Many job seekers are unaware that an unfortunately popular and widespread theory of recruiting divides the workers of the world into 2 categories:
1.) Active candidates – those who are looking for a job
2.) Passive candidates – those who are (supposedly) happily employed and NOT looking for a job.
By posting your resume on one of the job boards or by responding to a job posting you see, you are an “active” candidate. And, therefore, by definition, undesirable.
Don’t we all know idiots who – inexplicably – remain employed while much more intelligent, talented, capable, and hard-working people are shown the door.
Based on my observations of who stays and who leaves, particularly during a mass layoff, the discriminator isn’t talent or even good work. It’s 100% LUCK – “right place; right time.”
FINALLY, someone in the recruiting world is seriously questioning this idiotic (IMHO) belief. Ronald Katz has written an article on ERE.net (Electronic Recruiting Exchange – an online forum for recruiters to exchange ideas and network).
Mr. Katz’s article is “What’s So Great About Passive Candidates?“ Read it and the responses and understand the marketplace you are facing. Many recruiters do not agree with Mr. Katz, unfortunately.
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