Yo Pirate! Take Me and My Career Away! (How to Get Yourself Pirated Using Internet Resources)
The systematic engagement of taking away employees from a company with the intention of harming that company is unethical and may be grounds for filing a lawsuit. Let me just put it on record that I said that before I tell you how to get yourself pirated. No, I am not advocating pirating an entire department. This is for those valuable, unhappy employees who want to get themselves pirated. After all, who doesn’t want a higher salary and better benefits in exchange for hard work and valuable skills? To quote myself from my previous post, “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 there are two things to consider before you even seriously hope of being pirated. One is if you are free to be pirated. This means that nowhere in your employment contract does it state that you cannot work for a competitor. So take out that employment contract and read it again. Consult a lawyer if you have to. The other thing is that if you are valuable enough to be pirated. Really now.
So if you are not bound to your company and you are a valuable employee, then read on.
There are several opportunities in the internet you could take advantage of to market yourself to labor pirates. But before that, let me give you my two cents’ worth: Do not blatantly market yourself. You will look desperate and it will cheapen your value. Be subtle about it. The norm is that companies value their top employees. So if you look desperate, then you are probably not valued by your present company, thus making you invaluable to labor pirates.
With that in mind, let’s consider the internet opportunities employees can use to create a good professional impression. You must have a great career record, great enough to make other companies want you. But remember, there is a great difference between actively looking for a job and saying, “Yo Pirate!” So keep that impressive CV for future use. When you are still under the employment of your present company and you start to blabber about jumping ship, the people in the office might report your “traitorous” activity which could result in a premature termination of your employment. What you can do instead is to build a good impression online.
Google yourself and see what comes up with your name. Do you know that over 2,000 people on LinkedIn have the same name as the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List? Not that you can change your name, but it pays not to be taken by surprise. Check to see if you have any lingering nasty blogs or videos floating in the internet highway that can put a damper on your career. Some companies consider checking Google for information on employees an S.O.P.
Can’t find yourself on Google? Then get your name in there! In 2010, 92% of Hiring Managers used or plan to recruit via social networks. They use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Open accounts on these commonly used social networks. You should also try branchout.com. Needless to say, you need to pay great attention in filling out employment and career records and educational background. Your job is to make a good impression. And make sure your contact details are up to date. Next, get yourself connected with top level executives in your industry using these social media tools. Participate in discussions and show them how much of an expert you are.
Another creative way to attract the labor pirates is to make your own website. Name it after yourself and talk about topics related to your career or industry. If you do not want to name it after yourself, make sure that there is a way for that website to be absolutely linked to you as an author. You could also join groups that discuss topics related to your career and industry. And again, participate in the discussions or forums.
The objective here is to make your name pop up to impress labor pirates when they scour information related to your career or industry. It will get the labor pirates to notice you and crossing fingers, send you an email with hints of job offers.
Thanks for reading this coffee break tidbit on work 
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