HITC Life's career expert returns with a top recruiter to deliver their collective four cents (which are actually worth more like £400), and start with the basics: It’s not who you know - it’s who knows you.

With the credit crunch biting like a pit bull, showing no sign of letting go anytime soon, being able to find a new job is a vital skill, especially when you still have your current one. The most effective way to do this is to increase your visibility so that while you do all you can to secure a new role, recruiters who are looking to fill those rare vacancies, can also find you.

Gone are the days where head-hunters relied purely on their ability to network around London’s exclusive members clubs, or produce extensive research into specific markets to identify the key players. Only this week, one of us received a call from a head-hunter approaching me about a position. When questioned how he got the name, he was quite open and told me that they were using a research company based in India who specialise in outsourced research. Our belief is that this company is probably spending their time using the latest name-gathering software which has the ability to search the internet and pick up details from a variety of web-sites and publications.

These days, many head-hunters will create source lists of candidates with similar job titles to the one they are looking to recruit, then call you without any knowledge of your background. We are certainly not against these methods, as these approaches will get you access to positions that may not be advertised on internet job boards, or exclusively with certain head-hunters.

To raise your market profile and to get yourself onto one of these source-lists, we suggest the following:

• Register on networking sites such as LinkedIn.
• Speak at conferences or get your name on conference attendee lists. Even if you don’t attend, recruiters often pick up names of hiring targets from these lists.
• Arrange industry events or forums.
• Write articles (such as this) for your industry press.
• Proactively involve yourself in company sports or recreational teams.

Steven will be back next week with Staying Positive: Reasons to be Cheerful.

Here Is The Writer : Steven D'Souza

Steven D'Souza is the bestselling author of Brilliant Networking, which was featured in the Independent's "Success at Work" series, and recommend by the Times and The Telegraph. He has spoken at conferences and events throughout the world on subjects
as wide as diversity, networking and organisational effectiveness.

view more articles by Steven D'Souza

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