How to Get Creative in Your Job Search Strategy
Posted on Aug 27 10 by Administrator
My recommendation for a creative job searching strategy in this job market is to do anything and everything. “Cast a wide net” is our usual advice, but nowadays you have to cast a wider net. Network, get on LinkedIn, Facebook, and go to job fairs. Send your resume in to those staffing firms and then call them until they answer the phone. All of us recruiters are slammed right now. We’ve had virtually 50 times the amount of candidates as we have jobs. In some areas maybe 100-200 times the amount of candidates, or more.
I’d suggest touching on some of the websites I’ve listed below. I also recommend figuring out the key words that describe your particular job skills and typing that into Google. For example “Outside Sales Jobs Cleveland.” Be flexible, able to work temp, temp-to-hire, on the weekends, or at 1-2 day gigs. Any way “in” these days is something to seriously consider. You could impress the right person at the right time. Some folks don’t want to bend too much in their strategy because they’ve done the same thing for 10-20 years. It’s all about being “Gumby” and flexible and creative. You’ve probably seen the stories on the news. Some people have put up billboards advertising their availability for work, and many people have stood downtown and along busy streets with a sandwich board that says “Harvard Grad- will work for food.” Why not do it?
Don’t spend 90% of your search on the internet. You have to diversify your job searching techniques. Spend 40% of your search time on the internet, 30% calling staffing firms, 20% Networking – meeting people face-to-face, and 10% keeping a smile on your face, exercising, meditating, or doing something to get out of your mindset. It’s easy to get stuck searching and searching on the internet and before you know it the day is over. It’s easy to allow yourself to get negative and self-defeating.
Keep it real. Remember everyone else is job searching on the internet. Your resume is going in to a black hole if you just search and click to submit your resume on the job boards. Networking and calling companies work very well if done with diligence and tact. If you’re able to relocate at the drop of a hat, make sure to put that on your resume and your online networking profiles and job-board resumes. Candidates who are bi-coastal are securing jobs faster. NYC or SF. LA or Chicago. I’ll go anywhere I can find work.
Here’s some of the newest and hottest, and also most-established internet job boards:
www.indeed.com and www.simplyhired.com, where you can type in your key words and the city you’d like to work and they filter job postings from hundreds of job boards onto their one streamlined web site.
Use Monster’s resources to create a killer resume, search for jobs, prepare for interviews, and launch your career.
Craigslist provides forums for jobs. Large SF Bay Area Network- growing in other cities/markets across the country
Find your dream job! Search for jobs, post your resume
Global clearinghouse of nonprofit and volunteering resources
We also recommend to our candidates to do a little reading up on some of the best links to job-search sites:
http://career-advice.monster.com/
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great tips, thank you!