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What To Say When Looking for a Job (Without Killing the Conversation)

May 10, 2022

What is one way to say that you’re looking for a job, without killing the conversation?

To help you mention that you’re looking for a job without killing the conversation, we asked career experts and CEOs this question for their best insights. From talking about learning, not searching, to pitching an idea, there are several strategies that may help you mention your current job search, while maintaining a discussion.

Here are nine ways to say that you’re looking for a job, without killing the conversation:

  • Talk About Learning, Not Searching
  • Start a Conversation Using Social Media
  • Frame It Around Self-Improvement
  • Say You are Keeping Your Options Open
  • Ask for Advice
  • Mention Any Interviews You’ve Had
  • Take Advantage of Your Profile Picture
  • Start a Genuine Conversation First 
  • Pitch An Idea

Talk About Learning, Not Searching

One way to broach the topic of a job search without killing the conversation is to focus on learning rather than applying. By mentioning skills you are working on and topics you are studying, you can show that you are taking initiative on self-improvement and are serious about earning a better position. You can mention the goals of this learning, and incentive your conversation partners to offer job leads or introductions.

Tasia Duske, Museum Hack

Start a Conversation Using Social Media

Share content on your social media that showcases your knowledge. Let your contacts know that you’re up-to-date on the latest trends by sharing information about your expertise. When people see that you know what you’re talking about, they’re more likely to comply with an occasional request to assist with your job search. With the right preparation and mindset, you can tell your contacts that you’re looking for a job without scaring them off. Keep in mind, most people want to assist.

Paw Vej, Financer.com Ltd

Frame It Around Self-Improvement

No one is ever going to fault another for trying to improve themselves. Self-improvement is an admirable and worthwhile process, especially in the context of professional development. As such, if you’re looking for a job and don’t want to kill the conversation but need to mention it, frame your disclosure in the context of self-improvement. Make it clear you’re looking for a new job because you want to propel your career, develop your skills, and overall, just better yourself. There is no shame in wanting better for yourself, and people should respect that. The key is to be humble when explaining this. If you take a conceited or cocky tone when explaining your desire to be better, it might change the recipient’s attitude. So stay humble and simply explain you’re seeking self-improvement.

John Ross, Test Prep Insight

Say You are Keeping Your Options Open

Simply mention that you’re keeping your options open. You never want to come off as desperate or off-putting by deliberately asking for a job—especially towards connections that you haven’t properly established a rapport with yet. One way to smoothly say that you’re looking for a job is to do so in as less a soliciting way as possible. Try saying something like, “I’m eager to find a position that’s a good fit for me, so I’m keeping my options open.” This is a simple, non-conversation killing method to express your interest to find a job, without coming off as desperate or off-putting.

Michelle Arnau, Rowan

Ask for Advice

Frame mentioning your job search as asking for advice. If someone mentions that they’ve pursued a certain career or work in a specific industry you’re interested in, casually mention that you could use advice from someone like them about your career journey. Most people love to share about what they’ve learned. So not only will you subtly let them know you’re searching for a job, you’ll make a meaningful connection and get some good advice to boot!

Sara Bodner, Conklin Media

Mention Any Interviews You’ve Had

Mention any interviews you’ve had throughout your job hunt. Then you can continue the conversation into a discussion about how the interviews went and you could even end up getting some advice from those you are speaking with about interviews in general. Many people get nervous about interviews and struggle with them, so there’s bound to be many subtopics to discuss under this one.

Drew Sherman, Carvaygo

Take Advantage of Your Profile Picture

LinkedIn offers the option to edit your profile picture with the information #OpenToWork. What’s great about this option is that it lets you reach out to contacts and other resources without needing to mention the often awkward question of whether your contact knows of any work opportunities. You can focus on the conversation, and your contact, seeing your photo, can comfortably let you know if he or she knows of any opportunities. Just make sure you don’t change your profile picture if you’re still employed and haven’t told your employer you’re seeking a change–otherwise you can expect an even more awkward conversation with your current company.

John Jacob, Hoist

Start a Genuine Conversation First

To make your networking effective and subtle, you must first set the right context. How do you build up your case before you drop that key information? You should show respect by actually listening to the other person. Engage in the conversation genuinely, and ask questions to show interest. They’ll feel appreciated and thus more receptive to what you have to say later on. Then comes the tougher part. When you’re networking, an important skill to master is the art of speaking about your experiences and achievements without coming across as obnoxious, self-centered, or salesy. 

Pick out the right moment to talk about an exciting project you’ve worked on or a work-related curveball you’ve had and how you dealt with it. Add in some humor or unexpected twists to captivate the other person. Then ask if there are any similar projects the person knows of. If you want something different from what you’ve specialized in, say you’ve always wanted to get into “xyz” and take it from there.

Nicole Ostrowska, Zety

Pitch An Idea

At most places you would want to work, people dig what they do. If you’re looking for a job, show expertise by diving “into the weeds.” 9/10 times someone who loves their job will be happy to “talk shop.” Once talking through issues with their industry, projects, and so forth, show thoughtfulness in your responses, and maybe pitch an idea or two! Talk about past times you’ve solved problems related to what you’re talking through. And express genuine interest and excitement! Once you’ve talked through these topics, it’s not nearly as hard of “an ask” to say you’d like to get involved.

Merrill Cook, Arist

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

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Filed Under: Career Advice Blog Tagged With: career advice, career transition, Job Advice, Job Search

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Testimonials

A good friend told me of her success using Career Connectors networking.  She landed an interview and later, a job in her field, after attending one networking event.  So, when it was my turn, I had to check it out. I was starting to get the blues about being unemployed but the speaker lifted me out of the dumps and put my life back in perspective. So many people were there to help and offer support!   Just by networking that day, I was given a job lead that has led to two interviews and a… Read more
Mary B.
I took advantage of Career Connectors when I found myself unexpectedly out of work and back in AZ.  The ease in using their website to locate meetings and identify subject matter at their weekly meetings kept me informed and engaged.  Their meetings are interesting and provide relevant and useful information toward getting into the right job.  They say that a network event is what you make of it … with Career Connectors they create the events and provide the resources you need to land your next … Read more
Jennifer V.
Good news. I have landed. Thank you for your support throughout my job search journey. You and your organization has lots to offer besides the positive energy, uplifting of self confidence and immense networking opportunities. I am very appreciative of the efforts and time put forward by you and your team.
Kirtida A.
Career Connectors made the pivotal difference in my search for employment after a layoff lasting a full year. Their dedication to providing a consistent, local and no-cost program and venue to search, network and learn, ultimately provided not only an excellent fit in a new job, but also the ability to regain dignity and the ability to achieve financial independence once again. I am forever grateful to all of the volunteers that produced a program so vitally important to our family
Anonymous
Career Connectors offered me a one-stop-shopping capability for all of the coaching, resources and connections I needed to perfect my job searching skills.  The package of services, and support I found while attending these workshops over the past 7 months was unique to, and more productive than any other networking venues I attended. I am thrilled to share that I’ve landed with B/E Aerospace in Tucson.  I recommend to all Job Seekers to find out what works for you, and exploit it for best r… Read more
Aidan F.
I just wanted to reach out to you and say Thank you to you, Career Connectors and the whole Team! So let me explain why, while I’ve known of Career Connectors for many years, I never thought that I would need employment services or guidance before. On September 19th 2019 I found myself being let go from my job. I later the next day saw the Career Connectors event at Central Christian Church Gilbert Campus coming up on Facebook and signed up for it. While attending my first Career Connectors even… Read more
Brian P.
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been nine loooong months looking for a full-time position and Career Connectors was a real life-line. I was pretty discouraged by the time I found your organization on-line and first visited. The speaker provided some great information but most importantly, encouragement and hope. The panel discussion on resumes was incredibly helpful! Last month I had the opportunity to sit with Brenda and she suggested I really pare back all but the last 10 years of experience an… Read more
Robin C.
I’ve attended a few of your events in Gilbert and Scottsdale since returning to AZ and being an active job seeker. I’m happy to report that I’ve been offered a job! I’m over the moon about the offer and couldn’t be more grateful after a long, three month search (that definitely felt much longer…. 🙂 ). I want to thank you for your programs. You have excellent speakers who always energized me when I was needing it most. And your resume reviewer was great. She was a tough cookie with a red pen y… Read more
Becky T.
It was amazing, you guys did a great job! I found several potential companies!
Irene
I just wanted to let you know that there’s a reason why I haven’t come to any recent Career Connectors events. It’s because I found a job! This past week, I started working as a data scientist for a technology startup in the financial services space that’s based in downtown Phoenix. It’s an ideal opportunity for me to break into the data science industry with an exciting company. I wanted to thank you and your staff for putting together all of your fantastic networking events and bringing … Read more
Chris M.
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