Where should I look for a job?

When you have to look for a job after being in the workforce for a long time, it can be jarring and upsetting. Many people get stuck thinking online job search is the only option left in today’s job market. In reality, online job boards and applications appear to still have a major impact on the way people apply for jobs but they are not the only option nor should they be the job seekers only focus.

How do you look for a job?

How do you look for a product? Say you are looking for a new vacuum cleaner. You may go to a store, you may shop online, but I bet you also ask others. You may phone a friend, ask people on Facebook, or check with your mother. When you are wondering what product to buy, you use multiple options.

When you look for a job, you need to be willing to use multiple options too. If you only use the online job boards for searching, you will miss many opportunities. Start doing research on companies, ask your friends, don’t keep your job search secret. While the online resources may point you to people who work for the company you are targeting, you have to take it one step further and send an email or better yet make a phone call. You know for a generation that carries telephones with them everywhere, it seems like we are really afraid of using them when it counts. Don’t be afraid to make a call.

If you have ferreted out a job target through one means or another, go the extra step and find someone who can tell you the contact person. Call the company and ask them who is in charge of the engineering department, who is the director of sales, or who leads business development. You then have a name to put in the cover letter and potentially someone to follow up with after you apply.

If you are a valuable commodity for the company, why are so many job seekers afraid to reach out and share their value? Look for a job using every resource you can imagine and your job search will be over much sooner.

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