Where Should I look?

It’s a question I get a lot.  Where is the best place to look for a job?  Is it Indeed, Monster, Zip Recruiter Workable, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and the list goes on and on.  The good news is that I have a very easy answer for that question.  Everywhere – and more.

As the Internet continues to grow, technology expands, and innovation is in the wind, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of places you can look online to find job postings, and you need to look at as many of them as you can.  Look at some of the biggest boards, especially Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn on a regular basis.  Some sites contain only the jobs posted there, while others are aggregators, collecting links to jobs posted on other sites.  On many sites you can create an account and the site will send you alerts when a job that matches your criteria is posted.

You also need to look on industry sites based on what you do – or want to do.  You need to look on company websites.  You should even look at your state’s unemployment website where they usually post jobs.  I’m sorry, but the short answer is everywhere.  As I’ve said before, if you are out of work, you need to make looking for a job a full-time job, so start clicking.

But, and this is a HUGE BUT, the odds are pretty good that you will not find the job you want if all you do is search the web and apply for jobs that appeal to you.  According to Matt Youngquist, president of Career Horizons, 70 to 80% of jobs are not published.  According to Payscale.com, that number could be as high as 85%.  The first time I heard this statistic was in the mid-1980’s and way back then it was 75%.  While technology has changed, it appears that people haven’t. 

So, if 70% or more of jobs don’t get posted, then how do you find out about them?  Networking.  The cold, hard fact is that if you want to find that perfect job, you need to talk to real people, tell them your story, ask them for help, and ask them who they know that you could talk to, and then repeat that process, over and over.  It may make you uncomfortable, but your option is to spend days and days searching the internet and fighting for jobs against hundreds of other job seekers who are doing the exact same thing.

In job search, almost always, when the question is, “Should I do A, or should I do B?”, the answer is do both.  You need to look online, you need to apply for jobs, and you need to research companies and their openings.  But you also need to network, meet people, and spread your story. 

Your dream job is out there and waiting for you.  You need to look for it on the net – everywhere, but you also have to ask people to help you find it.  If you are struggling, this might help.  https://im-fired.com/about-the-book/

Do I Have to Network?

Simple answer.  No, not if you are not in any hurry to find a good job.  Feel free to search the internet and apply for every job that might fit you.  Practice telling yourself that it’s not your fault.  Blame in on the economy, or maybe on the corona virus.

Here’s the bottom line.  For whatever reason, you lost your job, and you need a new one. From my experience, the best way to find a new or better job is networking.  Networking means talking to people and getting to know them. Make sure they know about you, what you do, what you’re good at, how you’ve been successful before.  Then, asking them for names of people they know who you could also meet and tell them the same things.  Then, thank them for their help, and finally, be willing to do the same for others.

Networking requires you to be vulnerable.  It requires you to interact with people you don’t know.  Networking may be uncomfortable for some.  But it is the only way you’ll be exposed to the 75% of jobs that are never advertised.

Now, let’s get out there and knock on some doors.

If you need some help, read this. https://im-fired.com/about-the-book/

But Do I Have To?

I talked to a guy last week who had recently lost his job and was struggling with finding a new one. His former company had provided him some outplacement assistance, but he told me, “All they want me to do is this networking stuff and talk to all these people that I don’t know. I don’t really want to do that, do I have to?”

If you’ve followed this blog, you know that of course my answer was “No, you don’t have to do that. It’s hard, and I know you don’t want to do it. You don’t have to. I’m sure that if you put ‘new job’ on your Christmas list that Santa will hook you up. Plus, if you expand your financial investment strategy via playing the lottery, that will easily provide enough income for your to live on. And didn’t your parents just finish off their basement?  I’m sure they won’t mind if you sleep on the couch for awhile.”

Okay, I recognize that sarcasm may not be an effective communication tool. My apologies.

The real answer is; if you want access to the best jobs, and if you want to find your next job as quickly as possible, then yes, you need to network. And the more you do it, the faster it will work.

To maximize your job search, you must use every available avenue, simultaneously. You need to look at job boards, you need to look at company websites, you need to read the want-ads, you need to do volunteer opportunities, you need to use social media, and you need to network. You need to make sure that as many people as possible know who you are and what you do best. You need to create the situation so that when a job comes open, somebody in that loop already knows about you and calls you, rather than posting that opening online.

Networking will do much for you beyond finding you a job. Networking will build your self-confidence, improve your communication skills, and allow you to meet a whole lot of wonderful people who are willing to help you. And then, when you flip that around and become a networking resource for someone else, networking allows you to teach, guide, and give back.

For many people, networking is uncomfortable and unnatural, but I’m afraid it remains the biggest and best key to effective job search. No, you don’t have to do it, but be prepared for a longer and less effective job search.

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If you want more advice on how to write a resume, how to network, or just how to find a job, check out I’m Fired?!? A Business Fable about the Challenges of Losing One Job and Finding Another. Available as an eBook and soon in print! Click here for more details.