Supposing you and your friend have similar skill set and experience range. Both are looking for suitable employment. Would you prefer to keep your job search knowledge and opportunities limited to yourself or team up with your friend and both apply to the roles that you guys come across, hoping jiski kismet usko mil jaye ga ?
Also, its an emerging trend in recruitment, we ask candidates if they know any other people around them with similar skill set and interested in having a conversation with us. We tell them we have more then one positions open. In that scenario would you recommend your friend at all?
I know that it's not always possible but I feel like you should strictly seperate your private and your professional life. And that includes job hunting. So applying for positions as a team has the potential to create frictions further down the line. So I would try to avoid that.
Having said that: If I come across a vacancy that is completely unrelated to what I do, but I know that a friend would be suitable for it, I would make him/her aware of that opportunity. But that's all I'd do. I would not involve myself further in that hiring process.
I agree Umer, it can cause friction between friends.. seen that happening.
The thing I do condone is that if one has been to an interview and know that they didnt get the opportunity there really is no harm in putting forward the friend for the same role. In which scenario I would also be honest in telling them what to expect at the interview , as that would genuinely help them prepare better.
Having said all that , if a recruitment consultant asks you if you know of other people with similar skill sets , would you refer your friend?
I mean the recruitment agency and not the client directly ..
Joining forces can be helpful, especially when you're strategy is to apply to as many places as possible. As team you have access to job openings only one of you knows about, because they weren't advertised properly, or weren't advertised at all. I'd say the pool of organizations I was applying to would grow if I let my friend in. Besides my friend would just be 1 of 100s competing with me for that job.
exactly what Saeed said , I agree .. its different at senior level opportunities but when organizations are mass hiring , sometimes you might not know of them but friends might be aware and sharing the struggle can definitely have some benefit from that perspective ..
I would not let the friend know abt the opportunity. Because even if I am fine with it on the first place, after sometime it would start hurting me. And I would feel negative abt it. Fact!
See it like this. You find out about a job and you your friend in. He get's chosen out of 50 applicants and you didn't like the job anyway, but he loves it. Now he owes you one. He'll make sure to let you know about a vacancy at his place or anywhere he moves to, because he owes you. You might not even remember about it 15 years from now, and you might get a call about an awesome job from this very friend.
Its true Saeed , the job markets all over the world are becoming excessively competitive .. however having said that, one of the most successful techniques to get to the hidden job market is through extensive networking and referal programmes.
When someone gets refered by an employee , the company keeps the referal record on file for a much longer time then keeping CV's that come in directly or via agencies. this is a fact.
Also, alot of jobs arent advertised because before putting in any advertisement costs , companies make an effort to hire directly, in which case if you have a friend working in that company, you will get to know of that job .. chances are you might be shortlisted since the companies try to hire through direct methods ..
Networking should never be underestimated .. and by sharing the job search with other people many a times you might feel you have lost out on an opportunity but in the longer run and in the bigger picture you will have created a networking resource in the form of your friend you might get that job.
^
My dad told me this when I was still in university. He said beta you have a safe GPA now, you should start working on your networking skills. These are the people who'll be hiring for jobs 10-15 years from now, and having known them just might help you find or land a job. He would give me hell on not knowing my seniors.
I always share(when some one ask where are you applying etc) , may be one should have confidence in his talent and also on *qadr *that what ever ALLAH does is in your best interest. I do pray and do istikhara and then never mind if i get the job or not.
I do the same when forwarding CVs, just forwarded a CV at a place where i forwarded CV of my first cousin. Believe me no will take the rizq of you, rather such actions will only benefit inshallah in this world and in akhirat.
That is my experiance till now and believe me i am very happy with this- alhumdolilah
Very true Bao , we believe in the fact that its not us looking for rizk but rizk tries to find us .. and I have seen that happening around. I know someone who is a contractor. And while many gora contractors are always hiding any opportunities from others , this person does share the opportunities and in the process has made so many friends now that mashallah one way or the other someone always tells him about the next potential opportunity and he hasnt been out of work since 4 years now !
apne paauuN pe be-waqoof hii koii kulhaaRii maaregaa...hai na? get a job for yourself then help your friend get in at a later date.
Telling your friends can't hurt your odds much, because the applicants to job ratio is already so high these days. But what it can do is improve your relationship with that friend.
Not sharing a potential job with your friend is a selfish approach. Only a person feeling insecure can do this. With recession everywhere and limited job market, there may be 100s of application and by eliminating one of your close friend from the queue wouldn't get you a job.
I love your approach Saeed and indeed this is the way forward and one of the best tactics of successful networking ..