How to transform yourself as a reluctant job seeker

Reluctant job seeker? The reluctant job seeker is not sure if they should be looking at all. They are afraid that if they make any move, they will lose the job they do have so they basically do nothing.

Are you a reluctant job seeker?

• When was the last time you updated your resume?
• Is your LinkedIn profile optimized?
• Do you understand how to apply online?
• Are your computer skills up to date?
• Have you been keeping up with changing trends in your industry?
• Is your network active or sleeping?
• Do you regularly interact with others on LinkedIn?
• Have you thought about the next role you would like to have?
• What skills do you need to polish if you were to look for a new job?
• What companies are you interested in looking at?
• Who works for the companies you would like to join?
• What certifications do you need to move to a new job?

If you are struggling to answer the above questions, you are a reluctant job seeker.

The problem is that no job is secure today. I work with many people who had a secure job, and were progressing in their careers, but suddenly there was a merger or an acquisition. Their position may be eliminated or moved to another part of the country. Mergers and acquisitions as well as company closings are becoming more common every day. Start-ups fail. Companies with 100-year histories sell out to a new company or a private equity firm or they shut their doors when the product they produced is no longer relevant in the marketplace.

In Australia and some European countries, they call losing your job becoming redundant. Here in the United States, we often say let go, laid off, or terminated. How you look at it doesn’t really matter; the job security of 20 or 30 years isn’t there anymore. If you are a reluctant job seeker, you may find that you need to act sooner than later.