Posted By Amanda Collins on December 10, 2009

According to a recent e-mail I received from Climber.com, only 40% to 60% of jobs appear on the major job boards and only 25% of new hires come from job board postings. If you are relying exclusively on sites such as Jobing, Monster, and The Ladders, you are doing your job search a disservice. You may be missing the job you want or not even be seen because you’re up against so much competition.

So what’s the better way to find a job in today’s technologically charged world? Although there’s certainly not one “right” answer, you can really increase your chances of finding a position by having a multifaceted approach.

Networking
Most major cities have job seeker support groups. No matter where you are, you’re likely to find a group of people who are looking for jobs. Check with community colleges, churches, and temples. These groups offer not only support but often training. I have spoken at a few resource events about résumés, and they invite sales coaches, networking experts, and career counselors to provide free or low-cost training. Even if you don’t get to a group, start telling people that you’re looking – and for what. Post a status on your Facebook or Twitter. You never know who’ll be reading.

LinkedIn
Recruiters are scouring LinkedIn for quality employees. Susan Healthfield, in her article “Use LinkedIn for Recruiting Employees,” gives employers hints on how to use the networking site, and many of her hints can be reversed and used by employees. Make sure your profile is complete; your résumé serves as its basis and the site is pretty simple to use. When you connect with people, share your value proposition. Do research on the companies or positions you’re targeting. Ask for informational interviews to learn more about people and companies. Post and answer questions. If you’re active on the site, people will notice.

Recruiters
Are you working with a recruiter in your job search? They don’t charge you anything, and by putting yourself on their radars, you will know about those unadvertised positions that might be a great fit. There are many national recruiting companies, as well as a number of local specialists in a variety of arenas. (I work with a few, so if you need some names, let me know.) Although recruiters may not have the multitude of positions on their dockets they did a few years ago, they can still provide another resource – especially if you’re exactly what one of their clients needs.

The old saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” certainly applies to job seeking as well. Explore options and stay positive. That next great job is out there.

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Category: job search, networking, resumes
Tags: job search, linkedin, networking, recruiters, resumes