Is it fair to expect me to work at job search?

image by woodleywonderworks

Face it, anything you really want to do well in requires work. If you want to be a great musician, you have to practice. If you want to be a great athlete, you have to workout and practice. If you want to be a great student, you have to do your homework and study. See a trend here?

Yesterday’s post talked about being proactive in your job search. The definition of being proactive differs depending on who you talk to but one of the myths is that volume will get you results. Send out more resumes, hit apply on more applications, and you will get your next position.

Not a volume job search, but a targeted job search

Wrong! You need to target your job search and use your network. One connection leads to the next and then you will find that you have a much bigger network than you thought.

Another myth is that there are NO “Good jobs” out there. This is also not true. You need to do more homework sometimes. Chris Russell launched the AllCountryJobs.com. This is one more resource to find sources for jobs that you might not find without some help.

Local job seekers…targeted candidates…That is the genesis of AllCountyJobs.com LLC. We are a network of local & industry-specific online job boards. Since our start in 1999, we have always strived for one goal: connect employers with quality, local applicants.

But the product that Chris also offers that I find very interesting is called the Hidden Jobs App.  As the site says:

Statistics show that 80% of job openings are never advertised. With the Hidden Jobs App, you can discover many of these positions at companies that are expanding and making news.

• Our site and mobile apps track company job announcements from newspapers, online media and press releases.
• Available for iPhone & iPad & iPod Touch and now Android.
• Our database is updated daily with new content. Articles stay active for 90 days.
• Ideal for job hunters, career professionals, reporters and recruiters.

Many job seekers think that if it isn’t advertised, it isn’t there. If you only think from this angle, you will face a tough, tough job search. You need to be strategic and you need to work. How would you use the Hidden Jobs App or how would you look for hidden jobs? With the app, it is easy, it produces the links to expansion announcements and sorts by location:

• 52 Hidden Jobs at Stihl in Virginia [ view source ]
• 50 Hidden Jobs at REI Store in Ohio [ view source ]
• 100 Hidden Jobs at APAC Customer Services – Tuscon in Arizona [ view source ]
• 400 Hidden Jobs at Great Dane Trailers in Georgia [ view source ]
• 50 Hidden Jobs at Catholic Health Partners in Ohio [ view source ]

Ok, this does start to be work. You have to follow the link to get to a news article about a company. But you might never know about the growth and potential jobs without doing the work.

Yes, you do have to work at job search and you do have to have the best and most compelling career marketing materials starting with your resume, but there ARE jobs out there and you can find them.