Career Coach: How Else Can I Find Job Leads?

Q. I am getting pretty discouraged applying for jobs online and know I should be doing other things, but I am clueless about what else to do to find jobs.  Any suggestions?  

A. While having easy access to job listings online has made things a bit easier than the days of searching the want ads in the Sunday newspaper (remember those days?), it has also upped the ante on competition (employers get hundreds of resumes) and made jobseekers perhaps not take as much care in ensuring that they are really qualified for the jobs they are applying for. In addition, many jobs are NOT advertised or are already filled, or already slated to go to someone when they are posted. So what to do?  In general, there are four avenues to find jobs: advertised job listings—on and offline; recruiters; networking—on and offline, and directly contacting employers.

A diversified job search includes a mix of all four of these. The concept of not putting all of your eggs in one basket applies to the job search—which can be helpful to think of as a personal marketing campaign, requiring a project management approach. Career expert Susan P. Joyce gives some great tips in her article on a proactive job search,  where she outlines what she’s found that successful job seekers do. (The emphases are mine.)  

“The successful job seekers I've interviewed selected the kind of job they wanted (e.g., bank teller, entry-level professional, senior executive), the industry (e.g., banking, retail, healthcare), and then the local employers that they liked best,” she writes. “Once they determined the target employers, they focused most of their job search efforts on those specific organizations.”

Her research jives with what a recent study by DeVry Career Advisory Board found as well when it interviewed 589 successful job seekers at all levels. The study of 589 U.S. professionals of varying ages, career levels, and industries found that successful job seekers were focused and dedicated ample time to the search. The board noted, “You will have better results if you concentrate on a few choice opportunities and understand what’s most important to each hiring organization, and then customize materials and interview preparation accordingly.” They gave these additional tips:

• Use a mix of job search activities.
• Keep social media use in perspective.
• Continue to sharpen job search skills.

For more job search strategy tips and a summary of the DeVry study, check out New Study Details Secrets of Highly Effective Job Seekers.

If you have a question you’d like answered, please send it to phaedra@resumesandcareerstrategies.com, re: Ask the Career Coach, and I’ll be glad to answer it. All questions posed are confidential. Look forward to hearing from you.