Check out job boards
Gone are the days when you would scour the newspapers for available positions. The digital age has revolutionized job searching tools and the modern equivalent of “The Classifieds” are job board sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, and Indeed. These sites allow you to upload a resume and browse jobs in your area by searching keywords like job titles, skills, locations, and pay rates. Its job searching personalized just for you, and most major companies have listings on these sites. The only downside to using them is that if you do apply through them, it can take time for the company to review your resume as they could be sorting through hundreds of applications for the same position. Regardless, they are still valuable job searching resources that any job seeker should be utilizing.
Social media is your friend
Social media isn’t just for posting vacation pictures and memes anymore. While LinkedIn remains the professional job searching social media platform, many others like Facebook have implemented job searching tools and hubs that can help users find work while on the platform. This is a fantastic resource as many people have a social media account that could be used to help them find work. Facebook Jobs even has features that allow users to apply for jobs right from the website or mobile app, as long as the employer has enabled online applications. You just want to make sure that you have privacy settings enabled that hide your more embarrassing photos and posts from possible employers while you are browsing jobs.
Network network network
All of the above listed tips are great ways to expand your network, especially visiting career fairs. One of the best, yet rarely spoken of, job searching tools you have is word of mouth. Many times, people working at different companies but in the same industry know each other; especially if they attend job fairs. This provides you with a great opportunity to make a great impression with one employer and have them spread the word about you. While they may not have a position open that you’d be interested in, they can pass your name along to someone at another company who does. Word of mouth works both ways though, and bad news spreads faster than good. Stories about one bad interaction can spread and lead to a few more obstacles when applying at different companies. Always make sure you’re putting your best foot forward when interacting with possible employers.
Try a staffing agency
Another great option to take advantage of when looking for work is applying with a staffing agency. They take a lot of the pressure of job searching off of the candidate by doing most of the hard work for them. At most agencies you submit your resume and conduct a quick interview, and afterwards they work on finding positions open with their client companies that best fit what you’re looking for. Once they find a position they should offer it and see if you are interested in working it. If you are, they will typically inform you of the next steps which may include testing or an orientation depending on the requirements for the position. If you’re not interested in that particular position, they will work on finding more until they find one that you do accept. They will also handle most of the pre-employment paperwork like background and drug tests and can line-up interviews for direct hire positions with companies as well. If you’re in the market for a new job, a staffing agency could just be the answer.