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Is there an age when you should stop looking for a job and let jobs look for you? Certainly there is, but it is in no one’s interest to write books or columns on the subject. The individual should be the most enthusiastic about this transition. (But there are caveats.) It is a measure of how his abilities have been recognised in the profession. In a way, it is word-of-mouth at work; a barber will get more customers if his clients recommend him.
There are certain professions like medicine where the practitioners — doctors — aren’t allowed to advertise. When they set up a practise, they have to build their business entirely through recommendations. This is the reason why doctors are initially attached to a hospital or an established practice serviced by three-four established doctors.
But an engineer, say, working for a large company “A” doesn’t have the luxury of assignments (read jobs) coming to his doorstep. He is relatively anonymous and large company “B”, which is looking for a person with his talents, is probably unaware of his existence. So it is necessary to resort to the cycle of appointment ads (in whatever form and media) and applications.
For an individual, there are several mental retirement ages. The first is when you decide you are comfortable with your company. You don’t want to continue in the rat race that is the job market or cope with a new corporate culture. This has dangers; it is easy to get labelled a has-been. The second is when you decide you are indeed a has-been. That does not necessarily mean that you are incompetent or inefficient. It means that you have switched off. Your colleague getting promoted over you might cause a momentary heartburn. But it doesn’t get you polishing your CV. The third retirement is when you start counting the days till you actually retire. (Some people, of course, never “retire”; they set up shop as consultants.)
What does this have to do with searching or not searching for a job? First, to search for a job, you could not have retired in any sense of the word. If you have done so, you wouldn’t really care if no job offers come your way. Second, your professional credentials must be impeccable.
Sending out your CV is fine when you are young and venturing out into an unknown world. But will a man of 55 be considered a good catch? It’s a different matter if the HR goes out to look for him. Several senior-level executive search firms are minting money in finding the right candidate. Will a CEO be left with any reputation if he is publicly looking for a job? Such people are approached; they never approach others.
“It depends on how high you have moved in your profession, of course,” says Mumbai-based HR consultant D. Singh. “But your CVs shouldn’t be floating around when you have crossed 45.”
But there can’t be universal rules. In the media, for instance, exposure on TV channels or through print by-lines, means that you just have to pass the word around that you are available. When it comes to the backroom boys — the subeditors, for one — you may need to send CVs till the cows come home.
Today, technology has brought some useful additions. Join Linkedin or Facebook. First, most people don’t remove or update their profiles. So you can always claim that you are not actively looking for a job. “But now that you have made an inquiry, I am willing to explore that option.” It is hunting for a job without the negative manifestations.
Bone up on Twitter and begin using Skype. That will tell prospective employers that you may be long in the tooth, but at heart you remain young and tech-friendly.
NEW TOOLS FOR RECRUITMENT
LinkedIn
A professional network for jobseekers. With 100 million members, there is anonymity in numbers.
Facebook
Not very effective unless you are looking at setting up a network of connected people. But can be very useful for personal checks of candidates.
Twitter
Can have great reach for jobseekers. The limit of 140 words doesn’t take you far. But you can embed an URL, which gives more detail.
Skype
A huge saving in travel costs. Time magazine reports that it costs $1,000 to fly down a candidate and put him up in a hotel. Skype is practically free. You can observe body language. And it also tells you that the candidate is Net savvy.
