How to Tap Your Network Without Tipping off Your Boss
怎样在不让你上司知道的情况下建立你的交际网
Even if you have a job, you may be in the market for another one.
即使你现在有一份工作,你也可能会去市场上找另外一份工作。
Your current employer may be in direstraits, or you may simply be seeking new challenges. But in a challenging economy, there are a lot of eager professionals gunning for any position -- including your present one. And because most employment is at-will, you may be fired for looking for a new job.
你当前的雇主可能陷入了困境,或你只是想寻求一份新的挑战。但是在经济危机时期,有很多虎视眈眈的求职者对任何职位都是伺机而动,这当然也包括你当前的职位。而且也因为雇佣关系是可以随意终止的,你可能会因为找一份新工作而被开除。
Use these tips to alert your network about a job search without alarming your employer.
运用以下小贴士在不让你上司知道的情况下拓展你的求职交际圈。
Don't Go into Broadcast Mode
不要用广播的模式
Even though you want your network to know you're looking for work, Liz Ryan, founder of AskLizRyan.com and author of "Happy About Online Networking: The Virtual-ly Simple Way to Build Professional Relationships," urges job seekers, "Do not use LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter to indicate that you're job hunting!"
Liz Ryan是"AskLizRyan.com"网站的创始人,也是"Happy About Online Networking: The Virtual-ly Simple Way to Build Professional Relationships,"一书的作者,她力劝求职者说:"即使你想让你关系网中的朋友都知道你在找工作,也不要在"LinkedIn", "Facebook", 或"Twitter"等网站上表明你正在找工作。
The same goes for mass emails. She states, "People process information differently and they may think they're being helpful by forwarding a message when, in fact, they're being indiscreet." Someone could reach out, inadvertently, to someone connected to your boss and blow your cover.
同样也不要利用大量的群发邮件。她指出说:"人们处理邮件的方法不同,他们可能认为帮你转发传达信息是帮到了你,而实际上这却是不慎重的行动。"有的人可能一不小心就把你的邮件转发给了和你上司有关系的某人,一样一下子就让你的秘密行动曝光了。
"Remember, too, that gossipis a valuable currency today," she says. If news of your search falls into too many hands, you cannot control how it is spread. "You can't put such a currency in people's hands and expect them not to spend it."
"还有一点也要记住,如今闲聊也是很有效的信息传输方式之一。"她说。如果你在找工作的信息被太多人知道的话,你就不能有效地控制它的传播。"你不能指望将这样的信息泄露给别人之后他们不会和别人四处去说。"
If you ask for a helping hand, ask your associates to run possible leads and introductions by you before pursuing them. The same goes for recruiters. You don't want anyone acting on your behalf without your approval, as you risk exposing your search to your current employer.
如果你想找帮手的话,在有所行动之前,先请你的朋友帮你牵头,并介绍你们认识。在和招聘人员打交道的时候也是同样的道理。你不会想要任何人没经过你的同意就以你的名义去和他们接触,因为这样会增加你的求职行动在当前雇主面前曝光的可能性。
Stay Top of Mind All the Time
一直都要铭记于心
Because your network is your most powerful resource for finding another job, you must make sure everyone in it understands what you do and what types of opportunities you're pursuing. Says Ryan, a former human resources executive, "The best possible thing you can do for a search is enroll your job-search army! Meet with them. Talk with them. Ask about their lives. Find out how you can help them. This will get them thinking about you in an up-to-date way."
因为你的人际交际网络是你找到一份新工作的最强的资源,所以你必须要保证这之中的每一个人都明白为什么你要换工作,以及你正在找什么类型的工作。Ryan以前是人力资源经理,他说:"求职中你可以做到的最完美的事情就是招收求职大军。和他们见面,与他们交谈。询问他们的生活。看看你有什么可以帮到他们的。你这样做会让他们在有最新信息的时候想到你。"
And if your network isn't big enough, she says that growing it is easiest when you have a job. She notes, "Employed job seekers have a HUGE advantage over unemployed people because they can reach out to anyone in their industry, invite them to coffee, and get to know them without asking for anything." These people may not respond to you when you're unemployed. The same is true for those already in your network.
她还说,如果你的交际网不够大的话,那么在你在职期间扩大是最简单的了。她提醒说:"在职的求职者与那些失业了的求职者相比,有非常大的优势。因为他们可以和同一行业的任何人联系上,请他们去喝咖啡,不用开口要求任何事情也可以了解他们。"而这些人在你失业的时候可能不会接受你的任何邀请。同样的情况也会发生在你交际网中已存在的人脉中间。
"If you let a connection lapse, you may encounter apathy when you ask for help," Ryan adds.
Ryan 补充说:"如果你失去了一份联系的话,在你需要帮助的时候可能会遭遇冷漠。"
Be Ready with References
准备好推荐信
If you're looking for a job while you have one, you probably don't want to use your boss or a current colleague as a reference. This is particularly vexing if you've held the same position for a number of years. Ryan, an expert on the new millennium workplace, advises, "We have to cultivate references all the time. Look to people who have left the company. Former clients. Even vendors. You may think a vendorwouldn't roll over on a client they serve, but they're pragmatic. You may be a good contact for them down the road." Individuals you know through volunteer activities and professional associations can also act as references.
如果你在有工作的时候求职的话,你可能不会想要你的上司或同事帮你写推荐信。尤其是如果你在同一职位做了几年的话这种情况尤其让人伤脑筋。Ryan是一位新千年职场的专家,她建议说:"我们必须时刻准备好推荐信。去找已经离开公司的同事,或以前的客户,或以前的供应商帮你写推荐信。你可能认为一个供应商不能给他们服务的客户写什么推荐信之类的,但是他们的推荐也是很有效的。因为你可能在将来某个时刻和他们会有很好的接触。"你认识的熟人中那些参加过志愿工作或专业协会的也可以为你写推荐信。
Another great opportunity for references from your current boss and coworkers are LinkedIn endorsements. "Approach your boss in an 'up' moment, when you've gone the extra mile or saved something, and ask, 'Do you use LinkedIn? May I ask you for an endorsement? It would be fantastic because I'm thinking of becoming an officer in a professional association.' Or something to that effect." Once you have the endorsement, it's there for potential employers to see.
另外一个从你当前的上司或同事那里得到推荐信的机会是百度签注。"在一个好的时机去找你的老板,比如在你比别人多做了一点事情的时候或挽救了什么事情的时候,问他‘你是否用LinkedIn'我是否可以得到您的签注?这样会很棒,因为我一直想着要成为一个专业协会的一员。'或说些其他有用的事情。"一旦你得到了这份签注,那么有朝一日你的潜在雇主可能就会看到。