Getting Creative In Your Job Search
Have you been looking for a job for ages? Been to all the online
job boards? Do you routinely check the help wanted section every
morning with little success?
In this age of downsizing and layoffs, you are not alone. Many
people start each day with a cup of coffee in one hand and a
pencil in the other while pouring over the employment section of
the paper.
Even though it is frustrating and you wonder if any job out
there will really be for you, you trudge on, a folder full of
resumes in your arms you get in the car for a long day of
driving around and delivering them to prospective employers.
If you think the only way to find a job is to have connections,
you may be partly right. With such a demand for employment many
jobs never make it to the paper. How can you compete?
One way to get the word out and perhaps find some job
opportunities that might not otherwise present themselves is to
network. Tell friends, family and acquaintances of your job
search. These people may have businesses or friends with
business where you can be the first one to get an "in" when a
position opens up.
They may also hear of someone who is hiring and keep you updated
on opportunities you may not otherwise have heard about. Their
personal referral can also make an impression on the employer in
your behalf.
Another way to get the jump on other job candidates is to hook
up with the recruiting mangers at companies you are interested
in. Write down a list of companies that you would like to work
for. Then call them and inquire about open positions. Make sure
you talk to the human resources manager or the person who is in
charge of hiring for your type of position.
Once you know who that person is, you can send a resume
directly to them. Write a cover letter that expresses your
interest in the company and why you'd like to work for them.
Follow up with the person several days later. Just tell them you
are making a quick check to make sure your resume arrived and
ask if there are any positions that may become available.
If there is nothing right now, let them know to expect your call
in a few weeks. Sometimes positions come up out of the blue and
by staying in touch with the hiring manager you might luck out.
This is a fine line, however, as you want to stay at the front
of their minds without seeming to be a pest. No one wants to
hire a pest.
This method of finding out about jobs s not a big secret. If
you're not taking advantage, someone else will so don't feel
like you are being too pushy or "cheating". You can't afford to
miss out on making yourself known to employers before the job
posting is made public.