How to Stay Visible if You're Out of Work
These six tips from a nimble job finder can help you up your profile
In some game shows, contestants who feel stumped are allowed one "llifeline" call to ask for help. Suppose you're out of work and frustrated about having disappeared from sight in your industry. This time, you can make as many as 20 calls. Who do you contact?
I put that question recently to Ron Drabkin, one of Silicon Valley's nimblest job finders. Back in the 1990s, Ron worked for a typical big company (in his case, Intel, the microchip company.)
No Resumé Needed
Since then, Drabkin has switched jobs at least four times without ever typing up a resumé or filling out a job application. Instead, he has become a master at staying noticed in his field, and making the most of a wide range of professional contacts.
(MORE: How to Use LinkedIn Like Your Career Depended On It)
For people like Drabkin, new jobs just seem to happen. He started out in manufacturing management, but in a pinch, he can do sales, online-ad strategy or general team leadership. Bosses seem to like the way he gets things done. Over coffee one morning, I asked him to pick apart the ways he stays visible, no matter how the job roller-coaster is playing out. Here's what he told me:
