The best way to get a new job is to stop looking for one in the traditional way – sending out resumes, waiting for interviews and hassling recruiters. Become a resource – a treasure trove of information – not a nuisance on the job search, said executive career coach Darrell W. Gurney in the article “How to Become an Information Broker” for TheLadders.

The easiest way to not get a call back from a potential hiring company is to sound like you need something. The best way to show your value is to communicate fresh, useful information to help the business you seek to serve, advised Gurney.

People aren’t stupid.  If you come up with good enough “research projects” that touch on your areas of interest and simply start conversing with people on those areas, they’ll know that you’re interested in pursuing opportunities in that direction. If you build and nurture those relationships over time, they will think of you when they hear about opportunities that might interest you. By seeking information – and treating the person you approach like the only person on the face of the planet that can give it to you – you will cultivate a bigger circle of influence than you will wearing  a sandwich board saying, “Out of Work!”