Dear SafetyXChange Members,

The "war for talent" is on and companies are searching for that most elusive quarry: the Passive Candidate. What is a Passive Candidate? The passive candidate is the candidate everybody wants but who isn't even looking. It's the ultimate, the gold standard. How can you become the passive candidate? This series will attempt to answer this question.

Characteristics of the Passive Candidate

The passive candidate is:

• Tops in his or her industry or field;
• Has name recognition and visibility;
• Doesn't need a resume - his or her accomplishments are already well known;
• Is easy to find but "not looking";
• Is distinctive; and
• Is media-ready and publicity-savvy.

How to Become the Passive Candidate

Denver-based executive mentor Karen Armon says that differentiation is the secret to becoming a passive candidate. First, you need to forget Gertrude Stein. A rose is not a rose is not a rose. "Each of us can demonstrate results, but few can differentiate their skills and abilities from the rest of the leadership pack," says Armon.

"Differentiate yourself from the crowd," Armon urges. The more crowded the marketplace, the more narrow the distinctions. Through a personal "brand," A-players can infiltrate their communities with a consistent message and style. " The goal of personal branding is so that those who know your name can predict your behavior."

Getting Your Brilliance Noticed

Being distinct is only half the battle; you also need to get yourself noticed. A thorough evaluation of your personal and professional skill set will reveal the avenues where you can gain positive attention and thereby become a key figure in your community.

8 Ways to Generate Leads

• Become a spokesperson for an organization.
• Write articles that generate exposure and demonstrate your brilliance.
• Sponsor and speak at events.
• Partner with your boss - get your boss involved as the front person, so you can subtly create contacts and opportunities.
• Assist with your company's special events.
• Volunteer at a high-profile charity in a position of high visibility.
• Give testimonials for vendors, prompting other decision makers to call you for references.
• Be a raving fan for your customers.

Pulling and Pushing Your Way to Success

A double-pronged approach to job searching will multiply the number of decision makers who notice you. The steps outlined above will pull market opportunities toward you, but a "push strategy" should be utilized as well.

Think of your career from this point forward as your own business, your personal responsibility; take control, take back being in charge of what happens to you.

Conclusion

Next week, in Part 2 of this series, I'll acquaint you with some real-life success stories and examples of professionals who reached the promised land and made themselves into passive candidates.

FROM LAURYN'S BOOK SHELF

The Laws of Lifetime Growth,
Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past

By Lauryn Franzoni                                            

Are your failures the result of being in your own way? Or are they the product of external barriers? These are important questions. Because we can't hope to achieve success unless and until we learn to recognize what's holding us back.

This is the message of a new book by Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura called:  The Laws of Lifetime Growth, Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past. "What matters most," the authors write, "is not whether you achieve the goal, but that the goal gets you striving, because striving leads to growth."

Sullivan, co-founder and president of The Strategic Coach, Inc., has spent more than 25 years coaching successful entrepreneurs to achieve higher levels of success and fulfillment.  Based on this experience Sullivan and Catherine Nomura have written a guide that anyone from new graduate to CEO can use to cultivate the habits and attitudes of successful entrepreneurs for maximum professional growth.

"Growth is at the root of everything that gives us a feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction, meaning, and progress," according to Sullivan and Nomura.   The Laws of Lifetime Growth present ten simple laws with vivid real-life stories to show you how with a slight shift of thinking you can put the laws into action in your life.

Always Make Your Confidence Greater Than Your Comfort

Here is one of my favorite "laws" and the success story presented in The Laws of Lifetime Growth:

A successful entrepreneur decided to challenge himself with five intense tests of physical endurance leading up to his fiftieth birthday.  Succeeding beyond anyone's expectations, he proved to himself and his team that the seemingly impossible can be attained when we BUILD CONFIDENCE by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone.

Wishing You Career Success,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com

CAREER QUIZ

Getting Your Hard Work Noticed

By Glenn Demby

Like most professionals, you put in long hours out of a sense of responsibility, not because you want to score brownie points. Still, it's always nice to get appreciated for your efforts. Conversely, it's a drag when nobody notices how long you work.

With this in mind, if you're working extra hours, are you more likely to get noticed if you put them in during the morning before others come to work or the evening after they leave?

Answer: In the evening. According to a recent survey by a large search and recruitment firm, the late-nighters are more likely to gain recognition and promotion than the early birds.

Here are some tips to get your extra hours noticed:

• Try to send as many of your e-mails to the boss during the extra hours you put in rather than during the normal ones;

• Ask your boss if you need keys or a special security code to get access to your office after-hours; and

• Just tell the boss you're working the extra hours.

Source: www.mrinetwork.com

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