The Most Effective Ways to Get a Job

If you’re in the job market and you find yourself getting frustrated by the process—you’re not alone! A common mistake that job seekers make is a failure to diversify their approach. Don’t put all your resumes in one basket! A successful job search involves juggling different moving pieces, and you have to get creative with how you search for jobs and prepare for interviews. If you’re not getting the results you'd like, try a new approach. Here are 7 different job search strategies:

1. Networking
Start with people you already know and would feel comfortable contacting. Don’t just think about these people, make a list. Include colleagues, clients, vendors, former professors and classmates, friends, neighbors, and even relatives. Write up a short statement that quickly tells your network: why you’re in the market, what you do, and why you’re good at it—don’t forget to highlight the results you’ve had in prior roles (discuss academic and internship success stories if you’re a recent graduate). Share your “pitch” and resume with your contacts and ask for introductions to anyone in THEIR network.

2. Follow-up
Once isn’t enough. People are busy and results require follow-up. This is a critical part of the application process as well. Don’t just apply and wait to be called. Whether you’re asking a networking contact to forward your resume to someone on their team, or you’ve just applied to a great job online—following up is often the nudge that’s needed to get results, or at the very least, a response.

3. LinkedIn
Most of the high-quality jobs are here. Most people don’t spend much time thinking about LinkedIn unless they’re in the middle of a job search, but recruiters and HR managers use LinkedIn daily. Get the most “bang for your buck” by setting up job searches and by taking advantage of keyword search strings—this makes your profile a magnet for hiring managers. Review job descriptions for roles that you’re interested in and make sure to include keywords from the job descriptions on your profile. 

4. Social Media
You don’t have to make a Facebook announcement that says you’re in the job market—though you certainly can. As noted above, most people don’t use LinkedIn that heavily unless they’re in HR or recruiting, so a subtler approach is to message some of your friends privately via social media. You can also check out companies you’re interested in and see what they’re posting. This will give you valuable insight into what’s important to them, the kind of lingo they use, and what their culture is like. This is a great way to prepare for interviews too.  

5. Recruiting Firms
Having a recruiter or two in your corner can't hurt. Recruiters have access to a vast network of active HR contacts and they also have a direct link to companies who are hiring. Working with recruiters doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a contract or temporary employee either. If you’re in the job market, consider reaching out to a recruiting firm in your area, or one that specializes in your industry.

6. The Business Journal
Most major cities have a Business Journal, so check out the one in your area. If a new company is moving to town and plans to hire, the Business Journal will tell you about it. This is a great way to stay informed on what’s going on in your city and to find alternative job search prospects that might not have occurred to you. The Business Journal also contains valuable local information that can lead to smart talking points in networking conversations and interviews.

7.Other Job Boards
The last job search strategy is to apply to positions through other job boards like Indeed, Monster, The Ladders, and Career Builder. The reality is this is a part of the process, but the challenge is that employers often receive a high volume of unqualified applications. This is discouraging for them (and for you) and it requires someone to weed through and sort out the people who need to have a closer look. This takes time and it can mean your resume may never be seen by a real person. Should you even use the job boards then? We say yes, because it can’t hurt—but this should not be your primary job search strategy.

Good luck with your search!