Get Passive to Increase Job Search Activity

No, that's not a typo...Let me elaborate. I just returned from the Kennedy Recruiting Conference and a key message I heard in several of the presentations was that recruiters are better off spending the bulk of their time sourcing passive job seekers for their open positions, because passive job seekers account for 80% of the market. What this means is that if you are an active job seeker and you are using a one-dimensional search strategy such as posting on the job boards, recruiters may be less likely to find you because they have less interest in the active market. But what if active candidates started looking like passive candidates? What if they could be found via a Google search, an on line web portfolio, a social networking tool, a Zoom Info profile, a blog, an article they wrote for a professional newsletter, etc? Then they might be easier to find because they are working the same circles as the recruiters and they are not part of the job board clutter. They would also differentiate themselves from their competition and show that they are self-starters, experts in their field, technologically savvy, great communicators, team players, and successful leaders. Sounds like a recruiter's dream to me! So get busy being passive and watch new doors and opportunities open.