Yo Pirate! Take Me & My Career Away! (How to Get Yourself Pirated During Conferences)
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For the record, the engagement of the systematic pirating of employees from a company with the goal of causing harm to that company is unethical and could be grounds for filing a lawsuit.
Now, having absolved myself by saying that, let’s get to how to attract a pirate so you and your career can jump to a better ship. Oh, shush the unethical guilt, who doesn’t want a higher salary, better benefits, great career paths in exchange for hard work and valuable skills? Really now, if a company keeps on losing its people, then there must be something wrong with its employee packages. After all, employee piracy is not executed with cutlasses, but with tender, juicy offers. Plus, I like to think that no happy employee would just jump ship, putting income and career at risk.
But first, you have to be sure that you did not sign anything that said that you shall not work for a competitor or anything that legally says you cannot be pirated. Take out your employment contract, read it, re-read it, consult a lawyer. There’s really no point in proceeding if you are legally shackled in your employment.
Second, ask yourself, are you really worth pirating? Companies wanting to improve their human capital would not want to waste their resources on employees that are a dime a dozen. You should not only be good in your industry, you should be really good.
If you are free to be pirated and you are an expert in your industry, then it’s time to start the subtle marketing of yourself. Emphasis on the word subtle because blatantly asking people to pirate you is the worst you can ever do. It will cheapen your value, start the blabber in the office of your “traitorous” activities, and it might even result to the premature termination of your employment.
So like selling a luxury item, it’s all about rubbing elbows with the top guns. Wiggle your way to being sent to conferences and other corporate affairs that gives opportunities to wine and dine with top executives. Once there, take maximum advantage by making sure you have your business card ready when they give you theirs. Basic enough, but let me tell you, so many forget their cards in their rooms when the wine is talking and the slot machines are ringing. It is also crucial that you participate in the discussions during the conference. Now is not the time to be a wallflower. Show them why you are an expert in your field. Arrive prepared by reading up on the topics of the conference. Lastly, maintain ethical communication with the people you have met after the conference. No sense going out of your way to be on first name basis with them only to allow yourself to be forgotten.
Consider all of these as your brand recall strategy. Piaget does not push its diamond studded watches to people. Instead, they focus on strategies to make people want to buy it, like giving due attention to quality and design and making sure people with the purchasing power recall it. So make them remember to want you.
You may not get pirated after the first conference, but if you do it right consistently, pretty soon you will be hearing hints of tender juicy offers.
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