How To Conduct A Job Search

If this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place. There are several common methods for finding jobs, some of which are online and others that are offline. Here are three tips to get started with your job search:

1. Talk To Your Network

With as many as 75% of jobs found through personal relationships, networking is a big part of the job search. If you did a good job networking in college and beyond, then you should already have a fair number of contacts. Reach out to friends, family, family friends, professors, former supervisors from internships, jobs, and extracurriculars, and anyone else who may be of help to your search. Let them know exactly what you’re looking for — saying, “Hey, I need a job, any job, any job will do!” is not going to get you very far. Ask if they know of any jobs that match what you’re looking for or if they know anyone who might. Be patient as you network and be sure to follow up with that status of your job search. If, for example, you are still job hunting and haven’t reached out to someone in a couple of months, ping them. Let them know that you’re still looking and ask if anything has opened up. People inherently like to help others, so as long as you are polite and express gratitude your request should not be viewed as burdensome.

2. Visit Online Job Boards

Employers post hundreds of thousands of jobs online, and new ones are added every day. Bearing in mind the massive number of job postings, it’s important to know how to search. Most jobs boards will start by asking you to enter “Keywords” (i.e. job title, skills, company name) and “Location.” After entering this information you can filter your results by the age of the jobs, which is helpful if you’ve looked recently or if you want to weed out the old jobs. You can also filter your job search results based on how far the jobs are from your location. Tip: When you search for jobs, sign up for job alerts so you get new jobs matching your search criteria emailed to you daily or weekly.

3. Go To Job Fairs

Job fairs – sometimes called career fairs – are an excellent place to learn about jobs that are open now and to network with hiring personnel from numerous companies. If you are a great conversationalist who really shines in-person, then frequenting job fairs is a must. Job fairs vary greatly in size, with the the majority being free to job seekers. Aside from attending ones sponsored by your university, it’s smart to look for job fairs that are more specific to your industry. Be certain to present yourself at a job fair just as you would at an in-person interview - be polite, prepared, and professional. If there is a list of attending companies available, do some research beforehand to learn about the ones you’re most interested in. You’ll impress the hiring manager with your background knowledge and will have more to talk about with them. Hiring managers typically accept resumes during the event, so bring several copies. Oh, and bypass the jeans and tennis shoes for now. In the end, the best job search is one that combines multiple strategies, so divide your time and conquer the job market.   Source: Careerealism