email Lists

Talk to recruiters and use LinkedIn to find out who’s hiring. Even the bulk lists can turn up something that could lead you down the right path. Recruiters are using many different tools to find people. Besides LinkedIn, different industries have different apps to help connect you. And having a good quality recruiter in your back pocket always helps to find stuff that really makes sense for you.

Most job hunts start sort of casually then pick up steam when something attractive comes along. It’s always smart to keep your antenna pointed the right way so you have a sense of what’s going on, and when that really great opportunity comes along, you’re ready to set the hook.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.