Don’t limit your job search to Monster, Hotjobs, and Career Builder. Here are some alternate ways to find your new gig.
1. Read Blogs
A lot of blogs written by seasoned industry professionals are now posting job listings. Big name employers are finding quality canidates on these sites that are passionate about the industry they work in and most importantly keep up with current trends. This is an excellent way to find postings that may not be listed on the big three ( Monster, Hot Jobs, Career Builder). If you apply to a job that you found on a blog, be sure to mention the blog’s name.
2. Google Your Job
Do you know the exact job that you are looking for? Google the title of the job with a word like “employment”, “job” or “careers.” The search results may yield a few job postings that are posted on message boards, blogs, and company sites. Be prepared, this method is time consuming and may require you to search through several pages of results.
3. Contact Your Alma Mater
Most people think that once they graduate from college they are no longer allowed to use the universities’ career development services. In most cases, that is incorrect. There are several opportunities still available to graduates. Many universities offer lifetime career help, which may include inviations to job fairs, interviews with recruiters on campus, and access to exclusive job listings.
4. Join Professional Organizations in Your Field
No matter what field you work in, there are several professional organizations dedicated to promoting quality work in that industry. Although most require a small fee to join, the dues are entirely tax deductible and the perks are worth it. Most organizations make their job listings only available to paying members so the amount of people applying to a specific job may be less but still competitive.
5. Claim Your Space On The Web
Do you have a LinkedIn Page or a Blog? These are excellent resources to sell yourself. It is impossible to fit all of your accomplishments on a one page resume so setting up one of these services will give you the opportunity to showcase all of your projects, experiences, and interests. The best thing about these services is that they are free and can be set up in less than an hour. Keep it professional, employers don’t want to see pictures from your wild new’s year eve party. For more information on blog applications visit Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress. For more information on LinkedIn visit their site.
6. Join A MeetUp Group
Have you heard of Meetup? Meetup is a social networking site that brings together local groups of people with specific interests. On the site you’ll find education groups, technology groups, diversity groups, and anything else you can think of. Although some are more organizied than others, these groups give you the opportunity to build relationships with people working in your field of interest. Some groups meet once a month and events could include anything from speakers and presentations to social mixers. Networking is a crucial part of a job search. By joining a group you may meet someone that is hiring or knows of job openings at their company. Don’t see a group that you want to join, start your own.
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