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Not limiting themselves solely to online postings (something they should be doing daily), many job opportunities don't appear there and employers typically find candidates via networking.
Take proactive steps to strengthen relationships with friends, family and professional colleagues. Create a professional social media presence, join associations and attend networking events.
1. Networking
Networking can be one of the most effective job search strategies, whether you're transitioning careers or entering an already competitive field for the first time. Networking involves developing relationships within your industry and learning about job openings before they're made public. You can do this through professional groups, conferences and social events where people who work in your field attend.
Reach out and offer to meet with people working in your desired field; this could lead to an informational interview which provides an excellent way of discovering more about a company and possibly landing employment opportunities.
Keep going even if it seems as though your search is taking too long; employers' hiring needs change all of the time, and even if an employer doesn't hire now they might in future. Work hard on the tasks which have proven successful before while remaining positive - eventually your perfect job will find its way into your hands!
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn should be an integral component of your job hunt strategy, whether or not you possess an expansive job search network. Make sure your LinkedIn profile features an updated professional photo, work history and relevant skills and certifications.
When searching on LinkedIn, make sure you narrow your results by company, industry and role/job title for more targeted results. Furthermore, change your email address for something more professional as your current employer will have access to it - better to choose an email that is unconnected to any current jobs or companies than using one tied directly to any current or past ones.
Are You Wanting an Edge on Competition? Make a List of "Bucket List" Companies That Suit Your Career Goals on LinkedIn Then search these companies on LinkedIn to determine if any open positions exist, then reach out directly to their department head or manager - this proactive approach often results in job offers as well as building rapport with new connections!
3. Job Boards
Many job hunters rely on job boards as an avenue to uncover new employment opportunities, but this shouldn't be their sole source of research. Instead, using job boards should be part of an inclusive and proactive search.
There is an assortment of job boards, ranging from generalized sites to niche boards dedicated to specific industries or expertise. While popular job boards may draw thousands of applicants, using lesser-known niche sites can increase your chance of being noticed by recruiters or hiring managers.
Job boards provide many advantages to both employers and job seekers alike. Job boards provide detailed, thorough job descriptions to allow candidates to fully grasp the role and responsibilities. Furthermore, they can provide job sourcing data analytics that help employers optimize recruitment strategies.
Job boards provide another benefit in that they allow job seekers to identify industry trends and skillsets that are in high demand. Job seekers should utilize these job boards to become informed of these developments, updating their resumes to match these changes as quickly as possible.
4. Social Media
While job seekers often rely on applying to online postings as their sole strategy for finding employment, this should not be their only goal in search of jobs. A comprehensive job search strategy includes various techniques and approaches - networking being one of the primary ways employers recruit.
One of the best job search strategies is making your search proactive rather than reactive. One approach would be identifying which jobs you wish to pursue and then searching companies with those positions. Setting weekly goals like reaching out to two former classmates from Acme Company asking if they're up for coffee chats might also prove fruitful.
Attend webinars and tutorials related to your career field as another proactive job search strategy. Attending these will allow you to stay abreast of industry trends while giving yourself a competitive edge over other applicants; additionally, these classes will teach valuable skills you can put to use immediately in any role that follows.
5. Informational Interviews
Many job seekers seek a change because their current role doesn't offer advancement or there aren't any promising prospects available to them. Whatever the cause may be, employing proactive job seeking strategies will increase your odds of securing an improved position quickly and efficiently.
Informational interviews are conversations with industry professionals designed to expand your understanding of a career field or type of job. By doing this, informational interviews allow you to better assess if a particular industry or occupation are the right ones for you and may lead to future valuable connections.
To conduct an informational interview, contact a professional in your field and request an informal conversation about their work. Explain that you're exploring careers in their industry and would like to better understand what life in their job is like. Ask about their background, career path, what they enjoy/dislike about it as well as any advice for job seekers from them. Send a thank-you note (handwritten or email) as soon as possible as a show of your appreciation.